Tim Ho Wan

Dim sum restaurant · Westpark

Tim Ho Wan

Dim sum restaurant · Westpark

5

2700 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92606

Photos

Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null
Tim Ho Wan by null

Highlights

Tim Ho Wan in Irvine serves up sleek dim sum with standout BBQ pork buns and efficient service, making it a go-to for a quick, tasty bite.  

Featured in Eater
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2700 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92606 Get directions

timhowanusa.com

$20–30 · Menu

Information

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2700 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92606 Get directions

+1 262 888 8828
timhowanusa.com
THWIrvine

$20–30 · Menu

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outdoor seating

Last updated

Jul 11, 2025

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@eater

"Just about everyone is excited to have Tim Ho Wan in Southern California. Long lines and fast service have defined this new strip mall hit down in Irvine, and now the LA Times is weighing in with a big new review of the place. Amy Scattergood, sitting in for Patricia Escárcega while she’s out, says that this stateside location of Tim Ho Wan doesn’t quite mirror the fun and energy of the area’s best dim sum houses, but that’s hardly the point. The massive company now spans some 50 locations from New York City to Hawaii to the Hong Kong mainstay outposts, and leans on the fact that it holds a Michelin star for its original location. Still, despite “the ambiance at our Tim Ho Wan [being] more Cinnabon than banquet hall,” Scattergood comes away somewhat impressed: And while “Irvine’s version is not the dim sum grail that you might expect” — just ask OC Weekly — there are still more than a few satisfying bites, particularly on the steamed and non-fried side of the menu. Rice rolls are “properly addictive,” while “turnip cakes are torqued with dried shrimp,” for example. In all, Irvine’s Tim Ho Wan is a reliable spot for dim sum that toes the line between being inexpensive, being accessible, and being delicious, says the Times." - Farley Elliott

Tim Ho Wan’s Michelin-Level Dim Sum Is Worth the Drive to Irvine in OC - Eater LA
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@eater

"Various dishes were considered 'inexplicably dull' or 'puzzling,' with particularly harsh criticism for battered dessert milk sticks." - Farley Elliott

OC Weekly Calls Irvine Dim Sum Star Tim Ho Wan Food ‘Inexplicably Dull’ - Eater LA
View Postcard for Tim Ho Wan
@eater

"Tim Ho Wan, an iconic Hong Kong dim sum destination, has officially set its sights on Houston. A representative for the chain tells Eater that it currently has plans to open a Houston outpost, though no address or timeline for its arrival has been set just yet. The news comes on the heels of Tim Ho Wan’s newest restaurant, which debuted in Irvine, California this week. Founded in 2009 in Hong Kong, the Michelin-starred restaurant also operates dozens of outposts across the globe, including U.S. locations in Hawaii, New York, and an outpost that’s soon set to debut in Las Vegas. For the unfamiliar, Tim Ho Wan is known for its decadent and diverse selection of classic dim sum offerings, ranging from barbecue pork buns to steamed shrimp dumplings, deep-fried eggplant, and steamed rice rolls stuffed with minced beef or shrimp. Congee is also on the menu, along with sweets like pan-fried black rice mochi served with pineapple and crisp sesame balls stuffed with “lava custard.” No word yet on when Houston diners can expect this Michelin-starred hotspot to touch down, but stay tuned for more details." - Amy McCarthy

Legendary Hong Kong Dim Sum Destination Tim Ho Wan Will Open in Houston - Eater Houston
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@eater

"Tim Ho Wan is a Michelin-starred dim sum spot located at the Diamond Jamboree plaza, known for its highly-regarded Hong Kong-style dim sum." - Matthew Kang

11 Most Anticipated Los Angeles Restaurant Openings This Fall - Eater LA
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@eater

"The Michelin-starred Hong Kong restaurant, Tim Ho Wan, is coming to Irvine, California. The restaurant is famous for being the 'cheapest Michelin-starred meal' and is in expansion mode, with locations in New York City, Hawaii, and a planned opening in Las Vegas at the Palms Casino Resort. The Irvine outlet is expected to open this winter, with signage already up at the former Capital Seafood location at the Diamond Jamboree plaza off Alton Parkway. The new location is eagerly anticipated by local diners." - Farley Elliott

Michelin-Starred Hong Kong Dim Sum Tim Ho Wan Expands to Orange County - Eater LA
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Michele Leocadio

Google
We walked around this busy Irvine center and decided on Tim Ho Wan, where we were able to be seated right away. The decor was nice with a modern look. The servers were efficient and came by our table often. Everything we shared: Pan Fried Noodles with BBQ Pork $12.50 Baked BBQ Pork Buns 3pc $8.00 Steamed Rice Roll with BBQ Pork $7.95 Sweet Coconut Cream with Taro and Sago $7.50 The baked barbecue pork buns is one of my favorites. Textured pillows of pastry that was a little sweet with a pocket of delicious char siu. The Pan Fried Noodles with BBQ Pork was another favorite. The portion was a little smaller than I was expecting. The flavor was fantastic and liked the crunch of the veggies. Visually very appealing! I miss the traditional dim sum carts. I’ll definitely have to come back to try more of their dim sum!

Ryan Tonthat (FoodandPooch)

Google
First time visit! We got greeted by a host, got our temp checked and seated. Everything was clean and organized. We ordered a few items from the menu, some steamed, some pan fried, and some other regular dim sum dishes. The food tasted great. Everything was well seasoned, not too fatty or greasy. We miss the traditional dim sum carts. Definitely come back to try the other dishes. 4 stars for now. Hopefully our second trip will turn this into a 5 star review. Ciao!!

