Went here today and it was amazing! We got the steamed char siu bao, siu mai, deep fried taro, and look fun. It was the first time I tried deep fried taro, and oh my goodness. It's a light crispy on the outside and the inside just melts in your mouth. It was all super delicious. The restaurant is pretty clean. They also had some bug catchers along the window next to the door, since they seem to sneak in easily. I appreciated seeing that! The staff was pretty nice as well. We got seated right away. A previous table left before we came in and the server who was seating us cleaned it up real fast for us. With everything going on in the restaurant, they were on it! There's parking stalls right in front of the restaurant, which is always good too if you can get a stall. Lots of families were in as well having a nice Saturday lunch. It all felt so comforting in there. I will definitely come back again! If you're coming to Chinatown/Downtown or are walking around in the area, I suggest giving them a try! read more

One of the dim sum places that's been around for a long time. It's dated inside but it's less dirty than many restaurants in Chinatown at least. It's located on nuuanu tucked a little to the back of a small courtyard. You'll see the sign before you see the storefront. Dim sum was pretty good overall. Wouldn't say it's amazing but every item I got was pleasant at least. Hot and flavorful. Prices were steeper than I thought. The regular item is $6.35 each and the higher tier ones are $8.35! I like how it's not as crowded as the bigger dim sum spot on king and Maunakea so there was no wait. Would come back if I feel like dim sum and is around the area again. read more

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First Yelp review -- Mei Sum Dim Sum in Chinatown. Ordered chicken feet, pork hash, pan fried turnip cake, pan fried fish cake with corn, baked char siu bao, and egg custards. About $37 before tax and tip. I love chicken feet. Solid Chinatown lunch. I'll be coming back to try more. read more

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We really love this dim sum place! Some of the best shrimp and chive dumplings we have had. Service is very fast all the time. If you want the sweet egg custard buns come before 1pm! The ambiance is typical of Chinatown. It's clean, it's just old and we are in an island, so you cannot expect epic fine dining all the time. This is Island living in Chinatown. So keep the expectations low. Food is good, it's fresh and they are always kind. read more

We have always gone here love the dim sum and food.. but the last 2 times I think whoever is on the fryer needs to not burn the taro or the mochi it came out over fried. read more

Definitely a good spot in Chinatown for local dim sum. A good selection of standard dishes and so close to the parking garage. The flavors were good and standard...could have better condiments (soy, spicy and mustard provided) like spicy black bean chili sauce, chili paste or black vinegar. Especially liked the bean curd roll and crab. Service was fast and friendly. read more

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Dim Sum was very meh. Nothing to really rave about. Ordered the staples: Siu Mai, Ha Gau, Lo Mai gai, and Fung Zao. Ha gau wrapper was overcooked and falling apart. Siu Mai tasted too much like mushrooms. Lo Mai gai was fine. Fun Zao never came after 20min. Ambiance was old fashioned, only cleaned table tops but everything else (corners of the room, cash register, ceiling lights) had cobwebs on it. read more

Went there for lunch and the restaurant was not as busy as before with lots of tables open We haven't been there in a while and decided to go there since we were in town. The Shrimp pork hash shumai was not the same it lacked the flavor and texture was different. The Steamed Char Sui bun was good the bun was soft and lots of filling. The Chicken feet was not very good it had a sour taste and not like the flavor it use to be. The Scallops dim sum was very good and tasty! The half moon the wrap was dry and hard not moist and chewy, it was one of the worst half moon I ever had. The dry char siu chow fun was on the bland side, not like before. Some friends told me that they were closing, but told them they are still open for business? I wonder if they sold to someone else but kept the name? Because the food is not the same as before! Or maybe different cook? Either way was not happy with the dishes. No parking you have to park in the public parking close by or find street parking. Service was good, food came out fast. read more

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We went in the morning, so it wasn't too busy. The workers there don't push you into ordering quickly, which is nice. The dim sum is simple and familiar. The chicken feet aren't spicy like other places I've tried, which is good. Would probably come by again :) read more

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Mei Sum is where you go for your average, comfort dim sum food. It consists of that small mom-and-pop vibes where although you do have to wait sometimes for a table to be cleaned or your order to be taken, you can see they're understaffed and working hard. The dim sum itself can be a bit pricey with items ranging from $5.75 to $7.50, but hey, that's just Oahu prices nowadays. Note: you do get free tea and they take credit card! read more

