Rosemead

Modeled in the style of high-end dim sum restaurants in Vancouver and Hong Kong (the management company also manages several restaurants in both those cities), most people view Sea Harbour as the quintessential LA dim sum experience. Accordingly, it also has some of the worst lines, but trust us when we say that everything on the menu is worth the wait. They excel at the classics, like the barbecue pork buns, which you can order in several different styles; note, though, that the original rice-noodle-roll version usually sells out early on weekends. The chefs here also offer some innovative takes on classic dishes, like the sticky rice ball stuffed with "salty egg," a dumpling with the texture of mochi wrapped around a soft, sweet, custard-y egg.