Rarely is there a place in LA specializing in Shanghainese baked goods. I used to come here over ten years ago and loved the "Xiekehuang" or "hakowang" in Shanghai dialect. Reminded me of all the great stuff my Shanghainese dad used buy me in places like Shanghai and Taipei in the 80s and 90s. Life got in the way and just haven't been able to make it back to Dean Sin World since last week and I was so excited to take my 90-year old mom there for lunch. Unfortunately it's now only a take-out. It was always a tiny place with a few tables but COVID must have forced them to change. They must have discovered that take-out is a more lucrative business so is now sticking with it. But does the lady need to be so rude and arrogant? We still bought stuff to go but it was like she didn't want us to interrupt whatever soap opera she was watching. I noticed that, like many SGV Chinese restaurants and dim sum places, things are getting bigger not for the better. What used to be delicate pastries are now bigger and crude. Is it an American Chinese phenomenon? Bet you won't see it in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore or.... China. Five stars so it sticks around, improve and serve our culture right. read more

Dean Sin World - frozen product is what they really want you to buy with this lovely menu - Dim Sum Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Cash only. I used to buy their frozen xiao long bao in 2020 but their maker changed, or ingredients. It wasn't worth the price any more. I've tried other items but they weren't for me. They hiked up their prices on everything, every few months at some point. The quality and taste wasn't worth it for me. However, I would drop by to grab their savory to sweet pastry bings. Easy to transport, hefty snack that lasts days (maybe 2 until could get stale?), and flakey good. As of 7/28/2025, $3 Red bean (black sesame on top), $4 meat (red character on top), $3 turnip (white sesame on top), $3 green onion (white and black sesame on top). Cash only, limited to what is left to pick from. These use to range around $1.50 in 2020. Prices did rise but never to these prices. I'll have to see if there's other places that also make this. Overall their bings are still pretty good, and the flakiness is great. Their red bean has gotten better in taste, and quantity in filling. Everything else was still decent. I'd prefer the non-meat ones. I didn't see any wives cakes here this time. It's been over almost a year since I've visited. The lady staff is the same and nicer this time? Maybe in better mood with friends there too. I was expecting the harsh mainland China attitude I've gotten over the years. For many other cultures, it'll feel extremely rude....not just rude. Like they'll know you're there, and can ignore you for minutes. I've sucked it up cause I liked their products so much before. read more

Dean Sin World - $3-$4 bings now :( vs $1.50 in 2020 (5yrs ago). Cash only still. - Dim Sum Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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A friend wanted to get the meatball (lion head) here, so I got some frozen shrimp wonton. I didn't try the meatball but they are good sized. The shrimp wonton is pretty good. Even I overcooked it, it didn't fall apart. They have very limited opening hours so watch the time before you go. read more

Dean Sin World - Menu Nov 2021 - Dim Sum Near Me - Monterey Park, California

It took me a little while and several tries to get the pan fried buns cooked properly. I found this works the best after several attempts: in 10 in non stick frying pan, put some oil and 6-7 dumplings. While heating, add 3/4 cup of hot water. Cover and heat on medium heat until all the water has evaporated. The bottom of each bun would be brown and the meat is cooked. And the dough of the bun would be soaked with the small amount of juices from the meat. So my conclusion: tasty, authentic and good value at 70 cents a bun whereas outside could be at least $1.20 per bun. read more

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I swung by Dean Sin to get frozen XLBs and wantons on a Saturday afternoon. There was ample parking in the lot but the store itself took a little bit to find since it's sign does not really match its name. Refer to the many exterior photos to see what the store looks like. It is located on the Northern side of the horseshoe shaped strip mall. The store itself is just an open door blocked by a table. I was able to get the attention of a staff member who took my order, packed my items, and accepted payment. The staff was very friendly. The XLBs I enjoyed and are a good value. However I personally will probably continue to look for other options as I didn't love their flavor. The wontons however I did love and will be back for more in the future. They had a full pork flavor though the skin did fall apart a little too easily... but I can get over the skin if the filling is satisfying (which it was). They also offered other items I may try out on my next outing. Overall the prices are good and the flavors are decent, but being in Monterey Park, there are so many options, I'm looking for frozen XLB i will love. I suggest trying DSW out and see if you like it. read more

We found this place on yelp and came here to try the Shanghai meat pastry. It's a small shop with no seating and they do not speak any English so we just showed the lady the picture and she got one for us. It's basically a flaky outer crust with a tender dough on the inside with a savory meat filling (similar to pork xlb or wonton filling) - we've never tried the Shanghai meat pastry before and it was really good. The texture of the pastry makes it special. We originally got one and then walked back to get 4 more. Two ladies were making wontons at the table behind the counter when we were there and all were smiling. We communicated with hand gestures and everyone understood thumbs up. $3 a piece for the meat pie. read more

There are moments when I truly wish I lived out in the SGV and the day I visited Dean Sin World was one of those times. My BFF got there earlier than us and snagged a table. When we arrived and sat down, she had already struck up a rapport with the lady there. When the lady found out I was Shanghainese she was tickled pink and started speaking my family's dialect with me and all the while, recommending stuff to us. We ended up getting quite a few things but what we were here for were the XLBs! Cong you bing (scallion pancake) -- the young man's favorite and we always have to order this whenever it is on the menu. It's not the best I've ever had, but it wasn't bad. Su ji (mock chicken/goose) -- these are tofu sheets wrapped up to encase a medley of vegetables. I love this and so did everyone else. It's a cold appetizer dish -- very tasty. Guo tieh (potstickers) -- these were immensely yummy! I don't ordinarily like potstickers but these were crispy on the bottom and soft on the top with a nice fillng. Jiu cai he zi (chive turnover) -- I love these, but you have to love chive to really appreciate this item. I thought the one here was very good, very generous with the filling and crispy on the outside! Definitely worth trying. Niu rou mien (beef noodle soup) -- everyone liked this dish. The beef was cooked exactly the way my mom would've cooked it so naturally I thought it was just awesome! This bowl of noodles just made me miss my mom very much! Cai rou bao zi (vegetable and pork steamed buns) -- meh I didn't think these were that great -- too much bun and not enough filling. Also, not enough veggies in the filling. XLB -- no need for any introduction! These are your traditional XLBs, not the kind you find at Din Tai Fung where the wrappers are made with gluten and can be stretched very thin. The XLBs here are done the traditional way without being too thick on the outside and enveloping that wonderful pocket of soup that bursts in your mouth. We were very happy with our meal. After sitting there a while, it finally dawned on me why it was called Dean Sin World. "Dean Sin" is the Shanghainese pronunciation of 'dim sum' (which is Cantonese) -- oh DUH! 4.5 stars! read more

