Overall: A+ // 6 stars My favorite dim sum restaurant in the bay area that pays its respects to traditional dim sum done very well, with subtle elements of creativity interleaved for new and inspiring takes. The prices are at a premium compared to other dim sum places, but that is worth the consistency in quality and inspirationally exciting flavoral takes on Cantonese food. Black Garlic Cauliflower - Tender cauliflower of four colors; the black garlic adds a subtle umami note that does give life to the dish. Five Color Shrimp Dumpling - Love this take on shrimp dumpling, as theres so much opportunity to be creative here; I like the flavor inspiration of the five flavors, such as the green wasabi paired shrimp dumpling; however, I think some of the notes were on the subtle side and I would've liked the flavoral differences to be drawn more clearly. Peking Duck - Love their take on peking duck which has the emphasis on a large surface area of the crispy skin to meat so that the crispiness persists through bites. XO Scallop Dumpling - Flavorful seafood dumpling with an umami bomb coming from that topping of xo sauce and chili thread. Palette Soup Dumpling - Still my favorite conception of soup dumplings. The individual spoins makes the consumption stakes lower as the spoons will catch any soup that accidentally slips out; the vinegar caviar also adds a luxuorious touch as a fun complement. The key is to eat these dumplings while hot and soft. Wagyu Chow Fun - Comforting bowl of thick rice noodles with the essential smokiness of the wok coming through the beef and noodles. Food: +2 Presentation: +1 Price: E Atmosphere: +1 Service: E Menu: +2 Insta/Yelp/Beli: @amei_eats Insta/TikTok: @ameizing.race read more

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Beautiful restaurant with quick and polite customer service. They offer dimsum with novelty ingredients. Good for a date, family brunch, or social brunch. They have gendered bathrooms. They take card. read more

1. Food were not tasted good and very greasy. 2. Over pricing 3. 1 small long piece of ox radish ox cake, soggy and greasy for $12! 4. Lobster sui mai with three pieces, didn't look appealing, dried over cooked, didn't see any lobster. Duck spring roll with dried overnight duck and cabbage fried. chill chicken wing with awful. Will never come back. read more

Whenever friends or family visit and say they want dim sum, Palette is always my go-to spot to impress them. I've been to several Palette locations in NorCal and Vegas, but the Tea Garden in San Mateo is by far the biggest. The restaurant is beautiful inside and out, and my favorite detail is the high-top table with the mini fountain running through the middle, such a unique touch. I also love their signature palette-shaped dishware and the five different dipping sauces. Since it's inside Hillsdale Mall, parking is super easy and it's nice to walk around before or after your meal. The menu has plenty of options, but the dim sum is definitely the highlight. They do a great mix of classic and creative dishes, and everything tastes fresh (which is reflected in the price). My must-order every single visit is the Lobster Har Gow, it's best enjoyed straight from the steamer, always a hit with whoever I bring. The entrées are solid but don't stand out as much. I've tried the Wagyu Beef Chow Fun and Fried Calamari, and while both were tasty, the portions felt a bit small. Drinks are okay, I usually order the Lychee Martini, although I still prefer Din Tai Fung's version. During my visit their slushy machine was having a problem so my bestie's Peachberry Sunrise Slushy took a while to arrive, but beside that service was amazing and friendly. Overall, Palette is still one of my favorite places for special occasions or whenever I'm craving elevated, high-quality dim sum. read more

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San Francisco, you fancy as hell. My friend took me to this dim sum place the day I landed and wow, the food was so good. It's family style so you can share amongst each other and it's a bit expensive but come with a big group and it's so worth it. When you walk inside, it honestly is so beautiful. They have a table where the fish are swimming on it. They have a huge screen with art constantly changing. The aesthetic cannot be beat, even walking to the bathroom had a pretty cool hallway. Usually places with a gorgeous aesthetic like this I get concerned that the food is not gonna be good, but I've got to say I am pleasantly surprised that is not the case. The food was actually pretty fire and service was good. I would only go back with a big group because this is very much a collective family style experience. Gets 5 stars from me! read more

