Tim Ho Wan - Waikiki

Amazing!! I don’t usually give five-star ratings, but this is a must-go. Our family went here a few years back and we remembered it was near the Hermès, and that we HAD to go eat there again since it was just that good. Atmosphere and Service: Friendly, ambient, clean (the bathrooms too!), punctual, everything you wanted? Five stars. Food: Honestly, you can’t go wrong. We loved everything that we even got seconds for pretty much everything. Now, if you want a detailed dive… - Steamed Beef Balls with Bean Curd Skin: our personal favorite. How is it so chewy and filling of moisture, and also just steamed a tad after raw so the texture is perfect? We got, like, three of these. - Congee with Pork and Preserved Egg (皮蛋瘦肉粥): I love this dish and get it anytime I see it on the menu… the preserved egg was great, and, guess what, there was also salted duck egg! Loved it! - BBQ Pork Bun (叉烧包): I’ve had my fair share of pork buns, but dang, the sauce coating the pork was real sweet, the pork was chewy, and the skin was real crunchy (but how is it so lightly colored? Must be black magic.) - Hot and Spicy Sesame Chicken (麻香口水鸡): I usually can’t tolerate spice, but this kinda spice was spicy indeed, but I kept going back for more. Must be more magic. The chicken was so well cooked but also really white and fresh looking. Must be even more magic. - Shrimp Wonton Soup: noodles were authentic, and boy were those shrimp good. They were so full of chewiness, and the skin didn’t taste cheap or store-bought at all. - Pan Fried Garlic Green Bean (四季豆): perfect balance of not too salty or not too full of garlic odor. - Blanched Lettuce: hey, considering some of our family members absolutely hated eating their veggies, it was quite a surprise that they even ordered seconds and finished this! - Steamed Rice with Pork Spare Rib and Chicken Feet and also Steamed Rice with Chicken, Shitake Mushroom and Chinese Sausage: whoaaa, the chicken was so chewy! Beats the dry chicken breast that I get majority of the time when eating. Nah, this chicken was enjoyable, and the rice with the sauce too. - Steamed Short Rib with Black Pepper: I just be overusing the words “chewy” and “tender”, but, yeah, aromatic, chewy, tender, fresh, all the good stuff. - Egg Cake: moist, chewy, and airy. And not too overly sweet! - Braised Chicken Feet with Abalone Sauce and Peanut (鸡爪): I didn’t get to try this dish, but I ate some of the peanuts and the sauce was great. - Rainbow Mango Slush: yippee, something not made of colors or flavors but the real thing, and also I loved the coconut milk foam on top. Overall, yeah, I rarely give all five stars, but this place was great. Personally, the meatballs and congee blew me away, and I strongly recommend y’all to give this place a try. (Also, 20% off during Happy Hour was much appreciated!)

Tim Ho Wan – Waikiki Came here excited for dim sum, and it was a bit of a mixed bag. A few items were definite misses: the siu mai was very mushy, the pork had an old smell, the steamed bean curd skin was hard, and the wontons were unfortunately just bad. That said, the manager was kind enough to not charge us for the siu mai, which we appreciated. On the brighter side, the har gow was solid, the steamed shrimp and chives dumplings were tasty, and the steamed rice rolls were enjoyable and worth ordering. The restaurant itself is clean, service is decent, and they offer one-hour parking validation, which is a nice perk. It’s conveniently located inside the famous Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, making it an easy stop while shopping in Waikiki. Overall, come knowing what to order—and what to skip.

This is located on the third floor of the mall. The pork buns are the best. The congee is good. The wonton noodle soup excellent. But Cathay Pacific lounge has better in HK. Also their milk tea was ok, doesn’t really stand up to the HK milk tea. The XO sauce wide noodles were good. As well as the cucumber salad. They frequently have wait lines.

Not sure when they changed locations, but Gucci appears to be at their old location while they are now located near the parking entrance. ​The restaurant is clean and is definitely a Chinese restaurant for tourists. No one was yelling or walking around with carts of dim sum. However, after you place your order, the food does flood out all at once. ​Their service was exceptionally attentive. Since we had a child in our group, as the orders were coming in, they slid over another table so we had more space and the child in our group wouldn't spill or burn herself. They also grabbed the empty dishes as soon as possible, helping us save space, and offered us a space in the front to park our stroller. They even had high chairs and booster seats for children. They are very accommodating to families and groups. ​The food was pretty typical dim sum with slight differences. The bean curd seafood was in oyster sauce, the pork hash had a goji berry, and they used a white wrapper instead of the yellow one, so it wasn't that 'junk' pork hash filling that other Chinese restaurants use. The fried rice had a char to it, as if the burned layer in the wok was mixed into the rice. It was okay. The wonton noodle soup, rice porridge, and rice noodle dishes were all good. What stood out were the chicken wings. Surprisingly, they had good flavor and were juicy; we didn't expect it. The soup dumplings, however, were a big disappointment. They had no soup and were chewy, but the house tea was surprisingly good. Unfortunately, you have to pay for the teapot. ​Anyways, my experience here was actually pretty good. Even though they catered to tourists, I would come back.

