White Swans

This place is super authentic and super amazing! The chef is a one man show and does all of the cooking! My mom and I decided to come here because the menu is vast! Everything we ordered was fresh and hot and plated beautifully! With spoke the amazing server and he let us know lots of amazing things about his background. We traveled from Georgia so to have some good food finally is a blessing. I wish this restaurant the absolute best and I cannot wait to some back for a visit!

I ordered shumai from this restaurant via DoorDash, and the pork inside was completely raw. Not undercooked—raw. The texture was rubbery and inedible, and I only realized it was raw pork after I had already taken a bite and spit it out in disgust. This is not just unacceptable—it’s dangerous. I wish I could give 0 star.

I accidentally never left a review when I first tried this place a few years back, but I remembered absolutely loving it. It was during the winter time, when the inside aesthetic just felt extra cozy, especially with the quieter atmosphere. I finally went again last Sunday and it felt like I relived the past. I’m not sure why or how, but I find this place, simply put, comfortable - like a nice hug. Moving away from feelings, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried thus far. Side note though, sesame chicken is nothing like the “normal” sesame chicken an American might think of. Also, the server was pleasant but no one checked up on my food this time which is not the greatest, but is nothing to refrain from me going again.

While visiting Rochester, a friend took me here and I really enjoyed it. While not really a complete traditional dim sum experience, the food was very good!

Best, crunchiest, lightest tasting scallion pancakes ever. Fresh and crisp Chinese broccoli. I'll be back for more.

Duuuuuuuuuude We tried a little bit of everything. Teen different dishes all together, mostly dim sum. All of it was ridiculously good. A couple of things benefited from chili oil, but we love the spice. The Vietnamese coffee was also amazing.

Love this place. Portion sizes are good, place is clean, and the staff is attentive if you dine in. I typically get togo, but the times I have eaten in I have been happy. I honestly have been there at closing too many times, they do a great job filling orders, and they are accurate. This is a great place to try dishes that you normally don’t see on English menus at most Chinese restaurants. If you are vegan, or vegetarian you will be happy because there are dishes scattered throughout the menu. It’s best to visit them in person the first time get a good idea of the variety on the menu. Hands down the best veggie fried rice I have ever had. An abundance of delicious veggies cooked to perfection . If you are visiting, or just moved here definitely check this place out. Ample parking area, and you don’t enter from the street, you enter from the side.

This is a must try! I’ve been disappointed by any dim sum, ever since Cantonese house closed on Winton. And have essentially given up hope of having good dim sum in Rochester—until going to this place! They have dim sum everyday except for Tuesday. It was made to order and came out fresh and hot. Soooooo good. All of the usual dim sum you’d expect! The Dan Dan noodles are also quite good! Service is very friendly 🙂

This is one of the most authentic Chinese cuisine spots in the whole of Rochester New York, me growing up in Guangzhou China I barely get to taste food from home til I found this place! Service is excellent they constantly made sure my drinks were filled and satisfied with my order, the restaurant also looks good definitely recommend for people who want to taste food from the homeland!

This place advertises their dim sum and if you're someone who doesn't know what dim sum is, then come here to understand the concept. If you're someone who knows what dim sum is and you know about flavor, then this place's flavor is missing something. Everything tastes a little bland. I think if they added chicken bouillion or even hon dashi to make it more umami, they may do better. Things have salt but not adequate flavor. We've ordered almost everything on their menu to try to give them a chance but each time we just get oily, bland dishes. I wouldnt come here again unless someone really wants the experience. Youre probably better off attempting these dishes at home- perhaps this restaurant could also redo some of their dishes themselves to improve the flavor profile here. Service is your typical Chinese dim sum. Someone comes and pretty much tosses a menu in a no nonsense tone and then comes back once you wave them down. inside has a homey chinese feel. Casual place with convenient parking on site.

Wish I came here sooner! Been here twice this month for dimsum and really pleased. I LOVE the chicken feet dimsum. It's one of those things that if you didn't grow up around it, it sounds and looks gross but it tastes so good. We tried a few dimsum items with still more to check out and it's pretty good. Other favs are the salt and pepper squid and fried shrimp dumplings. Service was good; street parking and lot next to the building are available; entrance is on the side next to the lot.

