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Fine River

4.2 (55 reviews)
Closed 10:30 am - 6:30 pm

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Lyndsey N.

If you want dim sum but don't want to get out into the traffic on Bellaire, this is the spot to be. It's kind've tucked away from Bellaire and with god reason. We went Friday for lunch when my partner and I had the day off. It was surprisingly busy for a Friday midday. The staff are very friendly, they checked on us throughout our meal which I appreciated. We ordered our normal go to's.... taro cake, sticky rice, shu mai, etc. Everything was delicious. Some items took longer than others, but overall was timely. I did get a kick out of the fact that my (Caucasian) partner was automatically given a fork; but little did they know he's better with chopsticks and I am! This place will definitely be in our dim sum rotation, especially since I don't have to be in traffic to get there!

Alex W.

Might be the GOAT dim sum place in Houston in terms of value. The typical dim sum dishes weren't anything special but much cheaper than other dim sum places I've been to here. Ribs in black bean sauce had a lot of meat per bone.

General Tso Chicken
Tiffany T.

After my family's favorite dim sum place had shut down, we decided to try out a new dim sum restaurant in Houston. Fine River is located near Bellaire and is in an unassuming plaza. We came on a Saturday around 1 PM, and the restaurant was packed! The wait wasn't bad at all, but be prepared to wait during busy lunch hours. The menu features primarily dim sum cuisine, with some Chinese stir fried dishes as well. We decided to try the Siu Mai, Ham Sui Gok, Shrimp Cheung Fun, Stuffed Eggplant, and General Tso Chicken. Everything that came out of the kitchen was piping hot and fresh. Overall, I really enjoyed everything and to my surprised, I enjoyed the General Tso chicken more than I had anticipated as the breading was light and crispy. Portion sizes were good, and the price was fair on everything. The only things I would note is that the Cheung Fun was kinda falling apart easily, but flavor wise it was still good. The only dish I would maybe not get again is the stuffed eggplant, but it was still good nonetheless. In case you are wondering what it's stuffed with, it's steamed shrimp. There are about 3 staff members manning the entire restaurant so expect somewhat of a wait if the restaurant is busy. Definitely will be back!

Gerald H.

Craving for dim sum this is definitely a must try when in Houston. We wanted a good meal before leaving for home and heard of Fine River, and what a great choice. The inside is not as big as most restaurants so get there early as there may be a wait,(well worth the wait). The veggie pea shoots was fresh, lightly seasoned which enhanced the taste, it was excellent, then came the stuffed eggplant definitely a new favorite, stuffing was tender and the ego was the perfect pairing, lotus rice just wow, all the flavors wrapped which infused all the flavors and the aroma added to the experience. The Congee gets it own recognition as this was the best I've had, the addition of sesame oil swirled around put this over the top adding a delicious depth to the dish. Can't wait to return to try more dim sum.

Shrimp Cheung Fun
Gina N.

New Dim Sum!! My favorite dish to order when I'm eating dim sum is Cheung Fun. Imagine my excitement when I found this new hole in the wall dim sum restaurant offering a super affordable selection. Keep in mind that Fine River is nothing fancy, but this is part of the charm of a small business. Mom and pop restaurants like these deserve more love. The restaurant is quaint and intimate, with only a couple booths and a couple tables inside. Once sat, I immediately glanced over the menu finding several varieties of cheung fun, but went with my favorite: the shrimp. Immaculate. Amazing. Soft and fresh. I also placed an order of the shu mai which was good too, but the cheung fun takes the cake for sure. Of course, it was too much food for myself alone, so I had to take the rest to-go. The worker helping me was so sweet - she packed up the food all nice and neat for me to take home. The service was great! the ladies were quick and super nice. I plan on coming back here with friends so we can experience the entirety of the menu. Super excited and happy to welcome a new restaurant to the dim sum scene.

Bar area
Kevin D.

The service is fast, the food was really good, very nice workers, thus resturant is the best.

Jennifer N.