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Word on the street that the Xiao Long Baos here were pretty darn good. I've had Mama Lu, Din Tan Fung, ROC and PP Pop and my favorite so far has been Mama Lu. I came here with decent expectations due to the reviews. Xiao Long Bao: The dipping sauce didn't come with ginger which was a first for me. The XLB were pretty juicy and most but lacked a flavor punch. Not bad, but not memorable. Spicy Wonton: Probably the mildest spicy wonton's I've had. They were actually a bit sour for some reason.... Beef Roll: Probably the best thing we ate. The beef roll had a nice crust and the beef was nice and tender. Green Onion Crab Shell: Very flaky and buttery but it was a bit bland and dry for my liking. Fresh Meat Crab Shell: Same as the Green Onion one but at least the meat made it a bit more moist. Pan Fried Buns: Very crispy bottom and juicy interior. It wasn't bad, but I wish the meat to bun ratio was better. Overall, we spent about $31 and the above was good enough to feed 3 people. Most of the items were average and nothing was great to make me want to come back. read more

Dean Sin World - Dim Sum Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Can I just say, "Ditto" to these reviews? Jon K. hit it on the spot with the suggestions of 1-4-7. 1) XLB. The skins are a little thick but they still have a great taste. Unfortunately we were unlucky and got a batch that had the soup drain out of them on about 60% of the dumplings. Had it not been for that, this place would have been a 5 star IMHO. 4) Won-Ton. Where to start, these meaty morsels hit the spot. They were the first dish that came out and packed with flavor and a flavorful soup, they are the tastiest won ton I've had in a while. I think the only ones I've had that are better are made by another Yelper's mom (Nothing like home made cooking) 7) Fried Pot stickers is where it's at here. These things deserve a 5 star in my mind. Imagine a pot sticker with a not too thick skin, a flavorful meat stuffing, and best of all, the XLB soup inside it too! These things were bursting with flavor and those sweet and salty juices that everyone loves... no not THOSE juices. I think I would come back just for these. We ordered 1-4-7 in quantities of 2-1-1. I think next time I'll change it to 1-1-2. One other great thing about this place is the cool employees. There were two cute ladies there who were waiting on us and they made it feel like going to your best chinese friend's house... You know who i'm talking about, those mothers who refuse to let you leave the house unless you've gained about 20 lb's before leaving the door because they want you fat dumb and happy. Yeah, these two ladies made that happen. With the order of 1-4-7, we were fortunate enough to be given three extra things. 1 & 2) Red Bean Sesame Cakes ($1) and Date Sesame Cakes ($1). Would I buy these separately? Yes probably. I liked the Date one better just because of the different taste but don't get me wrong, the red bean was delicious too. 3) Chinese Pizza. This is a thing she whipped up for us just because. It reminded me of those pan fried onion pancakes you see at other chinese restaurants with chives, garlic, etc. sandwiched between the two pieces of dough. It was just okay to be honest. By itself I felt it needed something. Something along the lines of a sauce. Overall 4 star food (XLB sorry has to be a 3.5) but the service was also a 5. Average it all out to be a 4.2 and you got a great place on your hands. I must heed the same warning others have said, this place is SMALL. 4 tables inside and 2 tables outside, none of which can seat more than 4 people. I will post a panoramic picture of the restaurant when I get access to my photoshop at home. We also saw two people sitting there when we rolled up who looked like they could be yelpers too. They were sitting there classy as ever and also with a fully loaded DSLR. If it was you. holla! read more

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I came here for the frozen xlb dumplings to take home. 50 for $18 can't be beat. The other night I made some at home and enjoyed. If the dumpling skin wasn't so thick they would be perfect. The soup has some type of peanut base and the meat is kinda sweet. I will be back for sure. read more

Dean Sin World - Take home dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Update: 9/2/18. They do not serve hot food anymore. Only selling their bakery items and frozen items. We feel so sad becithey really have the best spicy wonton and pand friend dumpling and the meat friend bun and so much more. They are selling the frozen version. Though. But the sauce.. THe spicy wonton sauce. So sad. But I'm just glad that they are still running, same people,same food, just some changes. The place is a rundown. The ceiling is leaking, the door is creaking, and all those things.. well I'm no building inspector and I don't care. I can tell you that the food is good. I even forgot to take pictures of the xlb because I had to be fast before it's all gone. Bought 100 frozen xlb so I can give them to my neighbors too. I read more

