The Hot and Sour soup was nice and bold and a great price! The Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf was average. I had to add soy sauce. The Black Pepper Beef Noodles, we forgot to say less black pepper. It wasn't as good as last time. read more

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No one should have a meal here without getting the chocolate bao! But really, all of the baos are delicious! read more

*Mimi's Garden by the Sea* I was walking & strolling to the beach and Mimi's caught my eyes & attention, with its charming exterior & patio. As I was taking a pic of their big sign outside, detailing lunch specials, two lovely women approached me with two cocktail trays. They offered me samples: Sweet & Sour Chicken Milk Boba Tea If they hadn't offered the tea, I would've declined the chicken. Because as I nicely & jokingly told them, "great idea to have the tea too, to wash down the sweet & sour chicken." And we all had a good laugh together. The chicken was better than I expected. It was lite and not overly coated with breading. The sauce & flavor reminded me of orange chicken, which I prefer. The milk boba tea was delicious. But since it was already sitting in little tiny cups, and being outdoors, it wasn't as cold as I had hoped. Later on, I checked out Mimi's Garden on Yelp and Google, and read lots of fabulous reviews. And enticing food pics too. Their menu is simple and not overwhelming...and the prices seem very reasonable considering the location and proximity of being so close to the beach. It was so good...I stopped by the next day with wifey, for another round. Looking forward to coming back here again in the future to dine, when I'm in more of a Chinese food state of mind. read more

Mimi Garden - Can't beat this deal in Newport Beach...1 block from the ocean. - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Visited this place after a friend recommended it. We heard it could get busy so we went around 2pm. Perfect time to go! Ambiance around 2pm was quiet. Just how we liked it. First off, we were greeted right away by a nice gentleman. He sat us, gave us the menus, and took our drink orders right away. We ordered a few popular items and some that we wanted to compare from other Dim sum places we've been to before. The food came out fast. All were delicious! The prices were reasonable. We will definitely go back. read more

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Phenomenal service, atmosphere, and great xiao long bao. Everything was absolutely perfect, the xlb wrapping is honestly art - not too thin, not too thick, and the soup was *just* right - savory, sweet and rich without being too salty. It was also a surprise to discover they offer limoncello spritz on the menu. Between my favorite xlb spots, I think that alone (well, + the xlb!) pretty much wins me over and I'll definitely be back. To the servers who helped me (I couldn't catch all their names, but one was Ioannes): thank you! I walked in to a fine dining experience I hadn't expected. read more

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Amazing food! From out of town and we loved it so much the first time that we went back. Tasty options with authentic preparation. Recommend dining in for the full experience. Veggie dumplings are great!!! read more

Had lunch today. First restaurant I've ever been in that only offers the lunch special to go. I've seen the opposite. Menu is very limited. You won't find all the noodle dishes or a lot of other dishes you find in almost every Chinese restaurant., I had the kung pao chicken and hot and sour soup. It was pretty good. Nice looking place. I was the only one there from 1:35-2:15. read more

This dumpling spot was so good! It feels like a hidden gem. We tried so many things to get an idea of their menu. The dumplings are so good, and I would highly recommend the beef rolls. They're warm but refreshing and have a really good sauce. The green beans were so flavorful. Their service is awesome. They also have cool matchas I was not able to try but will next time. I hope this place gets good business because the food is bomb. read more

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What a great find! Had lunch here and we were only 1 of 2 parties dining here on a weekday, which I cannot understand. Everything we ate was so good! I'm guessing Mimi Garden is fairly new and word must not be out yet. We ordered xiu long bao, pan fried dumpling, spicy wontons, cucumbers, salt and pepper tofu and sesame balls. The food rivaled Din Tai Fung! My favorite fish was probably the tofu. So crispy! We had a ton leftover, which made the price tag worth it. Service was great too. Mimi Garden is a hidden gem, and I highly recommend checking it out! read more

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Delicious food. Nice inside seating. Service was a little disorganized, because I don't think one server had our table so no one knew where we were in our dining experience. Rather three people kept walking by who we had to flag down if we needed anything. Maybe they were just busy? Food was great though. Prices are fair for the hand made quality. read more

