Must Eat: Bao Dim Sum, West hollywood, CA

We love dim sum for brunch.  We used to go to Boston Chinatown, but ever since we moved to Los Angeles, and specifically the "West Side"/Santa Monica, it has been hard to find good dim sum close by. Sure, there are plenty of options in the San Gabriel Valley, but that is > 45 min drive.  There is a place in West LA, "Palace Dimsum" that is okay, but not that great.  So, when I discovered that there was dimsum closer by in West Hollywood that was actually rated quite highly on yelp, we decided to give it a try.

All the classics (shrimp dumpling Ha Gow, pork and shrimp shumai, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf, steamed BBQ pork bun, radish cake with chinese sausage) were pretty well done.  Nothing too special, but not bad either. The crab claws with shrimp were fantastic and probably the best thing that we tried.   Shrimp stuffed peppers was just so so.  Overall, everything seemed less greasy than previous experiences we have had with dim sum. Could this be "healthy dim sum?" The ambience was also fancier than most dim sum and they did not have the rolling carts- you ordered off the menu and they would bring your dish to you. 

In summary, J and I thought it was a good experience.  It's slightly more expensive than if you went to SGV (each order was about $5), but it wasn't unreasonable.  Probably worth the savings in gas and time. 

Bao Dim Sum House

8256 Bevely Blvd. 

Los Angeles CA 90048

323-655-6556

www.baodimsum.com