We had an amazing meal at Tim Ho Wan in Waikiki! The dim sum was fresh and flavorful...the baked BBQ pork buns and lava custard sesame balls were definite standouts. Everything from the blanched Chinese broccoli with fried garlic to the shrimp dumplings was perfectly cooked. Great service and a really enjoyable dining experience overall!

For anyone who wants an authentic dim sum experience, this IS NOT the place to be! The steamed shrimp weren’t fresh, and they weren’t devined properly. The shrimp dumplings were very small somehow, and very much were different from the proper ones they served in Las Vegas. The vibe in the restaurant was fine though.

Ahhhhh still my favorite dim sum in the whole island! Thanks for reopening! I’ve been waiting for a long time! (Also finally I decided to go to Waikiki!) Growing up in HK, the capital of dim sum, this place, originally from HK, really reminds me of home. It’s not your regular dim sum. It’s a bit elevated in terms of flavor, quality, presentation, and also prices lol. They still have the staples of dim sum, but they just do it better because the chefs care about quality over quantity. My favs include eggplant with shrimp, chive and shrimp dumplings with transparent sticky wrapping, chicken feet in oyster sauce (not your typical orange garlic sauce), and my hubs’ favorite baked bbq pork bun. Although not my fav, their tofu skin and deep fried shrimp dumplings with wasabi mayo were also enjoyable. Can’t forget to mention they did fried rice the correct way - charred with wok hei (the aroma from using a wok). Real FRIED rice, not just mixing rice with ingredients in a pot. Their decor was modern, chic and cute too. The designer did a great job with the ceiling centerpiece and the wall decor with the steamed basket kids! Also enjoy the big arches inside the restaurant and as the window frames as well. Offers 1 hour parking validation directly from Tim ho wan. Kamaaina 3 hours at the office on ground floor. So so so so happy they opened back up. Go check them out. I hope they do well!

Ate the delicious pork buns too quickly to get pictures! New Hawaiian location of the famous Hong Kong restaurant. Dim sum dishes are still great - and affordable for Waikīkī - if expensive to the OG HKG location pricing. Pork buns are still legendary and other dishes were excellent.

This is a chain that received a Michelin star for a dim sum restaurant, so I had to try it! I got lucky and there was no line on a Sunday. They moved locations and are located on the second floor right outside of the parking structure. The menus just one sided. Surprisingly they don't have custard tarts!! However, get the sesame custard ball!! Amazing!!! Anyway for dim sum, we ordered the shrimp, pork hash, sticky rice, and spare ribs. I loved it all! They are smaller than usually dimsum places but you get 4 pieces instead for 3! I loved their jasmine rice, it was soo delicious and fluffy. I definitely will be back! 4 stars only cause it is on the higher end price for dimsum. Each dish was about $8-$9. I mean I guess it's for the name and being in Waikiki. Still worth trying if you are on the fence.

Great News! They finally reopened in Royal Hawaiian Center. They have beautiful new dinning room, very clean and classy. The service is fast. You go there for the food! From the iconic Baked BBQ Pork Buns to streamed Kona Abalone and savory sesame chicken , Tim Ho Wan is where Michelin-star quality meets irresistible flavors. Tim Ho Wan, renowned as "the world's cheapest Michelin-star restaurant," is a Hong Kong-based dim sum chain celebrated for its high-quality yet affordable offerings.

Surprisingly underwhelmed. I went in with higher expectations, maybe too high. They moved, still within RHSC. We got there when they opened, so slight line, but we got in quickly. Woman very nice...everyone else lacked personality. Kinda what you expect in Chinatown, but not in Waikiki. No biggie...you don't go to Dim Sum for the personalities. Ordered water and tea. They charge for tea. Chinese aunty would probably boycott them just for that. Ordered a lot for 2.25 of us. - Baked Char Siu Buns - slightly too sweet for me but otherwise very tasty. Choke filling and nice outside. Baby liked it. Made a mess poking a hole through the top then going for the bottom. - Pork Hash rice - no taste - Chicken Wings - very tasty. Cooked well. Even the baby liked it and she doesn't usually care for chicken. - Shrimp and Chives - no taste - Chinese Broc - not much seasonings, but that's how I like it. Could use a sprinkle of salt. - Fried Shrimp with wasabi mayo - not bad. Actually tasted better later on (as leftover)...still crispy even. - Steamed shortribs - this was ono, but was super tough. And since steamed, texture a little strange. 15% kama'aina, but still kinda expensive. Still almost $100. And they were surprisingly very slow and kept putting how things right in front of the baby to grab at. I'll probs stick to Chinatown...

We were in Waikiki, it was late, we were hungry for dim sum, and we were already in the Royal Hawaiian, so we decided to try Tim Ho Wan. The new location is really nice! It has a clean, modern, bright interior and lots of friendly helpful waitstaff. We received tons of service and didn't feel rushed at all even though they were only serving for another half hour. We ordered chrysanthemum tea, chive and shrimp dumpling, veggie dumpling, and turnip cake. When the food arrived, we asked for mustard, and they brought us mustard plus two additional sauces. So nice. The food was freshly made and very good. My friend liked it so much she ordered three more dishes to take home. They packed it up ready to go. I recommend dine in, but if you have to get it to-go be sure to ask for sauces.

