Fresh, well priced. Go early to beat the crowds. It's a prettier, fancier feeling place without the cost for being on the second floor carpeted in regal red and gilded in gold. Standard old money feeling but everyone and their grand Dad goes there so if you show up past 10:30am on a weekend, don't expect a seat without waiting. Shrimp noodles- requisite. Shrimp dumplings- on point Ch feet- bit dry and lacking gelatin and meatiness Tripe stew (brown sauce)- gravy smooth and thick, well flavored and al dente Eggplant shrimp paste- decent but cold Fried encased cruller- fave, cold-not within 15 min window freshness read more

service is bad，and also they didnt clean the teapot。I order the Pu'er tea， I feel I'm drinking Chrysanthemum。I asking the waiter why, they told me because before me someone is drinking the Chrysanthemum. That's why got 2 different flavors. And I always see waiters they like to put the tips on the teapot lips... read more

TRASHY EMPLOYEES! WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!! I went here with my daughters class for a Chinese new year field trip. The class paid $13 per child for a meal. I told the manager (who didn't see to understand much English) that my daughter had a health condition and that I needed to order something different for her than the other kids were having. He gave me two menu's. I ordered something real simple off of the lunch specials, white rice with sauteed broccoli for my girl (who is 6 like the other kids) and a fried rice with chicken and broccoli for myself. I expected to receive a bill for $13 per person like the other kids or at the very least the prices on the lunch special menu. I got a bill for $53 DOLLARS!!! I explained to the manager that I only came with $30 and I mentioned that the agreed upon amount was $13 per person for the meals at this event and that he should have told me before making the food that it was going to be so much extra, it was wrong for them to just spring a large check on me at the end. And I also pointed out that there lunch specials weren't even that much. The waitress starts YELLING and making a huge scene around about 120 1st graders and there teachers and parents, saying "OH he showed you this menu you new the prices (Pointing to the large menu) I was trying to explain that he gave e two menus and that I ordered my meal off of the lunch specials and that my kids (again just white rice and broccoli) should have been $13 and she jest kept yelling "NO, NO!!! He show you this menu!" pointing to the larger one. So the I just pulled the smaller lunch special menu I'm holding in my hands out of thin air? It's not my fault that they did not communicate the cost before hand and it's not my fault that his English was poor and apparently did not understand when I said lunch special. This was the most appalling experience I have ever experience in a restaurant. YELLING at me loud (like over powering my voice so much she couldn't or wouldn't hear what I was trying to explain) over $23 difference for a group of over 120 people!!! TRASHY EMPLOYEES! WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!! read more

Totally reminded me of restaurants in Hong Kong. Nice decor included chair covers. Good service at our table. Went on a Sunday at 10am and it was already packed. Luckily we were meeting our family who lives in the area and got there before us so we only waited a few minutes for a table. I found there to be a variety of foods. I always make sure I ask what other dishes they have in the cart. I was pleased to try a steamed shrimp ball encrusted with rice as well as a chicken meatball wrapped in some egg noodle. Our shrimp rice roll had a nice thin rice noodle. I was surprised to find fried mini loaves of bread that you dip into condensed milk. My mom was happy to find the steamed bun that has a liquid yolk custard. Haven't had those since we were in HK. I think the prices were average. Huge plus is the parking garage next to the restaurant. $5 for up to 2 hrs with restaurant validation. read more

Overall, pretty authentic Dim Sum. I was a little disappointed because I felt we arrived near the tail end of the lunch crowd and the items we selected were mostly over cooked or extremely greasy as was the case with the fried calamari...greasy and tough. Not the best Dim Sum I've had in NY but I will give this place another look. We arrived just after 2:00pm and it was still very busy. The menu also looked very good. read more

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I usually come to Pacificana for all my dimsum cravings. Their food isn't amazing, but it's very standard and consistent. Honestly, it can't compare to Hong Kong's dimsum scene, but is that fair of me to compare? Everything I've had here is good, can't say anything stands out exactly. Get the chrysanthemum tea - it's so fragrant and a wonderful way to start off your day. The cart-pushin' ladies are a bit abrasive, and if you don't speak Chinese (usually they're Cantonese-speaking), they will rush you. Paid about $15, including tips, for dimsum. Wasn't too hefty. Also, try to pay in cash - if I remember correctly, they charge tax if you pay by card. read more