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Honest rating, it's alright-but my boyfriend and I agreed we would never come back. Beef noodle stew, tasted okay. I was disappointed because it was less than 2 little pieces of beef that we dug the soup for a while just to find it hiding under the noodles. It mostly consisted of lots of noodles, some parsley, preserved pickled vegetables that were on the sour side and off. The broth was oily that I did not finish it, neither did my boyfriend. Green onion pancakes- they were deep fried like tacos. WTF. I did not taste any green onions. There were tiny bits but no flavor. They did a good job of removing the oils, but the flour taste in green onion pancakes was not there. Green onions are at the supermarket for usually 3 long and plentiful bundles for $1.00. I do not see how a restaurant with 4 stars cannot afford to put more green onions in their pancake. Juicy pork dumplings- the soup broth was in it. I am glad this was not bad, decent, but we prefer mama Lu's dumplings. FYI this place sells 50 dumplings for $16.00. This place cannot be compared to din tai fung. Dean sin world is a downgrade from that. They do not speak English, which is fine. They were able to take my order. The staff was friendly with smiles. The only thing that stands out is their dumplings. Things I noticed that are undesirable: Our table had crusty pastry flakes and no one cleaned it before we were seated. Their soy sauce jars and chili paste oil looked mutilated and sticky. The menus were sticky. They served water in styrofoam cups. I am just glad their chopsticks were the wooden ones that do not seem used. Before you enter the restaurant, you see they have a B grade. When we ate, we heard the workers arguing or yelling something most of the time and I am not kidding either its disturbing. read more

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Bought their 50pcs of leek and pork dumplings do $19 just to try them out too. I wanted to try their XL bao but they ran out. Made some and was not impressed. Too much/thicker dough. Less meat, and not even a decent amount which the dough skin is plenty. Naw, not going to buy their dumplings again. If I like or love them, I would've finished the rest by now. Still in the freezer (after 2 weeks and counting). Well, the turnip cake was not bad, small but just to eat one for a morning snack. read more

The second we stepped in the lady greeted us in Chinese, we didn't know how to respond. I take that back, my friend said "I'm not Chinese" in but she turned to me and I could only blankly mutter that uh, I'm not Chinese either. Thanks for throwing me under the bus, buddy. Anyway, the owner, cook, waitress, really cheerful, confused me for Chinese lady was really enthusiastic about us being there like we were the only people she'd seen, much less business in forever. We asked her what was good and she started talking in Chinese again and my friend had to repeat the question. She picked out dumpling noodle soup, we of course had the bao and had something that I couldn't identify because she basically said it was good and took the menu away before I had a chance to read exactly what it was. Before the food came out the same lady came out with a half a sesame cake for both of us and said "no money, no money, it's okay." Smiled, and went back to the kitchen. Another woman who I never saw before came out with the soup which tasted a lot like duk gook came out, it was good pretty much like the Korean kind but in a small bowl. The bao was really good, the sauce slightly spicy and the skin was pretty thin in my opinion very delicate so I used my hands for the last couple of them. The third mystery dish was pretty much like mandoo, and tasted like it too. A third lady came out who spoke to us in English and asked us if we found the place from the internet we said yes. She asked if we were from LA and when I told her I was from Chicago just visiting she mentioned how busy the place gets around dinner and they have sell bao wholesale to a place in Las Vegas and who knows how much they sell them for. On the way out the first lady we met gave us more sesame cakes, one for each of us as we left, as well as business cards to give to my Chicago friends. My last meal before the airport and it ended on a high note. read more

Dean Sin World - Dim Sum Near Me - Monterey Park, California

On a mission to try more varieties of Steamed Vegetable Dumplings. Sauntered in on 5.28.13 before noon to find a "B" health rating. The restaurant looked clean inside. The lady who greeted me spoke English. She was friendly and displayed the 7 Steamed Vegetable Dumplings they had just made. Asked for a vegetarian dumpling to be served hot. Thought I would try it there in all it's glory. The glory however was not for the Steamed Vegetable Dumpling. It was placed before me lukewarm. The dough was too thick in regards to the filling ratio. The vegetarian filling was quite tasty. Asked if they sold the filling separate? The lady baker emerged and said "if I had some leftover I would give it to you. Sorry we just made enough for the vegetarian dumplings." Disappointed I cracked open the other 4 pastry cakes. Date, Red Bean, Green Onion and Radish shreds. The sweet ones were terribly dry. The Green Onion and Radish had moist fillings, again the outside was dry. Just about to pay and leave, I noticed some nuts on the countertop. The friendly lady said "here, try some." No further encouragement needed. Popped some nuts in my mouth and oh, what an ideal mix of crunchy, sweet and salty peanuts. That was the glorious surprise of the day. read more

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The parking has plenty of spaces because most stores are closed. I think it has new owners. You stand on the sidewalk to order. There is only 3 selections of baked goods on display. I asked for baked wife cake. The lady gave me pastry with salted radish inside. It was just ok. I was looking for a sugar fix. Wife cake is supposed to have sweeten melon inside. The lady doesn't speak English that well. I did not get a receipt. I'm a bit disappointed. read more

It's not the best xiao long bao (small steam buns), but they are pretty good. I think what makes a xiao long bao good is: 1) thin wrapping (they got 2 stars) 2) lots of good juices inside (3 1/2 stars) 3) flavorful fresh meat inside (2 1/2 stars) AND for me I think the meat inside should NOT be lose, it should taste like a good chuck of meat. I didn't like their xiao long bao (XLB) because I felt like the meat was too lose, it almost seem like they mixed in other stuff with the meat and it breaks apart in your mouth too easily. Maybe you like that, but for me I like the meat inside to taste more like a meat ball not just meat sauce. This place does also have pretty good noodles, won tons, and onion pancakes. So even through there XLB is not the best, you can definitely have a good meal here. I know I'm being a bit tough on them it's because I'm from Shanghai, born there, live there when I was young, and moved back for a few years recently due to work. So maybe my standard's are just a bit high. They are pretty authentic. The owner is a Shanghainess women who use to work in one of the best XLB restaurants in Shanghai. I talk to her about the meat and she blames it on the fact that all the meat from the supermarket here are frozen, she recognizes the issue, but for the amount you pay, you can't expect too much. Also this place is really really tiny, so not good for large parties, but they do offer take out. read more

