Palette Tea Garden & Dim Sum 彩苑

Second time here after liking it a lot my first time and this time was just as good. Can't go wrong with Koi Palace or any of their sister restaurants. Made a reservation the day of on a Sunday night. We ordered the palette soup dumplings $15, siu mai sampler $24, half Peking duck $38, and xo sauce and wagyu fried rice $25. Every dish was fantastic. High quality ingredients. Excellent flavors, not excessively salty. Definitely not cheap, but I think it's fair for the quality and portions. We even had leftovers. Very nice high end looking interior, spacious with high ceilings. Service was decent. Lots of free parking. Would go back again

I was genuinely impressed with this place. I ended up coming here a number of times for both lunch and dinner during my trip to USA back in May. There was never a wait time for the times I went, which was a huge plus. The quality across their menu is remarkable – I tried a variety of dishes and not a single one disappointed. Standouts were the Boston Lobster with fried sticky rice and the excellent Peking duck. The Manila clams were big and juicy, and the seafood tofu and xiaolongbao were great. The only reason I did not rate it as a full 5 stars is that it's a bit expensive. Would definitely visit again for special occasions !

Came for dinner with friends and did not disappoint. I actually thought the price point was super reasonable given it’s a nicer Chinese restaurant that you can bring your in laws to without looking cheap 😅 . I mean chipotle bowls are running me $20 a pop nowadays so I was pleasantly surprised by the bill. Had a ton of dishes that I failed to take pictures of cause girl eats before her camera does 💁‍♀️. Standouts to me were the duck, Iberico pork and egg yolk crab. I struggle with liking egg yolk crab cause I always find it waay too rich, heavy and egg yolky- but the one here was perfect. Shoutout to the bartender cause the mixed drinks were delishhh. Lychee martinis and the oolong tea one were top tier. OH, and I almost forgot. It’s silly but I really like that they put their teapot over a candle so it stays nice and hot. I hate lukewarm tea so that alone has captured my heart.

We came here to catch up with friends. The dinner was okay, but not great. There are better Chinese restaurants in the area, and they’re usually not as expensive as this place. My friend paid for dinner, but I just think the food quality could be better for the price. But you’re not picky, this place might be fine for you. Either way, enjoy!

Best dim sum ever! There was a slight wait, but we quickly got a table. The soup dumplings are a must eat, they are so delicious. Additionally, the chicken feet are a must try, and were so chewy and tasted amazing! The cucumbers were crispy and simply mouthwatering. The dishes were presented so beautifully, and were making my mouth water! All in all, this is the perfect lunch stop for dim sum!!

The food is okay. Atmosphere is very nice, passed by a few times and decided to try it. I’m very picky on authentic Chinese food. This place leans fancy and i wouldn’t say super authentic. The Peking duck is okay, the duck skin is not crispy or thick enough comparing to how authentic Peking ducks are supposed to be done. Also tried their signature palette soup dumplings, a little disappointed… The egg tarts tastes great. Their fried vegetables were good. They also automatically charged 18% tip for a party of 2 🤷‍♀️ would not be back again. If anyone wants to try great Peking duck, go to Z&Y Peking Duck in downtown SF.

Had an amazing dinner experience here. Was surprised by the quality of the food and the artistic touch they added to each dish. The service was nothing like what you expect from an Asian restaurant; everyone was so friendly and they really cater specifically to the customer with attention to detail. You can tell that a lot of thought went into each concept and everything was delicious. Not just the food, all of the cocktails were uniquely made and all the flavors blended extremely well into a balanced fusion of taste. Highly recommend the Peking Duck, Iberico Cha Siu (cooked to perfection), Pork Soup XLB, Garlic steamed Surf Clam, and Wagyu & roasted garlic. For cocktails I highly recommend the Palette highball, expresso martini, and lychee martini. They have a professional mixologist that puts so much thought into a creative bar menu. Overall a 10/10 experience, very excited for the new location opening in Orange County soon!

We have been there many times. Previously the food was so so but recently it was very good. The service was always good as well. The staff was nice, and very good at consistently refilling our drinks too. The menu is large. I don't mind eating there almost every day.

I would like to share my appreciation for Palette's staff that helped me with my to go order yesterday. Steven and the team conversed with me many times online and gave me so much assurance that everything was taken care of. I didn't expect that such attention for a to go order. Because of their extraordinary services, I rate this restaurant as first class with best customer services team. The food is excellent!

Love the concept, the dim sum is the way to go here. It's not traditional but the aspects that are very good and the creativity on the standard with California elements is really well done. All the little sauces in the palette dishes reinforce the delightful concept and strike to the essence of dim sum in general.

A luxury modern approach to dim sum, palette decor and food gives a unique and modern taste to dim sum. Located in the Hillsdale Mall, its has really cool decor. One of the tables basically a fountain built inside of it. Service was good and attentive. The pallette plate was a fun nod to the name with the different sauce. Our favorite was the white one that had a coconut taste. Foodwise I was impressed with the xiao long bao came with their vinegar in spheres. I thought it was caviar but it melted as soon as it touched the xlb. They're most known for the multi color xlb with different skin and inside. The pineapple bun also has real pineapple bit in it. Overall this place is pricey once in a while with some twist to traditional dim sum.

Hm... Bad quality food, bad service. Just not like it used to be... Too bad! I won't be returning!

