Absolutely delicious dim sum! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The dumplings were tasty, and the seafood dishes were especially delicious. Great service, lovely atmosphere, and a wonderful dining experience. Highly recommend! read more

Went for an early family dinner and had great service! The duck was perfect and not overly greasy or fat. Our favorites are still the mapo tofu and durian puff pastries - you can't go wrong with them. read more

Such a great dim sum experience! Everything we ordered was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. There was a great variety of dishes, and everything came out hot and beautifully presented. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was lively and welcoming! Our server Tri was awesome! read more

Modern, clean ambiance with friendly and quick service. I love the whole art concept with the paint palette plates and pencil chopsticks. Such a cute touch! What we ordered: * Palette Soup Dumplings - unique flavors and fun to try * Regular XLB - my favorite! I actually like these better than Din Tai Fung, shhh * Blossom & Classic Ha Gow * Abalone Mushroom Lotus Rice - one of the best dishes * Chicken Paws * Wagyu Rice * Green Beans * Peking Duck - highlight of the meal * Pork Chops I've been to their Las Vegas location too and both locations have been consistent in quality. My favorites were the XLB, abalone mushroom lotus rice, and Peking duck. I would definitely come back to try more dishes! read more

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We came here on a Thursday at 9 PM and the restaurant was pretty empty, there were only 1-2 other tables. Starting at 9, they serve only their late night menu with includes a bunch of small bites and drinks. We tried a pretty wide variety of their small dishes and they were all decent, but nothing really stood out to us. However, the ambiance was really nice and moody. The concept of having a palette as a plate and the various sauces was super cute and unique. Great vibe for a date night or just catching up with friends. read more

Palette Dim Sum & Seafood - Crispy Typhoon XO Shrimp Dumpling, Pork Soup Dumplings, Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai, Bang Bang Chicken Wings, Lobster Ha Gow - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

Dropped by for a casual lunch the Friday before a holiday weekend. Ordered a bunch of stuff to try...realized it's only okay and I don't necessarily need to return. Did enjoy the giant TV to watch the US Open. Service was great. Cocktails were okay. Tea was good. Highlights: green beans and ong choy, typhoon shrimp dumplings Quibble: the food hits you fast and furious. So fast that we couldn't get to everything while it was hot and fresh. read more

Palette Dim Sum & Seafood - Ong choy - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Ok, let's get this out of the way first - Palette is at the higher end of prices when it comes to Chinese food and dim sum. If you go in with the expectation that your wallet will be hurting, you'll have a much more enjoyable experience! That being said, it really depends what you're ordering. $8 for 4 pieces of siu mai? I'd say that's reasonable. $20 for chicken entree? Ok, that's fair. $20 for a plate of bok choy? Alert the police. In any case, they have a really fun shtick which is that their plating echoes that of a painting palette. They've created 5 different sauces, each with their own color, and you can add those sauces into the grooves of your palette plate. Is it practical? Not really. But still a very creative concept. Oh, and all the dim sum is really good. I mean, it better be given the prices, but I have not been disappointed by any of them so far: siu mai, soup dumplings, har gow, bbq pork buns, bean curd rolls. Also, the Roasted Iberico Char Siu is heavenly. Expensive, but delicious. read more

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The place is upscale and the staff is friendly and efficient. They have a good amount of variety that includes dim sum, hot dishes, and dessert. We got the truffle duck fried rice, palette peking duck, roasted iberico char siu, lobster har gow, pork and shrimp siumai, sichuan firecracker chicken, and bang bang chicken wings. For dessert, we got lava custard buns and portuguese egg tarts. Truffle Duck Fried Rice- Garlicky and flavorful with a good amount of duck pieces. Generous amount of truffle pieces. The flavors pair well. Palette Peking Duck- The duck has a crisp exterior with juicy meat and a tasty, sweet and tangy glaze. You get plenty of condiments to go with it. Roasted Iberico Char Siu- The ham is juicy with a nice outside char. Every bite is flavorful. Lobster Har Gow- You get a meaty lobster filling with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Presentation is quite elegant. Pork and Shrimp Siumai- Soft and meaty with a good amount of filling. The flavors blend perfectly. Sichuan Firecracker Chicken- A nice contrast of heat, savory, and sweetness. Served hot and fresh. Bang Bang Chicken Wings- Wings are crispy and sticky with a sweet tanginess that is quite addicting. Finished with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Lava Custard Buns- Soft steamed buns with a rich custard filling. It has just the right amount of sweetness. Portuguese Egg Tarts- Flaky pastry that crisps beautifully when you bite into it. Custardy filling. Perfect balance of flavors and textures. Great experience overall! read more