They couldn't serve us. They said the hot water needs to be 100 degrees it was only 98 degrees so they couldn't serve due to health codes. Whether that's the case or not, food was still coming out to seated guests. Probably not a good idea to serve food to the others there if factual. Very odd and kinda sketchy so we had to leave. No worries we won't return. read more

Mimi Garden - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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We were happy to be recommended this place especially around the holidays when most are closed. The menu sure does remind us of another place with the popular Xiao Long Bao. Just smaller & no queue to get a table! We love the cucumber salad in the other similar place so we ordered two of those. However, it is not quite the same. This is a little bland, and even just the look is not as appetizing. But still good enough. We also had the Kurobuta Pork Soup Xiao Long Bao and Kurobuta Pork Spicy Wontons. They are again delicious but not quite as good. I believe they both come in 8 pieces each. The Bbq Pork Buns(char Siu Bao) which come in three are good as well. And I also enjoyed their chicken fried rice. There were not a lot of people then. However, it was still hard to find and grab the waiter's attention when we wanted to add more to our order. We finally did & it was another waiter. He took the additional order but we never got it. The place is nice, clean and bright. The food is good enough if you don't have want to deal with the long queue at the other place. But the price is almost the same, if not the same. read more

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Think of Din Tai Fung but no lines. Not as good but good enough. They have the xiao ling nap with soupy inside, spicy wontons, and a host of other dumplings including desert. Chicken fried rice was good too! Service not as attentive but decent enough as this place is small. Decent alternative to the other famous place and would recommend as such read more

Mimi Garden - Menu cover - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Plenty of free parking, service is friendly, and food rivals that of Din Tai Fung. My mother in law is Taiwanese and she is a mean cook. For her to say she likes the food here is like winning a michelin star. There are only chinese guys in the back cooking... so it's authentic! We have tried so many dishes here and everything is delicious! I particularly love the sauteed string beans, spicy wontons, XLB, sweet and sour chicken, and the fried rice. Basically, anything you order here is going to be fantastic. This is such a great new gem in the neighborhood and I hope everyone gives them a try and keeps coming back! We need Mimi Garden to stay!! Mimi Garden offers perks if you sign up for their insider email. And I just have to give a shout out to Mimi Garden because they celebrate holidays!! They had a huge skeleton dog outside the restaurant for Halloween and buckets of candy for everyone. Who doesn't love a staff that gets into the holidays?! Mimi Garden had a cute halloween themed kids meal that our daughter loved & devoured. They hosted a costume contest and we were shocked that our daughter won $50!! It's small things like this that really set them apart. Mimi Garden is here to build community in Newport and I give them 5 stars all around!! read more

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Gorgeous restaurant, I only picked up and didn't dine in but look forward to in the future. Ordered the crispy beef rolls, crab rangoons, beef tenderloin with mushrooms, sweet and sour chicken, string beans with garlic, vegetable fried noodles, vegetable fried rice, and an order of chocolate xiao long bao for the four of us. The beef was one of the standouts, so tender and juicy! The string beans were also underrated, with great snap and buttery garlic flavor. The noodles had great chew and were perfectly oiled, definitely my favorite of all the Chinese I've had in the area. Lastly, the chocolate xiao long bao are DANGEROUS because they are irresistible pockets of chocolate-y goodness. 6 come in an order and the four of us were fighting over those last two for sure. Will definitely be back! read more

Went there a couple weeks ago on a Thursday with the kids and grandparents. Service was snappy, food was delicious, portions were just right! The interior is brand spanking new, gorgeous. Pan fried buns were delicious, xiao long bao was perfect, the skins were the right texture and a bit thicker than other places which I preferred. Price is just right considering we had leftovers for the next day. read more