We've been coming to Palette Tea Garden since pretty much the day they opened -- easily dozens of visits by now -- and it's still the place we crave whenever the dim sum mood strikes. Parking's a breeze in the Hillsdale Mall lot, but if you come on weekends or holidays, definitely make a reservation; the standby line can get long fast. What keeps us coming back is how consistent everything has been over the years -- both the quality of the food and the friendly, efficient service. Whether it's a leisurely weekend brunch or a quick weekday dinner, it always feels polished yet relaxed. On our latest visit, we ordered a few of our all-time favorites: Roasted Peking Duck Set -- always a showstopper. The skin arrives perfectly crisp, the meat juicy and flavorful, with the classic thin pancakes that are sturdy enough to hold everything together. Steamed BBQ Pork Buns -- soft, fluffy, and filled with sweet-savory char siu. Comfort in a basket. XO Sauce Radish Cake -- golden crust on the outside, tender inside, and topped with just the right amount of XO sauce for a touch of spice and umami. Siu Mai -- plump and flavorful, one of the dim sum staples we never skip. Cilantro Chinese Donut Rice Crepe -- silky rice rolls wrapped around crisp Chinese doughnut, balanced by a light soy sauce -- a texture lover's dream. Palette Soup Dumplings -- the Xiao Lung Bao is our all time favorite. Even after countless visits, we still enjoy the of broths and fillings. Over time we've also fallen in love with their Beef Chow Fun, Sweet & Sour Kurobuta Pork Belly, Walnut Prawns, and the playful Black Swan Taro Puffs -- all dishes that show off the kitchen's creativity and precision. The dining room feels bright and contemporary, and despite how busy it gets, service has remained impressively consistent. It's rare for a restaurant this popular to stay so steady for this long, and that reliability is exactly why we keep coming back month after month. Tip: If you're planning a larger gathering, request one of the round tables with a lazy Susan -- perfect for sharing and makes the experience feel extra festive. Palette Tea Garden has become one of those special constants for us -- the spot we can count on for both comfort and celebration. Every visit reminds us why it's our favorite modern dim sum destination on the Peninsula.

A lot of people have been recommending this dim sum spot for me so I just knew I had to see what the hype was about let's go haha. We ordered the palette soup dumplings, classic shrimp dumplings, lobster shrimp dumplings, typhoon shrimp dumplings, seared lava bao, and the pepper wagyu bao. Everything tasted really good and the side sauces that they give are bomb. My favorites were the palette soup dumplings and seared lava bao. The soup dumplings are very nicely plated and the side vinegar goes really well with it. The lava bao was very creamy. The service here was good. The food came out quick and the servers were nice. They were also back a lot to refill water and take away our plates. The restaurant is has a very modern look to it and it's well decorated. There is also a lot of available seating. I came in on a weekday and it wasn't really busy, but I heard that they get pretty packed on the weekend. Honestly surprised that this place isn't rated higher lol. This is probably one of my favorite dim sum spots now. I will definitely be back soon. Anyways... try it out if you like. :)

We came Friday evening and the restaurant was bustling. There seemed to be a private event going on in the back rooms. Decor was upscale and modern, food was mediocre. 5 colored XLB - very attractive presentation, flavors were mild. Order more for the aesthetic and novelty. Half Peking duck - not the greatest Peking duck but quenches the craving, glad they provide the crepe instead of steamed buns. The duck skin was cold and fatty, quite hard to bite through, meat was a bit tough Shu Mai taster - 3 different flavors of shumai, a tasted invariably alike XO shrimp and scallop dumpling - definitely tasted like shumai Truffle and scallop garlic noodles- generous scallop and great garlic noodles, chewy and flavourful

Overall: A // 5 stars Palette Tea Garden is my favorite dim sum restaurant of all time to date; it's a establishment I strive to visit every time I visit the Bay Area and at this point I have tried most of the dim sum restaurant. The one in San Mateo specifically has the perfect balance of emphasis on high quality technique mixed with California elevated flavor innovation for a reasonable price and casual and light stress atmosphere inline with traditional morning tea. The play on artistry is that it comes with a palette of five sauces to help elevate your tastes, featuring chili oil, mustard, sweet soy, herb sauce, and a coconut sauce. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough -- this is a must visit for true dim sum enthusiasts and beyond. Firstly, my favorite dim sum dish is Cheung Fun -- rice crepes / rice noodle rolls, but this dish seems to be a dying breed so I am very thrilled that Palette has an offering that not only continues to highlight the quality of the dish with ultra thin rice crepes, but also elevate it in a new light. My favorite of their renditions is the soft shell crab, which featuring crispy crab and yuzu flavors, that tastes reminiscent of shrimp and the fried dough variants combined. Unfortunately, even this rendition has been removed from the menu and we are left with four slightly more suboptimal choices -- rainbow prawn, which is a good idea if the prawn were not diced; cilantro, which would taste better if they made a cilantro you tiao instead of a spring roll; crispy unagi, which would work much better without frying the eel; and beef, which is a classic, but would taste better with meat slices instead of beef paste. Next, their bao menu featuring a good variety of different buns from vegetarian to meat to dessert. Their choice to pan fry all of them is smart to add a layer of crispness to contrast the pillowy bun, and particularly the Lava Bao is so addictive with the salted egg lava that just oozes comfortingly out of the bun. The sponge cake was a recent choice I tried, and the sesame is a smart flavor addition to give the sugars a contrast in earthy undertone to build some complexity; the cake was light, fluffy, and delightful -- my only criticism here is that, as the picture on the menu intended, is to not cut the cake because ours couldn't even standup straight! Onto the dumplings, their soup dumplings are the gold standard for soup dumplings. They are served in individual soups so you don't have to internally stress about whether you can consume your dumpling in peace without the soup leaking out; adding a piece of carrot between the spoon and the dumpling is smart to stop it from sticking, and also adds a delicate sweetness too. These soup dumplings are large, wrapped well, at especially the tip part, and the palette version is just mesmerizing to look at. The filling is tender, there is plenty of soup in each, and I enjoy the different variations that give the chef's skill some additional character, especially the black truffle which is splendid. My other favorites are the XO Scallop Dumplings, where the homemade XO adds a mild umami spiciness with a seafood intensity that helps bring out the dumpling; the Crab Butter Dumplings plays on an Asian favorite of the crab roe to develop that similar seafood intensity on top of a fish dumpling. The classic Ha Gow and Siu Mai are also done well, where there is a good balance of meat and filling, bouncily tender, and with an appropriately thin skin. In light of innovation, I am also very happy that they did not neglect the classics. The yuba skin roll, phoenix claws, daikon cakes, braised beef tripes are all executed flawlessly; the braised items are so incredibly tender that it almost melts in your mouth; the flavors are addictive to salivate, and the presentation is elevated along the way. In that vein, the desserts are carried over from classic dim sum as well, all well executed and taste as good as others, but without neglecting the aesthetic. Finally, the carb dishes is inline with the theme of tasty street food with that skillfully utilizes wok hay, while elevating the flavors a bit. The wagyu chow fun has butterly tender beef to the point that I was so enthused to almost order a second bowl! The truffle duck fried rice is also a gem, where the truffle and duck carry a subtle flavor of the wilderness into the comfort of the rice; for this dish, I was also so impressed with their usage of the broccoli stem into making it one of the best parts of the dish, when its diced so finely and adds beautiful color and texture. Food: +2 Presentation: +1 Price: E Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: +2 Insta/Yelp/Beli/TikTok: @amei_eats