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My niece and sister recommended me this place because they go here with their friends frequently. I'd have to say the place is very bougie and crowded. Definitely a high end dim sum, but I don't care too much for the looks, but more about the taste. My party of 4 were seated right away and were asked what tea we like. The service is 5 stars spectacular. We never had to waive down for water nor hot sauce. And as for the food, some things were ok, but not memorable enough for my party and I. The peking ducks were crispy and flavorful, but not worth $34 for half the duck. The fried pork chops had lots of meat, but doesn't have the salty and spicy component that I'm used to. The har cow and siu mai were average. The shrimp rice rolls were soggy and overcooked. The crispy rice balls looked pretty, but tasted average. I'll probably go to my usual place. read more

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Bought out the entire restaurant for a party. We had 'multi course dinner with hosted open bar for 250 guests. Dancing and Photo Booth for entertainment. Bonifacio, the assistant general manager, took care of us to make sure everything was in synch. He was wonderful and get 5 stars ! Service 5 stars (under his direction was top notch ) Bar was pushing out drinks and kept the thirsty guests happy either timely production. In addition, the floor staff took orders from guests seated on tanned. Wow- outstanding service ! Ambiance 4 1/2 stars , the venue is modern Asian Cleanliness - 4 1/2 stars Food Shanghai Dumplings Xiao long Bao 3 stars - no soup inside, skin a bit thick Hot and Sour Soup 4 stars Garlic Butter Crab 4 stars Rich ! Roasted Iberico Pork "Cha Siu" 4 stars good flavors Fried Wagyu 4 stars tender Honey Walnut Prawns 4 1/2 stars Soooo good and fresh walnuts Wok Fried Gai Lan & Shitake 4 1/2 stars Lobster with noodles 5 stars read more

All the dishes we ordered are sub-par, compared to other dim sum places we have been. Taste are rather average, I think it's more for the presentation than the taste. Peking duck, meat slices are rather thick, skins are NOT crispy at all, came out cold already and feel like they have been sitting out for awhile before brought up to the table Crab roe fried rice, you don't see any crab roe at all, it's pretty much just like a standard fried rice and rather ok the greasy side Palette XLB, really had high hope of this, but none of them came with soup inside, and XLB are rather average Lobster Ha Gow, just an interesting concept with the plastic tube thing sticking out, but the skin already fell off when you lift the Ha Gow, so no soup and rather flavorless. Additionally, because they charge a mandatory 18% gratuity charge, the service is soo bad. Servers never came to our table since we ordered, the waitress are more concerned about taking away the plates/steamers, and without asking us, just touched our XLB and moved them onto the Peking Duck plate, while we were half way eating, so she can take away the steamer. This really came as a surprise to me and dishes were already moved and combined before I had a chance to say anything. While they are serving the dishes, they also knocked over our cup of tea and spilled everywhere. Without any apology, I had to ask if we can have some napkins and cleaned up ourselves. Overall, the experience is rather sub par and would NOT recommend for the food, service we received at this price read more

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Palette Dim Sum is located in the Hillsdale Shopping Center. Thought the dim sum here was a little underwhelming. The interior is large and modernly decorated. The place looks upscale. The service is efficient. The tea is really good. Consistent with the Palette theme, you get a complimentary dish of various sauces you can transfer to your plate. Unlike some other dim sum houses, they have a limited number of traditional dim sum options. For example, they don't offer a lot of the steamed dim sum dishes found at traditional dim sum tea houses. We tried the pork shrimp siu mai, sichuan seafood dumpling, butter seared lava bao, palette XLB sampler. To be truthful, nothing really stood out. The dim sum was solid but not memorable. For example, for the Palette Xia Long Bao, and rice noodles. I probably couldn't have tell the difference between them in a blind taste test. All tasted kind of similiar. I couldn't detect any black truffle in the squid ink xiao long bao. The pork shrimp siu mai tasted like what i would get at your average dim sum take out place in Chinatown. The rice noodles were a little too think --could be made a little thinner. The lava bao was a little too pasty. Should flow a little move like lava. read more