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Ambiance: Colorful yet simple decor inside, few photos of the owner with Asian celebrities hanging on the wall. It's a very tiny store, and a lot people came for to-go orders. It's more a place for lunch or desserts, not good for big groups. Don't get confused with their name "Bakery Deli" and "Dean Sin World". Service: One waitress was kinda of forgetful and slow, the owner was patient and attentive, saying a lot compliments. Food: Traditional Shanghai style food. Stewed Beef Shank - **** Very chewable beef, specially tasty with homemade soysouce Crab shell cake (Xiekehuang) - **** siganature food here, crispy with variety of flavors. My recommendation in order were turnip strips, green onions, pork, mashed red bean, mashed dates Pork and shrimp wonton - *** handmade with thin skin and lots fillings, it would taste better only if the soup base could be made more sophisticated Price: Portion was small, and price was okay. There's minimum charge for using credit cards. Parking: You might have to look around for parking lots, only a few parking spaces in the small plaza. More or less, took one star off here. read more

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First of all - Yelp categorizes this place as "Taiwanese" and that is a bit misleading. Dean Sin World is a mom-and-pop Shanghaiese / Northern Chinese style restaurant. This place exemplifies your typical SGV (San Gabriel Valley) restaurants - hole in a wall, inexpensive, delicious food (at least for XLB + beef noodle soup), and fairly average service. I once came here 3+ years ago and I had a pretty interesting experience (one of the orders I had was sesame rice ball in wine ... definitely takes an acquired taste to enjoy it). Anyhow, Dean Sin World was temporary closed for a short period of time and it wasn't until few months ago that it finally reopened (something about renovated). Once you walk in, feel free to grab a table and hopefully someone (one of the staff) will notice your presence. Even though there are only five tables, you will probably find an available table if you come after the regular lunch hours (like after 2 PM). You will hear the staff speaking Shanghaiese in the background and I just simply blocked the noises out. If you really like Dean Sin World's XLB (Xiao Long Bao or juicy pork dumplings), then you can buy a bag of frozen XLB for take-out. Yes the restaurant didn't have A/C, but it felt like 70-80 degrees in here. ** Noodle & Rice #5 - Beef Noodle Soup ($6.00): I was pretty impressed - super soft noodle, flavorful beef (but not melt-in-your-mouth texture), good Chinese sour cabbage (suan cai), and excellent broth (not too salty with savory umami aftertaste). I suspect there was MSG added in the broth because I was pretty thirsty afterward, but it was one of the better beef noodle soup I've had in the SGV. House Special #1 - XLB (Nan Xiang Xiao Long Baco or Shanghaiese Style Steamed Pork Juicy Dumpling, 8 pieces, $5.30): Other than lack of ginger, slightly thick skin, and non-ideal soup & pork ratio (not as juicy), everything else (skin and flavors) was ON THE SPOT. *** If you can overlook the non-professionally trained Chinese service, then this is a good spot for yummy XLB and beef noodle soup. P.S. - Bring CASH and feel free to try their crab shell cakes (flavors include green onion, fresh meat, turnip, red bean, date, etc). read more

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A hidden gem truly! The prices are very good and can't be beat, and you can get a good variety of dumplings and shanghai dishes! It's a small family-owned shop, so it can be a different experience. But I like the cozy feel like it's a welcoming dining room. Their pastries were well worth it either filled with daikon or meat. Their Shanghai dishes were also unique and a nice adventure to try. We still got the usual xiao long bao, and it's a really good price! Oh, along with us, a lot of people also ordered their bundles of pastries or frozen dumplings and lion's head meat balls to go to make at home! I love supporting these local shops, and the owners were nice too! read more

Dean Sin World - Very good daikon or meat filled pastries - Dim Sum Near Me - Monterey Park, California

After eating at Mama's Lu several times, I have to say that Dean Sin World is a notch below. I've eaten here twice with the second time being last night since Mama's Lu and Kam Hong are both closed on Wednesdays. We had the: - XLB (good, but Mama's Lu are better) - Beef wrapped in pancake (sorry don't know the english name, but it was only ok. not my thing) - Pork and leek boiled dumplings (best dish of the night) - Pan fried dumplings (good and better than Mama's Lu) The three of us finished all the food and the bill was just over $20 before tip. Overall, Dean Sin World is a good restaurant and the women who work here are the friendliest, but they don't speak much English at all. As you may have gathered, I like Mama's Lu better. Just don't go there on a Wednesday. Dean Sin World does have excellent prices for their frozen XLB and dumplings though. I plan to buy some and try them at home. Xie Xie! read more

I'm still trying to find a suitable alternative for Din Tai Fung. Unfortunately Dean Sin World isn't it. The xiao long bao (juicy pork dumpings / soup dumpings) are not as flavorful as DTF. There were less juices in each dumping and the dumpling skins were too thick for my tastes. They just seemed so doughy and starchy. Part of the DTF experience is that you have to be delicate when handling your dumplings, otherwise they'll break and spill delicious meaty juicy everywhere. Not at Dean Sin World. I liken their dumplings to under-filled water balloons that don't pop when you throw them. On the positive side, Dean Sin World is significantly cheaper. DTF is nearly twice as expensive, however in this case, I think you get what you pay for. Dean Sin World is a tiny hole-in-the-wall bakery with only a few tables inside and employees who don't speak a lick of English. DTF is a fancier sit down restaurant. You pay more, but you get a higher quality product and a real dining experience. The choice is yours! read more

