China Pearl Restaurant

10/17/08

Great food, mediocre selection, quick service

by scottieb3 at Citysearch

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.

• Pros: Service, quality, speed
• Cons: Busy atmosphere inside, poor water service

09/21/08

I don't get the hype...

by JillyMink at Citysearch

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.

• Pros: Efficient service, cheap
• Cons: Food isn't up to par

08/05/08

best food ever ,, and great staff

by tamdel at Citysearch

We had a wedding here of 100 people in the woburn ma location this past weeken(8/2/08) and everyone said to me that it was the best chiense food they ever had and every one went home full ( how many weddings you been to can say that ) ,, and the owner Brian was amazing from day one planning this ,,, they did everything we asked ,, and thety let me decated which ever way i wanted,,,,, and everything was a great price.... this place is great for lunch dinner or a event ,,, thanks again china pearl for a great night "" oh ya and the drinks ,, tell ya one thing no one went home sober lol

• Pros: everthing
• Cons: nothing

05/04/08

Asian ex-pats and students fight through the crowds to snag a seat at Chinatown's top destination for dim sum.

by Gerrish Lopez at 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.

12/29/06

Pearl of Boston's Chinatown

by b00pi3flak3s at Citysearch

The Dim Sum here is probably among the best in Boston for its fresh variety of delicious dishes. There is a considerable amount of stuff to choose from, however, its recommended that you get what you want quickly before someone else in the immense crowd snags it. The service has been incredibly friendly despite the busy weekends and have been more than accommodating for each occasion. The decor is quite nice, banquet-hall style but Saturday / Sunday afternoons are so crowded that people tend to share tables. The prices are consistent with most Dim Sum places and most importantly are not back breaking. Best recommended for the average Dim Sum foodie who can get here before the noon rush.

• Pros: Dim Sum, Service, Prices
• Cons: Crowded

08/05/06

Great Variety

by fantasian at Citysearch

After going to several different dim sum places in Boston, I've found that China Pearl is the best in terms of variety and consistency. For people both new and old to dim sum, it's a great place to try out a large selection of different foods. In particular, I have found that China Pearl has by far the largest selection of vegetarian options, with carts often containing meatless versions of the main staples. The servers in general speak some English, but when all else fails, pointing works too. The main downside is that China Pearl can get very crowded, especially weekend afternoons. Also, if you're seated in one of the wings, not all of the carts will come by, and not very frequently at that. If they put you off to the side, request a table near the center or the 2nd floor if it's busy enough to get all the carts.

• Pros: Great variety with vegetarian options, servers speak some English
• Cons: Crowded and noisy on weekends

11/08/05

Decent Dim Sum

by nlwing at Citysearch

China Pearl is a great place for dim sum compared to other places in the mini-Chinatown of Boston. It is in a huge two story building and offers many different standard dim sum dishes to please the palate. Going on the weekends is the best but it can also be the worst since that is when you have the most variety of food being offer but you have to wait in line. BUT that is the charm of dim summing: the crowd, the noise, and the ambience of sitting in a loud place while calmly sipping tea and chatting with your freinds

• Pros: Great food, Authenticity
• Cons: Crowded on weekends

08/17/05

Most Consistent

by kfenol at Citysearch

This is the most consistent place for good dim sum in Chinatown. The service is actually a little better than it was before because the cart servers actually speak some English as opposed to none. The best bet to avoid large crowds is to avoid 11am - 1pm particularly on Sundays. (That's the traditional time for Dim Sum). There's a good spread of dishes to sample, and the price is reasonable.

• Pros: Good Dim Sum, Authentic
• Cons: No parking, Crowded peak hours

06/04/05

Overrated?

by haahaahaa98 at Citysearch

I always wondered why China Pearl got the props it did; perhaps it's because there isn't anywhere else to eat dimsum in Boston? Nevertheless, the restaurant is a bit crowded, it looks like a mediocre restaurant, the dimsum temperature is a bit . . . mediocre . . the shrimp dumplings are slightly less than succulent . . . adding up to an experience that is . . . well, . . . mediocre.

• Pros: Popular, Good for Crowds
• Cons: No Parking

02/25/05

True blue dim sum

by theduke37 at Citysearch

True dim sum atmosphere with an enormous selection and good quality and consistency. If you aren't a dim sum expert, this is the safest place to go because everything is good, whereas the other dim sum places are better in some areas and not as good in others. You need to get here early, or you are definitely going to wait.