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| - Phenomenal!!! We make this "pilgrimage" every year here, for their Chinese New Year Dim Sum brunch. No place in the entire SF Bay area even comes close to matching the elegant ambiance.
Dim Sum qualify is quite good. Not a huge variety, but all the basics. I'll select quality over quantity any day. Siu Mai, har gow, siu mai w/ fat choy, chicken feet, ham sieu gok, etc.
Dim Sum cart service was superb. Often you need to befluent in at least "Chinese food-speak" to thoroughly understand what is being served, but all speak English, and they open all the covers atop the bamboo steamers, so you can see exactly what goodies are under there.
As for the buffet entree items, the best of the best is the halved chilled lobsters.
Quality teas offered here too. Normally lesser quality white teas (soh-may cha) are served. Instead, we were served the Silver Needles tea ($18.00).
A downside we experienced was on Sunday, when we originally tried to get in. They have a no reservations policy, except for very large groups, but they spontaneously changed it for people who were attending a concert at the MGM. So, even though we arrived 90 minutes earlier, expecting to wait our turn in que, we were told they were completely sold out because they took the names of those who arrived earlier and that they were returning later. What is that about??? Why should people attending a concert at another hotel be given priority over anyone else? They should have been made to stay AND wait in line like everyone else everyday. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
One more downside - They ran out yesterday of rambutans! As most Chinese Americans know, rambutans are plentiful in Southeast Asia, but hard to get in the US, and if you find them, they're usually not fresh, but super expensive. Boo-hoo.
If you want a special treat and appreciate dim sum served in an upscale setting, then splurge!
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