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The #1 place where the food is definitely worth your money! This bakery shop is a very very small hole in the wall shop that is located in a plaza. There are only couple tables to seat people. When my friend and I went there, there weren't many people in the shop. It appeared that many people just come to-go the food. Right when I drove up to the store, my first thought was: hmm am I at the right place? However, right when i walked in the store, I was amazed! I saw home-made meat and sesame pork buns! They placed them all over the tables to cool them down. They definitely utilize every inch of their store. You sit any where you want. Most of the time, the waitresses are in the kitchen, so multiple times we had to go to the front entrance of the kitchen to get their attention. Once you do get their attention, they are really helpful. The waitress also gave us recommendations (Xiao Long Bao, Pan-Fried Dumplings, and Wonton soup). My friend and I ordered the Pan Fried Dumplings ($5.30 after tax), XLB ($5.30 after tax), and Leak Pancake ($3.10 after tax). All in all it was $13.70! My friend and I were so full and we had extra to take home! My favorite out of all 3 was the Leak Pancake. My next would be the Pan-Fried Dumplings. I felt that the Pan-Fried Dumplings was like a XLB because it had so much juicyness in it! Yumm! The XLB was okay. It didn't have a lot of juice, so it tasted like a regular dumpling. Overall, for the price, this place is a two thumbs up~ I highly recommend this place! read more

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Have not been there for a while. I stopped by last week to get pot stickers and chive dumplings. They are very good. read more

I've been coming here for a long time and finally remembered to write a review. One of my friends is really baffled by the name until I explained that "dean sin" is the mandarin pronunciation of "dim sum." Anyhow, I usually say that the weirdness of a Chinese restaurant name has some direct correlation with how authentic it is. The fried cabbage pork dumplings are good. Tasty filling, crunchy skin. The scallion pancake is nice as well. Flaky and not too greasy. I also liked the fried bun. It's kind of a large dumpling with a more white (vs. translucent) semi-soft outer shell. It was really hot inside; I almost burned my mouth on it. Be warned. The XLB is not quite as good as those from Mama Lu or Ding Tai Fung. The texture of the skin is inferior. Note that the store is extremely small, with just a few tables. You can order take-out and even some frozen XLB. The owner is very nice and accommodating. He's not really fluent in English, but he'll understand your order. read more

Very nice dumplings and buns at great price. Place opens and closes at what seems random hours, so better call to make sure they are open before going there. read more

Famous for Shanghainese crab shell pastries, Dean Sin World is a humble hole in the wall where the food is made from scratch. I liked the window where you could watch the crab shell pastries being made. There was a picture of the owner on the wall with someone who looked like a Chinese celebrity (I didn't know who it was). The owner was present and quite chatty. The menu includes dumplings (including XLB and SJB), noodle soup, pancakes, Shanghai rice tamales, etc. You can also take home some frozen goodies. The crab shell cakes have different sweet and savory fillings. The name comes from the look of the shell, which is said to resemble a crab shell (it doesn't contain crab). The baked shell is very flaky and crispy on top. Sometimes it's topped with sesame seeds. The pastry melts in your mouth. * Beef pancake ($5.50) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dean-sin-world-monterey-park?userid=NOUfyJW-BAo_-Cbfo8edww#slnszZyI1xjbwY-1mjxgTg: a delightful combination of marinated beef slices, cilantro, and sweet hoisin sauce in the pan-fried thin pancake, a little greasy but worth it * Crab shell pastry with ground pork: the sweet, flaky shell provides an interesting and delicious contrast to the juicy ground pork filling, these were so fresh they were still warm, yum * Crab shell pastry with radish: Not much radish but still a tasty little bite read more

8 person maximum capacity. Defintley not a place to bring the kids, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, but perfect if you want to enjoy some delicious dumplings by yourself. I don't think I have ever had such a perfectly pan fried dumpling. It was cripsy on the outside and juicy on in the inside. It was just the perfect balance. I have never had such a juicy dumpling come out of a pan and this is coming from someone who grew up in the 626 ( I practically came out of the womb holding a dumpling) XLB and the soup noodles were just okay. I would stick to the pan fried dumplings, green onion buns, and the fried mochi dessert. I'm not sure what's it called, but it's a red bean mochi that has been deep fried and flatten. It's kind of like the sweet korean pancake (hoddeok). Super friendly owner. Dirt cheap and they also have the dumplings wholesale. Make room in the freezer and your belly! read more

my overall experience this time was a 3.5... this time around just didn't taste as good as I remembered. i skipped the XLB this time since i've concluded that mama's lu has better xlb. of course i ordered their fried dumpling - MMMMM sooo good! crunchy bottom since it's burnt - just the way i like them! and flavorful pork and tons of juice inside the fried dumpling! the ge chai wonton, this time, was eh.. just alright. wasnt as good as before. spicy wonton was not good. it's just wasnt the same as i've had at dragon mark. These spicy wonton were not spicy..it was more sour.. it actually reminded me of Hot and Sour soup flavor. it wasnt gross, but it was not what I was expecting. I don't think i'll order this dish again. read more

A total hole-in-the-wall place, not unlike many of the restaurants in say, Taiwan. I would not bring a big group here, as the store was TINY. The food was really good though--pretty authentic, and affordable. We spent $15 each, including tax and tip, with plenty of leftovers. I went a little crazy on the Shanghai Dumplings. We got: Fried buns: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l7zwbjfYKI3wblkCZBh1yA?select=CMAUwrwI0qKJVx9UXs1wkQ. These were solid. Mmmmm I love fried buns. I HAVE had better though--I'm perpetually in search of the ones with lots of vermicilli in the filling. I may have to resort to making them. Or going back to Taiwan. Beef noodle soup: http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/9kXri4ewc_URbrQzZZHyKQ/l. (the photo rotated upon uploading). This was insanely delicious, especially the broth. Green onion pancake: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l7zwbjfYKI3wblkCZBh1yA?select=gXsvhuRe-qFiOErJhWCLqw. Mmmmm hot, crispy, and chewy! Loved it. Shanghai Dumplings aka Xiao Long Bao: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l7zwbjfYKI3wblkCZBh1yA?select=5uNxRWwb3lo2boMXLGhIaA. Sadly, these lacked juiciness, tenderness, and delicate skin. I wouldn't get these again--they were actually my least favorite of the night. Verdict: If I lived closer, I would come again, but I mainly made the 45 minute drive in search of amazing Xiao Long Bao...and Dean Sin World did NOT have that. The other dishes, however, were delicious. I was happy. read more

