I had Dim Sum at Tim Ho Wan this morning and we were the first in line about 10 minutes before the 10am opening. I was surprised there was no line waiting. But it was the day after Black Friday. We were seated promptly at 10am, as other diners started to queue up. From the hostess seating us to the wait service and dim sum, everything was good and enjoyable. The first Tim Ho Wan that I visited was in Manila. This one is a bit more upscale and it's nice that they serve beer and wine. It's rare that I get into Waikiki to dine, so a nice walk after our meal was also a treat. Tim Ho Wan is another dim sum option and worth trying. Good value for your money. The dim sum menu is not as extensive as other places though and they charge for tea. read more

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Nothing like Tea and Dimsum... in the heart of Waikiki.. wait what? This restaurant is in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center on the third floor from the food court. Prices are great, and the items are steamed to order. Better than taking Da Bus to Chinatown. read more

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Mmm yummy dim sum!! We used to go to Chinatown for the cheap authentic stuff but these guys do it so much better. Plus I don't have to worry about how clean the kitchen is. One of my favorite items are the BBQ pork buns! Seriously couldn't stop thinking about them after our first time here. I also like their deep fried dumplings, fried noodles, and fried milk sticks! So weird but so good! Since they just opened, I'm pretty sure they are still adjusting to the crowds of people flocking to eat here. Service is a little slow but overall great spot! read more

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I was so excited when I heard that there was going to be a Tim Ho Wan opening up at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping center here on Oahu! I went on a Sunday morning right when they opened and put down our names for a rather large party. I was so disappointed when the hostess told me that the wait was going to be two hours!!! I know that seems ridiculous, but after tasting the food it was definitely worth it. We ordered the sui mai, & the bbq pork buns (char sui bao). The outside of the buns were so crispy and had some type of sweet coating almost, and when you bit into it - there was this sweet sauce with the char sui that was so perfect! The sui mai was delicious as well, & it had shrimp on top of it which is always a plus when eating dim sum. The menu was very limited since it was the very first week they were open, but I will definitely be back to try more. read more

Tim Ho Wan - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Worst dim sum place in Honolulu. Over price and not good at all! Will never go back.

2.5 stars. Honestly, this THW was underwhelming. The service was good, but the food was just adequate. It was comparable to any Bay Area joint you can go to, and there are plenty that are better. The wrapper to filling ratio in the haw gao was off, even with a springy wrapper. The siu mai had excellent filling, but the goji berry was a weird addition and made it sweet. Beef balls were the best as they came out freshly made. The rice rolls tasted old, and the turnip cakes weren't pan fried long enough for a crispy skin. $1.50 for bo lay and no hot HK milk tea? Sigh. read more

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Tim Ho Wan have very good Dim Sum, even thought the varity is very limited. The place is new and clean ,the services is very good, everybody is very cooperate with each other, so the services is quick and pleasant.Will be back, I WILL rate it # 3 in Honolulu DimSum read more

4.5 stars really. Good to call ahead if picking up. Bbq pork buns are a must. They're so amazing w the sweet crisp on top. Siu mai & har gow are both delightful and more consistent than at other dim sum places I've been to. Eggplant with shrimp is a tasty way to get a lil veg in the meal. Rice noodle wrapped shrimp are fun too. I enjoyed the char siu noodles, the egg white and shrimp egg rolls, the chicken dumplings, and the spicy cucumbers, but probably wouldn't get those again in order to try new items. They were out of the braised beef so i bet thats worth trying next time. read more

First yelp review! I was looking forward to trying this place during my visit to Oahu, and I'm glad I did! It did not disappoint. Me and my bf went around 3pm, so the place was not crowded at all. We were seated immediately and the waiters were incredibly attentive to us. The dishes also came out incredibly fast. I am sure that if we went during the lunch rush things might have been different, but from what I experienced we had a pleasant dining experience. Regarding the food: Most of everything was quite delicious, but were pretty standard. Did not taste out of the ordinary except the barbecue buns and fried milk - barbecue pork buns were delicious!! I would come here solely for those buns. - Fried milk is very rare to get in any Asian restaurant, and this one did not disappoint! Have not had it in a while so I'm glad that I had it here - We also got the chef's special, which was some steamed fish wrapped with pineapple ginger and bell pepper. I liked this the least to be honest. The sauce was super overpowering and drowned out the flavor of everything. Would definitely recommend anyone try this place when they are in the area! read more