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"Palette Tea Garden and Dim Sum" is an upscale Chinese restaurant located in the North Mall of the Hillsdale Shopping Center. I had the pleasure of having lunch here on a Friday afternoon. We were a party of three, with a reservation for 12 noon. It was my first time here, but my niece had been to Palette several times. So she knew the best tables and how to order. We were seated in a booth towards the back near the kitchen. There was a steady flow of staff walking by. Anytime you needed something, you just ask someone. We decided to order a variety of dim sum, the Signature Peking Duck (half), and the Pan Seared Seafood Noodles. Everything was delicious. The presentation of the Peking Duck was beautiful. They used momo pancakes instead of steamed bao. It's not a duck chopped in half. It's an offering of crispy thin duck skin, with chunks of boneless duck meat underneath. Served with cucumber, radlish, scallions and hoisin sauce. I think my favorite dim sum was the Yuzu Walnut Prawn Puff. Crunchy fried prawns w/ yuzu sauce, and candied walnuts. It's considered an elevated modern dish. Don't forget to check out the koi pond with live fish on the community table top. Free parking in mall lot. I parked on the roof and took the escalator directly down to the restaurant. read more

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We went to Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum to celebrate a friend's birthday. I had never been to San Mateo, but I had heard great things about this place's sister restaurant Dragon Beaux in SF (although I have not yet tried it). We got the spicy beef tendon, chilled garlic cucumber, signature half Peking Duck with shaved black truffle, shredded Hainan chicken tacos, the truffle scallop garlic noodles, crab roe fried rice, garlic pea tendrils, sweet & sour kurobuta pork belly, and the honey walnut shrimp. We also had the custard dumplings, matcha milk pudding and mango pudding for dessert. Starting off with the appetizers, the spicy beef tendon was nicely chilled. The beef and noodles were sliced razor thin, creating a really nice texture and mouth feel. The beef was super tender and delicious. The chilled garlic cucumber had a nice snap and had a strong but not overwhelming garlic flavor. The Peking Duck with the shaved black truffle was excellent. The duck was super tender and the skin had been roasted to a nice crispness without being greasy. The Hainan chicken tacos were really flavorful and garlicky, and the chicken was really tender and flavorful. The truffle scallop garlic noodles were also excellent, and had a generous portion of scallops on top. The scallops were super tender and the noodles were cooked nicely with a nice springiness, and were very garlicky. The crab roe fried rice was also very good, and provided a nice pairing to match with some of the other more flavorful dishes. The garlic pea tendrils were also excellent. They were stir fried to perfection and the garlic provided a nice flavor to complement the natural bitterness of the pea tendrils. The sweet and sour pork belly and walnut shrimp were my favorite dishes of the meal. The sweet and sour pork was fried to perfection, and the sweet and sour sauce had a great flavor without feeling cloyingly sweet. It was also a nice touch to add the lychee, which I haven't seen before. The pineapple and peppers also provided flavor contrast and texture. The honey walnut shrimp was super interesting in that it also had strawberries, which I hadn't seen before. The shrimp was truly sublime and had a generous helping of walnuts and strawberries. I wouldn't have expected it, but the strawberries paired beautifully with the dish, providing another layer of flavor and increasing the complexity of the sweet/savory nature of the dish. The desserts were really fun and interesting. The custard dumplings were delicious, served nice and hot, and the custard had a nice richness and sweetness. The matcha milk puddings were really cute, although I only tried the mango pudding, which was really delicious. It had a nice mango flavor with a nice topping that provided textural contrast. Overall, we absolutely loved our experience. The food was phenomenal, but the service was even better. All of the staff were super friendly, welcoming, and accommodating. Highly recommend this place if you're in the area! read more

Came here with family for dinner and really enjoyed the atmosphere. Palette Tea Garden feels more modern and upscale than the typical Cantonese restaurant, and the dining room has a lively energy that makes it great for groups. The roasted pork and soy sauce chicken were standout dishes for me -- flavorful, juicy, and nicely presented. The truffle fried rice was also surprisingly good and packed with flavor. Loved how many different dishes we were able to share around the table. Only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was that service slowed down once the restaurant got busy, and some dishes felt a bit expensive. But overall, the food quality, presentation, and vibe made it a really enjoyable dinner spot in San Mateo. read more