Dude

Google
In A Nutshell: -This was the 2nd Tim Ho Wan location I've eaten at. -Compared to the Vegas location, it's not as aesthetically pleasing to the eye for obvious reasons, but it is very clean & bright which is good. -The service here is very, very good, kind & attentive! -The menu options are standard & the food quality is superb. -Every item ordered was very tasty, which is why this dim sum spot always ranks high among other foodies. Overall, I really enjoyed eating at this location in Irvine.

Johnathon America

Google
This is the second Tim Ho Wan I’ve been to and it’s just as amazing as the one in Honolulu. All of the dim sum is wonderful, but the pork buns are the most unique (they’re sweet and savory in the perfect way) and the cucumber salad is the best side dish. Don’t forget to enjoy it with some jasmine tea! It really makes the experience better.

Tram Le

Google
We went on a Monday evening and got seated right away with about 1/4 of the place filled. Their menu is pretty…compact! If you have tried many other dim sum places, this place can be an average or just a bit above average. But the service was fast. Now, the food portion is not much, like in the won ton noodle soup, just a small amount of noodle.

龔振勝

Google
Has a modern look to it. But I drove 1.5hrs for this? I keep hearing their Hong Kong location has a Michelin Star. So far the Michelin board has been disappointing, and this place is honestly not different. Their webpage shows one thing, and then what comes out in comparison looks so subpar. 貨不對板。蝦餃冇十三摺，燒賣冇腰折. Their 鳳爪 (Phoenix Claws) can sit in the marinade, but the taste doesn't really get through, and they didn't cook it correctly to get it puffy and soft. The inside of the 叉燒包(BBQ Pork Buns) was dry as heck. I get not wanting to use the traditional rice flour bread, but that sugar-laden bread has nothing on Lucille's Biscuits, so don't even try! Somewhat passable was the 腸粉 (rice rolls), what was up with the plain rice roll? It honestly looked like it was store-bought. Try some of their other items, but based on the traditional stuff, they're trying too hard to be original, and it's not working for me.

A Stint Abroad

Google
My boyfriend and I came here for lunch last Saturday. We didn’t wait too long (about 10 min). The food here is pretty good. I liked that the plates we ordered were perfectly seasoned and it wasn’t too oily or salty. We highly recommend the Braised Brisket, noodles and the Steamed Pork Dumplings. They also have a happy hour from 3-6pm that we’ll likely try out in the next few weeks.

Julie Dang

Google
I had high expectations of this place because I’ve had it in Singapore, which I personally thought tasted so better there. It definitely deserved a Michelin star there, but here in Irvine it just doesn’t taste the same.. The only dish that tasted the same were the BBQ pork buns.. so good! The steamed shrimp dumplings were good too but I remember it being softer. Everything else was O.K. And not as great as I remembered it to be, such as the wontons (which weren’t even hot!), turnip cake, steamed pork dumplings, and sticky rice in lotus leaf. On the plus side, there was good service and no wait time at 11:30AM on a Friday!

Nina N.

Yelp
I don't know what people are saying and why this place is considered bad. Ya'll got trash for a palate. Maybe it's because they're used to eating cheap flavored dim sum with lower quality ingredients that's overly filled with MSG and salt. Sorry not sorry. Everyone that says China garden, seafood cove, capital, or the closed down place, Sam woo, is better has trash or mid taste. Perhaps the flavor is too refined for some people to appreciate. From dim sum, to daikon cake, to the noodle soup, they're all pleasantly fresh and well flavored. Not overly sweet, salty, or cotton mouth filled with msg. This is how quality dim sum should taste. The ambiance is nice and not grimey, dusty, and sticky like the other places. I have nothing bad to say about the service other than average. It's not a five star restaurant service but at least it's better than other places.

Tom A.

Yelp
Good dim sum & excellent service! The place is always bright & clean. Love the Har Gow.

Louis L.

Yelp
The food is mediocre dim sum and is not worth the trouble for the long line wait. We sat down and their service is extremely slow and barely any attention is given to us. Let alone lets not forget about the automatically 15% gratuity and hidden tea charge. I've been to Tim Ho Wan outside the US and this location is not held to the same standard. I do not recommend this location. Plenty of other dim sum options in Irvine.

Steph H.

Yelp
STEPH JUDGEMENT: Solid dimsum choice, especially during non-busy times. I met up with a couple of friends for dinner on a weeknight, and it was very quiet. They also have happy hour from 3-6, which we took advantage of. We ordered the following to share: Fried eggplant with shrimp - very good Shrimp har gow (2) - standard, but good Fried turnip cakes (2) - very good Beef noodle soup (I didn't partake) Rice roll with shrimp (we ordered ones with chives but there were no chives--still ok) Steamed egg cake (fluffy, lightly sweet) Service was nice, but again, not very many people. It was a pleasant midweek dimsum hit, but not sure if I'd brave the weekend crowds here. Would definitely return.

Paul L.

Yelp
Three stars for the meal experience, minus one star for one of the dirtiest bathroom encounters - I was hoping for a traditional cart to be rolled to our table. Unfortunately, you have to order the selections with the server at this made-to-order restaurant. Tim Ho Wan boasts as a place that serves "quality and affordability." While I can attest that there was quality in each dim sum that we ordered, it is only half true as I did not feel that our five selections were considered affordable. Spending over $40 for five does not make dim sum an affordable dining experience. Also, I have to point out that for a restaurant with high standards to have one of the most unmaintained bathrooms that I've ever witnessed. The toilet was leaking from each flush, and the floor was slippery, which is a serious hazard. What we ordered: BAKED BBQ BUNS (3): I believe this is their best-seller and what this place is known for. The BBQ buns were soft, and the taste of the marinated pork was sweet. STEAMED SHRIMP DUMPLINGS (HAR GOW) - If you love shrimp, this is a must-order. The dumplings are savory and light. STEAMED PORK DUMPLINGS WITH SHRIMP (SIU MAI) - Similar to the Shrimp Dumpling with an added pork meat on the bottom. STEAMED DUMPLINGS WITH SHRIMP AND CHIVES - Another steamed selection that complements with their chili crisp sauce. STEAMED RICE ROLL WITH BBQ PORK - These stick rice paper rolls are like soft cigars packed with meat of your selection and drenched in sweet soy sauce. All five selections were an enjoyable treat. However, this isn't the place for a budget-conscious dim sum experience.