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My hubs was craving the Salt & Pepper Pork Tenderloin, so we dropped by Palette yesterday around 1:15 pm for a late Labor Day lunch. Despite the holiday crowd, we got seated at the bar almost right away. We reordered two of our go-tos--the Pork Tenderloin and the Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai. Hands down, this is the best Siu Mai we've ever had; the quality of the pork here completely sets it apart from anywhere else. We also sampled a couple of items from the specials menu: * Tiger Prawns w/ Garlic Soy Vermicelli (10/10): The butterflied prawns served over garlic-soy vermicelli were packed with rich, garlicky flavor. * Olive Oil Stir-Fry Chow Mein: A bit underwhelming and missing the depth of flavor we hoped for (our search for a replacement for Chinacy's chow mein continues, lol). Shoutout to Angelina and the rest of the team for the stellar service--consistently great just like our first visit! read more

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This is a pretty fancy dim sum spot, and can for the most part it feels pretty modern compared to other dim sum spots in the area (ie they deliver the food items to your table once ordered instead of the rolling carts - don't get me wrong I dig the rolling cart vibe as well). The service could have been a bit better - I was at the bar and they seemed slightly under staffed for how many people were sitting there. But dim sum spots are pretty tricky when it comes to typical service so ‍ All in all the food was great, the dumpling wrappers were soft and great flavors to them and the chicken feet were flavorable as well. I really liked the variation of sauces you have for dipping - favorites being the yellow mustard which was a bit spicy. All in all I'd recommend their: 1. House special shrimp dumplings (har ga?) 2. Pork and shrimp shu mai 3. Chicken feet if you dig that sort of thing I had the bean curd wrap which was okay, but became gelatinous too fast (you basically have to eat it right away). read more

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Decided to visit this upscale modern dim sum place. We eat at their other locations in San Francisco and Vegas whenever we are in town. Glad this location is much closer! Restaurant itself is very stylish and spacious just very loud. The menu is a lot smaller than the Vegas and SF locations. But they have a lot of seafood items which is one of the reasons I love this dim sum place. We decided on quite a few dim sum items. The colorful shrimp dumplings were my favorites. For entrees we tried fresh lobster with sticky rice, iberico char Siu and garlic morning glory greens. The food was so delicious especially the 3lb lobster, it was $45 per lb. The iberico pork was amazing and the fat is actually as healthy as olive oil. It's interesting that the food at this location is similar to SF which is much lighter than Vegas. So the flavors here is very much to my liking. The service was very friendly but a bit inconsistent at times. We ordered a bottle of Mumm and the champagne markups were a bit high. We will just bring our own wine next time. The cocktails at the bar were great pours with good prices. Overall our late lunch was pleasant and we enjoyed the bar time watching some sports too. Will definitely revisit this fantastic place whenever we want dim sum! read more

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Staff were helpful, though sometimes not necessarily quick. Food is pretty good. My favorite this time was the duck and tofu soup. That duck flavor was so strong; I loved it. I also love that they're on InKind, that's how I found out about them. The Ha Gow, I will say, completely came apart. I think it's because it was sticking to the bamboo container instead of the parchment, but when I went to pick it up, the bottom stuck and ripped (all 5). I would suggest that they turn down the AC because it's COLD. I get sitting in a room and after some time, you're acclimated and you're cold. But, you're cold the second you walk in, and it kind of made for a less than perfect dining experience. read more