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This place is terrific! They had so many delicious dishes, we ordered nearly everything (the pics only show some of them). The prix fixe menu (meant for 4 people) is a FEAST. We ordered à la carte dishes on top of that but we ended up canceling many because the prix fixe menu was PLENTY. My favorites were the beef, duck wraps (you assemble it kind of like a burrito), all the dumplings, fried rice, and mapo tofu which was surprisingly a big hit with our crowd. I wasn't a fan of the taro shrimp puffs (pictured here, they look like black swans). They weren't very flavorful. It's a very nice space. There's even one table where there are actual goldfish swimming down the middle of it! The bathrooms are clean, though absolutely freezing cold. The staff was wonderful and answered all our questions. It's located within the Hillsdale Mall, which is convenient because we could walk off our lunch afterwards and shop. read more

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We pass by this restaurant every month when we have our dog groomed nearby. The duck always looks delicious! Made a reservation at 12:30 for lunch on Saturday. Quick and easy seating even when we arrived 10 mins early. I really wanted the duck but felt like we needed a third person to share with. Other than that, we ordered the chow fun with wagyu steak, steamed bbq pork buns, string beans, beef crepes, and jasmine tea. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. That chili sauce was really good. My favorite was the string beans because it had a great balance of salt and spice. The chow fun noodles were a great texture. I'll make sure to try the duck next time. They were flying off the hangers. I didn't realize a 18% service charge was included. possible I missed it printed on the menu. Not a big deal. read more

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The food is creative and tastes really good. The decor and atmosphere is lively, heritage-like while also modern with LED screens and ceilings. It's a place where you bring your friends to show off and have laughter, not a quiet humbling meal. In addition to the delicious food, the women's bathroom tiles is an art masterpiece! The char siu is highly recommended, but don't expect Chinese style char siu, it's more like a juicy charcoal roasted pork belly dish that is unique on its own. Service is decent, but they seem very busy and distracted so you'll need to flag the servers instead of expecting them to wait on you. You can't go wrong with any dish! read more

Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum - Peking Duck (Half) | 北京片皮鴨 - Dim Sum Near Me - San Mateo, California

Love taking friends here for dinner. My favorites are: garlic pea tendrils-super flavorful and garlicky greens. Peking duck-super crispy skin and tender meat. Wagyu & roasted garlic- again super tender and flavorful meat. I've never been disappointed in the food or service here. The vibes inside are nice, pretty casual. read more

I have been coming here since it opened and the last few times especially this last visit the service has gone downhill and was such a bad experience. The food is great but higher for dim sum, but a few things to note now. There is an automatic 18% gratuity no matter the size of your party included. Which in the last case they did not deserve and I think it's terrible because sometimes people will give you terrible service because they know they're automatically going to get a good tip. I went with my mom and my uncle we spent close if not over to $200 and had the worst service ever!!!! My uncle arrived first was seated ordered some chicken wings. We arrived there and it was over 20 minutes from after we arrived and there still was no chicken wings. No one came to ask us if we needed a menu, No one came to say hello, just inexcusable. I walked to the front desk and I told her my uncle ordered wings. We've been here over 20 minutes and he still has not got his order and we have not gotten any menus or any server to come over. She walked towards the bar and went to tell a couple of the servers that were standing there. When one finally came it was almost like he had an attitude because he had to help us and I said something to the front desk. When he even brought our first item, he put it down pretty abruptly. After they started bringing out the items no one ever bothered to bring a plate utensils or the sauces which again I had to ask for. Not once in our whole evening after did anyone come and see if we needed anything more, check on if the food was good or the usual things servers usually do. I orderordered tea and they usually put a tea light candle to keep it warm under in a ceramic holder and then put it on the ceramic thing & they did not do that. when we had to get the check, I had the flag someone down for it, they were just gonna take our leftovers ( they usually ask do you need any to go boxes) and I had to ask for to go boxes. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. My uncle and my mom were so disappointed how we were treated too, which is why I had to say something. As I mentioned before, I've been here many times but the last two times have been the worst in this last one was simply unacceptable. I have also noticed that some people have been complaining about the service as well now. So keep in mind the food is tasty and higher priced. You're going to be charged the tip fee even if there's only two of you and the service sucks, and you might have the worst service experience as I did. Maybe it will be a good night. The two stars are for the good, the price, the service and the automatic tip when not receiving decent service = the minus 3 at this time. I hope to update this if and when my family goes back, but as they said " with so many other places in the peninsula to choose from, I wanna give my money to a restaurant that treats their patrons, well and had good food" read more