Mei Sum Dim Sum - Turnip cake and Fried Taro with Scallop - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We have been going here often because it's near our work place. Good chinese food! Serving is fast. They are now open everyday. read more

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I usually do take out from here. Sometimes you get one lady who just takes your order as is and other times you will get the lady that will suggest something to add to your order. I never know which one I will get but I am glad they speak English because I can't speak Cantonese. Anyway, the take-out order is usually the same (stir-fried noodle with pork) and with whatever add-ins the second lady suggests. The noodle is always consistently good even though sometimes it appears a different chef cooked it up. Bonus points because consistency is important! The restaurant is pretty bare minimum Chinese restaurant. No fancy chairs or partitions or elaborate ceiling decor. It's just plain Home Depot special white with round tables with a plexi-glass cover that have chili oil containers on them. Plates are pretty plain too. Being post-covid, they don't come around with carts for your dim sum. But they do have some dim sum in the window in case you are just passing by and need a bite. It's usually jin dui or daan tat. Did I spell wrong? Parking is on the street or in the lot across the street. Or if you are like me, just get dropped off to pick up your food and eat at home. read more

This dim sum spot is the definition of unpretentious -- simple setting, no gimmicks, just plate after plate of steaming, delicious comfort food. The har gow and siu mai were packed and flavorful, cakes had the perfect crisp edges, and the buns were soft with just the right hint of sweetness. Service was quick and unfussy, and I loved how each round made me want to order "just one more" before leaving. Not a place for atmosphere, but absolutely one for flavor. I left full, happy, and already planning my return. 呢間點心舖真係樸實無華嘅代表----環境簡單，冇花巧，淨係一碟又一碟熱辣辣、美味嘅家常滋味。蝦餃同燒賣飽滿又夠味，糕點煎到外脆內軟，包子鬆軟，帶少少甜味，啱啱好。服務爽快直接，冇多餘嘢。每一輪上枱，我都忍唔住想再加多籠，臨走之前都唔想停。唔係嚟睇氣氛嘅地方，但味道真係一流。我食到又飽又開心，已經諗緊幾時再嚟。 read more

Mei Sum Dim Sum - Yummm - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I really wanted to like this Dim Sum place and live so close but unfortunately their selection for Dim Sum is all meat, nothing for a vegetarian except Spring Rolls. So odd to me how limiting the menu is. Whenever I travel to other states and countries I can easily find Veggie Dim Sum. So, anyway, I ordered from the meal menu, Mushrooms w/veggies and that was also not great either, see the pic. So if you're a meat eater you may enjoy. read more

Mei Sum Dim Sum - Mushroom and Broccoli (the "veggies" of the Mushroom and Veggies ) - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I'm saying 5 stars because they have the Salted Fish Diced Chicken fried rice!! OMG!! It's the best I've tried on island since living here. Everything else was good but hands down the fried rice was delicious!! I need to return when I get the craving. Have yet to try the dim sum since we came at night. read more

Great dim sum spot in the heart of downtown! I like it here--Mei Sum has been a go-to for me whenever I'm craving something tasty and affordable. You can see the dim sum is fresh and flavorful, and the noodles are just as good. Maybe it's because I haven't had dim sum in a while but I wish the prices were better. The service was decent, of course I went to grab takeout there was a party of 20 being served so I can't mark them down for that. Although, I do feel that there was more priority because when I walked in I went straight to the register ready to order and two people stopped by without taking my order. The ambiance also isn't a lot to boast about but you don't come here for big celebrations, you come here for cheap eats and good food! Whether you're dining in or grabbing takeout, this place is super convenient and great for anyone in the downtown area. read more

Had Dim Sum and the Quality of food was Mid but the service was quick (Dim Sum cart). There were locals and tourists eating there. Don't be surprised if their food don't live up to your expectations. The restaurant feels like any other Chinese Dim Sum/seafood restaurant like the mainland. read more

I regularly visit Mei Sum with friends and consider it in my top 5 favorite dim sum restaurants in Honolulu. Located across Nuʻuanu from Mark's Garage and a municipal parking lot, making it a convenient spot downtown. It is a small family-style restaurant with old-school ambiance. They offer good dim sum selection (no carts, order from menu) plus a full menu of other dishes (soup, stir fry, etc.). Food has always been delicious. Service is always prompt and gracious...our group can be demanding. There is a lot on the menu I haven't tried since I'm usually with a group and can only influence 1-2 choices. I have vowed to go alone more often and get takeout! Menu features all of the usual dim sum (steamed dumplings, etc.). Plus many items not usually found on all menus. My favorites include Deep Fried Taro, Pan-Fried Fish Cake with Corn, and Pan-Fried Turnip Cake. read more

food was so tasty, ended up ordering extra! Service was great food came out really fast, lots of seating in the restaurant but very busy! read more