Excited to have Mimi Garden open in Newport on Balboa peninsula! The pretty and cozy restaurant is elegantly designed, comfortable and clean, serving comfort Northern Chinese cuisine from juicy dumplings to noodles. The menu is similar to Din Tai Fung but you don't need to go wait at Southcoast Plaza. This is a good place if you crave Chinese food and can enjoy nice weather on Balboa. Due to soft opening, every table received a bamboo basket of steamed pork dumplings - they were steaming hot and juicy. We also tried the rice cakes w mushrooms and shrimps (chewy like mochi and excellent in flavor), glutinous rice wrapped in leaves, cold seaweed salad appetizer, spicy Dan Dan noodles (beware this has peanuts and is super spicy w numbing kick). The service was excellent as they even made another order of noodles for us without the spice. We will be back! Thank you! read more

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Came by here today for lunch and was pleasantly surprised by the quick service and delicious food. Ordered the braised beef noodle soup for $16.95 and due to the grand opening, I received an order of pork soup dumplings on the house! Woohoo. Both items were tasty. Noodles were chewy and broth was just the right flavors. Only had enough stomach space to eat one xiao long bao, but it was nicely done. Menu is smaller than that of din tai fung, but the interior is modern and quaint. Service staff were friendly and quick to bring my food out. No complaints on opening day, glad they got their kinks worked out before more people come! I'll be sure to recommend to others! read more

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Food was amazing I had a fried fish and noodles Device quick and friendly It was quiet I can hear the background music and I love seeing the people inside the kitchen making my food read more

Mimi Garden - The drinks and the place from inside - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I can't say enough about Mimi's Garden. Our family loved the experience. The food is delicious and inventive. The service was fantastic. And the ambience was beautiful. We spent a week in Newport Beach - and this was the best restaurant experience. Just great all around! read more

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Delicious dinner of Dim Sum with green tea and cold beer. The service was impressive and everyone was so kind. Very relaxing meal and we got a table where we could watch a chef making the truffle dumplings from a clear window. read more

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New spot on Balboa. Open kitchen concept. Friendly and polite service, although a bit slow. Food was consistently salty over several different menu items, but overall was a positive experience, in a nicely decorated space. Kung Pao chicken & cucumber salad were our favorites. The broccoli & beef tasted fine but were similarly soft making it hard to differentiate which was which. Be warned that entrees do NOT come with rice and must be ordered as a side. read more

Mimi Garden - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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So glad to find this spot in my area. Tried cucumber salad, and some dim sum dishes, tasted good. Our server Emily so nice and attentive to make sure everything was perfect. She responded fast to all our requests. Very clean and comfortable interior, a great place to chat with friends. Too bad we ate too fast forget to take some good pictures. read more

Lengthy- but worth noting for anyone curious enough to spend the time to read this. I ramble, but their service is just that impressive. First- I am so sorry to your staff that my family is so picky and can never seem to just order directly from a menu- But your restaurant is so exceptional and have given us the most impressive customer service I think I/we may have ever experience when it caters to our order modifications. Your staff and your restaurant are the FIRST restaurant experience I've had in a very long while, where service truly goes above and beyond the standard customer service. Just absolutely blown away at a recent experience we just had this evening and worth a note. I've been enjoying trying more of their menu selections. They have a delicious array of my family's familiar and comforting dimsum items and entrees. On a fix right now for the black pepper udon noodles, almost 3-5 times per week now. With our picky and detailed instructions on the order, the udon dish has been especially well enjoyed lately And with how much of a hassle it must be to hear our picky list of instructions, I always make sure cash gratuity is $10-$15 extra, on top of the card transaction's gratuity. I've worked in the restaurant service industry and it's not easy to make sure diners' requests are heeded as it can get confusing sometimes to check with an already busy kitchen. I imagine it may be a hassle too, of having customers like my family who make these requests and modifications "extra sauce, no vegetables, extra noodles (for added cost of course) boil the meat and please keep on the side and please no seasoning on the meat- you get the idea- and yes it is embarrassing. (I give the meat to my pets as a treat throughout the week) - So tonight, the server missed my saying no vegetables. So I called to mention the mistake and Vace's first and immediate help was to have the correct order delivered to me - WOW- just- WOW of course not necessary, but amazed that they'd even offered!... Having further spoken to Vace,, the situation is remedied and I am beyond content with returning for a remake of our dinner item at a later time. So while it makes me self conscious now to have to request this on the next visit, I sincerely appreciate their offering to remake it. So thank you again, really , to your staff, your kitchen, for making this delicious udon dish and catering to my family's whim on these requests. We sincerely appreciate that the chefs make these modifications for us and I hope I am compensating enough for this request each time. I can not express enough how much we appreciate it. ... WOW!... Your Staff, Vace, you're ALL BEYOND EXCEPTIONAL AND you give us a truly one-of-a-kind dining experience! Thank you so much. read more