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Conceptually, aesthetically, and service were top notch and denotes a high end place. The theme is art, specifically, painting. I love that it's pretty unique. We had the truffle scallop garlic, crispy typhoon shrimp dumplings, and lobster hargow. The food was pretty good. Not super amazing, but was tasty. For the truffle noodles, I wish the truffle flavor was a little stronger.for the dim sum dishes, although good, is not super unique compared to traditional places that serve shrimp Hargow. The food is a bit pricier, which is evident with the atmosphere and decor of the place. Overall good place to check out and see the novelty of its creativity and to eat good dim sum. Just don't hype up your expectations. read more

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I love this place! I've been to the San Francisco location before, and I honestly love how each one has its own vibe. The SF location feels super cozy and perfect for a rainy day, while this one is great for going out with a group of friends or family. Different atmosphere, but both are amazing in their own way. The service was fantastic from start to finish. We were seated quickly, our food came out fast, and the staff was super attentive throughout our meal. They were also really helpful with recommendations when we couldn't decide what to order. Everything we tried was delicious! One thing to keep in mind is that the portions are on the smaller side, especially if you're dining with a group of five or more, so you might want to order a few extra dishes to share. And don't skip dessert! I got the pineapple cake, and my little sister got the chocolate cake. Both were so good and the perfect way to end the meal. Safe to say you've gained a regular because I'll definitely be back to work my way through more of the menu. Thanks, Palette, for such a great experience. Until next time! read more

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We love the food here, but had a problem with how the steak was cooked. This is when things started to turn in the wrong direction. We ordered the steak, which is what we always do here. This time the meat was rare, too rare for us. The inside was red, the outside was cooked but very chewy. It was too chewy for us. We asked them to cook it a little longer. Go from rare to medium. Last time we had this same problem, they were great. This time, the manager said they always cook it rare and it is up to us, to tell the server to make it medium. We felt like we had done something wrong. At these prices, we expect a level of hospitality that reflects the prices we are paying. That was not happening. Instead of talking to the chef, looking carefully at the food, he blamed us. They brought it back ten minutes later and the meat was crispy, crunchy, way over done. Again, we felt punished by the chef. Instead of learning from our sending the food back, he over cooks the meat. We sent it back again. It came a third time, and it was okay. it was still medium well done. The whole thing gave us a sour feeling about Palette. We have other places we rather spend our money in. read more

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Always looking for a dim sum closer to home when 626 is too far now that there's a potato at home lol I wasn't sure how this spot would be, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's pricier than seafood cove, but some of the stuff is pretty yummy. Not everything was great, but I'd return. Stroller accessible with the large layout! Fav items Har gow + chicken feet Ok Pork spare rib Siu Mai Skip Sticky rice Yuba roll $80 or so with some tea Har gow had good flavor, not as large as other spots but the shrimp mixture made up for it Chicken feet had a good marinade and the skin came off easily Pork spare rib was fine, felt like a cleaner version from normal. Sticky rice was too mushy. Yuba needed more filling, felt too healthy and the sauce was aite. Service was pretty good and the diff sauces they offer (coconut, cilantro) for example bring new life to some bites, but it makes me feel like I'm not eating dim sum. We came by for a late lunch 1:30pm and there was no wait! read more

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DISAPPOINTED!! Interesting how the name is Palette Dim Sum...but the dim sum offerings were lacking. So misleading... I rarely order chow fun for dim sum, but I wasn't sure what else to order since we specifically wanted dim sum. We got the Blossom Har Gow. It came with five flavors. The only flavor that really came thru was the mango habanero. There was a kick. The lobster har gow was my favorite. It was flavorful and fun to eat. The Wagyu chow fun was a bit too oily. The meats were delicious tho. The egg tarts were probably the worst I ever had... I grew up eating egg tarts anD NEVER had I ate such dried out egg tarts. It wasn't silky...the eggs tasted over cooked. I couldn't even finish my piece. If you know me, I never throw egg tarts away. The price was outrageous as well. $8 for an order of 2 small disgusting egg tarts... The shiu Mai was good looking. It was good, but nothing special about it besides the presentation. Service was good. Wish the foods were better... read more