Mei Sum Dim Sum - Steamed Fresh Fish beef chow funn black bean spareribs - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Not sure what happened to this place but it really went down hill. The food is not off the cart and takes long. The cleanliness is in question. The deep fried taro was way over cooked. read more

Very authentic dim sum! Park on the street and feed the meter. Choose what you want to eat by looking at the photos in the menu as most staff speak Chinese. The restaurant is clean; service is turned over quickly, and dishes arrive promptly. Many locals eat here. The restaurant is not fancy! However, the food is excellent! read more

10/10 would recommend . Service was fast and friendly. Prices were reasonable. Very convenient spot for anyone in the downtown area. It wasnt very busy for being a Sunday evening. read more

Mei Sum Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Rarely do I try different places for dim sum as I have my favorite places and humans are creatures of habit. Met here to yum cha with some former colleagues, now friends. It's always nice to catch up over food. Their prices are more reasonable compare to the places I usually go to though. Small $3.95, Medium $5.25, Large $6.95. One type of tea, you don't have to choose and it comes with the meal. Service was what you'd expect at a dim sum place. I spoke Cantonese while ordering so felt we go things a little quicker. I got my usual favorites, turnip cake, black bean spare ribs. Gotta get siu mai and ha gau when you go dim sum. My friend taught me you can ask for green onion and cilantro when you order your cheong fun. Game changer! We got it with char siu. Their eggplant stuffed with fishcake was deep fried and dusted with garlic chips. First time having it prepared that way. I think I prefer pan fried with black bean sauce. A dish I haven't seen before was a midsized scallop that was in a taro nest. Interesting, a little oil. I don't think I'd get that again. They weren't too busy so we got a table right away. It was 10am on a Sunday. We were there until close to noon chatting away. Since there were still open tables, they didn't pressure us to leave. At bustling dim sum places, you feel obligated to surrender your table. read more

Mei Sum Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Mei Sum was wonderful 20 years ago. Not. Anymore. Most of their fried options like Taro Scallop come out super oily like they've been fried multiple times. Pretty gross actually. Most of the steamed dim sum is average at least. We ordered vegetables and it's served basically with pure oyster sauce on the side. Then after a friend paid the bill for a pretty large tab, one of the older ladies rudely said "tip no included" and recommend she pay $36 or 20% I mean, OMFG! read more

Mei Sum Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Good Chinatown spot for dim sum and local Chinese food. Comparable prices and good quality food. Parking is challenging so if you can't find street parking, you'll have to park in nearby municipal lots and walk. All of the dim sum I've eaten here is good (pretty much everything on the menu); dine-in is pretty quick and the wait for a table isn't too long even on weekends. They have high chairs, a (slightly old) bathroom, & the staff is as polite as can be for a Chinese restaurant. Recently I've done mostly take-out & they pack it up neatly with all the utensils and sauces I like. read more

Mei Sum Dim Sum is one of many great places in downtown for dim sum. What I like about this place in comparison to other dim sum restaurants is the welcoming, sit down, and eat as a family vibe. I don't feel rushed when i order. Servicers are calm, collective, and caring. Most of all, I can order my hearts content without feeling forced to buy or being discouraged to not buy too much. Food is delivered fast and on a timely basis. The taste of each item that I ordered had flavor. Aromatic, sweet, salty, ginger, and garlicy flavors working together for a tasty meal. Payment Cash or credit Restrooms are looking in the back Parking -Metered parking (free on Sundays and holidays, Saturdays free after 5pm) -Structure parking -Street parking read more

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This is our go-to dim sum joint. When we have a craving, when meeting friends for lunch or dinner, we always offer this as an option for pickup and takeout or meeting spot. Service is fast except on Chinese New Year....NOT a good idea, they are swamped and stressed out. This year, we waited 40min for our order, while others said they waited longer. Same with people seated and dining in, everything was taking a long time and I saw one family get up and leave without paying as far as I could see. The dad and kids got up and left while the mom stood in line about 10min and then left the restaurant. They didn't come back in the 20min I sat waiting for my order. But every other day we have been there we have not had to wait more than 5 min and if you are really impatient ask what they have ready in the baskets and order from those. We don't mind waiting, just drink more tea and talk story. I hope that family came back to pay, but for those who find themselves in that situation, you can always just leave an estimated amount including tax and go...without tip. Cash or check left at the register or hand to a staff person. Or, it looks bad, but you can also walk out and come back later and pay them when they aren't so stressed. read more