The best dim sum in Waikiki. The baked BBQ pork buns are the best you will ever have. The service staff is attentive and the restaurant is clean and attractive. Highly recommended. Xie. Xie.

Chanced by Tim Ho Wan when we are out looking for lunch while inside Royal Hawaiian Mall. Usual dim sum, relaxing atmosphere.....filled our tummies. Much prefer Legend in Chinatown for their varieties in dim sum, mcub cheaper prices and more attentive services.

Every time I visit Waikiki, I have to allocate some time to eat at Tim Ho Wan. I've also tried their location in New York but the flight time to Hawai'i is shorter and I'm so glad they have a location in Oahu. We arrived at around 7:15 pm on a Monday evening and had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. The place was not packed but they do have a constant stream of customers dining in. After seated, we got iced waters right away. We had some poke beforehand so we didn't go crazy with the ordering this time around. We ordered the baked BBQ pork bun, the steamed rice roll stuffed with minced beef, wonton noodle soup, and deep fried eggplant filled with shrimp. The 5 star items were the pork bun and the eggplant. The pork bun was buttery and flakey on the outside, and the bbq pork was flavorful, tender, and pipping hot on the inside. The deep fried egg plant was just the right texture and the shrimp was marinated well. It was very fresh judging from the temperature of the dish. I wouldn't recommend the wonton noodle and the steamed rice roll. Service was fast, our food arrived quickly after ordering. The restaurant is decorated like a high end modern dim sum restaurant so it's a good spot to dine in with family, friends and can even be a good date spot.

We come here every time we visit Waikiki simply because we're dying for vegetables that aren't deep fried, or covered in goopy sauce. We had: Gai lan - nothing g special, but well executed. At $12 USD, a bit pricy for how much you get, but I suppose that's Waikiki for you Steamed beef balls - decent, nothing too outstanding Veggie dumplings - nice, good flavour Shrimps and chives dumplings - decent, nothing too outstanding Again, this is just a decent reliable spot for a quick meal that won't make you feel like you just ate a ton of grease.

Delicious delicious dim sum! But make sure to make a reservation before if you're a larger party. Located on the second floor of the mall you can either take the escalator or elevator up. Our party got seated and got right to ordering. We order most of the usual suspects, ha gow, sui mai, xo turnip cakes, lao sa baos, bo la bbq pork buns, steamed sticky rice, rice rolls, chicken feet and rice and pork patty. The standout dish were the bo la bbq pork buns, the crust wasn't overly sweet and there was a good amount of filling inside. All the dishes came out quite expeditiously and were overwhelmed by how much we had ordered. Our party of 8 ordered two pots of tea, one jasmine green and one oolong. Rather than charging per cup each pot was $6 with refills included. Half way through our meal the staff came by to switch our plates and check in. W grad a great brunch and left full and happy. Definitely worth a meal if your in Honolulu and have a dim sum craving!

If you're staying in Waikiki with no car and have a craving for dim sum, then this place will certainly suit your needs. While it meets all the standards of a good dim sum place, it's not necessarily any better than other local favorites. I do like the snow-capped char siu bao, a light sugary flakey covering on the bao that's offered in maybe only 2 other places in Honolulu. However, these and pretty much all the other dishes are smaller than elsewhere but at Waikiki prices. I do enjoy their selection of teas especially their oolong tea. Pictured are their shrimp dumplings, which are decent (dainty also comes to mind) and noodles (I included a tea cup for size reference - this may be "family style", but more for a family of one?) Waitstaff are very nice, enthusiastic to taking pics of you & your friends/family. They all work well together bringing dishes out as they become ready and clear empty dishes in stride. Overall an enjoyable experience good food but expect to order a bit more and pay more because you want to stay in Waikiki!

We loved this place! We regularly eat in Chinatowns in Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Francisco -- this place stands up well in that company. The prices are not low, but fair for Waikiki. Every dish was good to great. The lunar new year special pig feet were the standout. But fried, steamed or braised, sweet or savory, and meat or seafood, it was all yummy. Some diners might complain that the Chinese broccoli was softer than is traditional. I like it both al dente and well done, so that didn't bother me. Prompt service. The hostess didn't have much English, but a great attitude. The only thing I would change is the mediocre pop music playing.

I forgot to post a review when I visited last October. Food here was fantastic, very fresh. We went for a swim in the afternoon and dragged our clothes over our swimsuits so we would be presentable for an early dinner. They were going to seat us on the left side which is enclosed but I mentioned we were still a bit wet so they seated us on the open balcony on the right side of the entrance. We ordered a plate of noodles, great flavor, my favorite preserved egg and pork porridge, great consistency and it came with green onions and crispies to add, not tossed on top. Pan fried taro, my favorite was fresh & soft and fried; the pork buns were hot and steamy. The sticky rice in lotus leaf was hot, good bite, with all the goodies inside. We would definitely come back. They are pricey for Hawaii but so are a lot of places. I would order all the same items. I was just checking to make sure they would be here on our next trip.