This is a good quality Dim Sum restaurant with good selections, everything you'd expect from a Dim Sum restaurant. Snugged in Sunset Park, you can be seated immediately since there isn't a lot of people around in the area compared to Manhattan. I have to say some of the food seemed like it could have been cooked a little longer. The food were also somewhat lukewarm, not steaming hot. Very reasonable price to say the least! Dropped only $30 that fed the four of us! read more

Probably the best dim sum on 8th avenue! Service is top notch, all the dim sum classics are available, and the flavors are masterfully executed. Try the chicken feet, shrimp dumplings, and Chinese broccoli. Pro tip: order half a Peking duck with steamed buns! To die for. read more

This is my family's favorite restaurant for dim sum. The staff is friendly and attentive. You can find all the basics--from steamed shrimp dumpling (har kow), shu mai to beef tripe to egg custard tarts and steamed buns. For me, the steamed rice rolls (beef cherng fun) and the steamed crabmeat soup dumplings are a must. The steamed crabmeat soup dumplings are a bit pricier ($7.95 for 8pcs) than the shanghai restaurants but it's worth the money. Super yummy with the black vinegar and ginger. There can be a wait during peak dim sum hours (weekends: 11:30am to 1:30pm) but the place is so big that the wait usually isn't too bad. read more

Pacific Palace - The yummy soup dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I came here as a recommendation from a close friend on a Saturday morning at around 11:00AM. That was the first big mistake. Good luck getting a table (especially if you have a large part of 6+ people) because you'll be waiting at least 30 minutes like we did. This confirms the other reviews that mentioned how packed this place gets on the weekends (ALWAYS CHECK YELP FIRST!! ;)) Fast forward to the seating and ordering. We were lucky and got a good spot where the carts would come out fresh with new food from the kitchen. Everything looked great, however taste wise - not too much of a noticeable difference from Jing Fong and Golden Unicorn. It may be perhaps my friend hyping it up too much for my own personal satisfaction. The food was acceptable, it didn't wow me, or blow my socks off, but it did the job and got me full for a decent price. Management was on point, especially for a crazy Saturday. The pricing is fair. You have the normal Chinese dim sum yelling atmosphere, good company, and decent food. I recommend going here if it's your local spot, but if you're living in the city like me, you can stick to Golden Unicorn and call it a day. read more

It used to be called ocean palace before it closed to rebuild into a bigger building but retained most of the original staff when it reopened. Great dim sum house, use to go almost every other week. Good for dinner and banquets as well. Go on a Sunday for the authentic Chinese Sunday breakfast atmosphere. read more

Terrible dim sum :( Everything was cold or room temp. Nothing had flavor or salt. Came on a Sunday morning and it wasn't even packed- that's not a good sign. Couldn't even finish our meal since some things felt stale like it was leftover from yesterday and reheated barely. Very poor compared to other 8th Ave dim sum places like Park Asia. You have been warned! read more

My friend had her wedding banquet here for about 200 guests. This is a new restaurant in the area. We arrived around 4pm to set up the balloons, streamers, and balloon arch. Since we spoke Chinese to the guys, they were helpful in finding us "stands" for the placard holders. The food was mediocre. The ceiling is amazing, almost museum like. The bathrooms were quite dim. I am surprised the waiter served each individual person at the table. Kudos to service! See my photos. read more

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My go to Dim Sum restaurant, only because it's the closest to my house and I am lazy to walk to the other ones. One of the most spacious dim sum restaurants compared to a few and one of the oldest within this community. It has been here as long as I can remembered. Food is mediocre, but it is definitely not bad for the price. Prices are all around the same range among their other competitors, so it's not something to really complain about. A lot of customers are regulars. They don't offer much unique dishes, but if you are a simple person like me, this is the place to come to. It can get extremely busy on the weekends, especially starting at 11am - 1pm. Either come earlier than 11 or later than 1 if you don't want to wait extremely long. Overall, it's not a bad dim sum restaurant. Yes there are better options further down 60th street, but this will do if you are around 55th street! read more