Took our parents here for my dad's birthday. The food is pretty good, and the service is top notch and blows Koi Palace out of the water (Koi Palace sucks now, food-wise and service-wise, but I digress). The only minus is that they did not time it well when it came to cooking and bringing the food to the table. Everything was brought out all at once, and we were eating as fast as we could so the dishes wouldn't get cold. For example, the Peking duck was brought out, and two minutes later, they brought out the lobster lo mein, then two minutes later, the black bean sauteed clams, etc. etc. They only slowed it down when there was no more room at the table for anymore dishes. We ordered 10 dishes for 6 adults and one child. What I remember: - Peking duck. It was really good! Most places can't seem to get this dish right, but we all agreed this was one of the better Peking ducks we've had in the Bay Area. - Lobster lo mein. My parents and sister said this was the BEST they've had in the Bay Area. - Walnut prawns were good and better than most places. - Black bean sauteed clams. Meh. - Sauteed pea sprouts with garlic. Simple dish but good and difficult to mess up. - Wagyu & eggplant clay pot. The flavor reminded me of sukiyaki. It was good but needed more rice. - Salt & pepper calamari. Not a fan. It's not the classic version you'd get at most Chinese restaurants. They used a mix of some chili powder; we couldn't figure out what it was. I forget what the other dishes were. But the place is pretty solid with fantastic service, and we'll probably be back for family events.

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,

One of my favorite places for dimsum. XLB , string bean , black truffle chow fun, duck and oh they have these cute black swan taro puff. Great for small to larger groupsz. The price can add up quickly when you are enjoying yourself.

Love Love Love this place! I admire the many different sauces they provide for food. I admire the plate that resembles a paint palette, it's adorable. The duck spring rolls pairs well with the pea tendrils. The lobster dim sum and jasmine tea hit right. The tiger prawns and glass noodles is perfect for two. I love this place and you will too!

We met some friends for lunch at the Palette. Overall, our experience was great. It is located in the Hillsdale Mall in a cute outdoor dining patio with plenty of seating and space for kids or dogs to run around. The waiting list can be long, so it is nice to have a relaxing place to lounge. The restaurant is fairly big--with both indoor and patio seating. They are able to accommodate big and small parties and have plenty of high chairs for the little ones. Food is ordered by checking off boxes on the menu similar to DTF. Prices are a bit steep for dim sum and portions are also smaller. Nevertheless, the quality of the food is fantastic. They have all the classics like XLB, haw gow, siu mai, bbq bao, turnip cake, rice roll, etc but with a modern twist. My personal favorites were crispy curry beef puff and blueberry mochi balls. Service is great. Our tea pot was always full. Food came out fast, and when they forgot our pork ribs, they were quick to make amends. Don't forget to notice the little things like the artist palette shaped plate with designated holes for sauces to mix and match. It's a creative touch that makes eating there as fun as the food is tasty

Palette Tea Garden remains one of the best restaurants ever. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is lively and dining area is spacious. Most importantly, the beautiful staff make this place so special. I highly recommend the following dishes: Garlic Steamed Lobster - comes with a vermicelli noodle, flavorful and tasty Black Pepper Lobster - umami and has a nice spicy kick, pairs well with steamed rice and veggies, (ask the waiter to make this special request!) Crab Roe Fried Rice - well-seasoned and has a good dallop of crab on top. This does not need any additional sauces and can be enjoyed all on its own without being too salty! Garlic Pea Tendrils - cooked well and is just a solid vegetable dish or try their You Choy for less oily dish but still good amount of veggies Steamed Gai Lan - simple and not oily, great veggie! Mapo Tofu - right amount of savory and spice, pairs so well with steamed rice! Would still taste great next day after being microwaved! Egg tarts - perfectly sweetened, nice crust and always warm when delivered! Palette Tea Garden offers daily special dishes so always check! From memory, my favorites are the steamed live sea bass, steamed live spot prawns with a nice spicy sauce, king crab three ways, and their steamed taro buns. Special recognition for some lovely members! Candace - she offers a warm welcome every time and works fast to get everyone seated. Along with Amanda, they make a great team to handle the busy, busy crowds! Bonaficio - he often finds a way to greet and check in our table to make sure everything is going well- it's always a pleasure to see him! Edmund - he's attentive and always checking in on us despite not being our host Helen & Victoria - they're lovely hostesses who will make sure you have everything for your meal. They go above and beyond to make your dining experience smooth, happy and delicious Jackie - a great host who is quick with orders and will check in frequently I appreciate the chefs and entire staff at Palette Tea Garden who work extremely hard to serve up delicious, beautiful food and remain so consistent with their products and services!