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Aloha, Tim Ho Wan has been tooted as fine Dim Sum, so we had to try it. No reservations, ugh - 1st come 1st served. Was given a beeper at check-in. They said 1/2 hr to 45 minutes. Walked around Royal Haw'n Shopping Center, nice to explore what's new. 35 minutes we got in, nice. Sat next to kitchen, busy with people walking back & forth but on the windows, nice. Tried pretty much the whole menu as we had 5 of us, all was good, but nothing stood out as spectacular. Honest solid Dim Sum. Not sure I'd wait in line again, but if no line, maybe or maybe they'll allow reservations. Mahalo. read more

Tim Ho Wan - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The best dim sum place, we found out this restaurant when we were in Hongkong few months ago, came to Hawaii found out they open right in Waikiki. Had lunch here ,same quality. And the Japanese manager is the best, provided us with the best services. read more

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Very mediocre compared to the Hong Kong locations, but will satisfy your dim sum craving in a pinch. I expected the same standard across Tim Ho Wan locations, which is why I was disappointed when I visited this one. First of all, for a Hong Kong chain there didn't seem to be any Cantonese speaking staff... The best item we ended up trying was the mini char siu (BBQ pork) buns -- light, warm, fluffy, with generous char siu filling and topping reminiscent of a pineapple bun. Close runners up were the fried purple rice mochi filled with warm minced pineapple (outstanding) and the congee with both salted egg and century egg. The rest of the items were nothing to write home about. Avoid the "signature Hong Kong iced milk tea" at all costs. It tastes nothing like a true Hong Kong milk tea, but rather tea powder. And they skimped remarkably on the brown sugar jelly. read more

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Was looking for a quick lunch spot and came across Tim Ho Wan (coincidently on Chinese New Year!) in Honolulu so had to give it a try. Was sad that I couldn't try it when I was in Hong Kong so don't have much comparison to the original. food: - very good dim sum - ordered the usual: siu mai, ha gow, sticky rice, steam spare ribs, bean curd, rice rolls of course - must try: bbq pork bun (so good!), deep fried dumpling pork and shrimp Interior: - clean and bright with lots of natural light Service: - very quick and attentive Overall I think if you love dim sum, it's a must try. Loved it and also with a HK milk tea. Wifi is available. read more

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Too expensive . No service. Had to call for everything . Waiter never came by without me calling for them Will never go back again read more

Great service and legitimate Chinese dim sum/food! They have a large outdoor space which can seat large parties (30) guests. Very convenient location! read more

As I was ordering nobody told me I'm not allowed to bring my $8 cofffee that I just ordered but she decides to tell me while I'm stirring my coffee that I can leave it on the table but not sip on it. Just because I don't want to drink there tap water? Bad customer service in my opinion. read more

We came here based on a high recommendation. This place is located on the 3rd floor of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Ewa side. We arrived around 4pm on a Friday and it was not busy at all. We sat inside close to the register which I don't recommend. It's a busy area. Our waitress was very attentive, like too attentive, like stood next to our table much of the time. This made me feel uneasy and rushed to eat so she could take the plate away. I don't eat land animals, and if you're pescatarian like myself, you will only have a couple options. I ordered the 2 shrimp dishes they offered: steamed shrimp dumpling $5.25/4 and steamed shrimp and chive dumpling $5.00/3 they were both good. Unfortunately, they tasted like any other dimsum place in Chinatown in my opinion. The shrimp w chive was a better selection. The wrappers were good and not mushy. They steam to order so you do have to wait. The hon ordered meat dishes and thought the baked BBQ buns were outstanding and alone worth the trip to Waikiki. The do not use chinese mustard, but have chili paste and a sweetened soy sauce on the table to make a sauce. The menu seems limited but if you enjoy meat items, you will enjoy this place. read more

Terrible. Ordered some steamed buns and they brought them out immediately. Quick service? Not exactly. They were cold. Obviously pre made and sitting for who knows how long. I told the server they were cold and he said they were made to order. Maybe we have a different definition of what made to order means. We sent them back and he immediately brought out a new batch of room temperature buns. We walked out. read more

Bad food. Bean curd meat roll was smothered in sauce. SiuMai was small and using gojiberry as garnish simply does not work with the flavor. Steamed dumpling comes with super sticky wrapping which is wrong. One of the worst dim-sum I have had in the US. Bad service to boot considering the price and decor. Server not helping setting the steaming basket in the middle of the table, nor did they unstack the steam baskets (when two came stacked with our food). AVOID if you want authentic Chinese dim-sum. read more