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Thanks to my fellow Yelpers whose reviews prompted me to try this place out. In the "Golden Triangle" of Chinese food (Alhambra, Monterey Park, San Gabriel), there are just too many restaurants to try so I've come to rely and Yelp and select the more highly rated places. Dean Sin World is one of those hole in the wall places in a strip mall know more for selling shoes than serving XLB's. The place is small so don't expect a fancy restaurant. This is a converted bakery with about room for 12 people. Went to lunch and the 2 ladies sat us down and immediately served us a "sample" red bean pastry. We ordered the Beef Noodle soup, the XLB's, and the Pan Fried Dumplings. The soup rates highly as it was hot. One of my pet peeves is being served warm soup. The noodles were smooth and the broth tasty although not as spicy as some I've had. The pot stickers were juicy with just the right amount of crispiness. The XLB's were tasty and were not as juicy and soupy like others but the flavor was good. The ladies were nice and did ask how we heard of this place and I told them Yelp.com and they thanked us profusely. Lunch was only $18 with tip for 3 of us. Great taste, great bargain. read more

Dear God, Is it too much to ask for a good Chinese (any type of Chinese restaurant) in West LA....should I ask Santa? The fact is, this unassuming restaurant/bakery seats a total of 12 people maybe 14, max, the weekend line isn't there yet but inevitable. Until then, grab your friend that speaks Cantonese or Mandarin and head out to Monterey Park. The two very friendly women rolling out the dishes at this little shop speak very limited English. Luckily, Squirrel and I had Mr. FTR himself meet us there for dinner which made ordering a whole lot easier and a great experience overall. So, on with the food: - Roasted peanuts with sugar and nori/dried seaweed... a good sweet/savory snack had me immediately scanning the place for beer but sadly, not a hop in the house, tea would have to suffice. - Pork dumplings, these were a bit too soggy for my taste. Apparently you can ask for these extra burnt. - Of course an order of xlb/xiao long bao (soup pork dumplings) Grab a spoon my friends, this was my favorite dish. 10 pieces for $5. These came out steaming hot with the right amount of soup in each initial bite. - Fried pork bun with black sesames. The filling wasn't anything outstanding but the home made bun was soft and fluffy on top but also pan fried on the bottom, giving the dish a slight crunch, this was my second favorite dish. - We were lucky enough to have the first tasting of a new dish, pan fried rice cake filled with red bean. Theres a Korean dish thats very similar and one of my favorite comfort foods. Only good while its fresh, hot and crispy on the outside, gooey rice cake and sweet red bean on the inside. - Rice blew...this was a first for me. Fermented rice with a slightly sweet taste. This contained home made mochi, egg and some type of crushed flower floated on too, served warm. The enthusiasm for this dish outweighed my liking for the brew but definitely worth trying. I also ordered a red bean and green onion bun to take home ($1 each). The bill for 4, happily full friends came out to about $30 total. Thats right, TOTAL. They also sell xlbs to take home, frozen. 50 pieces for $15. Ugh, I'm already dreading the weekend line that will be here shorty, but until then, go, eat, enjoy. read more

Dean Sin World - Pan fried "ear" rice cake with red bean (See Tony C's thorough review) - Dim Sum Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Last night, Tastio introduced a much loved Tianjin snack: Pan fried "Ear" flat rice cake. ( per DSW staff, official Wiki name: ) and I happened to be there for the serendipitous first tasting. After googling various combinations to death, I finally found a Chinese wiki of said snack: http://www.hudong.com/wiki/%E8%80%B3%E6%9C%B5%E7%9C%BC%E7%82%B8%E7%B3%95 . Pan fried "Earwax" flat cake was invented by Tianjin's Mr. (Liu Wan Chun) in 1892, when he dished out about 30 lbs of these glutinous rice cakes on a daily basis. As business grew and his sons joined the store, they sold upwards of 200 lbs of fried rice cakes a day and quadrupled during holidays. The shop abutted an extremely narrow (1 meter wide) alley, colloquially known as an "alley the width of earwax", hence the cake became well known as "earwax fried cake". Here, in the US, for the sake of not grossing out the readers and eaters, Dean Sin World will serve up the chewy golden goodness as long as you point to your ear, and not pick your earwax. "Earwax" rice cake is now known as part of the 3 specialty foods of Tiajin, and was voted by the Chinese government as a National Treasure Snack in 1997. These cakes are known for 4 qualities: yellowness, softness, stretchiness, pungency. Yellowness translated to the outer crisp, which is not quite crunchy, softness equates to not over pan frying the glutinous rice, stretchiness is another obvious feature of all things glutinous and pungency is the aroma released from frying carbohydrates. Each ear flat cake weighs on the average 60-80grams (2-3 ounces) and may contain various stuffings: chocolate, Osmanthus flower, jujube, and the more traditional red bean paste. At Tastio, the "earwax" flat cakes were inspired by Mrs. He, a Tianjin native, who works along Mrs. Lu. They're flat yet plump, with a thin layer of red bean paste. Koreans will say this resembles "ho dduk", but the texture and shape is much more uniform, and fried with very little oil, at a lower temperature. Overall, it's a more delicate product sporting less sweetness, and a balanced crisp, chewing texture. Bottom line: think hot fried mochi, cheap, with red bean paste center. read more

