One star for the BBQ pork buns. Another star for the sticky rice. That is pretty much it. First off, my sister, cousin, and I came to check it out due to curiosity. We started off with tea, chrysanthemum tea to be exact. The tea tasted diluted but what really horrified us was when we each took a sip from the tea cups, stopped, looked at each other without stating anything. My cousin finally broke the silence by asking, "Do you smell or taste detergent?" We then sniffed the tea cups; I don't know what happened but they deep cleaned those cups (which could be a good thing) to the point where it still smelled like detergent or whatever it was they were using, thus, making the tea not such a great experience. Onwards to the dim sum. The rice rolls texture and flavor of the sauce poured on it were not on par with other dim sum locations. I was not a big fan of the Chinese chives they placed with the shrimp; it sort of altered the taste negatively. The har gow was normal, nothing special. The xiu mai looked smaller than average and the taste was nothing spectacular. The chicken feet was average but not good enough for us to order more than one portion. The fried turnip cake was small, the texture was off, and it was glazed in too much oil or something. The only two dim sum items we actually enjoyed were the BBQ pork buns--seriously, we should have just ordered a bunch of these buns and would have left happy and content. The bun texture had a slight crisp to it when bitten into, and the flavor of the BBQ pork was spot on! Additionally, the sticky rice was also well seasoned and the texture was great. We finished that first. Finally, we ended with fried milk sticks which I didn't really finish because it was just too sweet. Should have gotten a pastry next year instead. In the end, we only ordered one portion of sticky rice, xiu mai, har gow, chicken feet, fried turnip cake, fried milk sticks, and two portions of the shrimp rice rolls. Along with the chrysanthemum tea. With tax and a little bit of tip, the bill came out to be $70!!! Definitely not worth the hype, money, or time waiting in line. read more

Came in day 3 of soft opening. Similar to what others said who arrived before 10am as I did, it was still an hour wait without any staff people walking the line welcoming people, letting them know the process, or letting people know what food was out. No communication. Once I got in, I sat at the bar as you could get immediate seating instead of Yelp wait list. I had come on day 2 at 2pm only to see a closed sign even though said would be open till 2:30pm. The first thing you see is that it is a limited dim sum menu at higher than average dim sum restaurant prices. But don't be fooled. At 11am, an hour after opening, they already me and others were out about 1/3 of their menu include all steam rice rolls and other items. Service was 3/5. Average speed at bar. This is dim sum cooked to order. Not carts. So typical Din Tai Fung speed. Food portions was 1/5. Everything you get is smaller in size than typical restaurant. At the high prices, expected more. Certainly no Bao Dim Sum. Food taste was 3/5. Nothing special. Average. BBQ pork buns are baked differently so probably closer to 4/5 but again small size. Desserts were limited in variety. No egg tarts or pineapple buns on menu. Overall, wait wasn't worth it. Pricey and a novelty experience to have dim sum for lunch or dinner. But have tasted better or had better portions. No particular urge to return unless expanded menu, portion size, and much shorter wait. read more

Zic was incredibly great server and actually encouraged me to write this review. Had great spirit and is a it pulled to the restraint. , if I could I would give it around a 4.5. Corporate culture and who it was originally wasn't on my to do list, but now it feels much more authentically Hong Kong. I came with my father who went tot he original one and it was much better this time round then last time. We ordered around six dishes and almost all of them were great. The most memorable was the bbq pork bun which was a staple on there menu for years since 2002, and according to my father who was there with me, was exactly as excellent as he had it all those years ago. The service was mostly well done except for a less than a second mixup in dishes for our bbq pork but other than that was overall a good atmosphere and timely service. The Cherng Fun was really good as the rice Dough around it was quite good, much less rubbery than most restaurants in America nailing the consistency. The chaseu while pricey is also amazing as well, with Great texture and great char on the bottom as well. The dumplings could've been better specifically the Ha goa, was a bit underdone and some soy sauce would've been nice to finish it. David was also great as well, and many of the staff including our server Zic seem to be fighting desperately to keep the restaurant going and I hope to come back once everything is in full force. read more