Tom S.

Yelp
My first Tim Ho Wan experience was in Honolulu back in ~2018. I've been craving it ever since, probably because I like how structured and operationalized it is. There are none in the SF Bay Area, not sure why, though I can only speculate it's probably because how many "good" dim sum places there are in the SF Bay Area as is. I wouldn't mind if THW still came to the Bay though. The problem with the dim sum places in the Bay are that they aren't nearly as consistent. There are many places that will taste great one time then totally flop the next visit. I'd like to think THW (since it's a global chain) has the consistency portion down. - Baked Char Siu Bao: Good, iconic, but more on the sweet side. There is a sugary coating on top. - Congee: Good, serviceable, well seasoned. - Spare ribs with black bean sauce: I always get it, and it was done nicely here. - Steamed Rice Roll with Shrimp: It comes in 3 rolls, and they didn't cut it. Decent, but wish they would cut it into better pieces. - Chicken Dumplings: Very run-in-the-mill pan fried chicken dumplings with some ginseng flavor to it. I always get the Siu Mai and Har Gow, but they didn't taste that great oddly enough. It's clean, service is good, and it's in a great plaza in Irvine!

Andy P.

Yelp
Wow... yeah... Heard great things about this place and also experience lack luster quality food. Why such the contradiction? Well... quality control was not there. I've heard that they earned a Michelin Star at the Taiwan location. How can that be if the quality is as such here? QC is the best answer. Tried the staple items of dim sum and even for novice patrons, you can tell it was just empty calories. Hai Cau was ok but that's the extent of it. I did enjoy the porridge but that's expected. I won't know what to say if that wasn't up to par. The inside decor was a take on old modern ish which seemed to have identity crisis. Regardless of that, food quality affects the overall experience. Heard the wife mentioned that the bathroom was not up-kept. That's a big no no for any restaurant in my book. Truthfully, I don't think they will be here that much longer with the price they charge and the mediocre food they serve. I hope they look into these points and start making adjustments. This isn't looking good for their future endeavors.

Mark F.

Yelp
Baked BBQ Pork Buns: a signature dish here I'm told. The breading was surprisingly light and airy. I could polish off about a dozen if left unattended. Hehe. We tried more yummy foods, as evidenced by my pics, but I'm stuck fantasizing about those pork buns even now...

Vivian C.

Yelp
I ordered a few items from the menu, some steamed, and some other regular dim sum dishes. The food tasted great. Everything was well seasoned, not too fatty or greasy. These baked bbq pork buns are seriously my favorite food ever! They're so flaky and moist on the inside with sugar and crunch on the outside. Shiu Mai was not dense and fresh tasting , service was fast. Everything was clean and organized. I am not sure why this location has gotten so many negative reviews maybe the food portion is not much for the price.

Katherine S.

Yelp
Tim Ho Wan is a great spot for delicious dim sum. The baked BBQ pork buns are still tasty, but they seem smaller now. We enjoyed every dish we ordered, though the table was a bit sticky when we sat down. The service was decent, and the staff was friendly. We'd definitely go back to try their happy hour menu.

Betty G.

Yelp
Came back this afternoon at happy hour and ordered: - Congee with pork and 1000-year egg - Wontons in spicy sauce - Fried rice with bbq pork and shrimp (2 orders) - Baked bbq pork buns (2 orders) - Wontons noodles soup The congee was flavorful. But it came with (very little) shredded pork & two very small pieces of that black delicacy egg. The egg tasted really good. Just wish it has more of it. Wontons in spicy sauce. I thought they are the same wontons as the ones in the noodles soup, which come with chopped shrimp. But they are actually stuffed with ground pork instead. Still good. But I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting the shrimp filling instead. Still decent. Fried rice. Good flavor. Very little bbq pork. It has some lettuce, eggs, and about 6 shrimps, I think. Baked bbq pork buns. These are what everyone is raving about, and they are very good. My guest loved the wontons noodles soup. They will bring family members back very soon.

Emi K.

Yelp
Superb for food taste! An update of what I like here: Pork boa comes with three! The bread is kind of sugary! Friend rice with no onions' comes with meat and shrimp Shrimp Har Gow I've tried other stuff from here but those three are definitely the must haves for hubby and I!

Connie L.

Yelp
This review is based on our most recent experience. We came with a party of 15 people and ordered a variety of dim sum. We were served tea with 3 dirty rusty steel tea pots and that's what my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were fixated on the fact that these teapots were so dirty looking and they charge $8 per teapot while all the other tables around us got the cleaner nicer looking tea pots. When I brought this up to the waiter's attention I felt like we were given attitude and excuses for why we were served these dirty/ rusty teapots. There should be NO excuse because as a nice reputable dim sum restaurant the management/ staff should recognize when it's time to replace these teapots and not be serving customers with them. I'm so disappointed in this experience because previously I had enjoy the food and service here and really wanted my family to have a great experience. However, their experience was tainted by these tea pots and they didn't enjoy the dim sum. The biggest disappointment with the dim sum was the deep Fried Rice Dumplings that came out really greasy, deflated and unappetizing, to the point we had to send one back and we ordered 5 plates of these. It was also weird that the same items of food would not come out the same time like only 1 plate of the sesame ball came out and then we waited a while before the other 4 plates came out. The service was not coordinated for a large party. Hopefully they get rid of the dirty teapots and other customers don't have this same experience. I appreciate that the restaurant did accept reservations for large group and did not require credit card. Unfortunately, I won't be able to convince my family to come back but I do enjoy the bbq pork buns and siu main here.