Tim Ho Wan at the heart of Waikiki and dim sum nights overlooking the busy streets! I got to enjoy Tim Ho Wan at one of my last evenings in Waikiki. We got to try a variety of their different dim sum dishes which included Congee with Pork and Preserved Egg, Braised Chicken Feet with Abalone Sauce and Peanut, Blanched Chinese Broccoli with Fried Garlic, Steamed Beef Ball with Bean Curd Skin, Steamed Pork Rib with Black Bean Sauce, Steamed Pork Dumplings with Shrimp and Lava Custard Sesame Balls. Since this is award winning Hong Kong Style Dim Sum; I definitely had high expectations. I would say their dim sum is a bit elevated in terms of ingredients used but I do also think dim sum found at the heart of Chinatown is more classic and traditional. Don't get me wrong; I think the dim sum is good but maybe not just not my favorite. For Hong Kong Style; I felt it was a bit more Americanized in flavor. Overall my favorites did include the Steamed Beef Ball and Congee. I also like Lava Custard Sesame Balls. I thought was also neat to dine outside and have the view of the busy streets of Waikiki.

Had no idea this place existed until we had visitors come into town. This dim sum place is said to be acclaimed in Taiwan with people waiting hours for a seat. On a Friday lunch excursion the restaurant was not too busy and we were able to be seated outside. Outside table was okay but if you order seafood there are flies to be aware of. One look at the menu we noticed the steep prices right off the bat probably twice what one would play in Chinatown. The menu though is extensive with some unique offerings. Aside from ordering the standards such as shrimp dumplings, sticky rice, pan fried turnip cakes, Jin doi, rice roll noodles, there were a few dishes we also tried. The butterfly shrimp loaded with heavy seasoning, and baked mini bbq bun with the crispy sugar top. Everything was delicious and I felt like we spent 2 hours there dining and savoring each bite. Parking is validated at the center and you can receive a Kama'aina rate by showing your local identification. I think this dimsum place is nice to go to for special occasions however for me not regularly because of the steep price. Paying over $10 for 4 little shrimp dumplings is a lot. Great food and you can taste the freshness in each bite!

Tim Ho Wan - A solid dim sum destination when that Chinese food craving hits. The best part? Dim sum is on the menu all day long, perfect for afternoon cravings. But let's talk about the real star - those Baked Bao Buns steal the spotlight. If you're hankering for some late-day dim sum, this place has got you covered. Dim sum cravings satisfied, anytime! The biggest drawback of this place is that they do not serve soup dumplings, which is a make or break for me.

I came here with my family since we wanted to try out a new dim sum place. I know this place is a chain but found it to be expensive for the quality of food. I would not come back again, especially finding a piece of hair in the custard bun! Service was fast. Considering the price points, the food was just average and not worth it. Save your money and eat at other dim sum places! We ordered: Siu Mai - 5/10, smaller than other places, nothing special Har gow- 8/10, the rice paper wrapping was thinner compared to other places & the shrimp filling was better as well Stir fried noodles- 3/10, $13 for a small plate of fried noodles with a few pieces of char siu and vegetables is crazy... nothing special and tasted bland Gai lan- 7/10, steamed with oyster sauce, few pieces for $12, pretty hard not to mess up Lava salted egg yolk bun- 9/10, best thing we ordered, the filling was delicious, buns were smaller than I expected, however I found a piece of hair in 2 of the buns!

FOOD: 4 SERVICE: 3 AMBIANCE: 4 VALUE: 4 If you are craving dim sum in the middle of your Hawaiian vacation, then you cannot miss going here. The food quality is very consistent from one Tim Ho Wan to another. We've been to several around the world. We dropped in after the lunch hour in the middle of the week and there was no wait. We really didn't go looking for dim sum, but while we were shopping on Kalakaua, we saw there sign and decided to check them out. Seems like the menu is the same across all theirs store. So we ordered some of our favorites and a limited time item. Baked BBQ pork buns - their signature dish, and one of the most popular. Three perfectly sized baked buns with a crunchy crust, filled with savory, saucy bits of tender pork. A must have. Shrimp stuffed eggplant - a serially big stuffing of minced shrimp in a good size piece of eggplant. A balanced of the firmish shrimp and soft eggplant. Pan fried radish cake - traditional Cantonese styled radish cake, pan fried with crispy skin and served with oyster sauce. Nothing fancy, but spot on taste. Steamed beef balls - tender steamed ground beef balls with parsley served on tofu skin. Just right on tenderness and chewiness. Crispy shrimp ball - deep fried shrimp ball wrapped in crispy flat fried stripes of dough served with sweet sauce. A little hard to eat, but when you get down to the shrimp ball, it is tasty. You cannot go wrong with Tim Ho Wan anywhere around the world. Their quality and taste is very consistent from store to store. If you are craving Cantonese style dim sum and there is a Tim Ho Wan close by, go there.

