I've been perusing the Menupages.com site, but can't seem to decide which of the places rated there would be my best bet for lunch in late December.

Most of the eateries listed with 4 stars have a mix of opinions from excellent to awful to not as good as before. Any insight here?

What city?

Silly me...thought I was under NY category. The Big Apple!

I am not a fan of menupages and open forums. There are many responders who do not know about the foods on which they are writing.

The best dim sum is now in Flushing but here some of the better ones in Manhattan's Chinatown.

Jing Fong-sprawling second floor restaurant which gets extremely crowded on weekends and hosts Chinese banquets of upwards of 800 people. Very few concessions to American tastes, good selection and very inexpensive. Best value

Golden Unicorn. On the second and third floors of a building on East Broadway. Upon enetering someone will guide you.

After many medicocre years, they improved greatly. They even have a cart that makes turnip cakes tableside. There will recognizable choices and more glitzy than the others.

Sweet n' Tart, despite the nanme no concessions to occidental tastes and you order from a menu. A little more money than the others but good.

Din Sum-A G0 G0, not genuine and a favorite of foodies, a safer choice.

HSF-have not been there in years.

I didn't like Golden Unicorn, not enough choices, and I do like HSF on the Bowery just south of Canal St. Large restaurant and mostly locals there.

My favorite is Mandarin Ct. on Mott St almost a block south on the left side of the street.

My ex is Thai and we went to Chinatown everyweekend for 9 years so I have tried all of the Dim Sum spots there and I continue to go back to Mandarin Ct., mostly locals there as well, but terrific Dim Sum.

Hope this helps.

Sorry, got my directions backwards. Mandarin Court, is on the right if you are heading down Mott St from Canal.

Menupages.com is very good for getting info on restaurants (days, hours, location etc) and looking at the actual menus for selection and prices. The usefulness of the reviews is mixed - since you don't know if the expectations of the reviewers are the same as yours.

Aduchamp: What would be your recommendations for Flushing dim sum? Thanks!

Ok sorry for my ignorance, but , are the food choices CLEARLY marked?? I have a severe allergy that I must be extremely careful with.

It is my understanding with Dim Sum, that you pick dishes off a "roving" cart brought to where you are seated???

In reference to BudgetQueen, I would think Dim Sum is a poor choice for someone with a severe allergy, as you often have absolutely no idea what you are eating. Yes, they usually do just wheel it past you and you point. The only way that would be safe with a severe allergy is if the allergy was to something that you would never expect to find in Chinese food (milk, strawberries, etc.). If you are allergic to eggs or shellfish, I would assume everything on the cart has been in contact with it, as a lot of dim sum dishes involve those. Most places do have an a la carte menu you can order from, though.

Thank you for the information, it makes it very clear, it isn't for me.

I thoroughly agree, dim sum would be a very bad chocie for someone with food allergies. Very often the people who serve from the carts do not have a good command of English and they probably do not know every ingredient.