Kingdom Dim Sum: Hidden Gem in Los Angeles' Thai Town

Kingdom Dim Sum in Thai Town near Hollywood in Los Angeles, California

Kingdom Dim Sum is a casual restaurant popular for its affordable dim sum in Thai Town, located in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, CA. The restaurant sits in a small strip mall along Hollywood Boulevard, a short walk from the Walk of Fame.

Inspired by his father, who owned a dim sum restaurant, the owner of Kingdom Dim Sum decided to open his restaurant. Though he had no restaurant experience, he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and honor the family tradition.

While its menu features fewer items than most dim sum restaurants, it has everything you want, from BBQ pork buns to xiao long bao to shrimp fried rice. Even better, most items on the menu cost around $7, making it a great deal considering its location.

Before I continue with my review, I want to mention that I had no intention of visiting Kingdom Dim Sum. As I was in Thai Town, my plan was to visit a Thai restaurant. When that was closed, my plans changed.

Interior of Kingdom Dim Sum

The interior of Kingdom Dim Sum was small but open and bright, thanks to the large windows at the entrance.

Near the entrance was the seating area with a few tables. Opposite the entrance was the counter and service area, along with the kitchen.

The décor at Kingdom Dim Sum was simple yet clean and modern. Wooden panels were complemented by light-colored walls, dark tile floors and ceilings, and a red brick post.

In the background, music played loudly. It didn’t bother me, but you might feel differently.

It was clear that the restaurant’s focus was on the food, not the decor. But this was not a problem for me.

Kingdom Dim Sum Menu

The menu at Kingdom Dim Sum, Los Angeles, California — The menu at Kingdom Dim Sum

The menu at Kingdom Dim Sum was more extensive than I would have expected for a small dim sum shop in a strip mall near Hollywood.

Even more surprising, most items cost around $7, a steal for Los Angeles, where everything, even fast food, seems to cost over $20 these days.

The menu favorites listed at the top left included Shrimp Har Gow, Pork Xiao Long Bao, and Shrimp Fried Rice. If this is your first time trying dim sum, ordering one of these dishes might be smart.

The rest of the menu was divided into categories for Steamed, Deep-Fried, and Baked dumplings, along with sections for Rice/Noodle Rolls and Appetizers.

For dessert, they had almond tofu with mixed fruit and mango sago coconut pudding.

Although I didn’t order a drink during my visit, they offered canned soft drinks as well as sweet tea, iced coffee, black tea, and green tea, all of which appeared to be homemade.

You can view the full menu at https://kingdomdimsum.com/menu.

Condiments

As with most dim sum or Chinese restaurants, each table had an assortment of condiments: vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha, chili oil, and hot mustard.

The sriracha, labeled “saracha,” seemed thicker and saltier than usual while the hot mustard was pungent from horseradish, like wasabi. Finally, the chili oil, while thin, was smoky with a kick of heat.

There’s no right or wrong way to use the condiments, whether you drizzle chili oil over each dumpling or mix a dipping sauce on your plate.

But when I went to Taipei, I was told the way to do it was to add one part soy sauce to three parts vinegar and then add some chili oil. The combination of salty soy sauce and acidic vinegar creates a balanced flavor, while the chili oil adds a smoky flavor and heat.

Baked BBQ Pork Bun with Puff Pastry

First, I ordered the Baked BBQ Pork Bun with Puff Pastry ($6.99), also listed on the menu as Golden Crust BBQ Pork Bun. Each order came with three buns.

Only moments after I ordered, the buns arrived at my table. They were piping hot, and I had to give them a minute to cool down before eating them.

The bun was fluffy and airy in texture, with a crispy top covered in sesame seeds that added a crunchy element. Its flavor was lightly sweet, similar to the pineapple buns I have had in Hong Kong.

Inside were bite-sized chunks of tender pork coated in a sweet, salty sauce. The sauce wasn’t overpowering, allowing the pork’s flavors to come through.

The combination of the sweet bun and savory pork made these pork buns delicious. A little dip in chili oil made them even better.

Pork Xiao Long Bao with Peanut Oil

If I could only order one type of dim sum, it would be the Pork Xiao Long Bao with Peanut Oil ($6.99). Xiao long bao is a dumpling usually filled with ground pork and gelatinous broth that becomes a soup when steamed.

I’ve enjoyed this classic dumpling worldwide, from Las Vegas to Singapore to the original Din Tai Fung in Taipei. So, at Kingdom Dim Sum, my expectations were high.

When I poked a hole into each dumpling with my chopsticks, only a little broth flowed out. While I wanted more, the broth was rich and salty, with a pork flavor from the tender, moist pork meatball inside. I didn’t get much of the peanut oil flavor.

The skin of each dumpling was thin, delicate, and slightly translucent. It was thin enough to bite through easily but thick enough to hold the meatball and broth.

Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai

Next up was another one of my all-time favorite dim sum, the Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai ($6.99). Each order contained four pieces.

These dumplings were massive, easily shareable between two people. The pork filling was denser than the xiao long bao, meaning there was much more pork per dumpling.

Even with its dense texture, the pork meatballs in each dumpling was juicy with a bouncy texture and a rich, savory, porky flavor.

A small but moist piece of shrimp complemented the pork. While the shrimp added a salty, briny flavor, the pork was the star. I wish there was more shrimp.

Bringing these siu mai together was a thin yellow wrapper with a smooth, slightly chewy texture.

Deep Fried Shrimp Spring Roll

Last up was the Deep Fried Shrimp Spring Roll ($6.99), which had three pieces per order.

After being deep-fried, these spring rolls were piping hot. I had to wait for them to cool down to avoid burning my mouth.

The deep-frying gave each spring roll a golden brown color with a crispy, crunchy exterior. You won’t find oily or soggy spring rolls here.

The spring rolls looked small, but I was surprised by the generous amount of shrimp inside. Each one contained large, fresh chunks of tender shrimp.

While simple, I enjoyed the combination of the richness of the crispy, flaky skin and the saltiness of the moist, tender shrimp.

Service at Kingdom Dim Sum

I don’t think of dim sum restaurants as places where servers come by every few minutes to check on you. Servers know when to come by or when to let you dine in peace. And this was how it was on my visit.

During my visit, one man was working the front of the restaurant. While he had to handle a few tables, he was friendly and attentive. He was nearby whenever I needed anything, such as a cup of water.

While there were QR codes on the table for ordering, my server stopped by to take my order. And my food arrived fast after I ordered it, especially the Baked BBQ Pork Buns.

If you are expecting a server who checks up on you every minute, you might be disappointed with the service, but as for me, I found it to be efficient.

Conclusion

Kingdom Dim Sum was a pleasant and unexpected surprise. I had planned to visit a Thai restaurant since I was in Thai Town, but my plans changed when that wasn’t open.

Everything I ordered on my visit was delicious, and I’d gladly order it all again. I’m confident the rest of the menu is just as good.

If I had to pick a favorite, it might have been the Baked BBQ Pork Bun with Puff Pastry with its sweet, crunchy pastry and savory chunks of pork inside.

At around $7 per plate, the prices were a steal, especially given the location in Los Angeles, where everything is expensive. The affordability allowed me to try different types of dim sum, which is the whole point of eating dim sum.

With affordable prices, attentive service, and its location near Hollywood, I would not hesitate to return to Kingdom Dim Sum on my next visit to Los Angeles.