Came here for dinner with friends. We were able to make reservations about one hour before we were seated. Definitely make reservations because even though the place is big, it is packed. The service was efficient and the food came relatively fast. We had some warm tea and they had the palette sauces which were all good. The noise level was about average and we we're still able to have conversations without needing to shout. The XLB were delicious and juicy, the peking duck was my favorite for sure. The pickled radish that we served with the duck added a nice touch. We also had some noodles with beef. Everything was tasty and we had a nice dinner.

We're here for my nephew's graduation dinner. And since we've passed by here plenty enough to see how crowded the place can get, we were very excited to finally dine here. Palette Tea Garden and Dim Sum did not disappoint. First of all, this is one of the few Asian restaurants that felt roomy. That's not necessarily a cut on other spots, but it's just the way that goes and so this was a nice change of pace. Service was continuously checking to make sure drinks were filled and seeing if we needed more hot mustard (which we did and the green sauce is also fire) or would like to order anything else. It was good without being hoovering. But obviously it's all about the food. And it lived up to the hype. Garlic shaking beef : tender chunks, not morsels but chunks, of marinated beef and cooked to the right amount of medium rare. I should've maybe ordered 2 servings. Popcorn chicken : safe choice for the table. good seasoning, decent crunch, pairs well with hot mustard or green sauce. Orange chicken : I know, I know, it's orange chicken, but we still ordered it. Now this is how orange chicken should taste. Lightly breaded. Healthy bite size pieces. And the sauce was not some overly goopy sweet orange mess. It was lightly dressed and had more that just a orange note to it. Maybe mint? It was something. Whatever it was, yeah, tasty. Soup dumplings are a must. Still not sure which ones we ordered but we kept ordering because the filling and savory soup was just that addicting, and you simply can't stop at, nor should you, just have one order. We also ordered different kinds of fried rice (some by mistake but devoured just the same), seafood noodles dish, the Peking Duck, egg tarts, taro buns, honey walnut shrimp, veggies, etc. but I've already given you the highlights and really just don't to write anymore.

We've been wanting to try this place in the new area of Hillsdale mall and found ourselves coming in on the tail end of lunch service. The interior is definitely beautiful and well laid out. We were able to be seated right away but for some reason after getting seated the servers and host moved us. When they moved us they never gave us our sauce again even when asked. When you come here definitely expect the food to be pricey but you will get your fill. We were a bit surprised at the portion half duck though we felt like it was a lot of skin hiding the meat thats actually less than half a duck. The presentation and flavor were delicious regardless of this. We were a group of 3 people we didn't expect they automatically charge a 18% service charge right off the bat.

Run, don't walk, to Palette's limited time lobster deal!! 50% off M-F from 11 AM - 2:45 PM until the end of the month. What a deal!! But even if there wasn't one, I'd still go back for their crab/lobster dishes and the truffle duck fried rice. My absolute favorite is their salted egg yolk lobster. You can mix and match any of the crab and lobster flavor combinations! This time, we tried the lobster sticky rice and it was good but incomparable to the salted egg yolk lobster! As for the dimsum, I'll say that I think other dimsum places are better. We tried the curry beef puff which I thought was supposed to be like the typical glutinous rice puff dimsum, but this one tasted like it was baked as opposed to deep fried. I'd skip on this. You order by making your selections via pen on a paper menu. Service is fine and ambiance is of an elevated dimsum restaurant.

This place has really good dumplings! I highly recommend coming here if u get the chance. The service is decent but u have to ask for condiments and sauces. Also they don't refill the water so it felt like they were not very attentive. The food is really good here and make sure to try their truffle fried rice or xo fried rice as it's really good. The inside is modern and spacious, it's not too quiet and the tables are spacious.

We had reservations for a party of 8 on a Sunday afternoon. This was my first time here. From the outside, the restaurant looked small, but it turned out to be quite spacious inside. Service was friendly and overall fine. Since we didn't want to order 2 of everything, we asked if a few items could be cut for sharing. We were a bit surprised when the server brought out a butter knife and started cutting for us. I'm used to the aunties at traditional dim sum spots who usually have scissors and would quickly cut it for us or just give us a knife to do it ourselves. The menu leans more toward fusion than traditional dim sum. Prices are on the higher side, and some items felt a bit too upscale for what I was looking for. The food presentation was nice and food tasted fine, but I personally prefer classic dim sum dishes. The more "elevated" dishes aren't for me. It was nice to try something different, but this probably won't be my go-to spot for dim sum.

More like a 3.5!! Service was fine, but food came out kind of slow, im used to dim sum being served by the aunties really quickly in Chinatown! Presentation was fancy and food was okay but overpriced. We were doing family style and wanted to cut some of the buns. They didn't have scissors? We had to cut using a knife which was funny lol. The tea also tasted like cleaning product and didn't taste as refreshing as it is in other dim sum restaurants.