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Oh my gosh this place is very wow but with that well is also a price tag it is pretty expensive in my opinion and portions are not huge or overly generous either they can also get quite busy and there could be long wait times especially during busy and peak hours or we can't service I would say is a little bit better than most Chinese restaurants of this type they do have nice elegant Twist on traditional dim sum items and you can tell it shows it their food presentation the food items presented are all very artsy and they make and take large effort in their food presentation definitely it is a special place to dine for special occasions be careful if you repeat your order to too many people you might get more than you think you ordered just a tip and they do charge tea per person by the person and I do have to say they have very attentive and very good service read more

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This has been one of my must-visit restaurants every time I vacation in the Bay Area over the past few years. The parking is convenient, the dining environment is excellent, and the food has consistently remained top-notch. That's exactly why I keep coming back. That said, I think there are a few areas that could be improved. The menu and the daily specials sheet make the restaurant feel much more casual than it actually is, which doesn't really match the quality of the food or the overall atmosphere. The service also leaves room for improvement. Some of the servers appeared a bit unprofessional--they wore quite a bit of jewelry, had their hair hanging loose while walking around the dining room, and it honestly made me worry that a strand of hair might end up in my food. I also noticed staff members standing around chatting with each other during service, which didn't create the best impression. This restaurant already excels in food and ambiance. With better staff training and a more polished level of service, it could offer an even more exceptional dining experience. read more

Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - San Mateo, California

Very nice restaurant, the staff are very pleasant and kind. Food is delicious! Highly recommend! I came once and have already returned back a few more times! read more

Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - San Mateo, California

The first thing that caught my eye was the photo of the Truffle Duck Fried Rice--it looked incredibly tempting. When we arrived, we had to wait to be seated even though the restaurant wasn't full. The interior and ambiance are definitely on point. Service, however, was on the slower side. It took quite a while before someone came to take our order. For the food, I'd probably recommend the Abalone Longevity Noodles. The Black Truffle Crispy Duck Noodles, unfortunately, didn't really deliver. It lacked the distinct flavors you'd expect from ingredients like black truffle and crispy duck. read more

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Love their unique dim sum and dishes and love that it's conveniently in a mall and takes reservations. The environment and ambiance is nice and looks fancier than your typical dim sum spots. Love that they have a variety of sauces you can use and the unique items on their menu. It can be a bit pricey, but great to come once in awhile, especially with a bigger party so you can try everything :) read more

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Palette Tea Garden was on my to-try list for years. My first time dining here was when I attended a giant birthday party of roughly 30-50 people during the summer, and we were split up among multiple round tables. I'm kind of introverted, but the best part of large crowds is the opportunity to order and share multiple dishes and try them all at a fraction of the cost! Everything I tasted was delicious, and I enjoyed how the plates are shaped like painters' palettes. I think of Palette Tea Garden as bougie dimsum for Americanized diners and foodies. This is not your elders' dimsum outing with ladies pushing carts, and uncles and aunties throwing themselves across tables to fight for the honor of footing the bill. Planned and brought my boyfriend here for his birthday dinner. I sent an email to request a booth and see if they offer any complimentary birthday dessert for a birthday outing I planned for my boyfriend. Steven responded in a couple of days and was very friendly and wished me a happy Thanksgiving. 1. Ha Gow collection for $15 BlacK: Squid ink, porcini Green: algae, wasabi White: roasted seaweed, sesame Orange: carrots, habanero Red: beet, cordyceps 2. Palette Xiao Long Bao Soup Dumplings sampler Yellow: Tumeric, Crab Roe, Pork Orange: Paprika, Chicken Black: Squid ink, Black Truffle, Pork Red: Beets, Beef Green: Spinach, Kale, Pork 3. Lobster Har Gow for $11 4. Abalone Siu Mai for $13 5. Wagyu & Roasted Garlic for $32 Domestic wagyu, roasted garlic, black pepper glaze Boyfriend said this is his favorite. Amazing texture and flavor! 6. Truffle Scallop Garlic Noodle for $38 Shaved truffles, seared scallops, garlic butter yifu noodles, mushrooms Dessert: 7. Golden Swan Durian Puff 8. Complimentary birthday treat. A set of 3 jellies, which I think is almond jelly. They lit a candle for the almond jelly. Service is phenomenal! Though I will say this is very bougie dim sum to cater to Americanized foodies and diners. While the flavors and taste are all present, price is much higher than what you'd pay at a traditional dimsum restaurant. For one, they normally charge you for tea and hot water! No real Chinese restaurant does that! Nonetheless, the most important part of the dining experience was the birthday boy! He noted how the booth reminded him of a birdcage, and we really enjoyed snuggling together and people-watching from our seats. He really enjoyed taking in the architecture and decor of the restaurant, how they successfully blended East-Meets-West, like the hexagon-shaped lights, the animated screen in the back depicting provincial life in ancient China, the unique design of the bar, and the round lamps lighting our booth and all the people seated at round tables like you would see at traditional Chinese restaurants. We were absolutely stuffed. Boyfriend and I went into a food coma, and he enjoyed it all and said it was totally worth it. read more

