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Best Dim Sum

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Capital Tea Garden

1110 T Street
Sacramento, Calif. 95811
916) 448-1218

Squeezed into a small row of shops in a downtown neighborhood, the small, old locale has dim sum daily. It's a favorite of midtown business people and on weekend caters to families and special gatherings. Favorites include BBQ pork buns, taro turnovers, sesame balls and sui mai. The gee cheung fun is always fresh and offered in a huge portions. Regulars know the spring rolls are the best in Sacramento.

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Dim Sum House

2631 Broadway
Sacramento, Calif. 95818
(916) 456-6688

Don't let its size be your guide. It's small restaurant that's huge on dim sum. Taro turnovers, sui mai, har gow and pork and mushroom dumplings are crowd pleasers, although a crowd means only a few tables. It's quaint, it's inexpensive, and it serves a wide variety of fresh dim sum.

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Happy Garden Seafood Restaurant

5731 Stockton Blvd.
Sacramento, Calif. 95824
(916) 456-0581

Hong Kong style dim sum, beef tripe to har gow, crispy taro turnovers to sweet egg cream buns, is served daily and at good prices. Some items are only served on the weekends, like mango pudding, beef tender stew and pot stickers. It's a large restaurant, but particularly popular on Sundays so expect a long wait. For those needing a dim sum education, there's a pictorial of what dim sum is offered at the table near the entrance.

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credit: China Photos/Getty Images

King Palace

5829 Stockton Blvd
Sacramento, Calif. 95824
(916) 456-8888

It could have gotten its name because it's a king-sized place but it doesn't cost a king's ransom. The service carts come around quickly and the dim sum variety is vast. It's simple math to eat. Small plates are $2.50, large plates $5. Sui mai, taro turnovers, pot stickers are among house favorites.

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New Canton

2523 Broadway
Sacramento, Calif. 95818
(916) 739-8888

Known for its authentic Cantonese cuisine, the dim sum is equally good and offered at reasonable prices. Chicken feet is a specialty and the shark fin pot stickers and sui mai often earn top marks. It's not dim sum, but the seafood tofu cream soup is a regulars' favorite. Some directional guidance is relevant. When dim sum is served, it's only on the second floor and the restaurant's first floor is closed.

- James Raia is a freelance journalist living in Sacramento. His work can be found at byjamesraia.com.

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