We absolutely love White Swans Asia cafe. There is ample amount of seating. Service is always quick and friendly. And food is always hot and delicious. They have anything you can think of for Asian food options. Tons of dim sum options, Chinese and Thai. Their Phanaeng chicken is phenomenal! As well as their scallion pancakes and dumplings. I would recommend getting dim sum and trying a bunch of different items. Another great thing about white swans is that it's pretty close to the museum of play. Leaving for lunch isn't a huge issue.

This is the experience we had with White Swan on 798 S Clinton Ave. Was looking for a dinner while traveling and found this place on Yelp/Google, amazing find. The restaurant is located right next to Pizza wizard with parking 2 buildings next door. Their signs are not huge so can be a little hard to find at night. Ambiance is lively and very Chinese. We ordered Shrimp & Chicken fried rice, Shiu Mai, Shrimp dumplings, Seasoned string beans, Crispy Egg rolls, Beef noodle soup, and Ovaltine. Ovaltine is just as I remembered growing up in Taiwan, sweet and more tasty than hot chocolate. All dishes were extremely well flavored and taste so amazing that we ate way more than we intended. Owner is Cantonese speaking and also well spoken in Mandarin. The waiter also spoke Mandarin well and was very attentive. At the end of dinner, nor only did the owner gave us a free chicken dish, he even gave us a $10 off coupon for next $100 visit! Because of the delicious and authentic food plus hospitable staff, Definitely will come back to visit. Keep up the good work White Swans!

Came for dim sum on Sunday and each dish was amazing. Especially the hot and sour soup which had incredible flavor and perfect thickness. The sesame balls have sweet red bean paste in them and balanced everything out nicely. The pork buns, the soup dumplings, the sticky rice, the congee.... It was all so hearty and flavorful and exactly what I needed on Sunday morning!

I saw White Swans on a list of best Rochester places to eat that are a good value. I agree. We had Wonton soup, pork dumplings and sesame chicken. The sesame chicken was the surprise hit for me. It's a very ordinary common Chinese-American dish but they did a lot with it. The chicken was tender and not overly breaded. The sauce had the clear zing of fresh ginger and a balanced flavor. The broccoli on ours was brilliant green and lightly steamed perfection. The wonton soup had little strips of what I suspect may be one of White Swan's best ingredients, roast pork. The soup had a lot of julienne cut fresh veg on top and a flavorful broth. The wontons themself had a firm and not particularly great filling that I found challenging to cut through with my soup spoon making the soup a little messy to eat. The pork dumplings were a bao style I believe. The filling was very sweet and overall this wasn't MY favorite item but the other person I was with ate 2 of them and liked them. Overall I'd absolutely come back for the wide variety of menu items, generous serving sizes and comfortable service. The atmosphere is dated but serviceable.

A hidden gem that I'm glad someone told me about. A very casual and welcoming restaurant. Staff is very friendly. The fried pork dumpling had a flavorful filing, perfectly fried and the dipping sauce was one of the best I've had. The Wonton soup was the best I've ever had. The broth had a nice smoky flavor to it. Tasty slices of pork and carrots were delightful. The wonton were tender but firm. I would've been happy just having a big bowl of this. Both the Kung Pao and the Sesame chicken were very good. Nice size pieces of chicken, not over breaded, not fatty. I just wish they had a little bit more sauce on them. They were under-sauced, I just like a bit more. I look forward to visit again. With such a large menu, there are a lot of things to try.

Amazing! Always come here for dim sum my fave are turnip cakes, steamed shrimp dumplings and wonton noodle soup.

Overall, the food was pretty good. I ordered a plate of stir-fried beef rice noodles -- the portion was generous and the price reasonable. The flavor was a bit underwhelming, but it's still a rare find in a small town in New York State. The service was friendly and the food was served quickly. The dining environment was traditional. I'll be back. Thank you！

This is my go to place in rochester for authentic Chinese food. They have a very large menu offering Chinese, and Vietnamese. I generally order a few dim sum dishes and a main. The food comes out relatively quickly and the internet is very well maintained. Go here.

Awful customer service and no inclination to make things right after making people wait 30+ minutes past when they said the food would be ready.