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I've always loved Palette, so I was honestly so excited when they opened a location in OC. I've been to their Bay Area locations before and they've consistently been some of my favorite dim sum spots, so having one closer now is such a win. The food was exactly what I was hoping for!Everything came out hot, the quality was great, and every dish felt well executed. One thing I've always liked about Palette is that it feels a little more elevated while still delivering the comfort and flavors you want from dim sum. Really happy to have a Palette in OC now. It definitely lived up to my expectations, and I can already see myself coming back regularly. Orange chicken 5/5 Pork tenderloin 5/5 Spare ribs and black bean sauce 5/5 Siu Mai 5/5 Chicken wings 5/5 Lobster har gow 5/5 Mapo tofu 5/5 They forgot the fried rice but it's ok I was so full i forgot about it. As for drinks highly recommend the sesame espresso if you like coffee and the jade juice if u want something fruity!! read more

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They say you eat with your eyes first and that definitely holds true at Palette Dim Sum. This restaurant is a feast for the eyes from the spacious and modern interior of the restaurant, to the unique dinnerware that looks like you are eating from an artist's palette, to the presentation of the food! I am also happy to say that the food is as good as it looks. The various colored/flavored xiao long bao (xlb) and ha gow are both pretty, fun to eat as well as delicious! You can taste the difference from each one. Some flavors are quite light (like the wasabi ha gow) and not overpowering at all. The xlb skin is a little on the thick and gummy side for my liking (especially compared to Din Tai Fung which is perfection to me). They're served with black vinegar pearls that melt right upon contact with the soup dumplings. The sichuan green beans are a must get! A great garlicky and slightly spicy flavor and not too oily. I was most excited but disappointed in the truffle scallop garlic noodles :/ while the taste was there, the texture of the noodles was mushy and it was all broken into tiny short pieces. And for the steep price of $45 for that dish I expected it to be better. For dessert I highly recommend the crystal custard dumplings! The skin was slightly soft and chewy with a generous amount of thick, velvety, not-too-sweet custard on the inside; a perfect way to end your meal. Get this at the end as it's better enjoyed warm! Unfortunately the service is quite slow... we came on a Saturday around noon and while the restaurant wasn't crazy busy it took us forever to flag down our server multiple times to order more food, get a refill on tea, and for the check. read more

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Had a solo late lunch here! Service is always quite strong! Enjoyed the following: - Hargow (plump shrimp dumplings) - Shu mai (pork and shrimp classic dumplings) simply the best! - Braised pork in Tofu Skins (best in class) - Cucumber salad (very small portion for the price) but super tasty a good offset to the oilyness of dimsum - Jasmine tea (for a pot $2 per person charge is ULTRA reasonable) Their dipping sauces are incredible! - The vinegar micro beads are gone, but they do offer regular Chinese vinegar, you must ask for - Coconut cream, I just ate it as an appetizer, ate two of them, but held back on a 3rd - Cilantro green sauce is wonderful - Hot mustard is like yellow wasabi (very painful LOL) - Classic Soy - Chile oil Left very full. It was a very healthy complete meal!!! read more

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Palette dim sum has a vibrant, and colorful setting that gives a pleasant feeling when spending time for lunch. This new restaurant has a nice ambience and artistic motifs that I really enjoyed. The idea of a Palette is a cool theme. Your dish is a 'painter's palette' and in the 'wells' of your plate has room for sauces that are brought to your table. Both clever and appropriate, this well thought out concept was definitely pleasing to this diner! The staff here were friendly and helpful. They helped recommend food dishes and highlighted what the restaurant chain was known for. Unfortunately the food was overshadowed by the decor and extravagant plating. Even some of the food names were changed on the traditional dishes, so it was hard to know what to order or if it's an item you have had before We tried a handful of dishes, and nothing really stood out. Ha gow Typhoon fried shrimp siu mai xiao long bao Even with the dipping sauces the dishes were bland and underseasoned. The pricing is agressive for the food, but I understand that a nice looking restaurant will have higher overhead. I was excited to dine here, but not sure if I will be back read more