My inner dim sum obsession has kept nagging me to check this place out. And being a Hong Kong born Chinese, I came with high anticipation and expectations especially knowing this is a Michelin star rated establishment. The food is pretty good. The steamed offerings are fresh, the dough on the har gow and shiu mai (steamed dumplings) are soft and thin letting the flavors of the fillings shine. My favorite dish is the steamed then baked char siu baos - the sweet custard is baked on top of the delicious bun giving it a slightly crispy topping that melts in your mouth. The only reason I gave 3 stars is because I think they have some new location growing pains to grow out of. Many people including myself arrived before the 11:30am open time and were given pagers and told to return at about 11am. When we did we were told to get in line with the others already in line - wait what?!? That totally makes the pager and it's real purpose completely useless. I asked the assistant manager Derek if he could at least alternate seatings for those with pagers and those in the waiting line with no pagers but he wouldn't budge so all of us with pagers (one party arrived 2 hrs before the 11:30am open!) had to wait in line as if we just arrived - ugh! Derek later offered to comp our drinks for the misunderstanding and said he would make sure they are trained better. I will return in a few weeks and hope to give Tim Ho a better re-review and I think I will be craving those steamed baked buns again by then! read more

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Delicious Dim Sum restaurant located in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. Very decently priced. Menu is very straightforward. I wouldn't say it tastes any better than any other dim sum restaurants in Honolulu. Clean. Fast service. Would go back, but not a priority. read more

Tim Ho Wan - Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My rating for Tim Ho Wan would be more like a 3.5 than a 3. My bf and our friends came here during opening week. Surprisingly there was no wait and not really a line either. Lucky for us we got seated right away (this was around 5 pm). So I was excited to try all the food as this is supposed to be a Michelin star dim sum place. Unfortunately, some of the items were not available on the menu yet like fried milk sticks and the pan fried turnip cake. I was also surprised at how small the menu was. I thought there would be a lot more items. But this was the first week, so I'll let those things slide a little. It seemed like we ordered most of the things available on the menu (minus the chicken feet). Food wise.. everything was pretty good. You could tell it tasted better than your average dim sum place. Well it better if it's a Michelin star dim sum. The first dish I tried was the baked BBQ pork buns. I enjoyed this one for sure. The bun had a perfect flakiness to it that complimented the charsui inside. My other favs were the steamed bean curd rolls, congee and the deep fried dumpling with pork and shrimp (this one is a must!). While I did enjoy everything, it wasn't mind blowing.. or maybe it was just hyped up a little too much lol. Would I be back? Yes, especially since I didn't get to try the things that weren't available yet. Would I wait for an hour for this place? Definitely not. But it's nice to know there's another option for dim sum in Waikiki. read more

This is one of the few places where you can get dim sum in Waikiki. We ordered chicken feet, baked bbq bun (char siu bao), shrimp & chives dumpling, siu mai, and shrimp cheung fan. The baked bbq bun was complimentary because we used the current Kau Kau coupon . Just present any coupon when ordering. The portions of most dim sum here is on the smaller side. Drink tea before you come here because tea costs extra, which I'm not used to because most dim sum restaurants usually serve hot tea for free like water. The best tasting dish was the baked bbq bun. That's why it's their most popular order. It's delicious and best when eaten warm. It has a sugary crust on top which is reminiscent of bolo bao. The worst items were the chicken feet and the cheung fan. Usually I love eating chicken feet for dim sum, but this one lacked on its flavor and texture. The shrimp was pretty good in the cheung fan, but the thick noodle wrapped around it in a roll made it a sure disappointment. Usually at most dim sum restaurants, the cheung fan noodle is supposed to be made from thin sheet of noodle so its wrapped roll form is still soft and easy to eat in your mouth. We came here around 6:30 pm and it wasn't that crowded. Soon when it was around 7 pm, the restaurant became fully packed, and there was a line forming outside. When the restaurant was crowded, the service dropped. Our water wasn't filled at all. It was hard to get a server's attention. They looked short staffed. Overall, I don't think I would come here again. For locals living here, it's better to find your favorite dim sum restaurant in Chinatown. read more

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Very good food, very authentic. Don't know why people say it's not good taste. Glad we tried and we like it a lot. We have been there twice so far. Service is excellent. Very good location. Highly recommended. read more

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We ordered the shrimp dumplings, shrimp & chive dumplings, steamed rice roll with shrimp & chives, wonton in spicy sauce & all were delicious! Service & ambiance were great as well. Would recommend. read more

