Asian Restaurants in San Diego: Convoy Street Dim Sum to Thai
San Diego’s densest cluster of Asian restaurants is the Convoy District in Kearny Mesa, a few miles north of downtown along Convoy Street and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Several well-known names from the past twenty years have changed since this guide was first written: Emerald Chinese has closed, China Max burned down and came back under new owners, and Jasmine is still serving dim sum. Below is the current status of each one, followed by places on and around Convoy that are confirmed open in 2025–2026.
Status check: the old favorites
These are the restaurants older San Diego guides (including this one) used to recommend. Status was checked in November 2026 against official sites, booking platforms and local news.
| Restaurant | Where | Status (Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Emerald Chinese Seafood | 3709 Convoy St., Kearny Mesa | Permanently closed (per OpenTable) |
| China Max | 4698 Convoy St., Kearny Mesa | Reopened 2025 under new owners after a 2020 fire |
| Jasmine Seafood Restaurant | 4609 Convoy St., Kearny Mesa | Open |
| Saffron Thai | 3731 India St., Mission Hills | Open (taking online orders) |
| Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot | 4718 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. | Not confirmed; call ahead |
| Spices Thai Cafe | 3810 Valley Centre Dr., Carmel Valley | Not confirmed; call ahead |
| Edo Sushi | 8895 Towne Centre Dr., University City | Not confirmed; call ahead |
| Yoshi Sushi | 6755 Mira Mesa Blvd., Mira Mesa | Not confirmed; online ordering paused |
Emerald Chinese: closed
Emerald was a Convoy institution. As San Diego Magazine’s profile of founder Susan Lew tells it, the family built the strip mall at 3709 Convoy Street, replaced chop suey with real Cantonese cooking, and later opened a sister restaurant, Pearl, in Rancho Bernardo before selling both. Its OpenTable page now marks it permanently closed. No exact closing date was found. If you were searching for Emerald’s dim sum or live-tank seafood, head to Jasmine or China Max instead.
China Max: back, but different
China Max was gutted by a three-alarm fire on April 6, 2020, which caused an estimated $4.5 million in damage. The original owners sold the restaurant, and the new team (who also run other Convoy spots) reopened it at 4698 Convoy Street, Suite 101, with a soft opening in late February 2025, according to SanDiegoVille. The menu has moved away from the old Cantonese seafood focus toward house-made noodles, xiao long bao, wontons in chili sauce and dim sum served all day. San Diego Magazine’s June 2025 roundup of Convoy openings described it as made-to-order Cantonese dim sum. The restaurant posts updates on Instagram rather than a full website, so check there for hours.
Jasmine Seafood: still the big dim sum hall
Jasmine, at 4609 Convoy Street, Suite A, is the survivor of the old guard. Visit San Diego’s Convoy District guide says it has been serving Hong Kong-style dim sum since 1993. It is a large banquet-style room, and weekend brunch is when it is busiest. The restaurant’s own website carries the menu, and it also runs Jasmine Express for takeout. Dim sum hours are not posted separately online, so call 858-268-0888 before you go if you’re arriving after lunch.
Saffron Thai: open, new owners
Saffron isn’t in Kearny Mesa. It’s on India Street in Mission Hills, near the airport. Chef Su-Mei Yu opened the original grilled-chicken shop in 1985 and later sold the business, staying on for a time as a consultant (Wikipedia gives the sale year inconsistently). The restaurant at 3731 India Street is still taking orders through its Toast ordering page, so it is operating. Grilled chicken with dipping sauces and noodles are what it has always been known for.
The ones that couldn’t be confirmed
Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot (Clairemont Mesa Blvd.), Spices Thai Cafe (Carmel Valley), Edo Sushi (University City) and Yoshi Sushi (Mira Mesa) still show up in directory listings. None of them had an official website or recent news that confirmed they’re open in 2026, and Yoshi Sushi’s online ordering page said it was not taking orders. Treat all four as “call before you drive.” The Convoy options below are confirmed and cover the same cravings: hot pot, Thai and sushi.
Where to eat on Convoy now
Convoy is officially the Convoy Asian Cultural District, and it stretches along Convoy Street between Aero Drive and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, plus the blocks around it. Restaurants sit in strip-mall plazas with shared parking lots, so plan for a short wait for a space at weekend lunch. Every place below appeared in a 2025 or 2026 source.