Where else can you get loads of "shea ka huang"? "Shea Ka Huang" are the little $1 cakes they have. I don't know how you would accurately describe them in English. They call them cakes, but they aren't cakes, they aren't pastries, they aren't empanadas. It's smallish baked good that has a crispy, flaky crust, but is stuffed full inside with either turnip (my fave, salty), green onions (salty), red bean (sweet), date paste (sweet). Take them home, pop them in the oven for 10 minutes and they are perfect. A little history lesson... this bakery used to be called Tastio. Tastio was unrivaled in LA and OC for making the best "shea ka huang". It was so good that they would box and ship anywhere in the natiion because their "shea ka huang" would hold up for a week without refrigeration. The crust was flakier and crunchier, the pastries (for ease of description I'll call them pastries) were uniform in size (packed like a fat one inch thick coin). The flavoring on all varieties were perfect. The turnip, so rich and tasty that I would often pop them in the oven and make a meal out of them. Then in 2008 or 2009 they changed owners and it became Dean Sin. Dean Sin kept up the tradition of making "shea ka huang" but also expanded the menu and food offerings. I agree with other Yelp reviews that the current pastries aren't too salty, aren't too sweet. In tradition with Asian desserts, the sweet ones (red bean, date paste) are sweet, but not overly sweet (just how most Asians like it). The turnip ones are great, but they could be so much better. They are tame and just don't have the extra flavor or saltiness that the old Tastio ones had. So to answer some of your questions, no, they aren't meant to be "bland". I wish Tastio was still around, but it's not and not many places make this pastry. Some of their other dishes: Lion's Head Soup - A soup that has a tad of tartness to it, with a cut up giant meat ball in the middle, cabbage and vermicelli. Not bad. Soup Dumplings - This soup I liked a lot. It was simple and seaweed strips in it and boiled dumplings. Steamed Buns - There's pork and cabbage, pork and leek, and the tofu/vermicelli/vegetable bun. Fresh doughy outside, plenty of filling inside. They aren't too salty, more on the tame side. Shanghai Pan Fried Buns - They are okay, I prefer the ones at Kang Kang Food Court. Seaweed Peanuts - These are good. Shredded seaweed slivers panfried with peanuts, salt, and a little sugar. You can buy packs of this to take home. They have seating inside, but the place is tiny and only fits about 16 people. Service was quick. Mainly I would just come here for the "shea ka huang" pastries and the seaweed peanuts. That's where most of my four star rating comes from. Everything else is three star. read more

Mmm, soup dumplings. After two separate visits to DSW (and being convinced they don't sell shoes), I've decided this is my favorite place for soup dumplings. Sorry Din Tai Fung, but you're way over priced. The DSW menu is pretty short and to the point. I think I've tried about 80% on just two visits. On my most recent trip, we started off with the American classic, spaghetti and hot dogs! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l7zwbjfYKI3wblkCZBh1yA?select=8A3VmS9IzAqYLdlKnbCdAA At least that's what I'm calling it. The noodles were on the mushy side, not sure if that was intentional, but it played well with my white-man palate. Next up was a very nice won ton soup with some extremely tasty won tons. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l7zwbjfYKI3wblkCZBh1yA?select=Ee4GB8i-i4k4is_eXdAauw What visit to DSW would be complete without shao long bao?! These lil' morsels are so good! Filled with molten lumps of melted soup cubes, the flavor is on point and you cannot beat the price. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l7zwbjfYKI3wblkCZBh1yA?select=OfxMWSPWfmsYx1VkeZ4FXQ For some reason growing up, I was never been a big fan of pot stickers, but DSW (among a few others) have changed my mind. These was large and in charge lumps of meat filled dough. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l7zwbjfYKI3wblkCZBh1yA?select=iFMWGpGHJ_FXeN1vtueNbg Lastly, we had some things covered with stuff and filled with other stuff. Not my favorite, but they were still good. I think I was too full by the time these came out. (shen jiang bao) thanks Wilbur! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l7zwbjfYKI3wblkCZBh1yA?select=Fhe5B_PO_aVxU1eUsLTOwg I do have to point out that it's a great environment too. The ladies who work there are super sweet and can be funny as hell when they argue. On our last trip they gave us a couple extra items with each plate so that everyone at the table would have the same number of items. I will be going back here again and again. read more

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Wow, super cheap hole in the wall! I'm so glad I got to try DSW. My friend, kiddo and I came here last weekend to fulfill some Chinese food cravings. This place is super small, only 4 tables inside, and we were lucky enough to beat the crowd. Make sure you speak Mandarin or bring someone who does, because the lady does not speak any English at all. Good thing both of us spoke some Mandarin. We ordered the steamed pork dumplings (XLB), potstickers, green onion pancakes, and beef noodle soup. I wanted to try the lion's head soup, but she said they were out. Bummer! No, it is not actually a head of a lion, it's just a big meatball that resembles a lion's head. My Mom used to cook that, and damn, I miss home cooking! XLB was good and juicy, skin was thicker than the one's at Din Tai Fung. But, they tasted homemade. I liked them very much. Potstickers were okay, nothing special, but they were filling. Green onion pancakes were good, crispy and a tad bit oily. We all liked it. Beef noodle soup was quite tasty as well. Not spicy, but slightly sweet. I enjoyed the meaty tasting broth. Overall, everything was good or great here. And you can't beat the price. 19 bucks for all this food! Only in the SGV. I also took home a bag of 50 frozen dumplings for $10. What a deal! PIX- http://pandaliciousforme.blogspot.com/2010/01/dean-sin-world-lunch-for-under-20.html read more

No longer has seating. Only to go. Only sells frozen buns and dumplings. They do offer fresh pastries that aren't hot. read more