Hidden dim sum place and it's a good thing it is. It's seriously a hole-in-the-wall, so expect to wait if you're not going to make it within the first 30 minutes of opening. The restaurant is small so there's limited seating. However, it's worth the wait! The dim sum is fresh and not as expensive as other places so win-win for us. I will say some dishes may be inconsistent. The footballs were not the good the first time we had them, but VERY good the second time around. Even our NY Chinese friends approve! I will warn you though that it doesn't look like the cleanest place to eat. So if you like good dirty Chinese....

Shrimp Cheung Fun
Kayla N.

Did they changed dim sum chef? Foods are not as good but still a decent value. Main dining area service is decent.

Fried squid dim sum
Monit C.

Great dim sum! No wait. Good service; if you need anything, just ask. We ordered 4 dishes, all delicious and steamingly hot! Reasonably priced.

Crispy shrimp ball
Joelex D.

Hole in the wall dimsum located in the Bellaire area. I have mixed experiences with all of their doing some options. A few they do really well, some are very standard, and some are quite the disappointment. Raise eggplant and shrimp filling is a must try! It's well seasoned and the sweet flavors of the eggplant grow really well with the shrimp. Rice rolls with shrimp or rice rolls with pork or done really well! They rice flour feels fresh and retains its shape very well. The pork filling verion is bursting with flavor and compliments the role really well. Turnip cake was definitely a miss. It falls apart too easily the moment it meets your chopsticks. Also overly burnt on the outside. The fried shrimp ball with another disappointment. The feeling feels very clumsy and two loose, laxking in chewy textures. It also gives off a overly aged or fermented Seafood odor but I do not think is intended for the dish. There was no issues with service. Our food came out rather quickly and was very accurate. They'll bring you a copy of your old receipt that you can use to bring up at the cashier when you're ready to pay out.

Sergio G.

Definitely a bit of an off-the-path spot near bellaire but something i'm glad to have gotten the chance to try recently. I came here with a few of my friends that were far more familiar with ordering Dim Sum than I am, so I can't identify for certain everything that we ordered. My favorites, however, were these shrimp noodles and pork noodles, friend stuffed eggplant, and the fried squid claws. For a group of four, we ordered quite a lot of food that came out to about $30 a person and we all left VERY full. Not sure how it measures up to other Dim Sum restaurants yet but I am happy with the price! Service was also amazing here. Staff made sure that we didn't run out of green tea to drink throughout our meal and was overall attentive to our needs, checking in with us occasionally throughout our meal but not feeling overbearing either. There were a few dishes that didn't quite meet the expectations of the table, such as the turnip cakes and the BBQ Pork bun. Not much else was a miss, though, and we all left satisfied with the meal and the experience.

Fried Chinese bread
Hayley F.

Came here during Sunday lunch time, and the place was packed. They have a clipboard at the front desk for customers to be on the waiting list when the tables are full. Self-filled in paper menu is also at the front. That paper serves as the customer's order form, and to be given to the staff upon seated. Food came out fast and hot. I loved their har gows, which had thin skins, and fresh shrimp stuffing. The BBQ pork cheung fun was also good. The turnip cakes and fried Chinese bread were delicious too. The supreme soy sauce fried noodles was good. However, the pork and preserved egg congee was a letdown. There was barely any pork in the congee. The congee was flavorless too. Another disappointing dish was the steamed mini bun with juicy pork. The pork filling wasn't juicy at all. There were only two staff on the floor. It was hard to catch the staff's attention. The restaurant is small, and they do not take reservation. I would avoid peak hours.

Jando S.