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Very clean and bougie dim sum spot. Not your old school place with old ladies pushing carts and screaming out what they had. Yeah they have Har Gow and Siew Mai, but instead of Beef Chow Fun it was Wagyu Beef Chow Fun. Located in the Northern portion of Hillsdale Shopping Center, Palette also is located in Tustin Ca and opening a new location in Folsom. My cousin was visiting from So Cal so we met at this location in San Mateo. Very Hong Kong style this place caters to old school Hong Kong style Tea House fans as well as corporate bank accounts The former were there early as they opened at 11am but the corporate groups started showing up around noon. When you get there they give you a menu to check off and order. Make sure to order quickly! Menu was a little fancy. Not tons of dimsum only. No carts rolling around to pick from, so order wisely. read more

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I love dim sum so I was excited to finally try this restaurant at the Marketplace. Everything about the dining experience at Palette was excellent and I wish I could give a 5/5! However, the table my party of 4 was seated at was quite small and we constantly had to make room for the dishes and steamer baskets of food that arrived. Still, my favorite dishes were the lobster ha gow, the 5 palette soup dumplings (each had such a unique flavor profile!), and the black truffle duck fried rice. Our waiter, Sony, was very attentive, friendly, and helpful with the food we ordered. I noticed all of the staff were efficient despite the numerous customers on a Sunday morning. We honestly couldn't have asked for better service! read more

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I genuinely like spending money on good food. I'm more than happy to spend even more when the quality and experience justify it. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that was the case here. We had a frustrating experience with the pineapple buns. Our waitress asked if we wanted them after our meal, and we specifically said having them during the meal would be great. Midway through, we noticed they weren't even on our ticket. When I asked about it, she told me she was planning to bring them after the meal, which wasn't what we had said. We were then left waiting quite a while before anyone came back. Eventually, the manager came over to apologize and explain that they only had one left. Unfortunately, that one was extremely hard and tasted more like stale bread than a pineapple bun. I appreciated the manager trying to rectify the situation but the whole interaction was disappointing. We also tried several of the more elevated/bougie dim sum options, including the soup dumplings and har gow. The dough/casings were not well executed. Even being extremely delicate when picking them up, many of them ripped apart. The lobster har gow in particular tasted essentially like shrimp which made the premium ingredient feel a little lost. The flavors were also surprisingly muted in some dishes while other items were overly salty for my palate compared with more traditional dim sum. There were definitely some things I enjoyed. The caviar-like texture of the vinegar for the dumplings was really fun and genuinely elevated the experience. I also loved the literal "palette" of sauces. It was playful and gave us a chance to experiment with different combinations. That said, some of the luxury elements felt more like expensive ingredients being added because it's expensive, rather than components that came together cohesively as a dish. The food felt more focused on the concept of luxury than on the actual execution and flavor. I didn't take many pictures because while everything is certainly pretty, nothing really stood out to me as something I felt compelled to photograph. Presentation was nice, but for me, the food itself just didn't have that "wow" factor. Service was okay overall. Some of the staff were great, while others were less attentive, and we experienced quite a bit of waiting during our meal. The manager did make an effort to address the situation which I appreciated. I may come back to try some of the non-dim-sum entrees because there were elements of the experience I enjoyed. But based on the dim sum we had, the overall food quality was just so-so. The restaurant had great lighting, was spacious, and clean. read more

Palette is my new favorite upscale dim sum/chinese restaurant in OC! They serve modern and luxurious twists on your classic Chinese dishes that cater to the asian palette and they're all executed very well. I really liked the peking duck, wok fried sticky rice with crab, and clams. Everything my group ordered was a hit so it's hard to pick a favorite dish. The overall vibe of the restaurant is very nice and lively. The waiters are very attentive and your food comes out really fast too. I highly recommend this restaurant if you ever want to take someone out to a nice meal or even enjoy a weekend dim sum brunch with your family! read more

