Diamond Palace

While Lotus Garden serves Cantonese tradition through family-style hot pots and banquet halls, Diamond Palace built its reputation on the weekend dim sum program that draws lines by noon—the rolling carts, the plate-stacking arithmetic, the communal hall energy that most San Diego dim sum spots abandoned years ago. This is the neighborhood's answer to Convoy's weekend circus, except with parking that actually exists and prices that haven't inflated past reason.

The kitchen runs both programs: order from carts when they're rolling (weekends, mornings) or from the menu when you need specific dishes without waiting for the lap. The walnut shrimp shows up in reviews as frequently as the salt and pepper fish, both plated with more care than most strip-mall Chinese spots bother with. The portions run larger than Convoy standard—average $10 per plate, which either signals generosity or explains the weekend crowds.

The dim sum itself holds traditional Cantonese form without the theater. Dumplings arrive properly constructed, char siu bao with actual filling ratios, rice noodle rolls that don't disintegrate. The tofu preparation converts skeptics, which suggests technique beyond the typical steam-and-sauce approach.

Service consistency becomes the operational challenge—weekend rushes turn 30-minute waits into table-ignoring chaos, the kind of staffing gap that tanks an otherwise solid meal. Come at 10am opening to avoid the noon crush, or accept that weekend dim sum here follows the same rules as everywhere: arrive early or wait long.

The dining hall runs massive, the kind of space that fills entirely on weekend mornings with multi-generational tables and friends meeting for the Saturday ritual. Easy parking off 54th Street removes the Convoy variable—no circling blocks, no validation stamps, just actual spaces.