Van D.

Yelp
The Tim Ho Wan name is associated with being a Michelin star dim sum restaurant. I have been intrigued for a while but have been reluctant to go due to the mixed reviews. I can now say with certainty... I was not missing out on anything. My boyfriend and I arrived around lunch time on a Sunday morning and there was no wait. This dim sum place is the type of place where there are no carts, and you just order from a sheet. Immediately I noticed the limited options, but I was hopeful they executed these limited offerings well. And the second thought was how these items are double the prices of other dim sum places offering the same dishes... Spoilers.... but the portion is also smaller than other places too. We shared a hot Jasmine Green Tea pot, Congee with Pork and Preserved Egg ($6.75), Har Gow ($7.50), Siu Mai ($7.50), Pan Fried Turnip Cake ($6.95), and a Bean Curd with Shrimp Meat and Veggies ($7.25). My favorite was probably the congee but not for that price tag. Sadly the har gow and siu mai were average, but on the shriveled looking side. The pan fried turnip cake was mushy, maybe not fried long enough? And that sad bean curd filling seemed like mostly cabbage. Bleh. Also this place has quite the mismatch identity crisis. The cups and plates were specially branded, but the tea pot was the cheap metal one. The chop sticks looked like it had a fancy gold design on the end, but the spoons they gave us for the congee were cheap plastic spoons. Yikes. Limited menu, average tasting, over-priced. We agreed we wouldn't want to come back here for dim sum. I was debated between 2 or 3 stars, but I already find this place average tasting even at normal price. This is average borderline subpar AND EXPENSIVE... what the heck? Definitely 2 stars.

Lyn D.

Yelp
We heard about Tim Ho Wan and they Michelin recognition. Granted, it isn't this particular spot in Irvine. However, everything was very lackluster. The food was okay. There was nothing unique about it, and sadly, we've had better dim sum in Garden Grove. It was a bit disappointing, and service was just okay. Our server was somewhat attentive, but the hostess acted as if she didn't want to be there. Overall, just a weird vibe, compared to what others have said this place used to be.

Tiffany L.

Yelp
Overpriced dim sum that doesn't live up to its Michelin reputation gained in Hong Kong. I've only had Tim Ho Wan in Honolulu and my experience there was very positive, but after having that experience, going to their Irvine location was a huge letdown. Unlike a lot of dim sum places, the dishes aren't rolled in carts and instead come straight from the kitchen. When they do come out, they aren't fresh - the first indicator being that the dishes are near room temperature. On top of that, the dishes are pretty bland, even for standard dishes like shumai and shrimp rice rolls, which is disappointing considering this is supposed to be a higher end dim sum experience. I feel like you're paying for the name instead of the quality because I think you can find better quality dim sum at more lowkey places. The only good thing about the experience was that the service was very prompt and attentive.

Judy C.

Yelp
I haven't been back for probably over five years. Friday night and this place didn't have a wait. First of all, the food wasn't bad. The hostess, waitress, and waiter were cordial. Then this happened. Thirty minutes into the meal, my friend noticed something was crawling on the floor, maybe two feet from my left. Then it made its way to our booth seat. A few minutes later, it started to crawl up the wall to about 9' above. It made a left turn towards me. At this point I got out of our booth and told the waitress. A few of them came over and moments later, it fell off the wall and landed on my seat. Would have been top my of head if I didn't get up. Not exaggerating a single bit. Then the lady in charge came over and downplayed it three times. 1. "I think it's dead." (I said no, it's moving.) 2. "It's not a bug-bug." (It's over 2" long and 3/4" wide, got 6 legs, a pair of antennae; prrrreeeety sure it's a bug.) 3. "It's a ladybug." (Umm, no, it is not). They moved us to a different table but never an apology. We didn't tip, unfortunately not so much the staff's fault but hygiene and cleanliness are foremost the most important for a restaurant, even before taste and service. I don't like writing reviews like this but I would want others to tell me if this happens to them.

Sherry C.

Yelp
Have you ever had Michelin-rated dim sum? Located right in the heart of Irvine, we got to try dim sum classics like shu mai, shrimp dumplings, and cheung fun. However what they're most known for is the Baked BBQ pork buns. I was a little skeptical at first just because sweet-tasting meat fillings aren't really my thing, but this ended up being my favorite thing that we ordered! I love the buttery crust on the bun like a pineapple bun, and the sweet BBQ pork complements it perfectly. Other must-order items are the Pan-fried rice rolls with XO sauce, Spicy cucumber salad, and Sticky rice in lotus leaf. This was like unwrapping a present with so many chunks of meat! Thanks for reading! ^-^

Tommy C.

Yelp
The famous dim sum chain from Hong Kong. Compared to Hong Kong, it's expensive and the quality doesn't match. But Hong Kong is a 16 hour plane ride away so it's irrelevant. Gets a solid B+. For California, and more specifically, in comparison to anything that's available in San Diego, Tim Ho Wan is a huge step up. The baked char siu bao (B+) is very good, better than any I've had in the 2+ years. I've lived in California. The lotus leaf sticky rice (B) is pretty generous with the fillings, unlike other places I visited. Lava sesame balls (A-) were the highlight of the meal. Definitely reminded me of dim sum in Hong Kong or in Canada. Lava was fragrant, creamy, with a touch of savoriness to further bring out the custardy goodness. Shrimp rice roll (C+) was the weak link. Steamed for too long, the rice rolls were mushy, and the shrimp, overcooked. Given the lack of options in San Diego, I'd definitely come again. I know there are other dim sum restaurants to explore closer to LA, but this one is relatively close, especially when I'm in Irvine about once a month.