The addition of Fine River (缘来轩) is a welcome change to the already underwhelming dim sum scene, where despite not being overly impressive still provides a lot of value by their presence alone. It gives Houstonians another option and provides another level of competition to the mainstays that frankly could use the nudge. Ultimately, Fine River serves solid dim sum and should be revered more given their simple approach to all day dim sum offerings. While they boast that this is HK style dim sum, the family running this place is from Guangzhou and the name 缘来轩 is more akin to "Fate Pavillion" (#1). The service has been steady and friendly and has a bit of a mom-and-pop feel to the place. Decor wise is not going to impress anyone, but the fact they basically have their own dedicated parking lot (#2) is a huge win. Instead of operating like a big banquet hall, the menu would suggest otherwise. Their limited selection is no deal breaker, but it does mean that variety is not their strong suit. I ordered a number of their items: shrimp dumplings (蝦餃), various rice noodles (腸粉) but their fried bread rice noodle (炸兩), turnip cakes (蘿蔔糕), siu mai (燒賣), leaf wrapped glutinous rice (糯米雞), beef balls (牛肉丸) among a few other dishes. Nothing stood out exactly, but I will give them props on keeping it fresh and well priced. I even gave their wonton noodles (雲吞麵) a shot, which I was told the wontons were handmade. It appears to be the case, along with the piping hot broth, but something was off with the actual wontons. I've been spoiled by a number of bowls but I will have to come back to revisit this. The same boded for their beef chow fun (乾炒牛河) and Singapore fried noodles (星加坡炒米粉). Their Chinese broccoli (芥蘭) was not half bad. Folks paying cash can expect a 5% discount. I am definitely planning on trying their evening service at some point and am looking forward to seeing how they progress. They're off to a good start and I am hoping they continue to improve as time goes on. ____________ (#1) 如果你真係明白要意思請同我講... (#2) Or at least shared with the rest of the strip mall.

General Tso

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1 year ago

The dimsum is fresh, tasty and not salty. The facility and furniture are dated and not cleaned!

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1 year ago

Very delicious dim sum reasonable price great taste and good service we will be back again

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1 year ago

Visiting Houston and decided to try Fine River. The restaurant did not disappoint! Great service and great food!!

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Fung's Kitchen - Steamed Sole Fish

Fung's Kitchen

3.6(1.1k reviews)
3.4 miSharpstown
$$

All dim sum was good but could have been hot. Even the Congee wasn't all that hot…read more Lots of carts rolling until 3pm so we rushed over Service was impressive because it didn't matter who was there, and there were lots of staff, when I needed something they immediately delivered. Never really had a designated server but there were enough staff around to take care of us. They have several items we can't get anywhere in San Antonio or even some cities so we are happy they offer it here and it is very well done. Parking lot big, gps kinda messed up so careful. I reported it but who knows.... Just keep eyes open for their big sign

Came here with family on a Saturday for dinner, and it was a great experience overall. The inside…read morewas very clean and nicely decorated, which made it feel comfortable and welcoming. We ordered a variety of dishes, and everything came out surprisingly quickly. All of the food was delicious and authentic. They are known for their seafood dishes, and everything was packed with flavor. Definitely did not disappoint! The servers were very attentive and did a great job combining dishes as new ones came out, making sharing easy and seamless. It was pretty busy while we were there, but we never had to wait for anything. Overall, a really smooth and enjoyable dining experience. Will definitely be coming back!

Photos
Fung's Kitchen - Banquet room

Banquet room

Fung's Kitchen - Glutinous Pork Dumpling 鹹水角

Glutinous Pork Dumpling 鹹水角

Fung's Kitchen - Banquet room (small)

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Ocean Palace - Steamed dumplings filled with tender shrimp and savory pork, elevated with a hint of aromatic truffle.

Ocean Palace

3.6(736 reviews)
0.9 miAlief
$$

This is a MUST in Asia Town Houston!…read more Dim sum is nice because it's easily shared with others at the table so people can try a little bit of everything. The restaurant is very large and grand. Large, busy parking lot. Dim sum was very good. You can order from your server or select from the carts that are pushed by periodically. There may be a slight language barrier but Staff is friendly. Mens and womens restrooms are on opposite sides of the restaurant. Highly recommend the flat rice noodles.

