Belmont
For great dim sum I nominate China Village. It is located at 600 Ralston Ave. in Belmont, California. The telephone number is (650) 591-1831. Our county which is just south of San Francisco has a large Asian population (20-25%) and one of our barometers for how good a Chinese restaurant is, is the numbers of Asians who eat there. China Village always has at least 50% Asian patrons and on weekends it is often 90%.
Margaret, San Carlos, USA

Carmel
I'd like to recommend Tommy's Wok - Szechuan, Hunan & Mandarin. Very informal. Very moderately priced. Food is prepared with fresh ingredients, natural meats/poultry (no antibiotics) and fresh seafood. They use only 100% naturally expeller-pressed Canola oil and Olive oil with absolutely no MSG and no artificial color. It's small and tucked away. Dine in or take out. No website, open Tuesday through Sunday 11:30-2:30 & 4:30-9:30. I get take out several times a month. Fabulous. Address: Mission between Ocean Ave. & 7th next to Wells Fargo's ATM. Tel: (831) 624-8518.
Sylvia, Carmel, USA

Los Angeles
My favorite dim sum? Not in China, not even in Chinatown, but in lovely Los Angeles. I recommend VIP Harbor Seafood, 11701 Wilshire Blvd. Tel: 310-979 3377. Open every day of the year so it’s great for Jews on Christmas and for those estranged from their families on Thanksgiving...and it’s packed to the gills those days. Even though it’s not in Chinatown or near an Asian neighborhood, my husband and I are often the only non-Asians in the dining room—a sign of it’s authenticity and deliciousness.
P.S. I'm new to Journeywoman and I love it!
Bobbi, Porter Ranch, USA

Los Angeles
The Empress Pavillon at 988 N. Hill Street in Chinatown (http://www.empresspavilion.com) is the place to enjoy tradtional dim sum. If a Journeywoman visiting Los Angeles has a car, traveling to Monterey Park and dining at NBC Seafood, (404 S. Altanic Blvd.) never disappoints. Lastly, the ambience of the old Spanish Mission style City Hall in San Gabriel now home to the dim sum restaurant Mission 261 makes for an interesting dining experience. Address: 261 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel.
Website: http://www.mission261.com/
Claudia, Hollywood, CA

San Diego
Dim Sum, yum yum! I recommend Jasmine Seafood Restaurant, 4609 Convoy Street. Tel: (858) 268-0888. They serve a wonderful Sunday brunch of steamed dumplings. Absolutely fabulous fun and food for a very low price. I don't know what anything is, we just point and taste. No matter how much you eat it seems to end up costing about $US10 per person. Huge dining room - 300+ capacity, always full. Chinese New Year was a treat with a suprise performance of the dancing dragons.
Joanie, San Diego, USA

San Francisco
Tin's Tea House Lounge -- Everyone knows there is delicious dim sum in San Francisco and Oakland. Now we have delicious dim sum in Walnut Creek, California. Tin's, an old and well established dim sum house in Oakland, moved lock, stock and barrell and now is producing the same delicious savories in Walnut Creek, a oasis in a former desert of dim sum. A clean new building, lots of street parking and an efficient staff. Tel: (925) 287-8288. Address: 1829 Mount Diablo Blvd, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Sharon, Lafayette, CA

Without a doubt my favorite place is Yank Sing with two locations in San Francisco. They have been in business since 1958 and the dim sum is always delicious and high quality. In San Francisco, Yank Sing was groundbreaking when they opened a location outside of Chinatown; they are credited with introducing dim sum to generations of non-Chinese residents. A friend of mine in Canada raves about his visit here and the roast duck "on those little (dough) pillows"...he can't wait to come back. Their web site is: http://www.yanksing.com. Contact information for the two locations: 415-957-9300 (for 101 Spear Street) or 415-541-4949 (for 49 Stevenson Street)
Cricket, San Francisco, USA

My favorite place for dim sum is Ton Kiang at 5821 Geary St. in San Francisco. Tel: (415) 387-8273 Website: http://www.tonkiang.net. The food is delicious and the place is bright, clean and lovely. Service is pleasant and very prompt, servers are friendly and helpful. There is an extensive variety of well prepared dim sum. Regular menu also of course, but the best part is that dim sum is served all day, every day from 10am to 10pm.
Jan, San Francisco, USA

I'll be very surprised if you haven't already had several nominations for Ton Kiang Restaurant in San Francisco (http://www.tonkiang.net). They're in the Richmond District of the city, at 5821 Geary Blvd. Ton Kiang originally was a Hakka Chinese restaurant, and dim sum is not a Hakka specialty. However, the owners quickly realized how popular dim sum is with Bay Area diners and decided to give it a try. They were wildly successful, and now dim sum dining usually requires standing in line at the door, especially on weekends. No reservations are taken for dim sum. The wait is worth it, though, as once you're in and seated you'll be treated to a procession of bright, fresh, and delicious tidbits. Many of the usual dim sum will be offered, along with some more unusual specialties. My favorite is the deep fried taro root, crispy and crunchy on the outside with a soft, creamy inside. Delicious! If you're visiting San Francisco and want a real treat in a real San Francisco neighborhood, give Ton Kiang a try.
Margaret, Westport, USA

I nominate Yank Sing in San Francisco. Expect frequent carts, a lot of variety and super-fresh ingredients. Tel: 415-957-9300. Address: 101 Spear St.
Laura, Pittsburg, USA

I second the suggestion above! The best dim sum in San Francisco is Yank Sing, 101 Spear Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 Phone: (415) 957-9300. Website: http://www.yanksing.com/ I'm sure you will hear from lots of people in the Bay Area on this one, but I wanted to send it in anyway!
Diane, San Francisco, USA

I nominate the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant. This recently redecorated Alameda Chinese restaurant is a short ride through the Webster tunnel from Oakland, which has many dim sum palaces, but none as lovely. Expect convenient parking directly behind the restaurant in a small parking lot. The food is the best part, with delicious treats served by friendly staff. This is a family place, with two sisters as hostesses. Of course everyone knows about all the dim sum restaurants in San Francisco, but if you're across the bay you can't do better than to drive a short distance (about five minutes from downtown Oakland) to the charming small town of Alameda to enjoy a wonderful meal. Try a noodle dish as well as the dim sum, and you won't leave hungry. This Berkeley foodie is very willing to spend the extra time driving to this spot for the best dim sum in the East Bay.
Maria, Berkeley, USA

Fantastic and absurdly cheap vegetarian dim sum can be had on the weekends at Lucky Creation in Chinatown in San Francisco. It's worth a special trip to this place. My girlfriends and I stuffed ourselves silly with divine all-veggie dim sum. And, then looked in disbelief at the bill which cost us about $5 USD each. Because the restaurant is really small (kind of a hole in the wall, truthfully), I'd advise going right at 11am when they open. Although they may not be fully ready for dim sum, you can order some starters, and then merrily partake of the steaming food that wafts by you. Hours: 11-9:30, daily. Closed Wed. Address: 854 Washington St. (between Grant & Stockton) Tel: 415-989-0818.
Anusha, San Francisco, USA