Please PLEASE get yourself here (or order some takeout). It is just so delicious. I am sad this restaurant has been here for a decade and I've just discovered it! The menu is huge and I think most people will find something to order. For dinner my husband and I had: scallion pancakes (perfect and not overly greasy), Thai sesame tofu (coconut flavor, lots of sesame seeds), kung pao tofu (spicy but not horrifyingly so). The two tofu entrees came with lots of fresh veggies - broccoli, carrots, snow peas, peppers, and white rice. The food came out quickly but I didn't feel rushed. I came back for lunch on a weekday because I had to have the kung pao tofu again. It was simple and fast to call in my order, but they also offer online ordering. I really can't say enough good things about their food. I've eaten at many Asian cuisine restaurants in Rochester over the years and this is one of the best. They also have their own parking lot! Yay!

We get dim sum here on the regular, at least 2-3 times a month!! And we have done both dine in usually on Sundays after church or take out. Their food is consistently hot, fresh and good. Absolutely delicious and it could rival that of other larger cities (without the long lines to get a table)! We never had an issue with our food. We like the congee, rice noodle with shrimp, eggplant with fish, sticky rice with chicken and pork, beef tripe, shrimp hargow and sesame balls for dessert.

Going back through some old ratings, I'm bumping White Swans up to a "Rochester 5-star"--it'd be 4 stars in a bigger city but I genuinely think it's one of the best restaurants in all of Rochester, for dim sum specifically. Chicken feet, sesame balls, and stuffed bean curd are all exceptional here, on par with places on either coast. Scallion pancake and turnip cakes are both great too. Dumplings have a bit of a weird texture but the har gao and siu mai both hit the spot.

This is for a check out review only. I ordered the General tso chicken and Chinese vegetables and oyster sauce on a whim because I had heard the dim sum at this restaurant is pretty good and I am thoroughly impressed with the food orders I got. First of all, the food was delivered very hot and fresh. The chicken was not too heavily breaded and had a good chance of me, while the sauce was taking in spicy. They also included a decent amount of vegetables, overall contributing to a pretty large portion of general tsos chicken entree. Overall for the price, grade portions, taste and quality! I will next have to try their dim sum and post a further review!

White Swans has the absolute best dim sum that you can find in Rochester! I love the tea for the table that they bring out. It is always so warm and flavorful. My favorites are the steamed roast pork buns, soup dumplings, and the coconut bubble tea! They are all fantastic, and I highly recommend them to those who are not sure what to get. Also, the food here is priced super well, which I appreciate. The parking here is street parking only, but I have never struggled to get a spot!

Food is solid, small family owned business with great service and staff. My personal favorite is the dim-sum! Give them a try!

I always loved dim sum since I was a young kid. The shrimp dumplings are one of my favorite dim sum that I would always order them every time. When I found out about this cafe and I hoped that they have shrimp dumplings. I was thrilled and grabbed the opportunity to order. It was so good like I always order in flushing, NY with my relatives. Other food on the menu is absolutely delicious and you can order them then order more afterwards. It is one of best thing I like about this cafe. The covid19 has changed everyone's life and I'm a glad that this cafe made an accommodation that they provide online order and can deliver. I ordered twice so far and they aced it!! I would recommend you all to order their food if you are craving for dim sum at brunchtime. Thank you and stay safe & healthy!

Went here for lunch and had a great time! Casual restaurant with great service and food. Lots of menu items to choose from, including dim sum. Fave was fried taro.

Recently ordered a large takeout order from White Swans after experiencing a MAJOR dumpling craving. We went with the shrimp dumplings, pork buns, shu mai, scallion pancakes, fried pork dumplings, wonton soup, and chicken lo mein. Everything off the dum sum menu (first five things above) was pretty good and enjoyable. The fried pork dumplings and scallion pancakes were my personal fave, but that might just be because they were greasy greasy greasy and that's the kind of mood I was in. The shu mai was less my speed and the shrimp dumpling's texture left a bit to be desired in terms of texture of the dumpling and flavor of the shrimp. The pork buns didn't hold a candle to Han. They were tough and gritty and really hard to eat. Flavor was a-okay but likely wouldn't bother ordering again. The wonton soup and lo mein was borderline inedible. We picked all of the chicken out and the whole dish tasted like biting into one big bouillon cube. The wonton soup tasted...somehow similar? And had an after taste that made me think that the broth was made with a lot of sodium-based additives. I know they do ALL different kinds of asian cuisine, and while I thought that was convenient, I thought before ordering that it is hard to do that many different dishes with real quality. SO hard when there is a lot of great Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese spots opening up all over town. Overall, I would come back to order dumplings/dim sum only, but wouldn't return for any of the other dishes we ordered.