Tim Ho Wan - Steamed Shrimp and Chives Dumplings, shrimp dumplings, steamed rice rolls with shrimp & chives - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I've been to Tim Ho Wan multiple times in Asia and also in New York. I was also here at this location three years ago. However my experience two days ago was the worst among all. All food came subpar compared to other Tim Ho Wan. Material didn't taste fresh and the cooking was mediocre. Agree with the other reviewer from three months ago that this Tim Ho Wan at Waikiki is worse than average dim sum place. One last word, definitely do NOT order the steamed Hawaii garlic shrimps, at least for the next few months. The shrimps looked dirty and taste even worst! They were so gross that I wouldn't even want to finish the dish. (This dish was tasty and impressive when I first tried it three years ago. I guess they changed chef since then.) read more

Seating not in proper order of arrival. Food was good. Conveniently located in upper floors of shopping mall.

Excellent dim sum. Loved the spring roll and har gow. Delicious and excellent service. Would go back again.

VERDICT/TLDR: Get the buns and pass on everything else. It's the only experience you are going to get, at an overpriced rate, with middling service. Unfortunately, the buns alone don't make a Dim Sum place great. Should have been a bakery instead. ---- Considering the hype, the food wasn't disappointing. However, the majority of dishes are best described as lackluster. Depending where you go in California, Dim Sum flavors can range from extravagantly subtle in its flavors, to umami bombs on the tongue. Tim Ho Wan is niether. It claims to be "specialists" in dim sum. It charges prices accordingly, and in the end, it falls short of its own description. Food: Char Sui (Pineapple) Bun - this was really good. Ample meat, sauce, flavor, sweetness and salt; has its crisp exterior, and juicy interior. This clearly carried the Michelin reputation that it earned in HK. Spare Ribs - greasy, as it should be, but lacks the umami and salt. For those looking for subtle tastes, this is more of a quickly oiled and braised rib. If you are usd to the more modern touch with black beans and a bit of spice, this one is a no go for you. Bean curd wrap/egg rolls/Everything else - was really the same as the spare ribs in the weak flavor department. I can go over the dozen or so different dishes we tried, but its all the same story. Lackluster. Flavors are neither subtle or well organized. Service: Here are some NUANCES/complaints that struck us funny. You can't ask for anything to be cut, like at a REAL dim sum place. Ordering the sponge cake (ma la gao), or the bean curd rolls, anywhere else, they get scissors and cut it in half or in pieces for you. At Tim Ho Wan, they will refuse, claiming they have no SCISSORS or KNIVES. LMAO. Are you f'n serious? End of meal, you typically might order something TOGO, say, another order of buns for your grandma. YOU CANT DO THAT HERE. They don't do togo. PLEASE feel free to circumvent this by simply ordering it to your table and just getting a togo box anyways. These nuances, along with the wrong check, made for lackluster service that just don't deserve the hype. We were left with the same reaction as ALL other people eating there had on their face. Meh. read more

Not bad, but much more expensive than many of its competitors in town offering the sameHowever, my biggest disappointment is that it didn't offer its famous dishes available overseas. Services were less than desirable, practically no auto refills (had to ask), but the bill/receipt suggested a minimum tips of 18% and above; well, they need to earn that by be more observant of customers' requirements. read more

The lady server is not kind at all. We have waited 5mins without ant guide from her who seemed not gotten any trained to guide customers when it is busy. Food is also just okay. read more

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Compared to other dim sum restaurants available in and around Honolulu/Waikiki, this is the best, in my opinion. It is a bit pricey, but if that doesn't deter you, you must try the spicy wontons, the bbq pork buns, and the Hong Kong-style milk tea -- they are amazing. The rest of the dim sum is solidly good. The exception is the chicken feet. If you are used to dim sum chicken feet at restaurants in the US, the way they cook it here is very different - less gelatinous - and it was not to my taste. Definitely eat here. read more

My husband and I were so excited to find a Tim Ho Wan in Waikiki. We tried the location in New York City this year and we were blown away so we couldn't wait to try it in Waikiki! We tried to order dishes that were different from our previous experience, except for a couple of dishes that were too good to pass up. The repeat dishes were the fried eggplant with shrimp and the sticky rice. Hands down they are the best dishes to get. The Siu mai and pork and chive dumplings are also a guarantee to please! New dishes: Fried silky milk sticks--despite the strange name, it's basically fried custard. So good! Steamed rice with meat patty and egg--Eh...don't bother. It wasn't anything special. Steamed fish bundle with pineapple--I liked the elements separately but in the bundle it was underwhelming. I also am personally not a fan of sweet and sour sauce and it had some of that flavor to it. read more