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Had the CNY prix fixe lunch. It's more Asian-fusion and not so much traditional Chinese fare. The taste, skill, and artistry of the kitchen does not disappoint. Everything was delicious but a bit over-salted as most of us were very thirsty a couple of hours after lunch. Some notable highlights: The XLBs were soupy but didn't taste much crab roe. The charsiu was tender and our cut had a little fat on it which rendered during cooking making it super tasty, the Peking duck worked well with black truffle and the rice paper skins were super thin, made in-house and separated by pieces of parchment. It took some effort to peel off the parchment but it held together when handled with the duck, hoisin, scallions and other contents. The seabass was good with with the smokiness and the presentation at the table is something worth seeing (attached video). The mango pudding was good and topped with fresh strawberries and fresh blackberries. read more

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Amazing food, quality, service and taste! Can't believe I've never been to this place until now. I was craving for the beijing duck / peking duck for awhile and always wondering where I could go in east bay near palo alto. This place offers half size for 2-3 people portion which was exactly I was looking for. I could try more dishes and all of them tasted amazing with satisfying portion as well. It can be traditional and also fusion vibes. This place will be my go-to restaurant whenever I crave chinese food. Can't wait to try more foods! read more

Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum - Eggplant with shrimp - Dim Sum Near Me - San Mateo, California

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My sister and I ventured out to this all-day dim sum restaurant in San Mateo and we couldn't be happier! We had a wonderful experience here and highly recommend! Palette is conveniently located in the San Mateo shopping mall on the Pinstripe side. There's a free parking lot right there which is only a few minutes of walking to the restaurant. On the outside looking in, Palette looks modest. But one step inside will take you all the way to Beijing/China. The reception area is immaculately decorated with cultural artifacts. Staff will promptly greet you in a friendly demeanor and lead you to your table. Highly recommend you book before you come as this place is very popular and fills up fast even on weekdays! There are huge screens on the main dining area which show case famous ancient Chinese brush paintings. You'll fall in love with the ambience here and forget that you're in San Mateo. You'll momentarily be taken to fancy restaurants in Beijing or China We were so impressed with the tea selection here. We each ordered a pot of tea. I forgot the name but one of the teas tasted just like milk tea without any milk in it! Our server Victoria was attentive and helpful. She realized we ordered a lot of food so she came over and offered to move us to a bigger table. She also realized we ordered duplicate items (one dish was already contained in another dish) so she let us know she canceled the other dish for us. Later when we needed to pack all our leftovers to go, the staff was super helpful and packed everything nicely and nearly for us, which appreciated! Food came out in reasonable amount of time and order. I love the way they present their food here. Just like the name of their restaurant, all the dishes and utensil tie to the theme of painting and let your dining table be a palette for your eyes and your taste buds! My sis and I enjoyed all the food that we ordered and yes we ordered a lot. The Peking Duck, Hakka salted chicken and Dungeness crab stood out the most to us, though all other dishes are tasty as well. Overall, food wise, I'll give them 8/10. But ambience and food presentation wise, they definitely get a 10/10 from us. And don't miss out the teas when you're there :) read more

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The food was delicious. The atmosphere was beautiful. It might be a little loud for some. Service was great! It's a little pricey but I would go again. My sister and I went on Mother's Day to celebrate our mom who passed not too many months before. We took a family friend who had lost her mother. We celebrated our moms. read more