2 stars is for only on quality of food I could tell you chicken mushroom dumplings here are superb…read more, the lava buns , congee gets a solid 4 stars but what stole away the 2 stars out was because I should warn you if you eat there I would suggest check your bill carefully because they can pinch u here and there somewhere or may charge double somewhere along the bill they tag team with each other may be happening if you do not take notice. Most of the whole up and downstairs brings ambience of joy and laughter with vibrant at the same time but can get noisy. Their steam rice roll I do not at all think they are number one in Houston at all due to the texture of the rice roll is a bit on the chewy , dense probably uses cheap flour or not enough tapioca in the batter,there are places out there I believe you can find easily elsewhere. I know for sure you are eating some mock truffles on your siu mai they are not the real stuff here as they termed it truffles. If you ever grab a Togo take out order please do me a big favor so that they would not pinch on you your hard earning money, take your time to check each individual boxes in that foam it can miss a whole meal because I got 1 big box and 1 small box full of just soy sauce and the chili sauce it occurred after one incident the last time they put Xa Xiu buns instead the hostess per " Michelle "that's the back kitchen job they put in there not mine I'm just the person to ring you up and pass you your utensils and the bags and that's it " not my problem you are responsible for your own to check yourself before leaving . So after that one time next week visited again this time gave us a whole large box size of just soy sauce and chili oil no lava buns inside at all my daughter cried dad how come you forgot my favorite sweet buns, Sorry my daughter we have people that has some very unethical actions that cares less of the service they provide just because they thought their food is already superb but has forgotten the service is not at all we deserve. I gave the receipt hilited in yellow bright but looks like they checked it off and slip those buns we paid for in their lunch box. We don't need to return here ever spending my $56 to $70 somewhere that will give you better service than these arrogant running managers.

Photos
Ocean Palace - Inside - weekdays are the best time to go

Inside - weekdays are the best time to go

Ocean Palace - Tender clams stir-fried with aromatic Thai basil in a savory sauce, perfect for a flavorful seafood experience.

Tender clams stir-fried with aromatic Thai basil in a savory sauce, perfect for a flavorful seafood experience.

Ocean Palace - Delicate rice noodle rolls stuffed with juicy shrimp, paired with a golden, crunchy breadstick, perfect for a flavorful bite.

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Delicate rice noodle rolls stuffed with juicy shrimp, paired with a golden, crunchy breadstick, perfect for a flavorful bite.

Wanna Bao

Wanna Bao

4.1(862 reviews)
11.7 miMidtown, Fourth Ward, Montrose
$$

I apologize for the pictures! Was too excited to dig in that we forgot to take pictures first!!…read more I have been here a handful of times and every time it has been soooo gooood! The interior of this restaurant is really nice, and the service is great. Perfect for a lunch date. Mandatory must haves: any xiao long bao (soup dumpling), nutella xiao long bao, and the pork crispy bottom bao!!! Appetizer: Pork xiao long bao - 10/10 Pork crispy bottom bao - 10/10 Red oil dumplings- 7.5/10 Garlic cucumber - 9/10 Entrees: Fish drizzled with Szechuan sauce - 10/10! I was skeptical about this one but turned out to be one of my favorites Pepper pepper steak cube - i opt out for the peppercorn 10/10 Whiskey shrimp on fire - they set it on fire at your table! the dish itself is really delicious 10/10 Dessert: Nutella xiao long bao - these are delicious but only if you like chocolate bananas! Not sure if they offer a non banana version. 9/10 Overall: 10/10 will be back!!! (Especially to update this photos!)