Coming from the NJ/NYC area, we get spoiled with phenomenal dim sums so I feel like I had to lower my expectation coming to Rochester. I didn't even think it was possible to find good dim sum in Rochester, but I was wrong. I came here with some friends a while back and it didn't disappoint. I was able to order most of my go-tos and they were actually quite delicious! I haven't tried other food outside of their dim sum so I can't really comment much on that. But if you've never had dim sum before or just looking for a good place to try, this is it; they have a decent selection.

Very solid delivery order. Food was still hot though it came from a distance. Packaging was very neat and tidy. The lo mein was a bit of an upgrade from my normal place with larger, more tender strips of pork and fresher veggies. The chicken wings were good, but not quite as crispy as the wings I got at another place recently. They were extremely juicy though. And, they were a good size and quality. Not overly salty or greasy. The dumplings were good too! I was impressed by all of the choices on the menu and will plan to try some more dishes in the future when I feel like splurging a bit.

5 stars for Rochester. I am not aware of many dim sum places in this area so my ratings are based on the dearth of restaurants. This is a very authentic place. Small joint/hole in the wall place. You know you're in a good place when the service is mediocre and the decor is secondary to the food. We ordered several different dim sum items and they were all quite tasty (including tripe, turnip cake, bean curd roll, eggplant with shrimp, rice rolls, hargao, chicken feet and a few other dishes). They also have soup dumplings which is fun! Prices are a little high for what I am used to with dim sum but given COVID and location, I think are very reasonable. Will definitely come back if I have a craving dimsum.

This place has authentic Cantonese Dim sum and their dim sum is very good. The place is clean and spacious. We came in around one on Saturday, not a lot of people and we were sitted right away. The waitress was nice and we spoke in Cantonese and ordered dim sum. It didn't take long for the dim sum to arrive on our table, they will tell you if they have the dim sum ready or not, or they will cook freshly for you. We ordered Fried Sticky Rice Ball and it was huge. We also ordered Beef Tripe & Turnip, Shrimp dumping, Shu Mai, Turnip Cake, Bean curd roll, beef stripe, and they were all good. We ordered Singapore style noodle and the spice hit the spot. Too bad they dont have stream beef ball. This is a great restaurant, I would recommend this place for dim sum.

It's good, not great. The scallion pancakes had no scallions. The Mamasan Curry was good but I wasn't blown away

We've heard many good things about this place. Service was very good and quick. They serve dim sum daily. We ordered 5 plates to share. All were fresh, and hot. We went back a couple weeks later and tried new dim sum. Again, very good. A quiet, nice place to eat yummy food!

Probably my favorite dim sum in Rochester. You don't get the cart service like Canton House, but the food quality in my opinion is much better. You order a la carte, instead of waiting for carts to come to you, so the food tends to come out nice and hot. The menu is diverse with all your dim sum favorites. My go-to items are the Pork & Preserved Egg Congee, Steamed Pork Buns and the Fried Crueller Rice Rolls. Most items are pretty flavorful without being too salty. There are a few dishes that are a tad bit oily (eggplant dish), but that's not too surprising for a Chinese restaurant. The restaurant itself seems pretty clean and the service is okay. Another reason for the 4 star rating is the pricing. My girlfriend and I had a huge 6 item lunch for $30 with tip and tax. White Swan is my go-to place for dim sum! I will have to try their dinner options sometime in the near future. Another plus is that you get 5% back for using a credit card registered with Yelp.

great option for dim sum! Quick service and seclusions options including savory and sweet. Got the bubble tea which was also a nice addition to my very filling meal. Went with a group of several people; per person came out to about $25 per person (we all came very hungry and left very full!)

My favorite dim sum in Rochester. Have been here about four times now, the food is always good. We primarily stick to dim sum when we order but have branched out with a couple other dishes and have been pleased. My husband loves the shu mai and tripe. I love the shrimp dumplings and rice rolls. I tried their shrimp balls once and it was not my favorite, but probably just because it was different that what I was used to. The fried outer layer was thin, and I am used to more flaky fried outer covering. Also highly recommend the sesame balls, if you like sweet. The staff and owners have always been courteous to our family. I am glad they have opened up indoor dining again as I really prefer to eat dim sum fresh and not from take out. I look forward to keep coming back for years to come.