Was a bit startled coming off the elevator as the hall was quite dirty. How ever upon entry I was pleasantly surprised. Clean, huge and plenty of staff. We missed dim-sum but were extremely happy with our dinner choices. Dumplings - yummo Wonton Soup- superb Young Chow fried ric-excellent Peking Pork Chops- outstanding. A bit pricey, and tad difficult communicating with the staff. The food was great. read more

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I went here because I read an article that said that they had one of the best soup dumplings in NYC. I didn't think the soup dumplings were that great. The service was terrible. I came, alone, during a slow period. There was one very large party, and one other table of two. Otherwise, It was empty. It was about 20 minutes before someone took my order, after I was seated. I flagged down servers twice, trying to get someone to take my order. One of them told me someone would be at my table in 2 minutes, and about 5 minutes later, someone else that worked there looked at me, and asked if I had been served yet. Unreal. The pan-fried dumplings I ordered arrived slightly warmer than room temperature, and were cold by the time I finished them. I didn't bother to say anything. I hadn't eaten anything, all day, and was in a rush to leave. The steamed shrimp dumplings were very good. Best thing I ate there. Wonton Soup was pretty good. 3 tiny wontons. Small cup. It was only $3.50, so not a bad deal. Broth was nothing special, but the wontons were good, and had a nice-sized piece of bok choy. I would never return. I didn't order any entrees, but the pricing was very high for entrees. Time to take order in an empty restaurant was inexcusible. Nothing I ate was worthy of going out of my way to get there. Nothing outstanding. I've had just as good or better of everything I ate, elsewhere. read more

Came here during the week for dim sum and about 10 plates of food were placed down on the table. The service is extremely fast - you can also order food with the main waiter. The service is quite good here and you can pay at the table or at the register. The dim sum is good and a lot with shrimp, but you have all of your classic dim sum. Wish they had bacon with shrimp my personal favorite. It's moderately price but we got clams which probably upped our bill. I like the atmosphere of the place it's airy and big and can hold multiple strollers. Also, there is valet parking, it's not fancy but it is quick because parking is horrible in this are. I will be back again for dim sum here in sunset park. read more

Pacific Palace - Dim Sum Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

one of my favorite restaurants - not only because of the food - but the management and wait staff. Janet the hostess/manager is amazing - special requests are attended to. They have small meeting rooms on 3rd floor which are great for private business meetings and family dinners alike. The food is consistently excellent, tasty and traditionally done - Cantonese style. Even more important there is a parking lot next door!! read more

Service was horrible, extremely noisy and crowded. Food has gone downhill, everything super oily, bad texture, little taste. This was for dimsum. read more

I've been coming here since my youth. Lately though lunch dim sum rush has been madness with very few carts. Nevertheless, food is quality when it's on point but I can't say it's King of 8th Ave. read more

I thought we had hit the big time since the only people eating her were Asians. Here's a tip just because a certain race goes to a like restaurant doesn't mean they know something making the restaurant good. I am from Los Angeles & had Dim Sum in many places, with was bland & okay, nothing more. I am going to try again at a place in downtown Brooklyn in a week or two. I did walk around & scoped out an interesting fish restaurant I also will try, but Pacificana is a miss. read more

I'm really not the best at reviewing dim sum places since dim sum is not my favorite, but I'll try to be fair. We came around 9 AM on a Sunday morning so it wasn't difficult to get a table. However, by 10 AM the restaurant was nearly packed. There are ladies pushing carts and walking around with trays of food. They have all the typical dim sum offerings and fortunately my favorite, zha liang, rice noodle wrapped around a you tiao (chinese donut) topped with sweet soy. Everything was just alright. We ended up staying a while because we were waiting for certain dishes to come out. Overall, not the best dim sum, but it will get the job done. If you do come on a weekend, make sure you arrive early to avoid waiting for a table. read more

