China Pearl Restaurant
(617) 426-4338
9 Tyler St
Boston,
MA
02111
42.351
-71.0608
Neighborhoods: Central, Chinatown, Downtown
What People Are Saying About China Pearl Restaurant
The Editor
Gerrish Lopez
Citysearch
Located in the heart of Chinatown, this acclaimed restaurant has become synonymous with dim sum, offering a breathtaking variety of Chinese delicacies. Weekend waits are a given for the suburban families and homesick college students who fill communal tables (larger groups usually get a table of their own). Harried servers are constantly in motion, pushing rickety carts of dim sum past curious onlookers. While there's a standard Cantonese menu of familiar dishes (orange flavored chicken), most diners come here for the high-quality dim sum, of which there are dozens of varieties. By offering authentic, Old World delicacies (periwinkles with a spicy black bean sauce, steamed chicken feet) and simple, tasty buns and dumplings (savory shrimp shumai, sweet barbecued pork buns), the kitchen keeps dim sum veterans happy while providing beginners with a wonderful introduction to this popular dining phenomenon.
User Reviews
Anonymous
January 13, 2009
This is a great place to go for dim sum. The atmosphere is just like Hong Kong. The place can be very crowded especially on Sunday lunch time. The best day to go to eat dim sum is Saturday and be there around 12:00. Never had to wait.
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scottieb3
October 17, 2008
We had dim sum brunch before catching a train at South Station and found this place to be perfect. The food was as advertised, delicious and constant with a good amount of selection. I've been to other dim sum with more varieties, but we reached full stomachs well before we got bored with the food. Though we were stuck in an out of the way corner, we still had constant service and were able to get in, eat, pay and leave all within a busy Sunday morning hour. Our one downside was the apparent drought: we were never once offered water and only after getting up and bugging some of the other servers did we finally get any.
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JillyMink
September 21, 2008
Dim Sum is one of my favorite ethnic options and I have been really curious to try China Pearl after having read so many positive reviews. I appreciated the friendliness and efficiency of the staff, the paramilitary way in which tables are seated and the distinctive Chinatown ambiance. However, the bottom line for me was that the food just wasn't that good. The dumpling wrappers were thick and over-cooked, the fillings themselves lackluster. I also found that there wasn't much variety in the choice of dumplings. Almost all were some sort of shrimp plus something option, just another generic assembalance of the same ingredients in different configurations. If this is truly the best Dim Sum option in Boston, I think I'll skip it and wait until I leave town.
read full reviewThe Details on China Pearl Restaurant
Save Time:
The restaurant gets particularly crowded around noon on Sundays. Arrive early to avoid the rush.
Know Before You Go:
Unless you have a native speaker in your party, expect a bit of difficulty in discerning what certain items are (most servers can't be called upon to help).
When to Go:
Weekday diners can enjoy dim sum at all hours, but on weekends it's not served after 3pm.
Category:
Restaurants, Wholesale Importers
Payment Methods:
American Express, Cash, Travelers Check, Gift Certificate, Discover, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Family-Friendly Dining, Late Night Dining, Brunch, Theater District Dining, Family Style Dining, Group Dining, Cheap Eats
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