Food (we ordered): 1. Jasmine tea ($2.20/person) 2. Soup Dumplings ($13.50) - I liked the variety and skin colors of the different flavors. The squid ink truffle was my favorite. The skin is a perfect texture and thickness so that it doesn't immediately explode when you bite into it. It also comes in a big spoon, which makes it a lot easier to catch all the soup. This dish also comes with a side dish of vinegar balls to put on top of the dumpling. 3. XO Scallop Dumpling ($10) - the dumplings were a generous portion and the flavors were great. 4. Lobster Ha Gow ($10) - this was better than I thought! The extra syringe of flavoring was also nice to be able to inject into each Ha Gow. 5. Rainbow Prawn Rice Crepe ($11) - the skin was soo soft! Great dish! 6. Black Truffle Crispy Duck Fried Rice ($25) - honestly, this wasn't anything special. I could barely taste the duck or truffle. I would probably try something else next time. Although we didn't use most of the complimentary palette of dipping sauces, it was a nice option to have. Of all the dishes we ordered, I'd probably only reorder the rainbow prawn rice crepe, lobster ha gow, and palette soup dumplings in the future. Interior: Nice ambiance, setting, and design! Parking: Free parking structure Service: Excellent, quick, and attentive. Heads up, they charge for tea ($2.20/pp) and also include a 18% gratuity even for two people.

Such a good experience at this amazing spot. You can make reservations on Yelp for up to 10. If you need more headcount, follow up with an email and they'll help you fix the number. We arrived a little late but were still seated on a Friday afternoon without our full party, so I appreciate their flexibility with that. It can be hard to find if you haven't been there before. It's attached to the mall and right across from the theater, so park as if you'd park for Lulu lemon and you should be able to see it. Food was amazing and tasty. The roast duck was a major highlight. Also loved the beef with fried garlic, which was amazing as well. I loved the variety and the fact that they have cocktails as well. I just came back from a trip to Hong Kong and say this is comparable to some of what I had out there. It is fancier and a bit pricier but I would definitely come back.

Palette Tea in San Mateo gets 4 stars based on the less stress Mother's Day lunch we had Reservations are available and quick Beautiful space Service feels smooth Must Get Item: salt and pepper pork tenderloin Lobster Har Gow is good with the dropper of umami oil The table for 5 is a bit small but manageable Wagyu beef chow fun noodles were a bit too stuck together and the beef wasn't as tender

What a swanky place located in the Hillsdale mall, the more modernized section. Parking was easy, lots of parking spots in a parking garage. The interior of the restaurant is so sleek and I loved the table with the goldfish swimming in it. The three of us ordered a number of traditional dim sum dishes like ha gow, pineapple buns, shiu mai, the soup dumplings, but it had a more elevated taste! For example, the prawn rice rolls had these lines of veggies and the soup dumplings also had the pretty colors from black squid ink, beet, etc. I enjoyed their paper ordering and the food came out staggered. The tea was exceptional, must have tea with dim sum! It was nice that they had a tea candle to keep it warm and the staff were very attentive, constantly refilling our tea when we ran out. I highly recommend the fried taro dumpling shaped like a black swan and the xo scallop dumplings. It was stuffed and delicious. The egg yolk dessert was okay and I unfortunately didn't think the soup dumplings was worth it. I couldn't taste any difference between DTF soup dumplings and these.

What a unique name for a dimsum restaurant! Sunday dimsum is a tradition in our family so naturally we had to try this place out one weekend. My brother put in a reservation and our group of 9 headed over around noon. Each dish was like an art production, ready to be displayed at a food museum. I loved everything we ordered, including the tea (which is usually boring black tea at most of the places we have been). Service was also very good here. We had plenty of water to wash down our savory dishes. Everyone enjoyed the space and the flavors, even the kids (ages 5 and 2!) Parking at the top level of the mall provided easy access to the ramp to the restaurant. All in all a great experience. I would love to return to taste more menu items!

Second time here with my mom, returning customer here and this place never ceases to amaze me. Every savory dish I've ordered is bursting with unique flavors and deliciousness. All shrimp dumplings and siu mai have been very juicy and flavorful, each with its own twist. Favorites: - black swan taro puff - aesthetically pleasing with a nice mushroom and beef interior, perfect contrast of textures - surf clam congee - the surf clam was so tender even my mom with sensitive teeth did not find it tough at all! - osmanthus gelee - the most approved dessert for not too sweet. - custard dumpling - my favorite dessert (and I have a stronger sweet tooth) Will definitely want to come back. Service was exceptional, and the ambiance was very lively.

We went there for our anniversary. The service was lackluster. Ordered a ginger ale but it tasted like vodka soda or some alcohol. We asked him (the server) if this was ginger ale, he said it's ginger ale in the restaurant. We said we no longer want it, he coped an attitude and said he can take it away but we will have to pay since we already ordered. That was fine but the attitude was the problem. The food was decent but the service ruined the whole experience for us on our special day.

20% gratuity already applied. Service was fast and friendly. Food was good and pricey. Love the xiao long baos :) Overall can't complain.

Good dim sum. This place has some different varieties than traditional dim sum restaurants. It's tasty and I enjoyed flavor. The Staffs are pretty nice. You can make reservations here unlike a lot of the traditional dim sum places.

SO YUMMY! I have been wanting to try Palette Tea Garden for years, I don't know why it took me so long! A good number of tasty vegetarian dishes! Everything we got was divine - the sweet corn cauliflower rice, green beans, spring rolls, and salt and pepper tofu. The rice, green beans, and tofu were my favorite. The spring rolls were very mushroom heavy. Might be fine for some, I prefer a little more variety. The only non-caffeinated tea they had was chrysanthemum. It had some additional flavor to it, maybe black pepper? Interesting. Ambiance was gorgeous. But the room was cold for some reason? We definitely over-ordered for 2 people. Thinking it was a dim sum place, we ordered 4 dishes, expecting them to be small / tapas style. Looking back, only the spring rolls were actually in the dim sum section of the menu; the other 3 were full sized dishes! Whoops! (The price reflected this too ) Be cautious and notice what's dim sum vs full sized. Loved it and would return!