We appreciate Palette for their great service. One family member has food allergies and their menu labels for peanuts and shellfish, which makes ordering so much easier and the servers are so helpful. The first table we were seated at was a bit drafty for someone in our group and they were so gracious about helping us move to a different table. The food is amazing, I don't think I have ever tried anything I don't like. I didn't take a photo of everything we ordered. The 1/2 duck is excellent. The restaurant is busy on the weekends, with lots of seating (make reservations!), and looks very nice. Love the tile murals of koi ponds, an artistic nod to the origins of the restaurant. read more

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What a treat to try this dim sum place at Hillsdale Mall. Highly recommend making a reservation because the restaurant was packed with lots of standby diners waiting to be seated. We were taken to our table right away. You order from a multi-page full color menu. We ordered a lot. The food came out at a decent pace. We were not overwhelmed by all of our orders coming out at once. The food was hot, fresh, and had great flavors. Though the restaurant was full it was not crowded. Tables were spaced well. There were parties of all sizes seated throughout. Service was friendly and helpful. read more

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Very cute spot. Very Americanized names, it made our table giggle per the rice crepes hehe. Service was decent, no complaints The food was actually decent! We got the Peking duck- tasty. It came with some radish that wasn't my thing but had the essential cucumber, green onions, sauce and the pancake wrapper. The dim sum items were typical- I didn't like the shu mai personally but the chicken feet were sooo PLUMP. Very good. We also got the wagyu chow fun- the noodles were cooked so well, I could taste the wok hei. The meat could've used a better seasoning tho. Parking - there is a garage on the right of it on Sailer Dr that leads right to the restaurant, very convenient and freeee. Bathroom- left of the kitchen in the back of the restaurant and down the hallway. At least 2 stalls for the women's restroom. read more

Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum - Such a cute plate! - Dim Sum Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came on Black Friday for lunch with some friends. We made a reservation the day before, so we were seated without waiting upon arrival. The ambiance is pretty modern, with natural lighting and simple decor. We started with the Chrysanthemum tea, which was warm and light. For food, we ordered: - 5 flavor soup dumplings (or 5 colors lol) - Wagyu beef chow fun - Miso Popcorn Chicken - Black Swan Taro puff - Black Truffle Duck fried rice - Lobster Har Gow The standouts were the Black Swan Taro Puffs and the 5 flavor soup dumplings. Loved the crispiness of the taro puffs and how airy the exterior was. The soup dumplings were creative and brought a different flavor to your traditional pork soup dumplings. The popcorn chicken was also a surprising winner, loved the seasoning on the chicken pieces and the crispiness of the batter while still being juicy. The black truffle duck fried rice was not what I was expecting, light truffle flavor and fatty from the duck, one bowl of it was enough for me. The wait staff were friendly and refilled tea/water at a good pace, quality service overall. I would come back to try other dishes, but it's definitely for semi special occasions! read more

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I've had palette tea house on my wish list for some time so when I randomly found myself in San Mateo and saw palette tea garden it felt fortuitous. I was seated at the bar around 1pm and the restaurant was PACKED. I was shocked to see a spot full at 1pm on weekday so I figured that was a good sign. Being a solo diner and preferring to sit at the bar served in my favor. I think most diners here had reservations. The restaurant itself is beautiful. It's a lively ambiance and the decor was a vibe in the best way. I ordered the signature dim sum sampler, garlic cucumbers, and a Sapporo (bottled as sadly they have no draft beer). I really enjoyed the cucumbers and would highly recommend. Great flavor and a perfect complement to a belly full of dim sum. The dim sum was the perfect portion for me and I really enjoyed the variety. Giving this 4 stars instead of 5 for the value and lack of draft beer. I'd still try again though! read more

Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - San Mateo, California

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In love with the service, food, ambiance, cocktails and mocktails! Their sea bass with shisho leaves is my favorite. Their combination of aromatic leaves or pickled apples with saucey seafood or scrumptious meats tethers the tongue between savory, sweetness and freshness. The lava buns and durian desserts are a must have. You can tell lifetimes of wisdom culminated to make this experience happen. One of the best dinners ever. read more