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Food is always fresh and delicious. The waitress are helpful and friendly. We never had any problems with them. We try to eat there twice a month. read more

I've been coming here for years because I live downtown. I don't come here for good service, or sanitary conditions. It's just that once in a while I crave it. One time I found a bandage in my dumpling. I still come. Today there was a hair in my steam char siu Bao. I will be back. The water tastes weird read more

Tasty, inexpensive, and quick. However, some menu items are expensive, so be careful when ordering. A restaurant you want to repeat. All the manju in this restaurant are delicious. Dessert manju is also delicious. However, egg tarts are not delicious at any of the dim sum restaurants downtown. 美味しい、安い、早い。ただし、メニューによっては高価なものもあるので、注文する際には注意が必要です。リピートしたいお店。このお店の饅頭はどれも美味しいです。デザートの饅頭も美味しいです。しかし、ダウンタウンの点心屋ではエッグタルトはどこも美味しくありません。 read more

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Felt like dim sum and struck out on another place, so we ended up here. No regrets! The food was good, the service was adequate. Definitely would return! Prices are reasonable and the parking was easy to find. Overall a good place for Chinese food and/or dim sum! read more

Mei Sum Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We came here because our favorite dim sum restaurant was closed on a Tuesday. Honolulu magazine said this was the best dim sum restaurant in Honolulu. So we decided to try it. I don't know who at the magazine reviewed this restaurant. I strongly disagree. We ordered six dishes. Four of which were very disappointing. No Chinese restaurant fails with Chinese broccoli...except this one. It was tough and fibrous. We decided to splurge on the soft shell crab ( we are originally from the east coast). The dish virtually tasteless. The taro with scallops had the flavor of uncooked dough. The hah gau was good with bits of water chestnuts. It's been a week and I've forgotten what else we had but it was obviously forgettable. I almost never write reviews but I was appalled that Honolulu magazine deemed it the best. They need to find a new food critic. Never again. read more

Let me just say, I've tried to like this place but last night's dining experience did it for me. Never again. Let me repeat, NEVER AGAIN! Upon entering, the workers didn't greet us with a welcoming demeanor but "how much in your party?" Okay, cool...this isn't a fine dining spot but still, restaurant etiquette 101. *rolls eyes* Once we got to our table, I noticed how nasty the high chair was and immediately told my boyfriend to get my son's stroller in the car. I wish I got a picture of it. It's giving unsanitary vibes. *second red flag* After ordering our food, which took the server awhile to even allow us to order, we waited FOREVER. I was so ready to throw in the towel and leave! But whatever, our minced beef soup came and that's when it went downhill... We took a few bites and my son and boyfriend were disgusted!!!! The soup tasted like dishwashing soap!!!!!!!! Oh myy gooooooooodness!!! No!! Minced beef soup is our absolute favorite when eating Chinese! We tried to wave someone down to let them know but it took forever for someone to come to our table. I politely let our server know and all she did was walk away...no immediate apology or anything. At this point, I've completely lost my appetite. But to let my boyfriend have his Chinese food fix, I kept my cool and went about our night. Everything else we ordered was slowly rolling in and the verdict? The dim sum was delicious, hence, the ONE star. The fried rice was not at all good, just bleh. When asking for the check, we waited yet again, longer than usual. The server finally apologized when given the check, maybe to get some brownie points for a decent tip? I think NOT! We were the youngest adults there and felt discriminated in a sense. Never again will I try this place out! Disgustingly dirty, poor customer service, and soapy soup. Next!!!!!! read more

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Food was really delicious service was what can you expect from any Chinese dim sum place? It's like everywhere price was reasonable. Coconut sesame balls were amazing. read more

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Place is decent and looks old. But me and the family does not mind that. People ask me why I still go for Chinese food anywhere I go. Of course, the ingredients are different. So here we are at Mei Sum. The pork siewmai was a bit salty. No more soy sauce needed. Pair it with white rice and it balances the saltiness. We also ordered shrimp hargao and that is my recommendation. Love the crunchiness added in it. The other one I will recommend is the turnip cake. Look fan with chasiu is ok. Beef balls is also good. I can hear our servers are speaking Cantonese so I feel I am back like a spacious Hong Kong dimsum house. read more

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Best dim sum on the island. We have been here several times (eating in and taking out) They never disappoint.