I took my family back for a party on CNY day . I made the reservation online a week ago. Showed up exactly at 1pm, The hostess lady in red was so rude , even though there were still 3 tables left, she still told me to wait 20 -30 mins! When I asked her why, she just ignored me. So I asked another staff who was passing by, explained the situation, she immediately seat us to the table I pointed at the hostess in the first place. When I asked if the lady in red was a manager, she said no. I never got her name. Anyways, other than that little episode, everything else was fine. So I give it 3 stars.

It has been several years since I've had my first experience at Palette, and since then, they've grown on me. Through the years, they've offered promotions such as half off crab or lobster or slight discounts, which has increased my incentive to go (they post these on their IG). They were especially clutch during the pandemic times, when they had quality family set meals for takeout. Of course inflation has hit since then, but for their regular menu, it's honestly reasonable when you compare it to other nearby dim sum restaurants, upscale places (which this absolutely is), and picture-worthy food. Also, the food not only looks good, but tastes good. The only drawbacks are the price, and that you have to advocate for your own service sometimes depending on your server. I've read about people getting free stuff for birthdays, but that's never happened to me despite celebrating here on a few occasions. They will sometimes have a Yelp check-in deal. You can only do one promotion at a time. I've eaten a lot of the menu, and both lunch and dinner have great options. Lunch of course offers more dim sum, and there are some commonalities between the two menus. They also have more limited offerings for afternoon tea (between lunch and dinner), and have an extensive bar selection - their cocktails are pretty good and change seasonally. They've updated their policies to force you to pick a teapot for a charge per person. I'd go with jasmine jade for a lighter floral flavor, or shou mei for a traditional dim sum bitter tea that'll balance out all the grease. The milk oolong (does not actually have milk in it) and iron goddess are solid oolong teas if you want something subtly sweet and roasted. They automatically charge a 18% service fee, so you don't have to tip. My favorites include their Peking duck, rice crepes, sticky rice, typhoon shrimp dumplings (it's like fried har gow), baked pineapple bao (it has lava egg custard inside), and fried rice. Dinner has some sleeper hit items like roasted angus short rib. Everything kind of tastes like what it sounds like, so just get whatever proteins and flavors you like, or whatever photos look best on their picture menu. Also, you can mix and match the lobster/crab dishes - as in, if there's lobster sticky rice, you can order it with a crab instead and vice versa. The things I didn't like too much were the baked BBQ pork bao (too dry and sweet), lobster ha gow (tastes like regular ha gow with extra sea taste), palette soup dumpling (they don't specialize in these and it shows), or their custard dumplings (thick custard does not work well with thick dumpling wrapper). Palette Tea Garden is one of the best restaurants at Hillsdale, has a lot of seating both inside and outside, and exemplifies Chinese elegance and lavishness in their decorated interior and delicacies.

Recently had dinner her for my mom's birthday. It's her favorite dim sum in the Bay Area, so of course we had to celebrate her bday here. We had reservations for 6:30pm for a party of 10 people. Easy to make reservations online or using the app and got seated right away. Since we were a big party, we had a huge order! We ordered the following: Siu Mai, Ha Gow, Typhoon Crispy Ha Gow, Pork Soup XLB, Crab Roe Dumpling, Popcorn Chicken, Chili Sandstorm Wings, Crab Fried Rice, Pan Seared Seafood Noodles, Sichuan Green Beans, Garlic Pea Tendrils and Peking Duck. When I said we ordered a lot, we ordered HELLA! Lol All the items came over very fast and we had so many items that we barely had room for it on the table. For the most part everything was delicious and the staff were efficient. I would only say is that the chili sandstorm wings were overly seasoned and a bit overcooked. The same for the crispy ha gow. I get that it's supposed to be crispy but it was so overly cooked that it was hard to bite into. Other than those two items, we very much enjoyed our dinner. Given that we ordered a lot, I knew our bill was going to be expensive. Heads up, this spot is more on the pricey end but whatever mom wants, she gets!

This is probably one of our favorite modern/fusion Cantonese style restaurants in the area. Obviously if you're looking for a completely authentic Chinese dining experience you will not find it here, but their take on Mapo Tofu using Impossible meat is an inspired dish. The fried block of soft tofu that's crisp on the outside and fluffy/custardy on the inside topped with a savory umami sauce with just the right amount of spice, delicious. Probably one of my favorite unorthodox takes on a classic dish. Their standard fair is also not bad, though if you are expecting the best hargow ever you are in for disappointment, their regular dimsum dishes are not the main attraction so save your money for their more unique dishes. Service in our experience has been great. The servers can speak Chinese as well as English and have always been attentive and nice to us. Overall just know what kind of restaurant this is, expect unique twists on traditional dishes and I think you will enjoy yourself.