I really wanted to like Wanna Bao because the presentation of the food was beautiful, but overall,…read morethe taste just did not live up to the visuals for me. We came with a group of 18 people, and the bill ended up being around $972. Unfortunately, most of the dishes were more impressive visually than flavor-wise. The colorful green fried rice looked unique, but honestly just tasted like regular fried rice. The green beans were overcooked, so they lost the crunch and sweetness that usually make that dish enjoyable. The green curry was extremely spicy, but outside of the heat, it wasn't very memorable. The shaking beef dish looked amazing presentation-wise, but the sauce was too sweet for a savory dish, and the crispy rice pairing just didn't work well for me. I initially thought the duck dish was Peking duck, but it was actually the Jasmine Tea Smoked Duck. Even so, everyone at my table agreed we still preferred the traditional Peking duck style. The duck itself lacked flavor for us, and the skin was soft instead of having the crisp texture we were hoping for. The only dishes I genuinely enjoyed were the soup dumplings, cucumber salad, and fried dumplings. Most of the other dishes at the table were barely touched. If you're looking for colorful, aesthetically pleasing food and great presentation, you may enjoy this place. But if flavor is your main priority, this spot just wasn't for me personally.

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Wanna Bao - XLB Heaven!!!

XLB Heaven!!!

Wanna Bao - Dumplings Adventure!!! The dough color are from fresh vegetable

Dumplings Adventure!!! The dough color are from fresh vegetable

Wanna Bao - Tea tree duck

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Tea tree duck

Joy Dim Sum 佳悦点心

Joy Dim Sum 佳悦点心

4.2(113 reviews)
8.9 mi

I'm glad I did not read the reviews from my trusted sources and Yelp friends before I went,…read moreotherwise, I might not have gone. But for me, this was some of the better dim sum I've had recently. Yes, you're in a grocery store lobby, so to speak, and yes, there's not much atmosphere other than the people streaming by going into that grocery store, but the three items I ordered (black bean ribs, har gow, shu mai) were all solid. I'll be back.

There was a time that Joy Dim Sum was a go-to spot for the Sugar Land dim sum scene. What it lacked…read morefrom the larger, traditional banquet hall vibe, it made up for in lack of pretension and lots of focus on the quality of the food and service. Sadly, it seems like those days are long gone as the latter is on a downhill slope. Has ownership changed? (#1) I'm not sure, but so much else has. There's no tea offered, but bottled water. Service and the kitchen staff is a mess where it's most evident during their busiest hours. At one point, Cantonese was spoken but it also seems that's no longer the case. Previously the food was passable, but now it's near abysmal. Siu mai was hearty, but fairly bland. The same applies to their spare ribs (排骨), beef balls (牛肉球), and steamed glutinous rice in leaf (糯米雞). I felt their custard buns (奶黃包), fried stuffed crab claw (釀蟹鉗), fried glutinous dumpling (鹹水角) and the turnip cake (蘿蔔糕) were dried out. While the shrimp dumplings (蝦餃) and rice rolls (腸粉) mostly passed the test, it needed lots of soy sauce + condiments to be worth it. The only winner was their beef chow fun (乾炒牛河), where the beef and ho fun noodles were tender, while also being adequately greasy. The bonus bits of fried egg within were a nice surprise. While the prices range from $3.75-$9.70, a majority of it will average out to be $5-6 a dish. This isn't a terrible deal per se, especially during these times. However, it is a big price to pay for service issues and sub-par quality dim sum. While I'm hopeful that they'll rebound and I hope the Joy returns, but I don't think I will. __________ (#1) FZ / FJ peeps, where ya at?

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Joy Dim Sum 佳悦点心
Joy Dim Sum 佳悦点心
Joy Dim Sum 佳悦点心 - Steamed Beef Rice Noodle

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Steamed Beef Rice Noodle

Shanghai Restaurant 富仔記 - Beef Beef with Bitter Melon

Shanghai Restaurant 富仔記

3.8(182 reviews)
1.8 miChinatown, Sharpstown
$$

Hadn't been back in a long while, but we came here to celebrate the Lunar New Year. This…read morerestaurant is another OG in Houston. They have been around for as long as I can remember. Don't be fooled by its English name, you will not be eating Shanghainese food here: this is a traditional Cantonese restaurant. In typical Chinese American fashion, we had the "adult" table and of course we sat at the "kids" table. We ordered the classics as pictured. The food is always tasty and consistent. Service is friendly and the even though this spot is no frills, it is a familiar place with a very family-centered atmosphere. You can not go wrong with old reliable. If you are ever craving authentic, traditional Cantonese cooking without the large, dim sum hybrid model, I definitely recommend this place. Perfect for lunch with coworkers, by yourself, and great for larger dinners with the whole family.