Need sum Din Sum? hehe... try Mei Sum Din Sum in downtown HNL. Located in a tiny gated, but open, building on Nuu'anu across from Mark's Garage. Street parking is king in this area, but the other municipal parking lots are available as well. Inside you'll see a wide open space with many tables to dine at and also to allow the workers to roll their cart around with your goodies. I've only eaten here once, and really don't know how to judge these types of joints as for they all taste the same to me. One things for certain, nothing tasted bad or inedible so safe to say their stuff was good. Came with an out-of-town friend who said she's been here before and enjoyed their food so I was lucky to tag along. Service was typical for me. They greet you, seat you, give you water and tea, then take your order. Plus too, because they constantly come back to see if you want anything else, we weren't really left high and dry without anything to drink or eat. We ordered many items that contained some sort of seafood, and I wasn't really the one ordering, but I couldn't complain either for everything we had was ono. This spot surprised me in two ways. 1) I remembered the chicken wings were surprisingly ono and freshly made so each bite was steaming, piping, hot. 2) The other surprise was that we came out of this spot pretty full and satisfied. Just looking at the size and amount of each dish was like, that's all? I was thinking, "we will need to eat again right after this." But, low and behold, we were stuffed. As mobile food disposals, this is all we could ask for, happy bellies. If you live in the downtown area, or just visiting, check out Mei Sum Dim Sum for sum surprisingly ono grindz. Till da next visit, Grind On, Pau! read more

I would frequent this restaurant a lot for take out in previous years as a student going to school and loved their food from the beginning. I had once again returned at the start of the Chinese New year & parade and we were definitely here for it! Always a local favorite of mine when it comes to Dim sum, I knew that this was the perfect simple date night to bring my husband to try and knowing that it would be busy for the holiday weekend I made sure to make advance reservations. The Dim sum did not disappoint and as I'm writing this now I can still taste the half moons, shrimp look fun and pork hash that we tried as well as the shrimp dumplings just to name a few. I love the jian dui or sesame ball for dessert and the egg drop soup was a nice accompaniment before attending a show at the Hawaii Theater for the evening. The ambiance is very casual and the service is always friendly quick and efficient! Be prepared to pay for parking too right across the street read more

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Located in Chinatown, on Nuuanu Ave, the food is tasty. They do not have private parking. You can do street parking, public parking across the street or underground. I recommend the underground parking as it is cheaper and convenient. Street parking can be hard to find. There are several tables in the restaurant, but it can be busy at lunch. The service is fast as they seat you right away if there is a table available. They also will take order right away if you know what you want. The food is made when you order and comes out hot and fresh. Overall the food and service is good. The restaurant is fairly clean. read more

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It was my first time trying out Mei Sum Dim Sum in Chinatown. I heard they closed but now they reopened with new management and owner. I went with a group of friends and we arrived at 10:00am. We got a table for the 6 of us right away but around 11:00am to 12:00pm, it was packed with a bunch of people waiting outside to be seated. That a sign that this place is legit lol. We ordered a lot of popular dim sum dishes (such as: siu mai, shrimp dumplings, seafood rolls, mochi rice, egg tart, chicken feet, look fun, spare ribs, etc.), fried dishes (such as: fried shrimp wonton, fried taro, fried seafood roll, etc.), and some stir-fried entree dishes. Everything came out fresh and hot. There were a bunch of steam coming out from each dishes. It was tasty and good. I like how their fried dishes were also hot too which shows it was prepared fresh. I always have issues with other dim sum places where the fried foods were never hot or warm. The shrimps in the dumplings, look fun, wontons, and entree dishes were de-vine and huge. The size was generous and there were a good amount of them in the look fun. The entree dishes we ordered were Honey Walnut Shrimps, Seafood Noodle, and Fried Pork Chops with Peppery Salt. Honey Walnut Shrimps: The shrimp was good. It was super creamy with a hint of sweetness from the honey. There were a generous amount of walnuts with this dish. Seafood Noodle: The noodles were crispy and good. The seafood and vegetables on top were good and flavorful. I like the sauce for this dish. Fried Pork Chops with Peppery Salt: The pork chops were good. It wasn't tough and there were a good amount of pepper garlic toppings. Overall, a good dim sum place. The foods were good, but the service can be better. This place was super busy after 11:30-ish so it's understandable that the servers can get overwhelmed. However it was difficult to get our waters refilled as well as additional orders. read more

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