We had an excellent dim sum brunch at Tim Ho Wan - we had always wanted try them in Hong Kong but we had never made it, and we're very happy to report that their Waikiki location is fantastic. Overall, the flavors are a little more delicate than what I'm used to at home in the Bay Area - the wrappers for the ha gaw and siu mai were very thin and light and the flavors a little bit more refined. Finishing off the meal with a HK iced milk tea really hit the spot too.

This Tim Ho Wan in Honolulu was such a lifesaver. My mom and I were wandering around one evening, desperately searching for a lighter dinner option after enjoying too many of Hawaii's famous fried foods, when we stumbled upon this Tim Ho Wan. It was pretty empty, so we were seated quickly, and the service was prompt. We ordered the chicken feet, smashed cucumbers, Chinese broccoli, and shrimp har gow. The portions were surprisingly large for the cost, and it was the perfect amount of food for the two of us. It was also exactly the kind of lighter dinner we were after, so it really hit the spot! The waiter also wished us a happy mid-autumn festival, which was very kind. Overall: this is one of the best value-for-money places we found in Hawaii, and perfect for anyone looking for smaller plates / good dim sum!

While we were browsing around the Royal Hawaiian Center, we came across Tim Ho Wan, and I knew I had to eat here for lunch since I've tried their other locations in NY and HK as well. We waited about 15 minutes, and you have to be around when your name is called since there are no pagers. We ordered quite a few things for just the 4 of us, and tbh, everything we had at this location did not live up to the Michelin-Star reputation like the others. I've been eating dim sum my whole life, and sad to say, the dishes here were not good. Some came out cold, some were flavorless, the fried stuff was hard, and the milk tea was mostly ice & diluted. The best dish was probably the plain, pan-fried noodles, that's just sad. Not only that, all the staff are very unfriendly, unpleasant, rude, and talks about the customers in Chinese. If you're looking for good, authentic dim sum, look elsewhere. Go to Chinatown.

Came here during a one week trip to Honolulu. I had eaten at both locations in New York City, and found this to be one of the most delicious dim sum restaurants I've ever had outside of Asia. One of the things that I really enjoy is how the siu mai is truly unique. It really does taste like they make it fresh every day. There's also something about the seasoning that they use, where it doesn't taste processed. There are a lot of dim sum restaurants that actually source the dim sum, frozen and large packages, and then they just re-steam or heat up the day that it is being served. Since I was eating by myself, I didn't have too much room to order a lot of things. This is probably one of the most unfortunate things about eating solo at a dim sum restaurant. Things that I ate: Chicken feet: served with peanuts. PROS: - Good amount for sharing, just a little bit too much for one person unless you absolutely love chicken feel like I do. - I'm not quite sure how they make it, but everything was fall off the bone. - Also, I don't think that this was fried. The skin was still fairly stretched, hot over the cartilage and the bones. A lot of other places will still be falling off the bone, but you can see that the skin is wrinkly almost as if it's been fried in oil first before being braised. - ironically, the peanuts were still slightly crunchy, and not mushy as if it's been over cooked or braised too long. This is definitely one of my favorite dishes to get each time I come to Tim Ho Won. CONS: - none Stuffed shrimp in eggplant : another one of my go tos PROS: - Super large pieces of shrimp stuffed eggplant. This is not one of the lighter dishes given the amount of each piece. - Nice balance between eggplant, pieces and sauce drizzled on top. All parts cooked through, but not over cooked. This is hard to do when trying to cook the shrimp and then also the eggplant. CONS: - Slightly on the oily end. Both eggplant and shrimp taste need a decent amount of oil to be fried in first. Har gao shrimp dumpling: I have to get this anytime I go to a dim sum restaurant. PROS: - Came out nice and warm, definitely freshly steamed. - Good to share especially if you're ordering more things between multiple people. CONS: - I don't know if I would call this extremely amazing. It was good, and it tasted a little bit more fresh or better tasting than what I've had another standard dim sum restaurants. However, it was still like the basic shrimp dumpling that I would get. I did not get the Siumai like I had in previous times, because I was by myself, and pork tends to fill me up a lot faster than shrimp does. Service was amazing as always. The waiters were very attentive, and came to check in on me multiple times, especially since I had mentioned that I may order one or two more dishes, if I wasn't full off of the three that I had ordered. Even though I went during low peak hours, around 130 to 2 PM Sunday, I still felt a little bit rushed. This was a little bit unfortunate, because I really do like to take my time, especially with dim sum. That was actually one of the major reasons that I went during the off hour (in addition to reduce the risk of Covid, since it peaking). All in all, though, this location was much more chill and way less people than the ones in New York City. So that I don't know if itself was enjoyable. What I come here again? If in Honolulu and craving dim sum, yes, I definitely would.

Disappointed. Was hoping to try the Lunar New Year specials since the last time I came was two days before the specials started (the special started on 2/5), we came on 2/3 when the Royal Hawaii Center (where the restaurant is located) started hosting Lunar New Year events. That day (2/3) couple of the dishes were great but the rest was just okay. Which brings me to today. Was going to give it another try since today is the last day for Lunar New Year events at the Royal Hawaiian Center but come to find out they had already stopped having their specials. You would think it would make sense when people are coming for a Lunar New Year event that the Chinese restaurant would have something still yet.