Palette Dim Sum & Seafood - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

Came for a quick dinner with my friends and we loved the atmosphere and friendly vibes of the place! For food we got - Sichuan Green beans 10/10 Cucumbers 8/10 Lobster Har Gow 9/10 Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai 10/10 Wagyu Beef Chow Fun 10/10 huge portions! Golden Swan Durian Puff omg 20/10 delicious For drinks we got - Peachee Martini 9/10 Sticky Situation 7/10 Jade Juice 9/10 very refreshing & light! (Sauces paired very well with the dumplings we got!) Service was fast and the servers gave very good suggestions for food and drinks! read more

Palette Dim Sum & Seafood - Golden Swan Durian Puff (2) - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Another pricey dim sum spot in Irvine! The dim sum's decent, just not really worth $10+ a plate! The decor is modern and doesn't really cater to us poors haha. Service is slow, we scheduled a takeout order for 11:45 and we got our food about 30 minutes later. Not sure why this place is so crowded, but seems like people were having a good time waiting for their food... but yeah just go to Westminster for better (and cheaper!) dim sum! read more

Palette Dim Sum & Seafood - Shiu Mai - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

My cousin and I had both bookmarked this place so we decided to celebrate her birthday at Palette. We made reservations for 5 but there were plenty of tables to walk in. We ordered the morning glory which we would recommend as a great veggie for the table with the scallop pasta, XLB, har gows and roasted duck. The dumplings were rich in flavor and the pasta was a hit at our table. The duck took quite a while to cook and portion was a bit small but we enjoyed the presentation of it. We had ordered some extra dumplings for the table but they assumed that it was a duplicate so we never ended up receiving our order and ended up just canceling them. I will say service is a bit slow and had to ask multiple times for our check and some boxes. While it was a fun experience to try the different sauces, it's a bit overpriced for what you get. I'd recommend for a nice celebration dinner but would probably stick to regular dim sum on an everyday basis. read more

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While the food has good presentation and the interior is nice and modern, the dim sum is unfortunately overpriced and not authentic. The shumai was a little mushy, I prefer mine with the shrimp more intact. The hargow was pretty standard, but also nothing special that would warrant the high price point. The egg tart was also disappointing, I wished it was made in the Cantonese style instead of the Portuguese style, which made it very eggy and not smooth. It was also surprisingly not that sweet, which threw me off. I ordered takeout, and my food was ready 40 minutes after the designated time, so they definitely need to do a better job with scheduling. I wish I liked this spot and could say I would go back, but there are definitely better and cheaper spots for dim sum around OC. read more

Palette Dim Sum & Seafood - Takeout har gow - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

Amazing experience here. Our waitress was the absolute best. This is the type of service i would love to have everywhere I go. If you go I hope everyone gets Angela as their server. She was so welcoming and sweet and took her time to go through the menu with us because it was our first time here. 10/10 experience because of her: she made sure we were taken care of and we never felt rushed. She made some amazing recommendations. Highly recommend their Peking duck with matcha sugar. It only came with 6 pancakes though and the ratio was a bit off compared to duck so I wish they gave a bit more pancakes since there was 4 more servings of duck left without pancake. I didn't love their soup dumplings as much as paradise dynasty but the creative innovation of having black gelatinous pearl vinegar that melts when you put it on the dumplings was so cool and really great unique experience. I also loved their cha siu - not dry at all and very flavourful. Their chicken wings were perfectly crispy and flavorful and came with a great palette cleanser of pickle radish on the side! The atmosphere is so great they had a vip room. And it's very clean and looks like they host amazing events here read more

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Finally got a chance to lock in a reservation to this new Dim Sum spot that's been on my radar! I enjoyed their creative dishes like Truffle Scallop Garlic Noodles but also nailed the classics like pork/shrimp Siu Mai. The servers are very friendly and will tell you their fave dishes so listen up! This is definitely more of an elevated concept so feel free to check this place out if you appreciate that kind of vibe! Also : Salted Egg Yolk Lobster, Roasted Garlic Wagyu, Salt and Pepper Pork Tenderloin, Lobster Har Gow read more