What happens when you let wai guo ren organize a dim sum expedition - you end up at a restaurant on a Sunday at 11:30am, crowding with all the other suckers in the lobbies and steps and sidewalks, waiting for your number to be barked unceremoniously from the hostess stand in 3 different languages. Pacificana was chosen out of convenience (it's one of the northernmost dim sum establishments in Brooklyn's Chinatown). The space is a typical banquet room, large, but with an unusual number of smaller, 4-person tables in the middle of the room. This means smaller groups won't have to share tables. Wait time was quoted to be 40 minutes, which was pretty accurate. The food was thoroughly average, not bad at all, except: - Fried tofu with shrimp was served cold the first time, then lukewarm the second. - They ran out of do fu fa (silken tofu dessert). - Ha cheung (rice roll around shrimp) only had 2 shrimp in each piece instead of 3. - Zhaliang (rice roll wrapper around cruller) was good but not too fresh. - Very little of the food came piping hot to our table. The only thing of note was the melting egg yolk buns. Holy hell!! The totally unremarkable white steamed bun exterior hides a sweet, rich, yolky interior that oozes out hotly and obscenely when you bite into it. Keep napkins handy. These were excellent; custardy, luscious, and quite unlike anything else you'll eat. Do NOT let them sit, or else the bright yellow yolk inside will start to cook and solidify. They're called liu sha bao. ASK FOR THEM. Near the end of the meal, I had a tablecloth thrown at me (okay, onto the back of my chair, but it hit me) to prep the table for the next party. Service was curt, but attentive, and they brought everything we requested, especially after their realization that at least one person in our party could speak Cantonese and therefore commanded better service. The wai guo ren of our party spoke Mandarin to the cart ladies, at least one of whom was very amused and replied in a jolly voice: "Xiexie ni! Xiexie ni!" In the end, we demolished 24 dishes, coming out to $16 per person. Somewhat more than I expected, but I suspect this had more to do with the company than the price point. There was a kerfluffle while paying because we tried to pay most of the bill in cash and $16 on a card, and they told us that they would charge tax for the full amount to the card. What the hell? Does the job, though for stellar dim sum in Brooklyn, try East Harbor (http://www.yelp.com/biz/east-harbor-seafood-palace-brooklyn). read more

The restaurant is extremely packed during on weekends but the table turnover rate is super high. Today I came with a party of 3, and was seated immediately. Love how they have the cart ladies circulating around with goodies. Today they all seem to hate their job. They just push the cart around without saying what dim sum they had in the cart. Ordered: shrimp shumai, shrimp rice noodle roll, beef rice noodle roll, spareribs, Shrimp har gow, fried Taro cake, fried mantou, rice noodle roll with youtiao. All the food was standard but the service could have been better. read more

Finally, after a very long time of waiting (approximately two weeks), we made it to Pacificana for dim sum. I had first heard about it when I was watching Colameco's Food Show on channel 13, and he said that it was the best dim sum in New York City, bar none. I trust my boy mike colameco's taste, so I knew that I had to come. And needless to say, i didn't need to twist the arm of my dim sum "consigliere" (she's the Tom Hagen to my Michael Corleone). After asking around to see who wanted to go, we got a nice small group to head down on a Saturday afternoon. For dim sum, it is definitely wise to get here before 11am on a weekend to avoid the crowd. But my consigliere also said that coming after 1pm on a weekend is also a good choice. See, that's why she's my advisor and why she has a special practice in which she only has one client: me. After waiting 10 minutes at the most, we were seated. What we got was, literally, a never ending procession of fresh and delicious and, literally, hot and scorching food. How hot was it? I couldn't even lift the plate because my fingers were getting burnt, that's how hot some of the food was. You name it, I ate it: baked pork bun, soup dumpling, scallion pancakes and other things that I can't remember but now I got my mouth salivating just thinking about it. And we spent only $13 each, including tip. Yeah, awesome. So yes, even though this is Chinatown in Brooklyn, believe me it is so worth the trip. And it was so great being with the people I came with. And no, I didn't come with them because I like to keep my friends close and my enemies closer - never ask me about my business, Kay. read more