Was here with the family for the soft opening and was very disappointed. This is probably the worst dim sum we've had. Everything we ordered was bad, the dishes weren't cooked properly and the flavors were off. We ordered a variety of dishes to get a good sample of their menu. We tried 9 different dishes and only one tasted ok. Baked BBQ Buns - Sweet crispy outer crust. BBQ pork filling was ok, nothing special and not flavorful. Steamed Beef Ball - Gross texture, mushy and bland flavor. Tasted like processed meat Steamed Spare Rib - Meat was tough and gamey. Flavor was awful and disgusting Steam Bean Curd - Tasted ok but the pork had too much gristle which made it chewy Pork/Shrimp Dumpling - Soft mushy texture. Pork had too much gristle which made it hard to eat Chicken Feet - Couldn't eat since the meat was tough and stuck to the bone. Flavor wasn't great either Shrimp Toast - Greasy mess, bread was soaked with oil and shrimp was over cooked. Nasty Shrimp Rice Roll - Rice wrap texture doesn't have good consistency. Wasn't too bad but not good either Beef Brisket - Pretty good, soft texture and good flavor. Only good dish we had Price - Way over priced. Lunch for 3 was $101before tip. I don't mind paying more for quality but this place is charging way too much for mediocre food read more

I recently dined at Tim Ho Wan and left with a very disappointing impression, not because of the food itself, but because of the overall experience. The restaurant's interior is clean and well-designed, which initially gave us a good first impression. However, the service quickly fell short. The wait time for food was excessively long, even though we placed our entire order at once and did not add any additional items. For a restaurant known for efficiency, this was surprising and frustrating. What stood out even more was the management behavior I witnessed. A female manager, while appearing outwardly polite, spoke to staff in a tone that felt sarcastic and subtly belittling. It created a tense and uncomfortable environment, not just for employees but for guests who could clearly sense the negativity. This kind of leadership raises concerns about the restaurant's internal culture and operational consistency. It's difficult to expect a team to perform well under that kind of communication style, and it reflects poorly on overall management standards. Tim Ho Wan has a strong brand and reputation, but experiences like this undermine it. I hope the management team takes a serious look at both service efficiency and leadership practices, as there is clear room for improvement. read more

Authentic Hong Kong Flavors in Irvine! I recently visited Tim Ho Wan in Irvine and was thoroughly impressed by the quality and authenticity of the dishes. It truly brought back the flavors of Hong Kong. Here are some of the highlights from our meal: * Ibérico Barbecue Pork: This was definitely the star of the show. The pork was incredibly juicy, with the perfect balance between lean and fat. The texture was spot on--succulent and tender--and the glaze was absolutely delicious. * Steamed Egg Cake (Ma Lai Go): This was light, airy, and carried that deep, caramelized fragrance that makes a great sponge cake. It's a classic done perfectly. * Sweet and Sour Pork: It's often hard to find an authentic version of this dish, but they nailed it here. It tasted exactly like the high-quality sweet and sour pork you'd find in Hong Kong--crispy, tangy, and vibrant. * Signature Dessert: We tried a very unique dessert that stood out from the usual options. Both my friend and I were extremely satisfied with how it rounded off the meal. It's a creative twist that you won't find at every dim sum spot. Overall, a fantastic dining experience. If you're looking for authentic dim sum with premium ingredients, this is the place to go! read more

Tim Ho Wan had been one of our favorite dim sum restaurants, so we patiently waited for its reopening. Since reopening, we have already dined there at least six times. With another dim sum restaurant opening around the same time in the Irvine area, we naturally tried both places for comparison. Even so, we still prefer Tim Ho Wan by a wide margin -- not only because of the superior food quality, but also because of the reasonable pricing and consistently excellent service. Some of my favorite newer menu items are the steamed fish filet with ginger and scallion soy sauce, the black truffle mushroom rice rolls, and the fried beancurd skin with shrimp. Every dish has been flavorful, fresh, and well-prepared. The service is always attentive and on point. Our favorite server is a young man named Dylan, who consistently provides courteous, professional, and welcoming service that makes every dining experience especially enjoyable. Overall, Tim Ho Wan continues to stand out as one of the best dim sum restaurants in the area. Between the delicious food, fair prices, and outstanding hospitality, it has easily become one of our go-to places for dim sum, and we look forward to returning many more times. read more

We wanted to come last time when we were around, but the line was too long, so we decided to try another day. I'm glad we came today. Originally we were told the wait would be around 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, but we were called in about 20 to 30 minutes. The ambience is giving you a very modern Asian kind of vibe. Clean, a lot of wood finishes, cramped but definitely enjoyable. I do wish they could check the restroom periodically though. It is not exactly dirty, but the paper towel do overflow from trashcan. There food is definitely in the very good zone. Ever since we moved away from NorCal, we've been searching a good Dim Sum place, and I think we finally found one. Their Baked BBQ Pork Buns and BBQ Rice Roll were crazy good. The White Peach Oolong Tea smells great and very refreshing. The Chicken with Ginger & Spring Onion Puree Rice Bowl is definitely on the saltier side and a little too salty than my liking. Our server, Leo, was really attentive. He was always on top of things. Everyone was also very polite and always checking up on us. This is definitely a place I will be visiting again in the future. Food selection/taste: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambience: 4.5/5 read more

