Ocean Bo Dim Sum Cafe — Restaurant in El Monte

This was honestly SUCH a great find!!!!

I (like many in Los Angeles) have continued to mourn the loss of one of the true GREATS in terms of Dim Sum brunches: Ocean Seafood, which closed during the Pandemic.

ABC is still there - but never really DID touch the majesty of Ocean... nor the quality of the food... which leaves us 'Dim Sum' lovers still searching for good alternatives.

SO I googled: Best Dim Sum in Los Angeles, and found a few recent articles that covered 10 of 'the Best' - and THIS PLACE was near the top of every list!

TRUE to the reviews: SUPER TASTY, quality Dim Sum! You can either dine in, or stand on the (speedy!) line for To Go.

They have menus with pictures and English descriptions so those of us unable to speak Chinese can point or say "2 #7s"!)

The PRICING is what really makes this a STANDOUT - for 3 orders of SHRIMP SHU MAI and 2 orders of SHRIMP & CHIVE DUMPLINGS I paid less than 25$!!. Incredible, compared to some of the more 'upscale' and Anglicized Dim Sum places in Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena!

VERY generous portions. Was so so SO happy with the food!

The ONLY reason for the 4 STARS is (of course) the ambience. It's pretty run-down - think old 1960's donut shop that's been basically just turned into a Dim Sum eatery - dirty window panes, old old old tables and chairs, NO art on the walls, and a ton of noise both from the kitchen and all the customers yelling and pointing and ordering in the same basic space for 'To Go'.

But of course you don't come here for fine dining - you come here for the incredible food (and very gracious service) - so as long as you go in knowing this is NOT a place set up for 'American-style Brunch' or even the Chinese old-school brunches of days long-gone with Ocean Seafood - you'll be super super happy!

NOTE: they were open ALL DAY Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - what a find!! YES it's all the way out in El Monte ... but SO WORTH THE...

24 Sep 2023

But for the price, it’s not bad. Nothing fancy, but it satisfies the DimSum craving if you want a quick and inexpensive fix.

My favorite was the Gao Choi or Chive dumplings. Really delish! The Hargow was decent and not over steamed. The chicken feet tasty, although a bit too soft. The Bbq pineapple bun was good, with a lot of filling, not a lot of air like some places.

The two worse dishes and I would never order again: the spinach and chive dumpling…which tasted weird, and the meatball, way overcooked and very soft and chewy, like too much tapioca flour mixed in.

The best thing we ordered was the eggplant and green beans because it came out freshly cooked and still hot.

My first time here and I enjoyed it. Not your typical Dim Sum restaurant. Instead waiting for the carts to come around, this place is order style. Just order what like and quantity. Very cool, laid back atmosphere. Clean restaurant.

Good variety of Dim Sum to choose from, as well many dishes if you prefer. Food are very good, delicious. Prices are inexpensive, good place to come if you are on a budget. Service staff are friendly and attentive. Parking might be a problem during...

Haven't had dim sum in too long and this place came highly recommended by a friend. Easy parking on a weekday in a strip mall setting, the place had a solid takeout setup and a decent amount of tables for a non-Palace sized hall. I dined in for this occasion and made my selections on a colorful menu. I was worried that the server didn't review my selections like they do at Din Tai Fung but all of the dishes selected came out about as quickly as I've ever received dim sum without the carts. Dumpling dishes came out hot and tasty. All the staples for me were represented nicely (Har gow, beef balls, pork shiu mai, shrimp and chives were amongst the classics ordered). Only item that wasn't hot was a fried seaweed wrapped item but it still tasted good. Got a seafood noodle dish that lacked vegetables but made up for it with a generous portion of shrimp, white fish, scallops and squid as well as a savory noodle. While nothing here blew me away this place hit my two main requirements for a successful dim sum establishment:. 1) Hot food (🌡️ not spice level) & 2) Served quickly. I look forward to returning one day when I might find myself in this...