This place is just one block from my house. Usually, there is no wait for my family for dim sum since the owners know them. In my personal opinion, the dim sum of this place is the best of all 8ave. They are all fresh made and well flavored. I am not sure why there are people here writing that is the worst dim sum place. I guess they are saying that because they have not tried other restaurants like the one on 8ave. and 61st street that used to be called Diamond on Eights. The only complaint that I had was when they first open several years ago. I do admit that the dim sums back then when they first opened were terrible. As of today, they are great. read more

Staple dim sum restaurant... what more can I say? I always crave it, and this is among the two memorable places I'd go to on this stretch of Brooklyn. It is truly a mad house on the weekends. Be sure to arrive early and for Pete's sake don't go during the holiday weekends or anywhere near Father's or Mother's day if you don't have to... If you do, be prepared to wait an ungodly amount of time... Perhaps for some reason you have some hook ups?* *Please share! I will love you long time! There's not much that hasn't already been said, although the decor is as common as most other classy Chinese dining banquet halls. Of course, they do cater to weddings on the weekends. They're set up for it, so that's to be expected as well. The food is on-par with dim sum at nearby East Harbor, and marginally better than most (in Brooklyn). This place is busier due to it's proximity to 8th Ave Chinatown. Got it? Good. Now go and get yo Dim Sum on! read more

30% of the battle for dim sum is timing, and with my convives and I not arriving at Pacificana until 11:15 on a Sunday, we were duly punished by a waiting area sardined in with people shouting Mandarin, murmuring Cantonese. An occasional English phrase too, usually from some intrepid food tourist who, like myself, had caught wind of the place in one of its writeups (the NYT, the Michelin guide, the blogosphere). Heck, there was even a People Love Us On Yelp sticker displayed. Sunset Park: not so underground after all. We took a number and waited. Eventually I realized to my horror that the Chinese words the hostess was calling out were party numbers. I sliced through the throng and whispered to her, "We only speak English," getting back no more than a curt nod. I sheepishly backed away as if kowtowing. But after a while, a clear "61!" rung out. I looked at my convives, shrugged, then led the way in. A suitably grandiose space for a dim sum palace greeted us, all frosted glass chandeliers and filigreed white ceilings. Diners filled it to the gills, leaving only a thin U of a path for the steam carts. The other 70% of the fight for dim sum is placement, and ours turned out to be less than ideal. One end of the U saw the carts newly dispensed from the kitchen, and we were closer to the other, wrong end. But we were lucky. The first cart appeared in seconds, dispensing a greatest-hits collection of dishes... Har gow, shrimp wrapped in tofu skin, shark's fin dumplings, chicken feet, spare ribs, and a curious version of siu mai that had no pork. Also, a medley of tiny, unidentifiable ingredients that I eventually got the server to identify as "seafood". Well, okay. Each was well done. Busy-ness begets high turnover begets freshness. The wrappers were of nice thickness, not too gummy and not too limp. The salting was perfect, each dumpling benefiting from a dab of user-applied soy sauce but by no means requiring one. Everything had been assembled with care. Those chicken feet deserve special mention, their flesh fall-off-the-phalanx tender. After we polished off our first round, our placement reared its ugly head. Carts carrying things I wanted (shrimp cheong fun! pan-fried chive dumplings!) and, more excitingly, things I'd never seen before (shiny green blob! fried baby angel wing things!) would traverse the first half of the U, then disappear before my eyes. If I'd had my A-game with me, I would've penetrated to the other side myself, but my convives acted as dead weight, not understanding the need for a proactive approach. With my head on a swivel and our table's stamp card in hand, we still made do. Here was shrimp embedded in a crisp green pepper, as good as I'd had it in years. Here was fish paste piled on eggplant, novel and flavorful. Fried dough ensconced in rice noodle? Starch mated with starch, yes, please. All was virtually greaseless, clean on the tongue, delicious. Even the mini egg custards were decadently flaky, a touch of sweet to cut all the glorious MSG from the rest of the meal. For me the dim sum experience veritably requires a measure of inconvenience, which Pacificana provides in spades, if only for its location in Sunset Park (even more inaccessible than Flushing). The flip side is that the reward at the end of the rainbow must justify the quest. Here again, Pacificana delivers. I can't think of a place in Manhattan Chinatown with consistently better dim sum. I'm not even sure my favorites in Flushing are unilaterally superior, which means I'll have to revisit them to make sure, which is really just a win-win in my book. Thanks, Pacificana! Probability of return within 1 year: 60% read more