Dwayne O.

Yelp
Tim Ho Wan Looking for a quick dim sum place to pickup and take on the road trip. Didn't know this Michilan Dim Sum place would provide the goods. Siu Mai were small but very tasty, loved them. Baked Char Siu Bao have never seen the bread like this before, tasty and good, more towards a baked type of pastry bread than the traditional white dough. Har Gaw were like the traditional style and good. We did take out so can't review any of the dine in experience. Overall, food was on the smaller side but very tasty.

Ping L.

Yelp
A Cantonese style Chinese restaurant also serves Dim Sum. We visited the restaurant during their happy hours to try their Dim Sum. The place was very clean and not crowded at around 4:30 pm. The waitress was polite and helpful. Happy hours are from 3:00 to 6:00 pm every weekday. During happy hours Dim Sum are about 15-20 % off their regular prices but restricted to only 35/40 % of the list of items in the regular menu. The ones we ordered were mostly OK except for the pan fried noodle which was subpar. Overall it was just fine, not exceptional.

Michele L.

Yelp
We walked around this busy Irvine center and decided on Tim Ho Wan, where we were able to be seated right away. The decor was nice with a modern look. The servers were efficient and came by our table often. Everything we shared: Pan Fried Noodles with BBQ Pork $12.50 Baked BBQ Pork Buns 3pc $8.00 Steamed Rice Roll with BBQ Pork $7.95 Sweet Coconut Cream with Taro and Sago $7.50 The baked barbecue pork buns is one of my favorites. Textured pillows of pastry that was a little sweet with a pocket of delicious char siu. The Pan Fried Noodles with BBQ Pork was another favorite. The portion was a little smaller than I was expecting. The flavor was fantastic and liked the crunch of the veggies. Visually very appealing! I miss the traditional dim sum carts. I'll definitely have to come back to try more of their dim sum!

K M.

Yelp
This place was and is (my gosh are they really re-opening?) a poster child of "Michelin Star is based on Individual locations" and not indicative of a chain. Yea, it's that apparent this place relies on a flex from a galaxy far , far away. Do not be fooled, it lacks any and all quality, preparation, value and flavor of a Michelin star restaurant. At least give me the illusion of crotchety, throaty, Marlboro 100 Cigarette wielding ash hangin, greasy chefs straight outta HK, they simply make the true Dim Sum joints happen. And they start at like 4 AM like Donut Shop folk. This place ain't it. When 99 Ranch steam plate Dim Sum is better than your stuff you have to rethink, re-hone, re-everything my friends, you have a problem.

Alex L.

Yelp
Tim Ho Wan may be a Michelin chain dim sum restaurant but this was not it to tell you the least. The dim sum here is average. I honestly don't really care for named restaurants when I know where the real dim sum spots to hit in SGV, Monterey Park, Rowland Heights etc. Convenient visit I guess. Steam rice rolls are supposed to be soft with almost white noodle consistency. It was pretty firm tbh. I ordered the minced beef roll. Very little portion of meat. Not the best I've had. Steam shrimp dumplings aka Har Gow was below average. Nothing really stood out to me. Braised chicken feet was probably the worst. They had to try and pick the most skinniest chicken feet. Sauce was very salty. Don't think they did it right at all. Unfortunate, this restaurant is a miss. Not worth the hype.

Jessica L.

Yelp
Yikes. I haven't been to DJ in a long time, but I still remember when Capital was in this spot. I remember when they closed and was actually excited to hear that Tim Ho Wan was coming. A michelin star chain? Sounds good! Unfortunately, Tim Ho Wan falls SUPER short. Look it's dim sum. Your tea should be good. Their teas? Flavorless and EXPENSIVE. The selection of dim sum? Poor. The taste of everything also was subpar. Also every dish is expensive. The food itself doesn't taste fresh - it tastes like they make it elsewhere, and sort of steam or reheat the food after. The condiments also suck - chili oil, etc. just doesn't really have flavor. This meal was painful, and we got seated right away. It really shows how bad they are if there's zero wait on a busy weekend morning. (We literally went to another dim sum place after dropping ~$80 bucks here because it was THAT bad).

Ruth H.

Yelp
Introducing Tim Ho Wan, the renowned dim sum restaurant chain known for its delectable offerings and Michelin-starred reputation. With locations around the world, Tim Ho Wan offers a tantalizing array of traditional and innovative dim sum dishes, from steaming baskets of dumplings to savory BBQ pork buns. Experience the culinary excellence of Tim Ho Wan, where every bite promises to delight your taste buds. But I think this place is over priced. Each dish is $7 something.. but portion is small. Service was good and fast. Ambiance is bright and clean. Free parking but very hard to find parking space during lunch or dinner time.

Nina N.

Yelp
A definite NOT COMING BACK. I wanted to like and support this place because my Chinese friend hyped it up. If you really love Din Tai Fung or Bao Dim Sum House in LA, you'll be very disappointed. If you're not from Rowland heights or the 626 and you're not used to the kinda dirty but passable hole in the wall type restaurants, you might be really grossed out like i was (and I am Asian). There's a weird smell throughout the entire place, not a chemical smell perhaps a strong fragrance they use on the food? The presentation made me lose my appetite ( im not picky with how food looks). Most importantly the food doesn't taste great. The famous pork bun is toooo sweet inside!

Spencer H.