Chinese
- Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon, 4625 Convoy St. Open since 1994 and run since 2016 by sisters Sandy and Priscila Vuong. It’s known for hand-filled xiao long bao and dumplings made from fresh dough each morning, with a 1920s-style whiskey bar attached. San Diego Magazine’s 2026 best-restaurants list named it runner-up for best Chinese. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays; see the menu and hours.
- Shan Xi Magic Kitchen, 4344 Convoy St. Northwest Chinese cooking: hand-ripped biang biang noodles, cumin lamb and plenty of black vinegar. It was San Diego Magazine’s 2026 Critic’s Pick for best Chinese restaurant.
- China Max and Jasmine (above) for dim sum.
Japanese
- Wa Dining Okan, 3860 Convoy St. Home-style Japanese cooking and izakaya plates. It was San Diego Magazine’s 2026 Critic’s Pick for best Japanese restaurant.
- Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, 4609 Convoy St., Unit F (same plaza as Jasmine). Conveyor-belt sushi priced by the plate, and a good pick with kids.
- Menya Ultra, 8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Handmade ramen; Visit San Diego notes its 2021 Michelin plate.
Korean, Vietnamese and Thai
- Tofu House, Convoy Street. Soft tofu stews; runner-up for best Korean in San Diego Magazine’s 2026 list.
- Phuong Trang, 4170 Convoy St. Open since 1992 and known for pho, roast catfish and vegetarian options.
- Chaba Thai Kitchen, 8010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Traditional Thai, including curries and pad thai. It’s the closest stand-in for the old Spices Thai and Saffron searches if you’re already on Convoy.
After dinner
Common Theory Public House (4805 Convoy St.) has a hidden speakeasy, Realm of the 52 Remedies, and Somi Somi (4620 Convoy St.) does fish-shaped soft-serve cones. Both are listed in Visit San Diego’s district guide.
Planning your visit
Getting there. Kearny Mesa is inland, north of Mission Valley and east of I-805. Most people drive or take a rideshare. If you’re relying on transit, see our getting around San Diego guide before you go.
Timing. Dim sum is a late-morning-to-early-afternoon meal, and the big halls are busiest at weekend brunch. Arrive close to opening or after 1 p.m. to avoid the longest waits. Many Convoy restaurants keep shorter hours or close one weekday, so check before driving in on a Monday or Tuesday.
Pair it with shopping. The same streets hold several large Asian supermarkets, including 99 Ranch, Zion Market, Mitsuwa and Marukai. Our Asian markets in San Diego guide covers what each one does best, and a market run after lunch makes a good half-day.
Who it suits. Convoy works best for groups who want to share plates and try several places in one outing. Families do well at Kura and Jasmine. If you’re downtown and short on time, Saffron in Mission Hills is closer. For other neighborhoods and cuisines, start with our San Diego restaurants guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Emerald Chinese restaurant on Convoy Street still open?
No. OpenTable lists Emerald Chinese Cuisine at 3709 Convoy Street as permanently closed. For Cantonese dim sum on Convoy today, Jasmine Seafood Restaurant (4609 Convoy St.) and the reopened China Max (4698 Convoy St.) are the closest replacements.
Did China Max in San Diego reopen after the fire?
Yes. China Max was gutted by a fire in April 2020, was sold to new owners, and reopened at 4698 Convoy Street, Suite 101, in early 2025. The new version focuses on house-made noodles, dumplings and all-day dim sum rather than the old Cantonese seafood menu.
Where can I find the Jasmine Seafood Restaurant dim sum menu?
Jasmine posts its menu on its own website at jasmineseafood.com/menu. The restaurant is at 4609 Convoy Street, Suite A, in Kearny Mesa. Call 858-268-0888 to confirm dim sum hours before you go, as the site does not list them separately.
Is Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot in San Diego still open?
Its 2026 status could not be confirmed. Directory listings still show 4718 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., but no current official source was found. Call ahead or check a live map listing before making the trip.
Is Saffron Thai on India Street still open?
Saffron Thai at 3731 India Street in Mission Hills is still taking orders through its Toast ordering page. Founder Su-Mei Yu sold the business several years ago, so expect some changes from the menu longtime fans remember.
What part of San Diego has the most Asian restaurants?
The Convoy District in Kearny Mesa, centered on Convoy Street and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. The city has officially designated it the Convoy Asian Cultural District, and Visit San Diego calls it one of the largest pan-Asian business districts in the country.
Hours, prices and event dates change. Confirm with the venue or organizer before you go.