Pacificana is located in the Heart of Brooklyn's Chinatown. It's on the corner of 55 street and you need to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the 2nd floor. You are then greeted by these 2 enormous Lion heads. I'm not sure what time this place opens but it was 11am and this place was packed for a Friday. Dim Sum carts were rolling up and down serving and the lobster tanks were full and bubbling. What I like most about this restaurant were the families (3 generations) all eating together as one big happy family. The Dim Sum were excellent, spring rolls were extra crispy. But overall the food was fresh and delicious! There are so many places to dine in on 8th Ave but it seems that this is the place to be seen in! read more

When I was younger, 8th avenue or Brooklyn's Chinatown had a lot of good choices for dim sum on a Sunday morning. Most notable of them being the now closed Ocean Palace. The good restaurants have all either closed down or the quality has really taken a dive; being replaced by sub par dim sum places dotting the outskirts of Brooklyn's Chinatown. You can rest assured though, that out of the rubble of what once was Ocean Palace sprang forth a 3 leveled building now housing 2 banks and most importantly Pacificana. Pacificana is one of the two larger dim sum restaurants in the main part of 8th avenue. While the quality of the dim sum is definitely no match for the dim sum restaurants of yesteryear, it definitely evokes some fond childhood memories. Compared to the restaurants in the area, Pacificana is slightly above average. It warrants a visit whenever my family decides to meet up and I decide to actually wake up for dim sum. Having limited choices, this is also my place of choice on the rare occasion that I gather my friends for dim sum. The dim sum at Pacificana is not overly salty as some places tend to make them. They have all the popular dim sum options such as rice crepes, steamed beef meatballs, spare ribs, chicken feet, etc. Pacificana is also special for always having things that you usually don't get at dim sum restaurants. I've had freshly sauteed clams where the lady literally wheels the wok out on her cart and sautés the clams as she walks around from table to table. The service is also impeccable. There is always a waiter within a few feet of each table ready to refill tea, take orders, etc. There are also a select few that are very enthusiastic. I once came with some friends and a waiter was walking around trying to sell that last of some scallion pancakes. We originally didn't want any but when he walked by again he flash a big cheesy smile and used his other hand to joyously present the food (think game show girls presenting prizes) and we just couldn't say no. I once found a hair in my scallion pancake and before I was able to make a fuss about it a waiter materialized next to me, apologized, handed the plate along with my plate and utensils off to another waiter, gave me new utensils and took that item off the bill. All that without me even calling anyone over. That's pretty attentive service. The decor is very comfortable. I can picture myself just sitting for hours eating my dim sum. There are 2 flat screen televisions hanging from the far wall that are always playing some kind of Hong Kong drama series or Chinese news broadcast. The bathrooms are some of the cleanest I've ever seen. They are located through a long passageway, far from the main dining area and any potential patron enjoying their food. Another note is that Pacificana is located on the second floor of the building, above a Chase bank. You need to walk up a short set of stairs to get to it. The elderly and disabled can still visit and enjoy the dim sum as there is an elevator available. read more

I found an eyelash in my food and I never came back. The staff did not comp my meal because they were too busy attending to other matters. Too bad, I could have been a loyal patron. Examine your foods people! read more

Food poisoning & long wait.. otherwise decent food There was a 30 minute wait for a table for 2. The service was okay for a chinese place. It was very crowded, there were lots of children everywhere. customers were kind of gross and spoke very loudly and coughed/sneezed without covering their mouths. The toilets in the bathroom are covered in pee. anyway... The food was good BUT I GOT FOOD POISONING. I think it was the clams because they smelled weird. I got home and started feeling a bit dizzy, then nauseated. I tried to ignore it and it turned to violent, uncontrollable retching. read more