Came in today for some dim sum. They were fully booked online, so I'm glad I called because they were still able to seat us. We've eaten at the SF location before and everything there was Instagram-worthy -- flavor-wise, today was a mix of highs and lows. My wife's client said the San Mateo location was better, so we decided to try it. The standout dishes were incredible: Crab with salted egg yolk -- absolutely delicious. Super fresh, rich flavor, easily a must-order. Peking duck -- also amazing. We just wish they had told us it already comes with wraps; we wouldn't have ordered extra. Baked BBQ pork buns -- solid. Sea bass -- great texture and flavor. The dishes that didn't wow us: Rainbow shrimp crepe -- just okay; usually the soy sauce carries more depth. Siu mai -- also just okay. Shrimp yuzu puff -- the shrimp was good, but the sauce didn't go well with it. And the biggest letdown was the Wagyu beef chow fun no wok hei flavor and bland. Definitely our least favorite dish of the meal. read more

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The food here is great. As is the aesthetic. The service though, leaves a bit to be desired considering the price point of the location. And, it's not like they aren't adequately staffed. Food can take a long time. Everything is served family style. I like the black vinegar pearls that came with the XLB! The ha gow was good but nothing special. Same with the wings. The lo mein and xlb we got was amazing. I definitely recommend getting a reservation well ahead of time. read more

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Always a solid experience whenever I come here for lunch. I really appreciate that they take reservations and actually honor them, which not all dim sum spots do. Service is consistently good too, which can be rare for traditional dim sum restaurants. The food always comes out hot and tastes great. I like the mix of modern and traditional dishes they offer. It's a nice balance that keeps things interesting while still giving you that classic dim sum feel. Here's what I like to order: XO Scallop Dumplings Lobster Ha Gow Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai Garlic Steam Pork Ribs Crispy Unagi Rice Crepe Cilantro Cruller Crepe Black Swan Taro Puffs Radish Cake w/ XO read more

Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Sorry to say, it has changed since I last visited. Food wise was mediocre, The only dish that stood out was the pecking duck, the steamed crepe was soft and light, went went with the crispy skins of the duck, the meat was a bit dried. service - ??? when you are constantly being bumped by servers each time they walked past by without acknowledging their action..... charging extra 2% for 10+ guest when you only have 8 guests. Overall all, not as good as I once remembered, read more

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I had high hopes for this spot but I was disappointed as most of the din sum taste sweet, the dough is sweet even though the fillings are not. We tried their soup dumplings and those were the only things I liked, the rest were just okay. I wish they didn't add sugar to their dough becuse that would make it better. Customer service is great though, and interior is cute but loud! Depending on the time of day there could be waitlist. Overall, not a bad spot read more

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We came here as a large group of 20 and they were able to accommodate us with a reservation at an extra long table in the main dining room. We were served a pre-selected menu with almost all the dim sum dishes, so it was the perfect opportunity to try dim sum dishes that would not have been my go-to order before. Highlights for me were: * The black swan taro puff: what a cute presentation of a delicious dish! The puffs had a black bun color, pork filling inside, and edible swan-shaped piece attached. Delicious and artistic. * Cha siu: a delicious sweet-glazed meat dish executed well. A solid portion for sharing. * Soup dumplings and shrimp dumplings: dim sum classics executed well, with the added presentation of different colored dumpling skins. Service was quick and friendly, with our dishes coming out pretty quickly after we arrived, our old dishes being taken away to declutter the tabletops, and our water carafes being replenished regularly. The only downside was that it was hard for members on either end of our long table to talk to each other, but we overcame that with the members in the center relaying messages. Overall, this was a great dinner spot for a large group. It would also be a great spot to go with a smaller group of friends or family. read more

Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - San Mateo, California

Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum reminded me of Koi Palace in Cupertino. They have the same 5 flavor Chinese soup dumpling (Xlb). They are also owned by the same people. I love dim sum so this place is great. I made a reservation for 5 at 11:30 am. This is a big place and it was nice to have a table ready for us. Parking was not too bad in the hillsdale parking lot at this time. It got very busy and very full. Everything is a little fancier here. Not necessarily better tasting but the presentation is very nice. Servers were nice. Green beans were fresh, chicken claws very flavorful, same with pork soup dumpling and radish cake with xo. Peking duck was sliced and beautifully presented on a wooden board and was delicious. I was able to get a few pictures. Great dim sum lunch came up to $270 for five. I would come back if I was in the area. read more

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