Yelp
Time to set the record straight: Tim Ho Wan rocks. I don't know where these negative reviews are coming from. Delicious food. Limited menu but it covers the dim sum classics well. Great service. Shout out to Teddy for creating a catering menu that fit our needs perfectly. Hard to comment on ambiance since I didn't eat in. Restaurant was clean and all the diners looked happy. I'd recommend and would come back.

Kar L.

Yelp
Located in the Diamond Jamboree plaza, which has lots of free parking. It can get crowded but it wasn't bad on Friday at lunchtime. The menu at this location seems standard to the other Tim Ho Wan restaurants I've been too. However, they don't have the snow baked char siu bao like the location in hawaii. Those are bomb! We ordered 5 items for 3 people and it came out to $62.84 (including tax & tip). Docking a star because it's pretty pricey for what you get. Don't get me wrong, it's excellent quality food and the restaurant is really nice/clean/aesthetic, but it's expensive for dim sum. They have a happy hour with select discounted dishes (~$1 off), so I'd recommend coming during that time for better value.

Persila N.

Yelp
This place gets a bad rap. Before coming here, I got a little worried with reading the reviews. I was expecting insects, dirtiness, and poor quality food. I was coming here for a group lunch and I was not in charge of selecting the location. I was pleasantly surprised though. Tim Ho Wan exceeded my expectations. Service and food were great. Ambiance was good too. We had a group of 7 people and we ordered a good variety of dishes from the menu. Some of my favorites included steam dumplings with shrimp, baked bbq pork buns, shrimp shu mai, deep fried dumplings with pork, lava custard sesame ball (dessert), pan fried turnip cake, pan fried noodles, fried rice, etc. The chili sauce they have on the table was GOLD. So delish! I would definitely return here. There were so many notable items, and honestly very tasty. Service was fine too. It was great to come here as a group and get to nibble and try a lot of things. Don't shy away from this place based on the reviews/3 star rating. They definitely deserve higher than this.

Lucky P.

Yelp
Came back with a friend to have some dim sum. Usual shoe mai, lotus wrap, bun and the greens. Food was good.

Judy D.

Yelp
We were excited to try out Cantonese style dim sum and heard about this chain but maybe we weren't used to the bland flavor dim sum. We did not like anything that we ordered sadly everything tasted mediocre. The chicken feet had nice color but no flavor and no puffy skin. Unfortunately nothing stood out for us to come back :(

Liz B.

Yelp
The dim sum is good but not worth the price. The only thing I'd recommend is the pork bao

Regina B.

Yelp
This is a mixed review. If you only care about food, then happy to report the food was good. The pork buns never disappoint, the rest of the food was good, not as good as I remember. Maybe it has become a little overrated or this location is not as good as other locations. The ambiance on the other hand, was pretty horrible. Idk what happened there that morning but the place was trashed. The tables looked barely wiped, the floor looked a mess. The bathroom was like after a big holiday or event. The whole place just seemed so unkept that it was a bit of a vibe kill. Service... I wish I had good things to say. Getting any attention from servers was impossible and while I'm used to the blaze service from my Asian ppl, this was on another level of checked out. I don't like feeling like me asking for something like water should be met with the attitude of someone who really doesn't wanna be there.

Rhina M.

Yelp
The food was ok. I loved the cucumber salad though. I love how they offered the gift card to use towards the bill. The service could be better. The ambiance is pretty clean. I was hoping that they would have the dimsum cart but was disappointed.

Andrew Z.

Yelp
While the price is higher than other dim sum restaurants, weekday happy hour from 3-6 pm brings it down to a more reasonable level. For the most recent visit, we ordered 5-6 items and a sesame custard for $50 for 2 people. Happy hour = avg $1.5 off select items. We visited this venue 3-4 times over the past year and found wait times low, taste OK, and consistency average. The menu is somewhat limited. The convenience of this location is only overshadowed by the consistently difficult parking situation of the DJ plaza. This Tim Ho Wan cannot be further from the quality of the original Michelin-starred restaurant in HK. But it is good enough when you occasionally crave dim sum.

Alyssa C.

Yelp
Food here is decent, not the best dim sum for the area. Normal, tapas size / smaller portions typical of dim sum The best things we ordered were either the steamed dumplings with shrimp and chives or the braised beef with noodle soup. The beef rice noodle rolls are normally my favorite dim sum dish but I was very disappointed by their version. The wontons with hot and spicy sauce were solid, not too spicy and had good flavor. The cucumber salad was also different than usual. It tasted like it had soy paste, which was a bit of a strange addition for my taste buds. Not pictured: we also ordered the pan fried noodles with bbq pork - decent, nothing special, portion was also a little small. The shrimp rice noodle rolls were better than the beef (tasted as expected). Service was decent but not great. The waitress forgot to place an order of Chinese broccoli for us and after we asked for condiments (hot sauce and soy sauce), they brought it out to us but came by a little while later and took it back. Half the restaurant looked closed, with the chairs stacked on the tables even though we arrived over an hour before closing. Not quite sure what that was about. The restrooms were also disgusting. The floors were horribly sticky and wet and had clearly not been cleaned recently. Overall, would not return. I'd try another restaurant in the diamond jamboree. There are so many and I think the fact that this one doesn't have a wait while others have hour long waits should speak for itself.

Grace C.

