3
http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/the-best-dim-sum-in-los-angeles-8423447
I have no quarrel with the restaurants in their top five, though I don’t agree with their ordering. However #6 validates my observation that top Chinese restaurant listings are bogus because of the “geographic correctness” required of such listings.
Perhaps they wanted to avoid comments like: “Surely there must be somewhere on the Westside worthy of including. That writer didn’t do their homework.” 
That quote is almost exact, if not exact, from the comments on a similar list that skewed heavily SGV.
Of course calling Hollywood “Westside” is a bit of a stretch itself, probably a telling commentary on the state of Westside dim sum. I have nothing against ixlb since it is conveniently down the hill from me and fairly decent. However with their price structure I’m better off driving to Chinatown to one of the bakeries or dim sum takeouts.
If I drive all the way to the mythical SGV for dim sum, I should go to… ?
… Sea Harbour - get there ideally before they open at 1000. 1030 at the latest (assuming this is a weekend visit). Some downhill reports have been voiced over the past couple years. This kinda puts their previous reputation for consistency and quality into question, but we’ve had nothing but happy food times here.
Haven’t been to Elite in a while, but they are (to me) in the same league as Sea Harbour. A bit more innovative, some dishes done marginally better than Sea Harbour (but some worse - draw) but their dining area feels darker and kinda claustrophobic (to me) compared to SH’s.
King Hua is easier to get a table - second tier to the above mentioned but still worthy (do a Bang-pop at Fosselman’s a block away). Figure on a five-20 minute wait at peak times.
Lunasia tends to offer some more-unique maybe less traditional dim sum dishes along with the standards. This place gets very crowded with a lot of the younger crowd midday. Lunasia has a life-long cheerleader in Clarissa Wei, and she has her followers. You be the judge.
Haven’t been to China Red, nor have they been discussed in a while here (that I recall). First reports were very promising though.
Mrs. Chandavkl went to Elite recently and not only did she think it’s gone downhill, but it completely fell off the mountain. I think Happy Harbor in Rowland Heights should be ranked in the top 4. Haven’t been to China Red since the supposed change in ownership.
I really like No. 7, especially their durian black fungus crepes, and although No. 8 had slipped from its halcyon days of yore, they make a mighty fine tapioca fruit cup.
And how did No. 10 make the list?? Were they just looking for a straggler to round out the rankings?
Question: Now I normally end up at 888 Seafood if I’m with my parents (they are unhealthily obsessed with the pineapple buns), and Sea Harbour if I get my pick, but is there a consensus on Full House Seafood in Arcadia? One of my coworkers was recommending it, and some of their photos on yelp look mighty tasty…
Sea Harbour (order a dish of XO sauce), King Hua,
Avoid Elite!
China Red, slight downhill from earlier days. .
The only dim sum we’ve had in the LA area was at Elite a few years ago and we thought it was super. But what I really remember were the duck tongues! So good and never had before or since.
There’s a second Lunasia in Pasadena; I’ve not been to either, though.
We have not been to the Pasadena location. Went to the Alhambra Lunasia not too long after it opened - very good and not crazy crowded. Second and third time was crazy crowded, topped off with (626) 20-30 year-olds. Food still good but service and wait times for food suffered from the crowds. With excellent alternatives in SGV, we never felt a need to go back.
This.
CIFY
Yah I also had a bad experience with Elite recently. They are far worse for Dim Sum than they used to be. 
Last visit here.
Geez - how the once-mighty have fallen.
Man, I recently went to King Hua and it was as sad as Elite theses days.
SN1 was even worse, wow has it nose dived off the cliff.
I’m fine with Sea Harbour, Happy Harbour, and Lunasia for SGV these days.
We were at King Hua three weekends ago - Sunday - and besides a couple items being eh (seemed underseasoned), the food seemed up to par.
I have to wonder - with the opening of more dim sum houses where ordering from the menu is the model, is the market getting diluted to the point of some places are cutting corners?
King Hua sucks. Always has.
SN1 does too, maybe even suckier.
These lists certainly entertaining.