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Very good dim sum - but Peking duck was a miss. Not crispy at all and came out basically cold. The presentation for all of these dishes were spot on! We got a little bit of everything and my personal favorite was the crispy shrimp dumplings that had a mochi-like crispy exterior. Green beans were so so good - a bit salty but delicious with the best spice. Crispy pork tenderloins were also a hit! We waited about an hour during Memorial Day but when I went inside to check on our table - there were so many tables open? We got seated right away when I checked even though I was 10 on Yelp Waitlist. I was very impressed with this over layout, decor, and place settings. This is a great place for a nice upscale lunch! read more

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Palette Dim Sum - such a cute restaurant name, a must try with your pal! They have little artist palettes as plates for your food and sauces, and their signature soup dumplings come in colorful varieties that feel like "painted tastes"... a feast for both the eyes and your... palate! Spacious parking in the Marketplace. While the restaurant sits smack in the middle of suburbs, entering into the restaurant feels like stepping into a trendy city lounge. The interior is gorgeous with modern decor, geometric light fixtures, and a massive digital wall screen showing city skyscrapers that makes the whole space feel immersive and upscale. I enjoyed our table spot facing the digital wall on the booth chairs and by the bar. The soup dumplings are medium-sized, each served individually on soup spoons sitting in extra broth. Flavor-wise they were solid. I had a fun guessing game with the server (and got 1 out of 5 right, hah): original pork, kale, crab, black truffle, beet & beef. I also enjoyed the Wagyu stir fry. The vegetable was standard. Their rice portions are HUGE; the mound from one bowl of rice was big enough for my friend and I to share. The standouts for me were actually the cocktails and desserts. For cocktails, get the Sticky Situation. It's such a fun cultural twist drink, mango sticky rice, with coconut milk - so refreshing! The egg tarts were some of the fanciest fusion egg tarts I've ever seen, topped with fruits and unique flavor combinations while still staying flaky. They had unfortunately sold out of the durian swan puff, but the crystal custard dumplings were such a fun and satisfying way to end the meal. read more

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Great food presentation! Went for date night and also my wife's birthday left full and satisfied

I came here for the first time with my family for dim sum on Saturday morning. I checked in with the hostess and told her I had reservations for 3 and she told us to wait. We waited for almost 15 minutes and we noticed another family of 3 walk in and when asked, they said they did not have any reservations. The other hostess that they spoke with said they will be seated right away and was going to take them to a table. My husband quickly went to the hostess I originally spoke to with the light hair and she acted like she completely forgot about us and just poked around on the iPad so he went to the other hostess and let her know we had reservations and have been waiting. She handled the situation and we finally got seated after the 20 minute wait for no reason. The waiters were nice but service was slow, things just felt unorganized and a bit all over the place. Needless to say the food and drinks were good, but they need to get a few things organized and have better communication between the hostesses. read more

Palette Dim Sum & Seafood - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

A very trendy dim sum spot at The Market Place. There's a good amount of parking, but it can get crowded during the day. They have both indoor and outdoor seating available. If you're looking for a more traditional dim sum place, this wouldn't be the place to go but it's still a very fun experience. One of the workers was talking about how their menu was different from the other locations because they needed to "appeal to the demographic" and have more Americanized versions of some of the dishes. The price is on the higher end, but the quality of the ingredients is good and the presentation of the dishes is nice. The quality of the food is pretty good. Some of the dishes are definitely better than others. The honey walnut prawns were crispy on the outside and the prawns were very juicy on the inside. The char siu bao were very fluffy with a good amount of meat on the inside. The dried scallop egg white fried rice had tons of dried scallop and really good flavor. The only dish that I didn't really enjoy was the xiao long bao. It tasted like it was steamed for too long and the outside was really mushy. Overall it was still a good experience and I would go back if someone else wanted to go. read more

