New China House in Baltimore: Cantonese Roasted Meats and Dim Sum in Fells Point

New China House is a full-service Cantonese restaurant in Fells Point specializing in roasted meats, dim sum, and wok-cooked seafood, with a dining room that seats roughly 80 and a strong neighborhood presence among both locals and visitors seeking authentic preparation over fusion compromise.

What New China House actually is

Located on the block of Eastern Avenue near the water, New China House operates as a casual to mid-casual Cantonese spot where the kitchen moves between dim sum service (lunch and early afternoon), dinner à la carte orders, and a modest roasted-meat program featuring whole duck, pork, and chicken hung in the window. The dining room is plainly furnished with round tables built for family-style eating; service is efficient without being formal. Unlike Cantonese spots in other Baltimore neighborhoods that lean toward takeout or dim sum carts, New China House maintains a stronger emphasis on sit-down dinner orders, particularly roasted meats and noodle dishes.

Menu, dim sum service, and pricing

Dim sum runs daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with carts rolling through the dining room. Prices per small plate range from $3 to $6, with shrimp dumplings, pork siu mai, har gow (shrimp and bamboo shoot dumplings), and sticky rice in lotus leaf as consistent offerings. The roasted-meat program includes whole Peking duck at roughly $28 to $32 (half bird), roasted pork belly and leg, and roasted chicken; these are ordered as entrées and served with rice or noodles, typically $14 to $18 per order. Wok-cooked dishes like shrimp with cashew, Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, and chow fun with pork or shrimp run $11 to $16. Verify current pricing by phone before visiting, as protein costs fluctuate seasonally.

How New China House compares to other Cantonese options in Baltimore

Cantonese restaurants in Baltimore cluster in two formats: dim sum specialists that pivot to takeout (like those in Chinatown) and dinner-focused spots that minimize dim sum. New China House sits between these poles, offering serviceable dim sum but with better evening preparation than most dim sum houses and more consistent dim sum availability than most dinner restaurants. Compared to restaurants in Chinatown's Pagoda Square area, New China House roasts its meats in-house rather than ordering them pre-prepared, yielding crisper skin on the duck. Compared to casual Cantonese spots in Canton, it maintains longer dinner hours and a quieter room if you prefer eating without the volume of a high-turnover dim sum hall.

Who it suits and who it does not suit

New China House works best for diners who want roasted meats prepared by the restaurant itself and who value a quieter, sit-down meal over rapid dim sum turnover. It suits small groups and families ordering family-style, and it suits visitors to Fells Point looking for Cantonese food within walking distance of the neighborhood's bars and shops. It is not optimal for large parties without advance notice, for diners seeking cutting-edge or modernized Cantonese cooking, or for those who want dim sum to be the entire focus of the meal (a dim sum specialist would be faster and cheaper).

What the first visit involves

On arrival, you are seated at a round table. During lunch and early afternoon, servers or dim sum carts will approach with small plates; you point to what you want, and it is noted. At dinner, you order from a paper menu or verbally with a server; roasted meats should be ordered in advance if possible, though whole birds are often available same-day. Expect 30 to 45 minutes for a table during peak dim sum hours (noon to 1:30 p.m. on weekends) and 15 to 25 minutes during dinner. Payment is cash or card.

Hours, parking, and logistics

New China House is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dim sum service runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Street parking on Eastern Avenue and nearby Fells Street is available but tight during weekends; a paid lot is two blocks south near Thames Street. The restaurant has no reservation system; walk-ins are seated as tables open. Call ahead if ordering a whole roasted duck to ensure availability.

New China House earns its place in Baltimore's Cantonese food landscape not through novelty but through consistent execution of roasted-meat preparation and the practical choice to run both dim sum and dinner service in a neighborhood where neither format dominates alone.