Tim Ho Wan - Everything one should try for a good experience - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The bake BBQ pork bun was good, but the other food are not as expected. Menu was very limited, some in the menu are not even available... The jelly with Goji berries are so sweet and breaks into pieces when trying to pick them which the chopsticks. Also tried the Hong Kong style milk tea... was too sweet. read more

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Tim Ho Wan may be reputable but the staff that work here are not detail oriented. I made a reservation days in advance for a party of 5 and specifically asked for outdoor seating as we have an elderly family member who will only eat outdoors due to COVID risk. The person who took my reservation confirmed it's for outdoors. When we arrived they only had an indoor table for us. Taking a look at their reservation notebook it showed "patio" written next to our reservation. Upon seeing that, the waitress just says insensitively, after rubbing her eyes with gloves on: "Sorry we didn't see that. We have a table indoors or you can wait another 20-30 minutes for a table to open up." What's the point of making a reservation and asking for outdoor seating when you won't be able to sit outdoors at the time of your reservation? At 30% capacity I would expect staff to have more bandwidth to ensure guest reservation requests be taken more seriously, especially during a pandemic. Otherwise, just say that you can't ensure outdoor seating will be available when taking reservations. === Adding 2 stars for our servers who was above and beyond. And the food was amazing as always. More importantly, my family had a great time at the end. read more

Meh. Perhaps it was because we went at 2:30pm and the staff seemed to be taking a meal break but we weren't impressed. Everything was okay, no line, and yes, the baked pork buns were the best thing. We wanted to go early in the morning for breakfast but Tim Ho Wan does not open until 10am. read more

Tim Ho Wan - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Heard about this new place which just opened in Waikiki. Food was great and very tasty. Enjoyed everything

I initially wanted to just order their "world famous" Baked BBQ Pork Bun to go but ended up sitting down to eat dim sum there since the only other Tim Ho Wan in the states I would be able to try would be in NYC, so why not?! That was a mistake. Their dim sum was unimpressive and the items for a dim sum place was very limited. Their Har Gow and steamed rice roll with shrimp was pretty good but everything else was a disappointment. The baked BBQ pork bun which was the entire reason why I wanted to go eat here was only OK and just couldn't compare to some of the great bbq pork buns I've had in the greater Los Angeles area! There are plenty of other good Asian restaurants to try, don't waste your food quota at this place. read more

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First off let me tell u I'm Cantonese (origin of dim sum) grow up in Guangzhou lived in Bay Area for 20+ years. I have taste so many dim sum restaurant including Michelin 3 stars 龍景轩 in HK. We spend 5 days in Honolulu and 3 meals here.. it located in the heart of Waikiki, if u stay at one of the Waikiki hotel, this is only a few mins walk. Coming from Bay Area, the price is very reasonable, and even compared to other restaurant in Hawaii, this place might consider cheap The service is really good (as a casual Chinese restaurant standard) staffs are friendly, our tea pot always got refilled. The wait is not bad, we were here for lunch and dinner, the max we waited was 5 mins Food is the reason we came back for 3 times, few dishes is very good; 蒸排骨，鳳爪，排骨鳳爪飯，牛腩面 these are must order. Things to avoid, HK style雲吞麵 and 皮蛋瘦肉粥 both has way too much white pepper power in it. 蘿蔔糕太多粉。 Overall if u like to have some dim sum or light dinner or just some Chinese food, this is the place to go! It won't blow your mind but will give u some comfort read more

Thank you NathaLia for such great service and knowledge of the food menu items! I came here for the very first time last week and back again a week later for more deliciousNess!!! This place has a beautiful ambiance. My experience has been great this 2nd time. I like coming to clean places that take care of there establishments. Tim Hon Wan is always cleaning and up to par with the tables being set right away for new guests. Josephine is always checking on me and I appreciate the Guest Service you give! Everyone is very friendly and helpful to one another so you can tell it's a wonderful company and waitStaff. The food is super hot and tasty and will be back again! Thanks for making my Easter Dinner. Much Mahalo! read more

Tim Ho Wan - Such a Yummy Chicken Bowl with white Rice hiding underneath! The top is Ginger and Mushrooms which is AmazingLy spices perfect! - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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