This was our first time visiting Tim Ho Wan, and it definitely did not disappoint! From start to finish, we had a great dining experience. The food came out fresh and surprisingly fast, and everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. We had the signature roasted barbecue pork, shrimp dumplings, pork and shrimp dumplings, spinach and enoki mushroom dumplings, xiao long bao, golden lava salted egg buns, crispy shrimp red rice roll with roselle sauce, and the fried rice with premium soy sauce and BBQ pork. Every dish was flavorful and well prepared. The signature roasted barbecue pork was definitely a standout. Tender, savory, and packed with flavor. The golden lava salted egg buns were another favorite, perfectly crisp on the outside with a rich, creamy filling inside. The dumplings were fresh and tasty, and the crispy shrimp red rice roll had a nice texture and unique flavor with the roselle sauce. Service was excellent as well. The wait time was quick, and our server, Leo, was very accommodating and attentive throughout the meal. He made sure we had everything we needed and made our first visit even more enjoyable. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

After anxiously awaiting the opening of this acclaimed restaurant for over a year, I have to say it was a bit of a let down. We went for their first seating during their soft opening on Wednesday morning. We were surprised that after such a long time there were very few changes to the Capital Seafoods build out, and it hardly felt as if you were walking into a "new" restaurant. Yes the baked pork bao was good, it's their signature dish. It should be! The food was good, not extraordinary. It was a bit offensive that almost every dim sum item is presented in plates of three. So if you are a party of four you are forced to order an additional plate or two people are stuck sharing an already small item. I think is their built in up sell. Since the prices are already high it's annoying to be put in that position. The staff was nice enough, and was trying hard to get it right and be accommodating Would I wait in line? . No. Would I wait two hours on the Yelp app? No. It's a fine place but it didn't live up to the epic Michelin Star hype or the anticipation. read more

Growing up in 852, it has always been tough to find authentic Hong Kong dimsum in LA/OC. But I'm telling you, Tim Ho Wan Irvine is THE spot! It's under new management and completely different from before. The sponge cake (Ma Lie Go) brings back major childhood memories for me. Also, can we please talk about the black truffle mushroom rice roll and the spinach & enoki mushroom dumplings? They are SO bomb. I'm a meat-lover but they definitely make these no meat dishes differently! I'm blown away! Gotta love the radish cake - thick chunks of radish that you simply don't get everywhere. I'm loading up for Lunar New Year for sure! Needless to say the classics are always must-orders: baked bbq pork bun, siu mai, har gow, HK milk tea, and if you haven't tried the salted lemon sprite, order it! They also have premium loose leaf teas that they ship from Hong Kong and they put in teabags for you in store. Love the peach oolong and rose black tea! I just wish I lived closer! Please open up more stores on the west side! read more

I had a wonderful dining experience at Tim Ho Wan, and I really want to recognize LEO and ROBERT for their outstanding service. LEO was an exceptional server, attentive, professional, and genuinely welcoming from the moment we sat down. He ensured we had everything we needed throughout the meal. His friendly attitude and calm, efficient service made us feel very comfortable and well taken care of. ROBERT did an amazing job assisting with clearing and maintaining our table. He was quick, observant, and respectful, always keeping the table clean and organized without interrupting our conversation. His support made the entire dining experience feel smooth and relaxed. Both Leo and Robert showed great teamwork and attention to detail. Their professionalism and positive attitude truly elevated our visit, and it's clear they take pride in their work. Because of them, our experience was not just good, it was memorable. I would absolutely return and highly recommend this location based on their excellent service. read more

We had a family gathering with 12 people for Sunday dim sum at Tom Ho Wan, and it was an excellent experience from start to finish. We expected a long wait because of our large group and the busy weekend crowd, but they were able to seat us surprisingly quickly, which was such a pleasant surprise. The food was outstanding. Every dish came out fresh, hot, and full of flavor. The BBQ pork buns lived up to the hype, and everything from the dumplings to the noodles and desserts was delicious. Even with a large table, the quality and consistency of the food never missed a beat. The service was friendly and efficient, our server Leo was on top of everything and the rest of staff did a great job keeping up with our table throughout the meal. It's not easy to accommodate a party of 12 on a Sunday, but they handled it seamlessly. We'll definitely be back and would highly recommend Tom Ho Wan for both small and large groups looking for authentic, high-quality dim sum. read more

