Top right: Siu Mai, Dim Sum Item (4 portions) Top left: BBQ pork Buns, Dim Sum Item ( 3 portions) Front: Shrimp Dumplings, Dim Sum Item ( 4 portions) All came in bamboo steamer baskets.
Front: Salt & Pepper Pork Ribs (topped with jalapenos and onions) Back dishes: Left– Xiao Long Bao, Dim Sum Item ( 4 portions) Middle– BBQ Pork Buns, Dim Sum Item ( 3 portions) Right– Shrimp Dumplings, Dim Sum Item ( 4 portions)
Front: Beef Fried Rice ( Contains carrots, peas and egg) Back dishes: Left– BBQ Pork Buns, Dim Sum Item ( 3 portions) Middle– Shrimp Dumplings, Dim Sum Item ( 4 portions) Right– Salt & Pepper Pork Ribs
Caption: Egg Tart, Dim Sum Item ( 3 portions)
One hungry afternoon, I was craving some Chinese food, so I decided to look up “local dim sum places in the area” and spotted the Best Dim Sum restaurant. This caught my attention, as it was close to Granite Bay. Usually, there have not been a lot of dim sum places around the area as most of them are located in the Sacramento region like Yue Huang.
After asking my friends who live around Granite Bay, many haven’t heard of this restaurant before, intriguing me further. Why don’t we know about Best Dim Sum? The restaurant name also sparked a burning question… does the food really live up to their name?
On the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Auburn Folsom Road, Best Dim Sum is situated in a shopping center across the street from Starbucks. Arriving in the late afternoon, my family and I entered the restaurant, taking in the classic smells of aromatic tea, garlic and ginger.
The restaurant had a nice atmosphere, making me feel comfortable right away, as if I was at my grandparents’ house having a meal. Large paintings and decorations featuring traditional Chinese art styles filled the walls, while golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling casting a warm glow.
A kind waitress, Ming, greeted and led us to the mahogany booths. While looking at their menu, it seemed like they offered a variety of dim sum dishes as well as soups, appetizers and typical Chinese cuisine.
I ordered some of my favorite dim sum dishes; BBQ pork buns, shrimp dumplings, and xiao long bao. It didn’t take too long for them to arrive at our table. Each dish had 3-4 portions, which is typical for a dim sum restaurant, and came in a traditional bamboo steamer basket, keeping the food warm and steamy.
BBQ pork buns are steam filled buns filled with sweet and tender pork, and Best Dim Sum nailed it pretty well. The pork was very flavorful and juicy with its texture complementing the soft fluffy bun on the outside. There was a little more bread than what I would have preferred, but it was still very delicious.
Shrimp Dumplings, known as “Har Gow” in Cantonese, contain shrimp wrapped in thin translucent dumpling wrappers that are slightly chewy. The shrimp filling had a great taste of garlic and ginger, while the wrapper gave the bite a satisfying texture.
Xiao Long Bao or “soup dumplings” have a tender dough wrapper encompassing a savory surprise of flavorful broth and meat inside. The broth wasn’t as flavorful as I expected but the meat was tender and the burst of the soup as you bite into the wrapper gave an exciting experience.
Other than dim sum dishes, I ordered some salt and pepper pork ribs and the classic beef fried rice. The fried rice tasted just like a typical Chinese style fried rice, but the salt and pepper pork ribs were the highlight of my meal. It came golden brown, topped with onions and jalapenos.
With the right amount of pepper and a satisfying crunch after every bite, the pork ribs were spot on to a dish that I had in Taiwanese cuisine.
Whenever I go to dim sum restaurants, I always order my favorite dessert, the egg tart, so I ordered it without hesitation. The egg tarts arrived at our table, baked warm and crispy. Instead of having a flaky bottom, it had more of a crunchy texture followed by a soft and buttery taste, and the sweetness of the custard didn’t overpower the dessert.
After receiving the dishes, I spoke with one of Best Dim Sum’s owners, Lina, about the history of the restaurant. According to Lina, she, along with the other co-owner, worked in another dim sum restaurant, Yue Huang, prior to starting Best Dim Sum in February 2023.
Overall, the dim sum was pretty good compared with other dim sum restaurants, and I recommend Best Dim Sum to those who enjoy dim sum and Chinese dishes. As a person of Hong Kong and Taiwanese descent, I tend to enjoy eating Asian cuisine along with my family, and we were very pleased with Best Dim Sum’s authentic experience! I would rate this a 9/10, and I will definitely try it again sometime in the future.
Best Dim Sum can be found at this address: 8675 Auburn Folsom Road, Granite Bay, CA 95746.