Dean sin is family operated and you definitely will know if you come here. There are maybe enough seats for around 15 people max. The lady doubles as a waitress, a chef, a bus woman, a salesperson, talks to people across the street, describes how she makes her food, runs around, runs around, writes the check, makes sure you like her food... The xiao long baos were legit in the way that they are a good deal for the money. The wrapper is thicker than I'm used to and I almost felt like I was eating a Northerners take of XLB. Except she's shanghainese, and growing up with my dad speaking Shanghainese to the grandma, I could tell her mandarin was infused with Shanghai overtones or is that undertones. She makes her own everything. A couple of our XLBs were broken, I'm not really sure what that was about. The soup inside the XLB was a bit shrimpy to the male, but I liked the chicken stock infused flavor. We ordered the kao fu as a starter, which also reminded me of grandma. Kao fu is baked and sponge-like, made of wheat gluten, and it is cooked with bamboo, soy beans, mushroom. It's pretty traditional fare that vegetarians eat. This one was obviously Shang hai - Shanghainese people love using sugar in any dish. We also ordered the "xue cai bai yei", another traditional Shanghai dish, and gobbled it down like hungry monsters. It consists of pickled cabbage, tofu skin strips, soy beans, mixed lightly with salt, chicken stock, sesame oil, and of course, sugar. We also got a "jou cai he" -- chive dumpling. It looks like a large, flat dumpling and the inside consists of rice stick, chive, egg, ground meat. It was delicious. The regular dumpling was good as well, though I'm not really fond of dumplings with a little sweetness. To me, it just taste like XLB in a different form. The definite hit (for me, not the male so much) was the jiu niang "wine blew" which is a fermented rice that tastes like... well glutinous rice with sake. Its a warm bowl of fermented rice soup with rice cake, maybe best described as similar to congee, but not that ooey gooey. I haven't had gui hua (osmanthus) fermented rice in quite a while as good as this. It brings me back to my grandma's back yard and smelling the osmanthus. The rice balls are freshly made and the consistency is perfect. In fact, the wine blew was so good that I bought some to take home. I stuck my face in it and smelled it all night long. The radish cakes "xie ke huang" were delicious, and I took 5 more home to bring to my parents. I mean, everyone's an expert in this town, and everyone's got an opinion about XLB, in general. The other dishes we had were actually the hits of the night for us. read more

Juicy, hot soup, with a piece of pork.... in a steamed bun?! That my friends is called XLB or a pork steamed bun. After hearing so much about it from friends like Kristy I, and Cherie T., I finally went out to try XLB at this small, hole-in-the-wall shop in Monterey Park. Dean Sin World or Tastio Bakery was known to be just a bakery, given that its sign said only said Tastio Bakery. But, when I pulled up, they actually hung a large banner of "Dean Sin World," right under the sign. I guess they wanted to clarify that, "We are Dean Sin World, (come inside!)" As I entered this small place with about 4 or 5 tables, I quickly realized it was rather warm with a fan in the corner. Trust me, anyone in So. Cal, in this dreadful heat wave, would know an AC when they felt it. Ok, fine, no AC, let's just eat my food then. May W. and I were warmly greeted by who I believe were the owners of the shop. They came with iced waters (YES!) and our menus with complimentary roasted peanuts, which reminded me of some Japanese flavors (tasty). We got... The XLB which came in a large container with ten. "OOOO they look so good," (I thought). I was so ready to pop it into my mouth. I picked up my first. "No soup?!" Ah boo. So I quickly got another one and popped that sucker into my mouth and let the juice release, "YUMMM-AY!" As I ate more, I realized some did have juice while others didn't. =\ So I dipped the ones without soup into the ginger sauce they gave us. Pretty good. We also ordered Fried Potstickers which were rather yummy and the Turnip pastry which was also yummy and flaky. After coming here, I learned a few things about XLB. 1. It is best to eat it not in a warm/hot environment. The XLB is already hot, and just makes you feel more warm. 2. It's better when the steamed bun STILL has the soup inside, rather than drained before you eat it. A steamed pork bun without soup, makes me think of it as any other dim sum. And.. 3. I do like me some steamed juicy pork buns. XLB is really yummy, and this place certainly makes you feel at home (by their motherly, warm service). Plus the prices are pretty nice (about $4.85 for 10 XLB!) But perhaps I should come here another day when it's not so hot (since they have no AC). read more

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3 stars based on the food/restaurant cleanliness. This place is a serious hole in the wall. 5 tables only. The moment we walked in the owner / server (?) was passed out on the table taking a nap with the lights off (lol)! No AC. Only a small fan which was not convenient on a hot day like today. We ordered beef noodle soup, pan fried dumplings, juicy pork dumplings, and sticky rice. (Around 25$ total) Only Arizona green tea, coke, sprite and hot Chinese tea served in a styrofoam cup. We asked for two cups of water and it was apparent that the styrofoam cup was pretty dirty. The beef noodle soup had great flavor but the noodles were extremely soft. I'm use to a more chewy texture. The juicy pork dumplings weren't that juicy! Half of our dumplings had flattened out and the juices were on the bottom of the pan. Pan fried dumplings were good except the ratio of bun to meat was off. Very little stuffing and too much bread. Sticky rice was tasty but we heard them reheat it in the microwave prior to serving us which kind of made it less appealing.. Meh. The food is decent and yes the restaurant is a bit dirty (okay really dirty) but the owner/server was SO sweet! My friend burned his finger on the soup (I accidentally spilled some on his hand) She ran outside and pulled a leaf from a bush and told him to rub it on his burn! (How sweet is that!) and before we left, in broken English she asked how our meal was and was genuinely so happy that we enjoyed our meal. She had a big ol smile and kept giving us thumbs ups. Overall we had a great experience. I doubt I would return but it was nice to try this place. read more

Dean Sin World - Dim Sum Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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