Fried rice and dumpling noodles are quite nice. But please don't try flavour bubble tea！！！

I spent over $90 on lunch with friends as we always do when we're there and they stopped me at the door with a receipt claiming I didn't pay my tab. I showed them my receipt which matched the receipt they had with my signature and they aggressively said "pay your tab" I stated I did because you're showing me my signed receipt, they're response was "You need to leave tip sign right here on receipt for tip". I told them you cant tell customers they didn't pay their tab solely because they didn't leave a tip and you cant force them to leave a tip. We were going to tip the first time but when they became aggressive and rude we decided not to. I come here all the time now I might not come back.

Had the unfortunate hairy encounter entangled in my shu mai, and among other things. Killed my appetite! Not sure if its family run but they should take more care and discipline about cleanliness with their utensils and serving dishes. Personally, I need to find a new place for dim sum.

Wanted Asian when I was in Rochester so I used Yelp to find me the closest place with a good rating. The waitress was young, seemed to be new. Her English was limited and she seemed unsure of herself, but she had a great smile, seemed really sweet and did her best to take my order. Another employee came out and double checked with me and I was able to get exactly what I had ordered. I began with a fresh shrimp spring roll. It was sooo good. One of my favorite things to order. It came with the brown sauce with peanuts and was delicious! Next, I wanted to try the scallion pancakes. These came with some kind of sauce and were good. They were fried though and quite greasy and not very healthy for me to be eating. Too many fats and carbs in that. But I like to try different things and the price was right. I cannot remember what my main meal was called. It was a shrimp wonton dish with greens and mei fun. It was very good. Hint of ginger was just right. I could not finish it because I was already full. I am really looking forward to my leftovers!

One of my favorite Asian restaurants. It seems like the make everything there. Service is always great & food always comes out hot. Just an FYI the hot tea is not free like it is at some places. Masks are required until you sit down. Food is reasonably priced & they did very well with our group & we had 11 people. They let us split the checks how we needed to. Never have had a bad meal. The scallion pancake was thin & crispy. Thai sesame chicken was so delicious & the sauce was creamy & flavorful. We also ordered chicken friend rice & the portion was huge. Can't wait to come back.

I came here with a friend on a Saturday night after hearing they had the best dim sum in Rochester. We weren't disappointed. It wasn't busy at around 6 and we were seated right away. I liked that the tables were spaced out; I feel like some of the other Chinese/Asian restaurants in Rochester have a bunch of tables crammed very close together. The service was very friendly. I had heard that the service can be slow, but we placed our orders and got our food in a quick and reasonable amount of time. We ordered a lot: scallion pancake, dumplings, sticky rice with chicken and pork, and chicken fried rice. I also got the bun thit luoc as my entree (Vietnamese dish with chicken and lots of veggies on vermicelli with a sweet/tangy sauce). Everything was excellent, especially my entree and the fried rice. Fried rice isn't complicated, but I have had bad ones. This was the best fried rice I've ever had. Packed with flavor and lots of egg, onion, and chicken. All of the dim sum was really good, but the scallion pancakes were very greasy. We couldn't finish them due to the grease. None of the other dishes were greasy, though. I really liked the food, atmosphere, and service. I'll definitely come back to try more. Their menu is huge (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and more) so I'm sure there are plenty of other great things I'll enjoy.

Returned and had the ginger onion fish which was fantastic. The really impressive thing was my dinner companion is gluten free and the gentleman waiting on us was very diligent in making sure everything was gluten free right down to explaining how some of the sauces had gluten

I've frequent to White Swans when I crave dim sum. I've never ventured toward anything outside their dim sum. Their other menu reminds me of a standard Chinese take-away menu which I am not a fan of. For this review, I can only speak strictly on their dim sum. This is my favourite dim sum restaurant in Rochester. Rochester only has a few dim sum restaurants but having visited them all, this is by far my favourite. The food always comes out hot and steamy and everything is well balanced with spices. My favourite item above all would be the Squid with Salt and Pepper. These are the full tentacle squid fried crispy but still remain tender on the inside. I also would like to point out I think they have a great chili oil. It won't burn your mouth off and has great flavour. I always will get a bubble tea when I'm here. This is one of the very few places that blend real fruit for their bubble tea. I recommend the mango, strawberry or watermelon. Now that the dining room has been reopened for more than a month, I will visit more frequently.