Tim Ho Wan is a lovely place to eat. With jazz music playing in the background, it was a peaceful way to start the morning. There weren't too many people for a Wednesday morning. The restaurant has patio seating and indoor seating. The weather made it pleasant to sit outside to eat. I bought siu mai, har gow, and steamed rice roll with shrimp. They were all delicious and filling. I should have gotten two instead! The order came in really quick and I liked how fresh the food tasted. It was savory and sweet, an excellent combination. The servers were very speedy to my need and so far, the restaurant was kept spotless. I would definitely come again to try their other dishes, maybe with my family this time.

Solid dim sum in prime Waikiki area (3rd floor of Royal Hawaiian Center) will satisfy your cravings; reliable dim sum indoor/outdoor seatings; overall no wait time I came here 3 times during my one week vacation here because I loved their congee and chicken feet so much (I also have an Asian palate). 5 stars for: Their chicken feet with abalone and peanut sauce (lighter in color) is BOMB. At their other branches, the chicken feet is soy-sauced flavor (darker in color). The texture is smoother/silkier (more traditional), vs the texture of chicken feet you may get at other more americanized (black bean sauce) dim sum places. Traditionally speaking, THW does THE BEST version of chicken feet across all my travels. I like both but the chicken feet particularly from THW is my absolute favorite. Overall dim sum and other food offerings here are SOLID. They may not be the best you've ever had but considering the central location & satisfaction of cravings, I think it's worth it. dim sum is made to be eaten right away (not in take-out boxes) Service is average Costs: Tim Ho Wan has always been more expensive than your average dim sum restaurant. Even more, this is located in Waikiki. This is actually the most expensive branch of Tim Ho Wan I've been to (followed by New York, than Japan/Hong Kong). You have dim sum here to satisfy your cravings, especially if you're a tourist and are staying in the Waikiki area. There are other dim sum locations in Waikiki with more affordable pricing (but may not be as reliable as Tim Ho Wan)

I love eating at the locations in Hong Kong unfortunately the food here is not up to par at all.  The famous baked BBQ pork buns are what they are known for at THW, however, the ones here are waaaaay too sweet! The taste is totally off. I'm not sure if this is the Hawaiian version but it's not good. Same with the beancurd rolls, the sauce is sweet. What gives? The siu mai dumplings are a lot smaller than in HK, like half the size.  The good stuff were the custard lava sesame balls and the grilled eggplants with shrimp cake.  But I was glad to try it as I know now you are just paying for the expensive Waikiki rent here.  Service is good and I can hear the workers speaking Cantonese. It is located on the 3rd floor of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.

Mahalo to Li Y for inviting me to a New Year's Day/Fukuburo brunch here! My first time here and while pricey for the size, you're getting the elevated RHC dim sum experience with table service rather than carts coming by for you to peruse. The menu is extensive and I thought the dim sum had cleaner flavors than other places on island - not drowned in sauce (which is not always a bad thing). And while I'm not typically a fan of Chinese desserts, I'd happily go back for the Egg Cake, which was as light as Japanese style cakes but sweet like American cakes. I had to try osmanthus flowers with goju berries suspended in jelly - striking novelty dessert but not much on flavor. Pro tip: Kamaaina should get parking validation from Guest Services on the ground floor - you get 3 hours free vs 1 hour from the shops.

Located inside Royal Hawaiian Center this Dim Sum place can sometimes be a hit or a miss. Came here twice and the experience was nothing special. Came here with my friends for lunch and the other day for early dinner. We were seated immediately and greeted upon entering but I can feel & tell the not so genuine approach. They were busy going back & forth and the server were pretty exhausted so I just understand the not so genuine approach earlier. It took our server to get to our table to get our order. Noticed how they prioritize other people especially the Chinese people and it leaves me the feeling of awkwardness. At that time my friend & I wanna head out but we chose not to as a sign of respect. Even when we finished eating our food my friend decided to do takeout and took them to get her order. She only ordered wonton soup and goodness it took them almost 30mins. & it's just ridiculous. We keep telling our server 'bout the order and keep on saying 5-10mins. more but no it took them almost 30mins. for a bowl of wonton noodle soup. I guess they have favoritism here? Busy kitchen? Who knows. Food was mediocre. My favorite was the chicken feet. Other food we ordered was lava custard sesame ball, two order of wonton noodle soup, baked barbecue pork buns, steamed beef balls with/ bean curd skin, steamed shrimp dumpling, siu mai, steamed short rib w/ black pepper, rainbow mango slush, iced oolong tea & iced tea. These were for dine-in. There are other Dim Sum place that has a better service in a cheaper menu prices. But atleast we have tried this one and off to the next place. Probably won't come back here sooner. Mahalo for reading & happy juandering fellow Yeeps.

The dimmsum was cooked when ordered so it comes steaming hot. Wlthe shrimp chive dumplings, Har gau, shu mai, turnip cake and spare ribs with bean sauce were very tasty and fresh. We wish they had offered sauces like chili sauce, xo sauce, and mustard sauce. I wish they had the Taro balls. Wlthe staff were friendly and attentive. We were amazed that they were able to seat large families. There were only two of us and we got in right away.