My parents needed to pick up some Chinese New Year goodies at Welcome Food Center so we figured…read morewe'd grab dinner nearby. We had eaten here years ago before the whole shopping center was remodeled. We arrived around 5:00 PM for dinner and were seated quickly. The food came out fairly quickly and was flavorful. It was four of us so we ordered: Hot & Sour Soup, Beef with Bitter Mellon, Beef Flat Rice Noodle (dry), Cantonese Sweet & Sour Pork (with pineapple) I was impressed how silky and tender the beef was. The sweet & sour was perfect lightly battered and crispy. The hot & sour could've been a bit more sour but had a small kick to it. It was perfect for my parents, but my husband and I had to add some chili oil & soy sauce for more flavor. The quality of the food 9/10, the price was a bit on the pricey side for the portions of the dishes. The hot & sour soup was $17! It wasn't anything special about it. I thought it was a bit steep for a family size, but I guess good service made up for it. I'm not sure if they were offering Chinese New Year specials, but within an hour there were several big parties with reservations. I recommend this place for authentic Cantonese Chinese food. It's rare to find good food and good service!

Photos
Shanghai Restaurant 富仔記
Shanghai Restaurant 富仔記 - Beef Toss Fried Beef with Flat Rice Noodle

Beef Toss Fried Beef with Flat Rice Noodle

Shanghai Restaurant 富仔記 - Hot and Sour Soup

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Hot and Sour Soup

Hu's Cooking

Hu's Cooking

4.5(1.1k reviews)
9.3 miWest University, Braeswood Place
$$

$20-30 We ordered the 3 shrimp egg rolls, beef and broccoli,…read moreand the walnut shrimp. Everything we had was delicious. We highly recommend giving it a try. Food: 5/5 | Service: 5/5 | Atmosphere: 5/5 Noise level Quiet, easy to talk Parking space Somewhat difficult to find parking Parking options Free parking lot

I've been a happy patron of Hu's Cooking ever since they opened the year before the pandemic, but…read morebecause of their instant success and local renown from their excellent eats, speedy service, busy-but-not-crowded vibes (see: their 1000+ Yelp reviews) I've never felt the need to drop a review of my own - until just this week. On my most recent visit we ordered mapo tofu with pork intestines off the specials menu - a hybrid of two of my favorite Sichuan-style dishes. The blend of bouncy, savory morsels amidst tender, saucy tofu was at once revolutionary and so obvious; why hadn't I yet seen this at any other restaurant? And sure, innards may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's important for you to know that none of my past orders from the 50+ item menu have ever failed me, whether enjoyed in the restaurant or at home. Maybe you'd prefer the aromatic, classic, perfectly balanced three-cup chicken? Or the sweet-skinned duck, glazed so delicately that specks of sugar crystal threaten to jump off onto the plate as you pick up a juicy slice with your chopsticks? And if you're vegetarian, might you consider the punchy garlic eggplant or the wok-kissed string beans? I could go on. Do yourself a favor and come see for yourself, though I'd recommend parallel parking on the neighborhood streets behind the restaurant rather than the rocky parking lot, to save you some trouble. Bring friends and chow down family style - you'll need help covering as much of the menu as you can, but you'll definitely have to come back to try everything.

Photos
Hu's Cooking - Spicy chicken, clear noodles with red pepper sauce, and stir fried green beans

Spicy chicken, clear noodles with red pepper sauce, and stir fried green beans

Hu's Cooking - Open til 11:00pm on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat

Open til 11:00pm on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat

Hu's Cooking

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Fine River - dimsum - Updated May 2026

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