I'm willing to pit Pacificana against some of the best dim sum I've had in Manhattan. I made the pleasant mistake of putting our entire order in the hands of my Chinese companion (only a few carts were going around anymore, so we had to put in an order), who then proceeded to get us two types of tripe (honeycomb and, um ... well, it looked a little like white slivers of ribbed or dimpled prophylactics), chicken feet, shrimp dumplings, and shrimp cheong fun (you know, those little shrimp balls that are wrapped in a tri-fold sheet of rice pasta, then dressed with a sweet soy-ish sauce). It all came in at just under $16 for everything,* including pots of jasmine tea. The ribbed tripe, wading in a small bath of light, savory broth, was a happy discovery--it had the snap of, say, jellyfish (or, for the uninitiated, a springier, slightly rubbery pasta?) and was gently steamed with scallion, ginger, and the tiniest slices of hot peppers. The honeycomb tripe was a bit too intense even for me, and I've never been a huge fan of chicken feet (although the dish here was much less gummier than the ones I've had before). The wrapping on the cheong fun had just the right hint of sweetness, and more than made up for the mediocre quality of the shrimp itself (although, to be fair, the vast majority of shrimp out there is farmed and bland, even at fancy restaurants). Maybe it was because everything else was so unusual, but the shrimp dumplings were neither good nor bad--the only really standard thing there. read more

*dimsum comes out QUICKLY. *depending on what time you eat here, dimsum can be cold, but not frozen. *the huge kitchen is all the way in the back of the restaurant and you can literally see them cook and food be brought out. *if you're a frequent customer and they remember you, they'll usually waive your tea fee. read more

How in the world have I never written a review on Pacificana? I have a car, so it is fairly easy to get to and you can get parking validation for the garage below the restaurant. Come for dim sum on a Sunday and you will be met by a huge crowd- come as early as possible! If you wait until a more reasonable time, you will wait and wait while numbers are called out in Chinese and hope that the hostess will remember that you speak English only and will help you out. Once you are seated, delicious dumplings and other plates come by in carts. You point to what you want and shoo away the somewhat pushy ladies (do they work on commission??) when you don't want something. I used to go the adventurous route - chicken feet, super fatty beef knuckles (ok, they aren't knuckles but they seemed like they could be), snails - but now I stick to the easier to palate stuff. Order soup dumplings from any staff member - they will bring them out. They aren't mind blowing - but they are soup dumplings. Go here with friends - you can order more of a variety to try - eat too much and spend only about 20 bucks a pop. read more

I'll start this review by extending my gratitude and appreciation to Madeline L. for organizing a UYE Dim Sum event at Pacificana. Without her efforts, the discovery of this hidden gem would have been belated, if at all. Despite the excessive Dim Sum establishments around the 8th Avenue area, Pacificana stands out as one of the elite amongst the notables. Having the pleasure of dining with such Yelp power houses as Madeline, Roderick, Steve, Norm, Joey Bones, Kseniya, and others, the social call itself was welcoming, and pleasurable. The establishment: Contrary to most other Dim Sum establishments, Pacificana was spacious, open, and full of natural lighting. Entering Pacificana, one would question the validity of the food at the establishment, given that the lines were not piled outside around the corner. The minimal wait time, but fully occupied dining room gave the certainty that the establishment would not disappoint. The lighting of the establishment is generated mostly by sunlight stemming from the excessive windows in the establishment. The bright ivory colored walls help to escalate the effects of the natural lighting. Due to the lack of red in the establishment, the comforting and soothing tones of the establishment provided a sense of awakening, which is helpful given the known food coma affects of dim sum. The Food: A few items ordered... Shrimp Wrapped Flat Noodles: Remarkable execution in cooking and flavor. Patrons will find that the noodles are perfectly cooked. The subtle softness of the noodle produces a profound comfort when consumed. The warmth derived from the noodle accompanied by the subtly smooth texture provides the principle of a well steamed noodle. The shrimp used in the application were juicy and contained a sweet texture found through proper cooking. The mild sweet soy sauce served with the dish acts as a binding agent for the noodles and shrimp as this further enhanced the texture and flavor of the ingredients. Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings): Similar to the Shrimp Wrapped Flat Noodles, this rendition emphasized the shrimp as the main ingredient, instead of the noodle. The juicy and tender nature of the shrimp exemplified a perfectly cooked Har Gow. During consumption, patrons will find nothing but a perfect balance between the soft texture of the noodle wrap coating and the shrimp used in the application. Shumai: Meaty & hearty! The petite yellow wonton wrapper played an intricate role to the introduction of the pork and shrimp used in the application. With each bite, the savory and luscious flavors derived from the juices of the meat work to enhance the flavors of both the pork and shrimp used in the application. Most important regarding this Shumai, true ingredients used in the application, no fillers. Beef Balls: Hearty! Each individual Beef Ball provided the satiety that's found through its consumption. The texture of the meet was semi-soft, thus indicating the proper balance of fatty / lean beef used in the application. Bill came out to $14.00 per person. Not bad given the 2 hours that we occupied the table. Overall, a great time was had in a great environment with well executed dim sum. I shall return! read more