The Bubble Tea, Mango Smoothie are a most. I savor those in warmer weather. During the cold months my staple is the Hot Jasmine Tea. I like it so much I get it from the local Asian Market. I've become a regular coming when I want comfort food from my Chinese side. My favorite time to visit is lunch and order different Dim Sums. Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, Steamed Roast Pork Dumplings, Sticky Rice, are some of my favorite small plates. They have a full menu too. Occasionally, I 've come later and order from the full menu Shrimp. Chicken dishes. Their Young Chow Fried Rice is good.

I discovered this hidden gem through friends about a year ago and let me tell you... such a great find! I've been back repeatedly since then to try new dishes every time and have enjoyed every single one. Their service is pretty quick and their dishes come out as they are ready to serve. It could come all out at once or they could bring one at a time. They have a wide variety in their menu at very reasonable prices. Their atmosphere is quiet but outdated. Don't be surprise if you come in and see their booth seats taped up a bit in places. In here is really all about the food. You can see a lot of local Asian costumers which adds to the authenticity. If you have the chance, give them a try!

Best dim sums in Rochester hands down. Service was phenomenal and food quality is absolutely delicious. Owners were extremely accommodating for our large table and made our late night dinner a lovely experience! Definitely coming back here when I'm ever in Rochester.

Best Asian food in town ... bubble tea made from fresh fruit, crispy scallion pancakes, delicious dumpling, steamed pork buns and cumin lamb burgers ... everything was amazing! Service with a smile and swift service-

Would've loved to try the food, but sat down for about 15 minutes, had someone come over and take my order, said they would come back with tea. Unfortunately an hour later there was no tea or food, and no server would come over after flagging them down. Lots of wasted time. I may come back to hopefully update my review.

Great dim sum, haven't had a bad experience yet. You can go on their site and order ahead of time and pay when you pick up!

Great place for dim sum! Normally, I'll the not so normal stuff: chicken feet, leek dumplings and tripe dim sum dishes. Also, try their mapo tofu and their beef chow fun.

Take out form White Swan is more impressive than eating in. We ordered from their website and paid when we arrived. They wouldn't let us into the restaurant due to covid-19 restrictions so they brought the food curbside and took our credit card back into the restaurant to make payment. We ordered Steam Pork Bun, Beef Congee, Shu Mai, Bean Curd Skin Roll, Eggplant in Black Bean Sauce, Lamb Skewers, and Sticky Rice Wrap...enough food for 3 people plus had some leftovers. All for a little under $30! Everything was packed really well and still hot when we brought it home to eat!

I am grateful for any restaurants that are open during this quarantine and White Swans did not disappoint! The stand out of our takeout order were the dim sum items!! Yes I do only live less than 10 minutes away but everything was still hot and our leek dumplings were still super crunchy! Love the cheap prices too! Check them out guys, they're super nice on the phone when ordering take out too so service is good inside and out of the restaurant :)

So I'm giving this 5 stars because of the Bubble Tea ! Which was the reason I went to check this place out. I used to go to KC Tea and Noodles when they were open a few years ago, and I loved their bubble tea ! I thought I could never get another good bubble tea in the area like KC unless I tried to make it myself. A friend mentioned I should try White Swans and I did and loved it ! I'm planning on going back to try out some of the food... as soon as that happens I will probably write another review ! I couldn't wait to post about the bubble tea because it was seriously that good. I loved the fact that it was prepared fresh, from fresh fruit.... They have case of fresh fruit right when you walk in. They also give you lots of bubbles, which is another plus ! I will probably be heading back to this place everytime I want a bubble tea. :)

I assume that this place is pretty authentic in their Asian dishes because there are often Asian folks filling the tables. It also means that everything tastes a little different than the Chinese take out you're used to. The staff is attentive and pleasant. I ordered a couple of dishes that were not supposed to have shrimp in them and both had tiny shrimp, which makes me think they use shrimp bases for flavoring in more than just their obvious things.