Since we were planning on spending the day at Hillsdale Mall, we decided to have lunch here. I was able to make a reservation online the night before. Like last time, we were seated in the covered patio, which had heat lamps available. Our order: *Tea* 香片 Jasmine Jade ($2.20/person): +Fave of the 3: Green tea permeated w/fragrant jasmine. +Tea pot was kept over a candle, so it stayed warm throughout our meal. -Tea bag, not loose leaf tea 鐵觀音 Iron Goddess ($2.20/person): +Tea pot was kept over a candle, so it stayed warm throughout our meal. -Tea bag, not loose leaf tea 壽眉 Shou Mei ($2.20/person): +Tea pot was kept over a candle, so it stayed warm throughout our meal. -Tea bag, not loose leaf tea -Least favorite of the 3: Despite being a white tea, it was the most bitter. *Food* 彩苑焗叉燒包 Baked BBQ Pork Bao (3 pcs): $8.50 -One of the worst baked BBQ pork buns I've had. The "snow cap" was pasty and flavorless, and it was filled w/very little BBQ pork filling. 五味小籠包 Palette Soup Dumplings (5 pcs): $13.50 Paprika & chicken, Red beet & beef, Spinach & kale, Squid ink & black truffle, Turmeric & crab roe +Fillings were juicy. +Instead of the usual pork XLB, one with a paprika skin and chicken filling was in its place. +Dipping sauce came in the form of "caviar": Molecular gastronomy unique to this location. +Not deflated like last time: However, out of all the concepts I've tried, I still like the ones at Palette Tea House (SF) the most. -Ceramic spoons holding the XLBs were hot and slippery, so they were hard to hold. 珊瑚海鮮煎麵 Pan Seared Seafood Noodles ($25.00): +Textural contrast of crunchy and soft noodles +Plenty of chives, mushrooms, and vegetables -Small portion -Scallops and shrimp were battered and salty -Sauce was a bit thick and salty. Koi Palace's version is MUCH better. Side notes: 1.) Hot water is $1.00/person 2.) Automatic 18% service charge 3.) Free parking in the Hillsdale Mall parking garage *Verdict: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 d/t creativity and service. Dishes were cleared promptly and we received tea refills without having to ask. Similar thoughts as last time: Most likely won't make the trek over here again unless if I was in the area.

Warning: service is TERRIBLE! 18% service charge no matter how small your party is for bad service! Came here on a Sunday around 11:30pm. Signed up on the virtual waitlist and it said it was going to be a 30-45 min wait. (As expected) To our surprise, we got seated in 5 minutes! We were seated outside and there were some heaters on. They placed us near the corner and the other heaters weren't on so we asked them to turn on the other lamps. Turns out they ran out of gas so nothing they could do. We were freezing! We were somewhat in the corner but there was another table that was in the corner corner and really getting all of the wind. I saw multiple parties try to sit there and they all complained about how cold it was. Food overall was good. On the pricier side but it's expected. Going back to service, we marked all of our items on a paper and our server put in our order. Our server was not nice during the entire experience. She forgot to add something into our order. Then when we asked for 3 sides of extra rice, we never got it. It was on our receipt but we had to ask 3 DIFFERENT people to get it for us (including our server who we asked twice) Our server did not apologize for the rice OR for forgetting to add one of our orders. Was going to leave her a smaller tip than usual but turns out there's an AUTOMATIC 18% service charge. It's on the menu but now I see how they're able to get away with such bad service. I do want to add that the people bringing out our food and cleaning our table were all very nice and apologetic to our situation. Only they were able to help us get our 3 bowls of rice. Not our server. Avoid coming here.

Pricey and good dim sum here. The Rainbow Prawn Rice was very tasty. Har Gow, can't go wrong. Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai always good. Steamed Pork & Chinese Bacon, my favorite. Chinese Kale, generous but $16? XO Sauce & Wagyu Fried Rice, $25, but nothing to write home about. They automatically add a service charge of 18% which totaled up to $100 for 2 people. Busy and bustling place. Less crowded at Ghirardelli Square in SF. Had to flag down a waiter to take our order. Ok, it was the weekend of CNY after all.

Excellent Peking Duck and XLB sampler. Peking Duck did not include the carcass when we inquired unlike the places I go to in Seattle area. Delicious with assortment of sliced veggies to go along with the duck inside thin wrappers. The XLB sampler is good but I wasn't particularly drawn to any of the flavors. Wish they included a foie gras version like the Asian Paradise chain. Also ordered a tofu dish and the wagyu chow fun. The latter was also delicious. The salt and pepper tofu didn't do much for me. Located in shopping mall near free garage parking. Definitely would return.

Palette Tea Garden is a contemporary twist on traditional Cantonese cuisine, blending classic flavors with modern artistic presentations. This place shines for its innovative dim sum offerings and elegant ambiance, but if you were to eat with your eyes closed, I'm not sure it surpasses that rundown mom and pop Chinatown hole-in-the-wall. We came here to try out the signature Palette Xiao Long Bao Sampler, which presents a vibrant array of soup dumplings, each infused with distinct flavors and hues. My favorite is a tie between the Squid Ink with Black Truffle and Pork and the Beets with Beef. High raise for this platter's aesthetic appeal. We also got a full Peking duck, which we were told is a hallmark of Palette Tea Garden. For sure, it is really well done-- crispy skin, moist meat, traditional accompaniments plus some modern twists with the julienned radishes. And once again, the presentation is top-notch. You come here for the experience, and an experience you will definitely get. However, I was disappointed that they would not let us bring home the duck carcass, something that's considered customary, if this place is going for cultural authenticity. The wagyu chowfun is a very elevated version of the classic with the higher quality premium beef. It was really tender and the flat noodles were perfectly and delicately prepared. That said, there are probably more optimal ways to be getting good mileage out of wagyu than chowfun, because again, at the end of the day, eyes closed I cannot tell the difference between this chowfun and the hole-in-the-wall that tenderizes the beef via velveting. Overall, Palette Tea Garden offers a sophisticated dining experience, artfully combining traditional Chinese culinary techniques with contemporary and creative flair. This establishment promises a memorable gastronomic journey.