I love me some dim sum and this place had great dim sum. And aside from the tasty food, the service was nice and friendly :)

First time trying THW as I passed this restaurant several times and never thought of trying it till now. We ordered family style for two pax. Steamed Short Rib w/Black Bean $13.95, Shiu Mai, Har Gow, Spare Rib $7.25 each, Won Ton in Spicy Sauce $8.50, Char Siu Noodle $12.95, Won Ton Noodle Soup $13.95 and a Corona Extra $9.99. Every thing was tasty, but a little more pricey than Chinatown Honolulu. The service was exceptional. Sunny is the best and we made sure we tipped her well.

This place is still as good as ever! #1 on my list to get are the BBQ Pork Buns. There's a sweetness to these buns which are delicious and the top of the bun has a slight crisp to it. The Har Gow (steamed shrimp dumplings) have the most perfectly made skin to them.... They're perfectly soft and chewy. Siu Mai (steamed pork dumplings with shrimp) are really flavorful. Those are always my top 3 choices here. Don't think you can really to wrong with any dish here. It's great that they have pictures on their menu to go along with the item descriptions.

Dim sum served all day? Yes, please. I was excited to try Tim Ho Wan during my recent trip to Waikiki. Tim Ho Wan is a Hong Kong dim sum restaurant chain and is known for being "the world's cheapest Michelin-star restaurant." My family came for dinner on a Saturday around 5:30 p.m. It wasn't crowded yet and we were seated immediately. There are no carts being pushed around here. Instead, you are given a paper menu to mark up what you would like to order. This ensures that your food is freshly steamed. We ordered the typical ha gow and siu mai. They were pretty big and juicy. My kids loved the sesame ball with the salted eggy yolk/lava filling. The baked Overall, the food was good and tasted fresh. The ha gow and siu mai were big and juicy. My kids loved the sesame ball with the salted egg yolk/lava filling. Tim Ho Wan is known for their bake cha siu bao and it did not disappoint. The bread to cha siu ratio was perfect. Usually, there is too much bao and too little filling but that's not the case here. The restaurant is located in the Royal Hawaiian Center on the 3rd floor. The food was on the pricey side though (probably because of the location and being in a touristy area). Note: 18% gratuity is automatically charged for parties of 6 or more.

Soft Opening of their new location on 11/27/2024 11am. I was hoping to visit today before I leave.

Located in the Royal Hawaiian Center, Tim Ho Wan is one of the very few Hong Kong restaurants in Oahu! They're known for having a Michelin Star but that's only in Hong Kong. My family of 16 came in with reservations and were so disappointed. The BBQ Pork buns were 5/5 which is why I gave this place a 2/5 instead of 1/5; this is their most popular dish and for good reason! The BBQ pork buns do a special sweet crust on top kind of similar to a Pineapple bun but a lot thinner! Everything else was so mid. We ordered basically everything off the menu and were confused about some of the dishes like the chicken feet was super thin and had a texture unlike any other chicken feet I've had. The Steamed Shrimp roll is usually my favorite dish but the ratio of the noodle to shrimp was so incredibly off that I felt like I was eating noodles. Anyways, I would not recommend considering we spent $750 and usually my family of this size eats the same amount (or more) in SF for less. :O

The dim sum is delicious. So delicious that we went back today. The only issue that I have is customer service. Both times, our waiter didn't talk to us. They are really good about refilling the teapot. I posted the food pics below.

First time my wife and mother-in-law tried this place in Waikiki. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the dim sum was. The prices were a little higher than we were used to for dim sum, but it was so good. We didn't mind, you get what you pay for. We also enjoyed the service and the ambience of the restaurant. Everyone was friendly and helpful the whole time we were there. We will definitely be back.

It was ok and I expected better. I saw this place has Michelin star so I tried it. Dumplings are not special and I prefer Din Tai Fung. Noodle was horrible and the noodle itself tastes like rubber-band. No! I go to San Bernardino to eat some dim sum and they serve better food with cheaper price. If someone wants to go and pay, I might go there but I won't go anymore by my choice.

I could have let showing up an hour early per their website annoy me but chose to wait. Hostess was indifferent and said we know but it's not us. Really? Once seated server was awesome. We were able to select from at least three tea selections. Food came out quickly and was delicious! Taste was different from our usual local Chinatown place; THW flavors reminded me of Yank Sing in SF. I say different I'm a good way because man I miss Yank Sing lol. Parents came with and enjoyed the meal. Glad we came early as restaurant filled up quickly. Of note, quite a contrast in available parking from when we arrived.

