Thank you for once again stopping to check out mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is still away on travel. Ed (from Yuma) is living the life of a retiree (in Yuma). Cathy is writing in a seemingly random way about restaurants and food other than what you'll be reading about in a week or less.
I sort of plan what to post while Kirk and His Missus away, each time deliberately avoiding certain ethnic restaurants, knowing He will be posting about his more authentic meals and knowing what we have in San Diego will never be as great as 'being there'. So, even though I really like and have been going to (after craving because of receiving text photos from Kirk daily) ramen and sushi joints around town, no posts of those places will be done by me, at least not for a while.
Instead, today's post is a compilation of many visits to a place Kirk has posted about quite a few times and I only posted about once. Yum Cha, a chain of six California restaurants, is convenient, inexpensive (most items are $2.09-$2.69) and open from 8-8 daily. (Kirbie also wrote a few posts about Yum Cha Cafe).
This is the Dim Sum style where you walk up, order and pay before finding a seat and carry your order to the table yourself, not the all fancy Dim Sum with tablecloths and carts wheeled between tables. 
The BBQ area sells items by the pound (or by the half or whole bird), the steam baskets and displayed items are sold by the each, and refilled promptly. We tend to order from the 'fuller' (and therefore fresher) looking trays, usually finding something new each visit.
**Note** there are two large industrial electric urns near the front door. If you ask for tea, you will be charged 25¢ for a cup and can fill it with either hot water or tea to enjoy with your meal.
Without fanfare, here are photos of some recent meals. 
You place an order for soup or porridge when paying and when it is ready it will be called out. I have recently been ordering fish porridge (congee with fish filet) here ($4.35) and have cravings for it, but sometimes the dumpling soups are what I want. It's all tasty, not fancy, fresh food.
I hope you are having a great weekend!
Yum Cha Cafe 6933 Linda Vista Road San Diego 92111 (858) 268-9988 website