TimHoWan is known for freshly made dim sum.  Once you send in your filled order, they will freshly make these dim sum while you enjoy your company and great selection of tea and beverages.  Note, the dim sum here is not pre-made like other places.  They are also quite delicatedly made. Soft opening on Wednesday May 8th. We were probably first 100 people here. Make sure you use Yelp to check-in to save time waiting in queue. Shrimp dumplings are great; freshly made and steamed before serving, wait for it cool down for the wrapping to form the gluey texture, very good. My friend says BBQ bun is best with sweet pork and minimum dough. Shrimp spring roll is perfectly crispy; and make sure you dip into that vinegary A-1-like sauce. Soy sauce egg noodle is very good when it is freshly made. Eat some veggie (blanched lettuce) so you can say you have healthy food! Ready to go back for a second time. read more

If you're looking for delicious dim sum that won't break the bank, Tim Ho Wan is the place to go. I was pleasantly surprised by the price to taste ratio - it's like they've cracked the code on how to make delicious food that won't empty your wallet. The shrimp shu mai, custard sesame balls, and pork buns were all highlights of the meal - so much so that I almost forgot to try anything else! Their soups were decent too, but let's be real, the sesame balls stole the show. There's plenty of seating available, so bring your whole squad and feast like kings (or queens) - just make sure you get there early to avoid a long wait. And the service is quick, which is always appreciated when you're hangry and need some pork buns ASAP. Overall, Tim Ho Wan is a great spot for affordable, delicious dim sum. Just make sure you come hungry - those pork buns aren't going to eat themselves! read more

We had a great experience at Tim Ho Wan in Irvine recently. It seems like they've revamped their menu, and the food was noticeably better than the last time we visited. We came on a weekday evening for dinner and the restaurant was pretty empty, which made for a really relaxed dining experience. The servers were attentive throughout our meal, and the food came out very quickly after we ordered. The baked BBQ pork buns were definitely a highlight--crispy on the outside with that sweet, savory filling inside. The spicy wonton noodles also really hit the spot and had great flavor. Everything we ordered came out fresh and hot. Overall, it was a really pleasant experience and we'd definitely come back. The only thing to keep in mind is that parking in this plaza can sometimes be a bit difficult, especially during busier times. read more

I was really disappointed with the service during my visit. It took about 30 minutes just to receive a simple four-item dim sum take-out order during an off-peak time - Thursday at 2:30pm. This felt excessive considering how small the order was and that there were only 4-5 tables being serviced at that time. What made the experience worse was the host at the front, who came across as unprofessional and seemed to have a "too good to work here" attitude. Instead of being welcoming or helpful, they acted dismissive and uninterested, which set a negative tone right from the start. Between the long wait time and the unfriendly front-of-house service, the overall experience felt frustrating and poorly managed. I'm not really sure what has changed from the closure and reopening. Will definitely not come back again. read more

"Venturing into Tim Ho Won, adorned with a prestigious Michelin star, heightened my expectations for an extraordinary dim sum experience. While the culinary craftsmanship was evident in every delicate bite, the steep price point left a lingering sense of reservation. The menu's exquisite offerings showcased creativity and precision, yet the value proposition felt somewhat incongruent. The service, undoubtedly impeccable, contributed to a refined dining atmosphere. However, the lingering thought of whether the elevated cost truly corresponded with the overall experience remained. For those seeking an indulgent dim sum adventure with a Michelin-star touch, Tim Ho Won may deliver, but the discerning diner might find themselves pondering the balance between gastronomic brilliance and budget considerations." read more

I've heard great things about Tim Ho Wan from friends who have traveled internationally and was so excited to hear that one finally opened nearby me! I love dim sum, so I knew that I had to try this place out. Our server Jona was very welcoming upon seating us and started off by recommending some of his top choices from the menu, all of which tasted amazing and did not disappoint. He was very thorough in checking in with us several times throughout our meal, making sure everything tasted okay and that everything we needed/asked for was brought out swiftly and correctly. We appreciated his efforts, as it was some of the best customer service we have ever experienced! Thank you Jona for making our first experience at Tim Ho Wan a pleasant one - we will definitely be back! read more