Service time was very fast for a small party, and they refilled water promptly. Very quick turn around from order to the food arriving. The har gau is very sticky and will pull apart on your chopsticks, but is well filled and well worth the slight price increase from other dim sun places in the area. The gyoza styled fried dumpling is much more vegetable heavy than you'd think at first glance, and the non-fried section of wrapper is also very sticky, so that seems to be somewhat a signature of the wrapping style here. It comes with a bright red spicy sauce, but I'm not the best with that, so I just used the table shoyu. It can feel a bit dry without a sauce. I couldn't stop eating them. The stickiness of the dimsum means it's best to come with family or other close contacts, as trying to divvy up the dumplings is tricky if trying to only touch your own piece with chopsticks. The shrimp and chive wrap is mostly shrimp, so the pan fried gyoza is actually the better "healthy" cheat in that it has feel-able vegetables. The rice wrap is NOT cut like at some locations, so expect it to be a little messy. The area is open air, so there are birds that come in. They didn't try to fly at the table, so your food should be safe, they're just underfoot. It can be distracting if you're wanting a date or other talk focused event rather than a more casual meal. At the price, it's better for a light lunch or snack as the focus is on appreciating flavor rather than portion size. Service slows down when paying, so it can be a good idea to request the check when you receive your last plate

I have been to this location several times and most recently I think it has gotten worse over the years. Having been to the Hong Kong and New York locations, this one is very meh. Great place to stop by for a quick light bite to eat if you aren't too hungry. The dumplings are small (smallest siu mai and haw gow I have seen) and quality is just ok. Skin is a but thicker than what it should be but at least the quality of the shrimp is good. My favorite is the steamed bean curd skin roll filled with shrimp, meat and veg (wood ear gives it great texture). For those who are uninitiated, there are no dim sum carts. You get a sheet of paper and a menu with a few pictures and you tick off what you want. This ensures the dumplings come out fresh from the kitchen when ready. Very pricey for what you get. Cheaper places in Honolulu but you'll need to trek to Chinatown.

We visited Tim Ho Wan for breakfast, arriving right at their 10 AM opening to find a line already forming. Thankfully, it moved quickly. We ordered about 5-6 dishes along with a milk tea and a hot tea. The food was decent, but the prices were shocking. When the bill came, it was around $110, which felt exorbitant for the amount of food we had. We've had dim sum in many places, but this was notably overpriced. While the experience wasn't terrible, it's unlikely we'll return on our next trip to Hawaii, considering the high cost.

On the positive, I have to imagine the dim sum is fresh because I ordered one item for take out and it took 20 mins to prepare. So my assumption is they were making it as we ordered. Overall, taste was good and prices are fair, especially for being in the heart of Waikiki. If you're dining in, they have both indoor and outdoor seating options and you can see some of the staff making the dim sum. Don't forget to save your receipts for free validation (if you're kamaaina or military).

Came here for a solo dinner after work. Easy walking distance from my hotel. Was seated immediately everything was brought to my table right out of the kitchen or straight from the steamer. The har gow and sui mai was steaming hot and I had to let them sit for a bit to cool off slightly so I could eat them without burning my mouth. The har gow and sui mai were on point. The won ton noodle soup was good, not great thus the four star rating. B I would come back to enjoy the dim sum.

Pros: - inexpensive, all dishes are reasonably priced - traditional: you get a paper sheet with a pencil to make your choices - friendly service: everyone is nice and polite - authentic: proper Hong Kong dim sum with classic dishes - location: convenient in the center of Waikiki - green tea: some of the most fragrant teas I've head (supposedly from Taiwan) - seating: both indoor and outdoor available Cons: - feels like a chain: because it is - dishes may be dirty: I had to return my glass with someone's lipstick on it - touristy: you are in Waikiki after all

Amazing pork buns! Me and hubby usually do not order them because they are not our favorite. But these pork buns, are AMAZING! No wonder they are famous: the breading was soft, sweet with a bit of crispiness. The filling is sweet and savory, a nice blend of cream sauce. Hubby asked if next time, we can order just the pork buns for him, he can eat 12 by himself without any problem. The rest of the dim-sum are good, you cannot go wrong with anything you order here. The service was good, food comes out fast and furious. And CASH ONLY!! As for improvement, the restroom could be better.

Went for a late lunch, so there was no problem getting a table. Food was fresh and tasty. It's always great to take that first bite of something and think, "That's delicious!" Service was good, but not especially attentive. Initial ordering was very easy. You just check off what you want on the order slip. But you only get one slip, so ordering additional items was more of a challenge. I understand that these are Waikiki prices, but even so, $53 seems kind of steep for lunch for two.

There is better places to eat dim sum in Honolulu and better places to eat at Royal Hawaiian center. Food and service was all just OK. Price point is high for quantity and quality of the food.

I've been here twice before in 2023 and enjoyed the food and the service. Today was similar, up until the point my mother discovered a metal screw in her siu mai. Yes, a FUCKING METAL SCREW. The waitress apologized, and seemed genuinely distressed and remorseful. We were given an apology and a 30% discount on the bill. I expected the manager to apologize and personally explain the situation, but that didn't happen. Still concerned that my mother may have swallowed other shrapnel from that same siu mai and considering taking her to a hospital for x rays. Won't be back, ever.

First time I tried Tim Ho Wan was in the Philippines. So when I saw they had this in Oahu I had to go. The food was so good especially the Pork Buns. The ambiance was nice and service was good. Would definitely recommend!