Huge Chinese Restaurant and Banquet Hall Bringing Dim Sum and Dancing to Rolando

A massive banquet hall and Chinese restaurant in the SDSU area is being renovated under new ownership and will be reopening later this year as Diamond Palace. For over 20 years, the 15,000-square-foot freestanding building at the corner of 54th and University housed a full-service event center and restaurant that was first called Lucky Star Seafood and then known as Crystal Palace until it ultimately went out of business in Fall 2020 due to pandemic-related challenges.

Now that gatherings have resumed to a degree, the space is undergoing a remodel by the owners of Golden Island, Mira Mesa’s large-scale Chinese restaurant. A rep for its management team tells Eater that Diamond Palace is currently scheduled to open by late summer or fall, and will feature a more upscale design than its previous iteration.

The venue will be anchored by an all-day restaurant offering a menu similar to Golden Island, ranging from dim sum to live seafood, roast meats, and other Cantonese-style dishes. There will also be a separate area dedicated to casual, takeout food service. With a capacity for 700 guests, two stages, and two dance floors, Diamond Palace will also be equipped to host a variety of banquets and events, from weddings and quinceaneras to other special occasions.

• All Coming Attractions on Eater [ESD]