I was visiting my niece in BK and came here for dim sum since she lives in the neighborhood. Never again! Food and service was just plain terrible. THe only good thing about this place is they accept credit cards read more

Brooklyn Chinatown is where its at and Pacificana is the place to be. My sister-in-law from Patchogue was dying to visit here ever since she read about it in Newsday (so devoted was she that she cut out the article and made it a labeled folder so she wouldn't forget about it). Then one Sunday, we got the call. She loaded the kids and the husband into the car and drove out here. All I had to do was hop on the trusty N train and make my way over. Her patience was rewarded. This place is amazing. Who cares if you can't speak Mandarin and your waiter can't speak English? You get past the language barrier and your efforts are rewarded with the best dim sum and other favorites. I am a simple girl -- roast pork, white rice, spring rolls, wonton soup, Peking duck -- these things make me happy and happy I was with my food. Pacificana gives you exactly what you expected and in turn you get a very happy tummy. Come early, especially on the weekends, unless you love waiting. And the cart traffic can be vicious -- many a foot almost got run over. Don't block traffic -- hungry people are waiting! Then when you are done, stroll the neighborhood. There are several stores where you can pick up these great koala bear shaped chocolate filled cookies that are $2 are delicious! read more

Ok---First of all, I would like to state, that this review stands only for dinner time. While I have been at Pacificana for dim sum, and enjoyed it, I much prefer this place for everything it has to offer at dinner time. I go for dinner with my fiance as frequently as twice a month, for my favorite pecking duck. All tough I tried various dishes, which were amazing, I absolutely love their pecking duck. It is unmatched in its taste and presentation. I love chinese food, and I have had my share of it, and pecking duck especially, at many restaurants between Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan...however this place takes the top for so many reasons. At dinner time, the place transforms into a linen table cloth and napkin, beautiful grand restaurant, where the waiters are always very attentive and friendly. (especially Jenny and the owner Jimmy). Its always nice to come in and be greeted with genuine familiarity and good service, which often lacks in the Asian restaurants. Even tough, I only eat the duck, my fiance always tries something new, and it always tastes amazing. It very nice to see that their menu is authentic to true chinese cuisine while still having some tasteful unique dishes of their own. I am sooo happy I discovered this place, and I give it 5 starts, even tough it probably deserves more. I hope everyone will taste the duck at least once, and I promise you wont be disappointed. Oh and did I mention at dinner they offer their own free desert? read more

My go-to dim sum place in Sunset Park. Sometimes the dishes can be hit or miss depending on who is making the food, but it's definitely solid and no compliants on service or quality. Have been here for both dim sum and dinner, no qualms about going back to either. That said, I wouldn't go all the way to Sunset Park just to eat here, either. Go for the groceries, stay for the food. :) read more