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Subtle disappointment experience. First of all, staffs are all friendly but unprofessional/inexperienced. Food grade 3 star, I expect more with the premium price but not only nothing wowed me some are quite disappointing. Actually most of the dishes are disappointing. Cold cucumbers this appetizer dish came very last, an example of inexperienced staff. Lobster ha gaw: skin came up broken, I don't think it's freshly made at the kitchen. The texture of the skin of any har gaw is important. Failed miserably Iberia cha shiu: okay, over oily, no char flavor Shiu Mai: what a joke, I didn't even taste it, looked like a failure to me Green veggie with bean curd sauce: even though I told the waitress what she gave me was a garlic stir fried ton choy, she kept saying things that doesn't make sense and I asked her to check with the kitchen she said okay and never returned. I know it's wrong but ate it instead. It's pretty good but now what I ordered. Truffle duck fried rice. I see truffle but didn't smell or tasted any. Spare rib dim sum is pretty good but just like the other store you can go to, nothing special. Duran pastry, very very oily skin. Swan looking decor pretty but disappointing. The whole place gives an upscale ambiance. I wish they took some of their effort in the ambiance to their food. Check with tip al together around $170 read more

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We went for dim sum and were a little bit disappointed at first -- but we ended up enjoying it. When we think dim sum we think of a tiny tables in a cramped space with little rickety carts going around where you can just grab what you want as they go by ... This is a very nice restaurant with a great spacious feel -- high ceilings, huge windows, huge screen with beautiful pictures ... And no carts. You order your dim sum and they come by a few minutes later. On one hand, you don't get to see what it looks like and you didn't get the instant gratification. But you get the sense that the food is totally fresh and right off the grill (or steamer). And it was really good. We had the shrimp dumplings, which were perfectly cooked and delicious. And the crispy shrimp was also really good. The batter wasn't just flour ... There was a very nice, mild, almost nutty flavor that was really good. The one negative was that the beef chow fun took a really long time. The servers apologized. And when it did come, it was fabulous. The waygu beef was really different. Super tender and delicious. They even took the chow fun off the bill even though we didn't even complain, saying they recognized that we had to wait too long. Great service recovery! We're definitely coming back! read more

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I was excited to try Palette after hearing all the good reviews and seeing fabulous pictures. I ordered a wide variety of items so I could try a little of everything. The food is very photogenic and the staff is amazing. It felt like a fine dining establishment for dim sum. We ordered the XO shrimp dumplings, yuba roll, bok choy, green beans, salt and pepper pork tenderloins, Wagyu fried rice, bang bang chicken wings and Palette soup dumplings. My favorites were the soup dumplings, xo shrimp dumplings, yuba roll and bok choy. The soup dumplings came in five flavors so you could taste a nice variety. The shrimp dumplings were nice and crispy with a whole shrimp inside. The bok choy was crunchy with the perfect garlic hit. The other dishes were good but not completely perfect. The flavor for the Bang Bang wings was nice on the outside but bland in the middle. The salt and pepper tenderloins were pretty good but I think I still like having the pork chop version with the bone intact. The green beans and fried rice were disappointing. The green beans were pretty ordinary but the fried rice was hard and there was not much meat in the dish. The restaurant is good for celebrating something special and if you're looking for a fine dining experience. read more

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Palette finally comes to socal! Had it before in nor cal and really enjoyed it. The restaurant is beautiful and I love the layout of the plates looking like a canvas with the little sauces. Service was attentive and friendly. Love that the xiao long Baos 4/5 and the ha gow 4/5 has a variety option so you can try different flavors The Peking duck skin was crispy and meat was tender they do give you a few wrappers so would love to have more of that 4.5/5 Surprisingly I really enjoyed the chili sandstorm wings! Super crispy, juicy, and flavorful! 5/5 Honey walnut shrimp I thought was standard but always delicious 4/5 Wagyu and garlic: 3.5/5 good but didn't feel like it was melt in your mouth Wagyu Drinks were delicious as well! read more

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