Our STORY

As a foreign student from Hong Kong in the early 1970s, Dr. Allen Chan supported himself through college by working in the best Chinese restaurants in iconic San Francisco Chinatown. Decades later in 1992, Dr. Chan was offered the opportunity to help build the best and largest Cantonese dim sum restaurant in San Diego. This was his chance to fulfill his dream of owning his own Chinese restaurant.

After a year and a half of extensive research, preparation and construction, Jasmine Seafood Restaurant officially opened to the public on January 1, 1994. Situated within one of San Diego’s most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods, Jasmine Seafood Restaurant quickly earned a reputation as a local favorite.

Lovers of Chinese food flocked to the restaurant to taste their authentic award-winning, Hong Kong-style Cantonese Chinese food including fresh seafood and delicious dim sum– a large variety of hand-crafted dumplings and small bites by our world renowned in-house chefs.

Jasmine’s commitment to providing customers with the highest quality dishes and go-to banquet venue grew over the years. Their large space and selection of innovative specialties, crafted using the freshest ingredients, keeps customers coming back time and time again.

CANTONESE CUISINE

Cantonese food is the most popular of the many Chinese cuisines in the world not only because it is the first to be introduced to the outside world, but also because of its ideal geographic origins. Canton, aka Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, is in the Pearl River Delta of China, known for its fertile alluvial soil, subtropical climate, and plenty of fresh seafood.

Cantonese food emphasizes keeping the freshness of the main ingredients without heavy sauces or spices while preserving the precious natural nutrients in the food for your body and soul. At Jasmine, we are committed to preserve this tradition and philosophy. We bring the top Chinese chefs from Hong Kong and Canton to share the best of our cuisine and Chinese culinary customs with you.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

At the time Jasmine opened in 1994, there were only a dozen or so Asian businesses along Convoy Street, mostly known for its car dealerships and light industrial shops. With the support of Jasmine’s vast customer base and the community, Convoy Street and its surrounding neighborhoods has now become the Asian culinary and business center of San Diego County. This cultural mecca is officially known as the “Convoy Asian Cultural District” by the City of San Diego with Jasmine Seafood Restaurant as its iconic anchor. For nearly 30 years, Jasmine Seafood Restaurant and our employees have worked with community partners to raise nearly half a million dollars in donations to community organizations and disaster relief efforts locally and around the world.

Some partners have included Lions Club International, Rady's Children Hospital, The Monarch School, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, San Diego Asian Business Association, Gawad Kalinga, Operation Courage is Beautiful, and many others. Dr. Chan is the Founder and Charter President of the San Diego United Lions Club and has served on the board of a number of San Diego Asian Pacific Islander non-profit organizations.

Jasmine and Dr. Chan will continue to give back to the community that has nurtured us during Jasmine’s 30-year history, supporting those that are less fortunate around the globe.