So glad we got to a reservation to try this place . We were a little nervous as it was inside the mall but We had such a great time trying new dishes. The staff there was so attentive and on top of us refilling our hot tea. We got to try some many new dishes. We highly recommend trying this place

One bite, instant favorite! Palette is tucked away in the Hillsdale mall. Inside is beautiful, elegance, and relaxing. The staff was great, made us feel like we were valued customers and they were happy that we chose them. Every single thing we got was delicious, the best Chow fun I have ever had in my life. I could go on and on, but just go see for yourself. You will not be disappointed. We love this place so much that we made reservations for Valentine's Day on our way out because this is where we wanted to be that special night.

Our review for @paletteteagarden in San Mateo: - Price point: $$ (~$50 pp) - Cuisine: Cantonese (Chinese) - Ambience: Located inside the Hillsdale mall, the interior is cute, can get busy during holidays and weekends. Parking is generally easy - Food review: This is our go to dimsum spot, we love most of the dimsums we have tried here. 1. Xiao long bao (8/10): This gets more points because of how beautiful it was presented. The colors of the baos along with the complimentary matching dipping sauce is super adorable. 2. Siu mai (9.5/10): These were perfect! Soft and moist and just delicious! 3. Lobster hargow (9.5/10): Another dimsum which just always hit the spot! 4. Crab butter dumpling (9.5/10): This was super unique, first time tried this dumpling and just loved it! Give them a try, if you are local! They have branches in other places as well! OF COURSE, WE WILL BE BACK ! Recommended for: Dimsum lovers

I've been to Palette Tea Garden a few times for lunch and dinner and even ordered delivery so I feel that I can write a proper review now. I was hesitant at first because the prices are extremely HIGH - literally double the price for dim sum but the location is so convenient. It's in the outdoor area of the Hillsdale Malle with ample parking so that made it convenient to easily meet up with friends and coworkers. This is definitely elevated dim sum. They offer signature dim sum dishes like ha gow and siu mai but my favorites are dishes are the ones that I can't find anywhere else such as the Black Truffle Crispy Duck Fried Rice $25 and Sweet Sesame Seabass Cubes $26. Definitely the place you want to come when you want to splurge. I also don't mind that they have a nice bar area to sit at. Service is still typical of a Chinese restaurant. You'll need to flag someone down when you need something like water or the bill.

I totally forgot to use the Yelp waitlist and I regret it. Do use the waitlist! They were so helpful and accommodating with my little 6-month old baby. They provided a high chair and space for the gigantic stroller. The food was excellent. Everything I ordered was wonderful. I gave a piece to my child and she also loved it.

When my family said we were going to go to dim sum, I did not expect such a place. Lots of seating but reservations highly recommended because it does get busy. Be ready for the noise! Lots of hustle and bustle with the staff. This is the fanciest dim sum place I've ever been to. You might get lucky and be seated with the goldfish in the center. Service is super quick. My favorite dish had to be the honey walnut shrimp. Even the walnuts were perfect. I didn't care for the palette dumplings. The pork belly was tender. And I loved the sauces, especially the coconut! I'm not a local so I'm bummed that I can't come back any time soon.

We have been to Palette Tea Garden a few times and always had a great experience. The restaurant feels upscale with darker decor, and the video screen ceilings in the hallway give it a modern feel. It is a fresh take on the classic dim sum place. They have seating for large groups and booths for smaller, more private meals. They also have a full bar with top shelf liquor, which is great if you want to enjoy a drink with your food. The dim sum is excellent, and from 1 to 3 p.m., all lobster items are half off, which is a great deal. We tried the lobster har gao and the garlic truffle lobster, and both were delicious. We also ordered the Peking duck, which came with flat wrappers, green onion, cucumber, radish, and hoisin sauce. The crispy duck skin and deboned meat were the stars of the dish and very tasty. The staff was helpful and made sure our water was always full. Our food came out quickly. I love coming here with my family and we look forward to our next meal.

We come mostly for holidays, celebrations like birthdays, or to impress out of town relatives. The prices are definitely hefty. Plus, once you add tax and the mandatory gratuity it's like you're paying for an extra person. We've had a couple meh dishes in the past, but on our recent trip everything was pretty good and you can taste the quality. Presentation is clean and the food is cooked with care. I think overall I would skip most of the dumplings as they feel just OK since there's so many other restaurants out there now that specialize in making delicious dumplings. Some dishes we have repeat ordered would be the chicken feet, tripe, taro swans, and popcorn chicken. Besides some of the fancy dishes, you're also paying for ambiance, which I think they do deliver on. Making a reservation via the Yelp app is easy and I noticed they sometimes open early on holidays so you can try to snag a table if you come early enough and couldn't get a reservation.

Many reviews on yelp are not real, this one is of a real true experience. Food and presentation at this restaurant from the beginning/opening was 8/10. Last night June 21st 2025. 3/10. The signature dish of the dumplings did not even fit on the bamboo display. It was not even presentable. I told the staff of this thinking they would just replace the bamboo holder simple fix...no. They said its usually not like this but for me it is. So just be happy with it. Not cool. The truffle scallops noodle was good and crab was good during dinner. The veggies we ordered were not fresh and it caused two members of my party to have to use the restroom. I do not mind paying 18% gratuities. It's absolutely a privilege to be able when the service is on par. Maybe my expectations are high. If a restaurant charges 18%, I would like to think they would help you pack your left overs. Instead I was given 4 small boxes for 5 entrees. Not only that, I was provided with the smallest takeout bag that had been soaked with water a few days before so the paper-bag was dried soaked and only fit two containers.