Yelp
3.5 stars Compared to Lunasia and some other dim sum places in the SGV, I would prefer the size and quality of their dim sum over this place. It is pricey. I would only come during happy hour (3-6pm, no discounts on holidays) which only some items are discounted. The setting is more modern looking compared to some other dim sum places. Parking: The shopping plaza is very busy especially during the weekends, but there is also a parking structure behind the restaurants. Shu Mai- Good, not great. Prefer the ones at Lunasia. I would prefer fish caviar as a topping over the goji berries. Baked BBQ Pork Bun- I love the sweet bread on the outside. It's like a snow bun on the outside, not your usual glazed bun. Not that much pork filling. Shrimp and Chives Rice Roll- Ok, this was decent. MInced Beef Rice Roll- Ok, this was decent. I wish they had a Taiwanese donut one like how Lunasia makes them. Har Gow- Good.

John C.

Yelp
OK I will say that sometimes the quality of Tim Ho Wan varies slightly. Over the last 24 months, I've visited probably 5 times now, and some times the food quality is a bit better than other visits. That said, there are so many things I have enjoyed on the menu, it deserves a 5-star review. The interior is sizeable, and service is fast, friendly and attentive. We've never had to wait there, and we only go there for lunch on Saturdays. My go-to craveworthy faves, I will get these almost every time I go: 1. Wontons in Hot and Spicy Sauce: wontons steamed in a garlicky, slightly sweet, slightly tangy chili sauce that has some chili oil. I could eat 2 plates of this myself (5 to a plate), they are irresistable. My always go-to at Tim Ho Wan. That said, sometimes better than others, this last visit they were sloppy, but still tasty. 2. Dry noodles. I've had this with and without char sieu (roasted pork) but I found the char sieu to be just OK and not add a lot to this dish. The dry noodles are tossed with shredded carrot, scallion and some bean sprouts. They have a wonderful chew and are perfectly accompanied by the chili oil & oil "goop" brought table side, or the tangy sauce that accompanies the chili oil wontons. Pro tip: add a little of both for top notch flavors. 3. Baked BBQ Pork buns. 3 to a serving, they aren't large but have a slightly sweet crumbly pastry crust and sweet & savory roasted pork filling that is luscious (but not juicy). 4. Siu Mai: these are a little variable. On my last visit, they were heavenly: super light airy, and juicy. On other visits, they've been slightly more dense. They aren't a rustic version, but they aren't as consistently refined as some that I've had. When these are done right at Tim Ho Wan (maybe 70% of the time), they are refined, light and elegant. The other 30% of the time they are just good, not mind-blowing. My new favorites: 5. Braised Beef brisket with noodles (subbed with rice noodles): The broth is a rich 5-spice style broth (a little reminiscent of boat noodles); brisket is tender, sometimes a little chewy, comes with super tender big chunks of daikon that melt like a soft potato. 6. Shrimp and chive dumplings. Very subtle flavors, my 2 year old really enjoyed these and wanted to eat the filling over and over. 7. Lava Custard Sesame Balls: delicious; light and thin sesame crusted shell, goeey sweet egg custard inside. Other good ones, aka things I have enjoyed there and will order from time to time. 8. Deep fried pork and dried shrimp dumplings. Very good, lightly crispy with a gooey interior. 9. Steamed rice roll: slithery and tasty. 10. Beef meatball - super tender, 3pc, one person in our party didn't like bc of cumin or something that I couldn't taste. I thought it was a wonderful, uber-soft meatball wrapped in gossamer bean curd skin. It was falling off like a peeling sunburn, but I devoured it nonetheless. 11. Rice Noodles in XO sauce: Rice noodles with XO sauce - good! Finger-thick, tender rice 'bars' that are actually thinly rolled rice noodles. sauced with a dark soy sauce, nice flavor and big portion.

Quynh T.

Yelp
We've passed by this Dim Sum spot so many times until we decided to finally give it a try. We accidentally came during Happy Hour which I totally recommend aiming for! The atmosphere is nice, leaning on the fancier upscale side. We ordered the Shu Mai, Dumplings, Spicy Wonton Noodles, Pan Fried Noodles, Brisket Noodle, BBQ Pork Rice Roll, and the Baked BBQ Bao Bun. Everything was fine - they were all good and paired well with their House Sauces. My absolute favorite though was their Baked bbq bao buns!!!! They were perfectly crispy and sweet on the outside - similar to a pineapple bun, with the savoury meat interior. I would go again just for this item! It was so good.

Samuel C.

Yelp
I remember dining at Tim Ho Wan 10+ years ago in Asia when the restaurant won a Michelin star. The dim sum tasted delicious, and the food texture was right (crispy dishes were crispy, steamed dim sum has a smooth feel but still feels firm, does not taste too doughy, etc.). My favorite is their BBQ pork bun, which has a crispier bun (than most traditional BBQ pork buns) filled with a sweeter than usual BBQ pork filling. My Tim Ho Wan experience in Hong Kong and Singapore was the best I had with the restaurant. So, I was naturally excited to learn that Tim Ho Wan would open its first-ever CA location in Irvine in 2019. I visited the restaurant within the first month of its opening. I recalled that while the Irvine branch wasn't as good as the ones in Asia, it still has one of California's tastiest Southern Chinese-style dim sums. For the first two years, the food here has been consistently good. But everything started going downhill, as with many restaurants during that period (it was a difficult time for many businesses). After the Jollibee acquisition, the quality has just gotten even worse. The last time I was here was mid-afternoon, June 30, 2024, and I found the food less fresh and a bit cold. Has the food at the restaurant been left on the steamer for too long (hence the loss of freshness) or not been properly warmed up before serving (therefore not as warm)? You still get a decent dim sum at Tim Ho Wan, Irvine. But it's not the Michelin Star you would expect.

Toby I.

Yelp
I love this placebecause it's a no nonsense dim sum place, has all the staples, the sizes are great and large and the price is not super expensive. I pretty much come here whenever i'm in OC for dim sum. Tried other places but they couldn't compete. :)

Nai H.

