Dim Sum or Chinese Banquet: Mission Not Impossible
Sunday, June 5, 2005 16:57
There is just something about having dim sum on Sundays that I love… especially at Mission 261. Rated as one of the top restaurants in LA by Los Angeles Magazine, Mission 261’s specialty is in its fine dining dishes and banquet menu. I prefer dim sum though because I can order a couple of specialty dishes while enjoying other smaller favorites.
Before I get too wrapped up in the food descriptions, let me first explain why I like dim sum here at this restaurant. First of all, unlike most dim sum restaurants, Mission 261 is always full but does not feel overcrowded. There are plenty of rooms at the restaurant, and each time I go, I think I see a new area that’s now available for seating. I’ve never had anyone bump into me here or knock my purse off my chair, and the overall feel is very spacious. I think this has a great deal to do with the absence of those food-filled carts getting pushed around. While most people find the carts to be charming, I’m much happier with the way Mission 261 gives a menu of all the food available to choose from and then brings your orders to your table. (I warn you that almost everything is in Chinese only, but the dim sum menu comes with pictures and English translations so you know for sure what you’re ordering). 
This is a growing trend at fancy dim sum restaurants. I also want to note that in one particular dining room, there is a performer who plays a traditional Chinese instrument (called yang ching). She alternates between Chinese songs and familiar western tunes. Though most people are too busy eating or chatting away, she continues to play for the few who are listening.
The best part about eating at Mission 261 is, of course, the food. Dim sum here is a little more expensive than at other places, but the quality of the food is clearly superior to the food at cheap dim sum restaurants. Mission 261 offers standard dim sum items as well as luxurious dishes. As I am not a millionaire yet, I usually order a majority of the standard stuff and maybe try one pricey entrée. I am a creature of habit when it comes to dim sum, and there are some staples that I always get.
My favorites include: fried turnip cakes (#3 at Mission 261), sesame balls stuffed with red bean paste (#4), custard tarts (#12), shrimp dumplings (#20), and shrimp in rice noodles (#51). Then there are some specialty dishes: poached veggies (one with garlic #42, one without #43 both good), a variety of congee/porridges (#56-61, #56 is congee with lobster), and a variety of noodles dishes (#62-80) including Singapore vermicelli, Cantonese style pan fried noodles, and stir-fried flat rice noodles. Today, we were given a new menu – Mission 261’s Two-Year Anniversary Specials. We ordered the Boston Lobster (steamed with garlic) for $6.95 per half pound.
The lobster was perfect and extremely flavorful. Basically you can’t go wrong with ordering anything seafood at Mission 261. Dim sum charges by the type of dish you order. Mission 261’s prices range from $1.98 to $6.98. The noodle plates range in price from $8.85 to $15.85. The more expensive ones usually have seafood.
I’m sure Los Angeles Magazine loved Mission 261 not for the dim sum but for the banquet dishes. Mission 261 offers an extensive menu of extravagant specialties. Though I choose not to eat shark’s fin, Mission 261 offers 9 different types of dishes that incorporate its use. Another famous and rare Chinese delicacy is Bird’s Nest, which isn’t really a bird’s nest but a type of herb. When in doubt about what to order for your first time, you can always put your trust in the restaurant and go with the prix fixe menu. The menu offers a few options depending on how many are in your party (2, 4, or 6). The lowest average price comes out to $50 per person, but I’m pretty sure it’s worth it. I only glanced at that menu, but it seems like each prix fixe set includes at least one signature dish that Mission 261 is known for.
Mission 261
261 S. Mission Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91776
Tel: (626) 588-1666
Fax: (626) 588-2526
M-Th Lunch: 10:30-3:00, Dinner: 3:00-10:00
F Lunch: 10:30-3:00, Dinner: 3:00-10:30
Sat & Sun Lunch: 9:00-3:00, Dinner: 3:00-10:30
By Pauline (see more of her posts).
SoCalorie says:
June 5th, 2005 at 5:20 pm
Am we to surmise that you didn’t get the dim sum shaped like baby bunnies?
I’ve sat in that room before too and it’s palatial compared to most dim sum joints. I almost feel like I’m eating in a 5-star hotel in Singapore because its so clean and spacious.
And it’s true, nobody ever stands up yells, “More cow bell” at the yang ching player.
SoCalorie says:
June 5th, 2005 at 5:22 pm
gah. that was “Are we…”
Pauline says:
June 5th, 2005 at 9:38 pm
Oh SoCalorie… Don’t hate me for this but I don’t like the bunny-shaped dumplings. The dumpling skin is too thick for my taste, and the filling isn’t very flavorful.
Ok, running to duck and cover now as I await the repercussions of my blurb above.
SoCalorie says:
June 5th, 2005 at 9:42 pm
Nah, you’re right. They’re for the kids.
Pauline says:
June 5th, 2005 at 9:49 pm
Whew… ;)
Kat says:
February 16th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
Mission 261 was the worst dim sum ever–in L.A. or S.F. or N.Y. or Hong Kong or China. The prices are outrageous, and by the time the dish gets placed on the table, it’s already cold. The cheung fun (don’t know what it’s called in English) was not smooth and slippery as it should be. And who wants to eat dim sum in that deathly silent room anyway?
By the way, I had that bunny, and when I bit into it, the sweet yellowish filling squished out the rear end, and well, you can imagine what I was thinking.
Pauline says:
February 16th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
There are different rooms at Mission 261. The one I always eat in usually has someone performing music there (as pictured above), so it’s certainly not a “deathly silent” room when I go. In fact, I find it to be a very comfortable atmosphere. Were you dining in the same room when you went?
The prices are high, but I still enjoy dining there for the variety and quality of the dishes. While there are a few items that really should be permanently removed from the menu (namely the bunny), I’m fairly satisfied with the food at Mission 261. I’m surprised you got cold food. I have burned myself from eating some of the foods there. Since I’ve always had only good experiences dining at Mission 261, I appreciate you sharing some constructive criticisms. I’ll be looking out for them the next time I dine there.
Billy the king from Toronto Canada says:
May 23rd, 2009 at 7:29 am
Toronto and Vancouver is the best for all type of Chinese or Asian food. No where in N.A. can compare with us. That’s why every time when I travel to USA. I won’t eat Chinese because they make shit and very dirty as well. Food is cheap in Canada as well.