Yelp
It's a good restaurant if you want some dim sum in the area. I have been wanting to try this for a while and finally got to go. I went during opening on a Sunday and it was not super packed. Service was good, waiters were nice and attentive. It felt more like a modern dim sum restaurant than others that I've been to. You order off the menu, they don't have the carts here. The menu has some of the normal entrees but I felt like it was missing some. Parking was easy since it was early but know that the lot gets super full as it's in a busy complex.

Wayne N.

Yelp
Super hyped place given its lineage as a Michelin starred place in Hong Kong and dim sum wise I can say it delivers. It is one of the best dim sum experiences that I've had, albeit also the priciest. No push carts around here but they do bring things out to order from the kitchen. Service is pretty good and the restaurant itself is clean and aesthetically pleasing. They also got a locker and takeout situation figured out. It's also surprisingly empty for lunch and dinner the two times I was in the plaza. Tried four things and most of them were stellar. Haven't had sticky rice in forever and the lotus leaf sticky rice is packed with a good amount of rice, Chinese sausage, chicken and mushrooms. The chili oil on the table is a great compliment to it. The legendary bbq pork buns are also very good - sweet pork, crisp baked buns that you can definitely crush a few of those. And the lava sesame balls for dessert are easily the best sesame balls I've ever had. Fried fresh and molten egg custard are hard to beat, just don't burn yourself eating it. The pan fried rice rolls with xo sauce are seasoned well but the rice rolls are a bit flimsier than I expected. They definitely look more like rice cakes and even though I knew they were rice rolls, I still was still surprised by the texture. Probably the dish I could do without if I did it over. All in all, great food, ok portions but definitely overpriced.

Aileen B.

Yelp
This is a great place to have Dim Sum. This is my 2nd time here. It had a nice ambiance. Efficient staff and the selection was Awesome. I highly recommend. I got to try food from my childhood and it brought back memories. It was a good feeling. I am looking forward to going back. Good food , nice service and clean atmosphere.

Felicia K.

Yelp
I was visiting my boyfriend at work (he works at the same plaza) and we decided to try this place because we saw the happy hour sign in the window and I have to say it was a lot better than I had expected due to their mediocre reviews. Food 8/10 some dishes we're definitely better than others but overall not bad Ambiance -I can't truly judge this bc we came on a weekday around 4:30 for happy hour so it wasn't that busy Service -10/10 the waitress was very attentive and super helpful when we asked for suggestions Happy hour- 10/10 3pm-6pm $3 sake & Sapporo! And happy hour menu includes a lot of popular dishes! I would def recommend trying it out for yourself!

Martin L.

Yelp
We walked in on a weekday and it was pretty quiet which is intriguing given the other restaurants have wait times. The unfortunate first impression is a mild smell of sewage that kind of puts you off. Once they sat us down it kind of went away and you learned to live with it. The food was actually pretty good and the reason I gave it 3 stars, we have had plenty of traditional authentic dim sum so we know that for what you are getting it's overpriced. I thought the taste was pretty accurate except for the BBQ pork bun which I believe is their take on it. It has a flaky pastry texture which we thought complimented well. The environment was clean and nice. Service was also pretty good and quite quick in serving our food. Would we go back? I think it's a possibility but have an expectation that your paying a little bit extra for the reputation.

Soo H.

Yelp
I've been wanting to visit Tim Ho Wan since I visited their Las Vegas location.  Fortunately there is an Irvine location. We arrived at 10am and there were a few other people.  Ordering was quick.  Sticky rice had lots of tender pork and a good sized piece of Chinese sausage.  Rice was moist, soft, and full of flavor.  One of my favorite menu items.   Pan fried noodle with bbq pork.  Egg noodles had a nice mild flavor.  Bbq pork seemed at least day old as it was not tender or juicy.  Flavor was mild.  This could have been great with more seasoning and better bbq pork. Bbq pork buns were my favorite menu item.  The top of the bun had a thin sugary coating a bit like conchas from Mexican bakeries.  Pastry interior was soft and fluffy with some sweetness like brioche bread.  Bbq pork filling was tender of moist with a mix of sweet and savory 5 spice powder based flavor.  This is my favorite style of bbq pork bun. 2nd visit we visited during happy hour. I ordered the bbq pork buns again and they were delicious just like last time.  I also had the won ton noodle soup.  Egg noodles had a bit of snap to them and a mild egg flavor.  Won tons had a tasty pork flavor. Fried rice with bbq pork and shrimp had delicious bbq pork which was tender and full of 5 spice powder based flavor.  Shrimp had a nice snap to them and I enjoyed the shrimp flavor.  Very good tasting fried rice dish due to the high quality meats. Lychee colada is cold and full of lychee flavor.  Hint of pineapple.  I like this drink but it's very sweet. Tim Ho Wan makes my favorite bbq pork buns in southern California.  I enjoyed the other dishes I tried except for the poor quality bbq pork in the chow mein I ordered.  Service was pretty speedy and the servers were nice.  I like how the menu is larger here than at the Las Vegas location. https://www.hungryones.com/2020/06/tim-ho-wan/

Cindy L.

Yelp
I came here this past weekend with no expectation. Nevertheless, I was still somehow utterly unimpressed. I never knew Siu Mai (Steamed Pork Dumpling with Shrimp) could be bad. The moment I took a bite, I found myself dumbfounded. It took my brain a good minute trying to process what was wrong, what it was missing. I came to the conclusion that it was just really bland yet salty. However, one dish I did like though, was the radish cakes. If anything, that's probably the only dish I'd order IF I ever do come back here. As for dessert, I got the Coconut Cream with Taro and Sago. Again, I couldn't even eat half of it. I couldn't even wrap my head around what's wrong with it lol.