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Went here for my moms birthday and everything was PERFECT! Oliver and John were our servers, they did an amazing job. Compliments to the kitchen! We got a handful of different items and nothing disappointed! read more

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I don't write many reviews but felt the need to because the staff was so kind to me and my family. They just opened so there are a few hiccups but overall service was great. They gave our son a little baby snack plate and he was so happy to have his little pig custard bun and ate the whole plate along with scarfed down portions of what we ordered. One of the servers Vanice? Vacine? was so sweet and attentive and went out of their way to engage with our toddler so he wasn't a menace to the restaurant. That along with the beautiful wall of flowers and butterflies he could point at and name really made the place kid friendly. Not to mention the food was great! TBH I wasn't expecting much because most Asian restaurants in Newport are "fusion" or a bit white washed but I'm so glad to have an authentic XLB place I can walk to that's equally as good as Paradise Dynasty or Din Tai Fung. Plus, now I don't have to deal with the chaos of south coast plaza. Also price is on par with DTF so pretty affordable, I feel like we ordered so much and it was maybe $70? What we got: - Sauteed Green Beans 10/10 - Veggie Fried Noodles 7/10 (good for kids but I'd skip) - Pork and Shrimp XLB 10/10 - Pork and Shrimp Spicy Wonton 10/10 - Pan Fried Pork Dumplings 8/10 (flavor was good but I'll opt for the steam buns next time) Highly recommend and we will definitely be back! :) read more

Mimi Garden - So cute and creative for kids! - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Hands down, my new favorite dim sum place and the added benefit of being right down the street. The flavor and quality is phenomenal, the decor is beautiful, the staff was friendly, the service was quick, and the place was spotless. Love this place, can't wait to come back. read more

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I don't know who's leaving these glowing reviews y'all, but it doesn't seem like it's people from Newport Beach, let alone locals that live on the peninsula. I'm a born bred peninsula guy. NHHS '03 grad. Home owner. Legit review. I order: *Filet Mignon with Shitake Mushrooms *Pork Bao Buns I'll tell you straight from the jump why I'm leaving a one star review. I don't like when restaurants lie and say "oh we've got natural caught salmon" when you know that it's farm raised. Or a restaurant that says "we've got Kobe burgers" when you know it's just a regular burger. Well this place is serving straight up bogus filet mignon.. and I would know.. because my father owned a famous local seafood/steakhouse in NB for 20 years, and I've eaten Filet Mignon MANY times in my life & from many different cultural cuisines. What I got was some weird Chinese buffet style chewy, fatty, mystery-meat, that I can absolutely 100% positively tell you was NOT Filet Mignon & the mushrooms were 100% NOT Shiitake mushrooms but some kind of canned shrooms [that they charged me $30 for]. And the worst part is that it was disgusting! It was overloaded full of black pepper, and the sauce was off putting, and the meat was just chewy and gross. Think of a really bad beef dish from the worst Chinese takeout place you could go to.. YA that kind of meat. A Disappointment would be an understatement! Don't always trust everything you read, especially when the reviews are all five stars and glowing right when a place opens up; that's called friends and family folks. Oh, and the pork Bao Bun tasted no better than the buns I just bought from Grocery Outlet in the frozen section by a brand called Wow Bao. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the exact same bun. Actually, I take that back. The bun from the grocery outlet was better so it couldn't be. Little bit different shape. But anyways, I don't know what the hype is about because I didn't get anything that resembled edible food that was worth my $50. Sorry Mimi - hope you figure it out and don't end up like Mimi's Cafe read more

Mimi Garden - Filet? Mignon with Shiitake Mushrooms - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I've been excited for this new place to open up and I'm so happy that I had a good experience. Now I can get some authentic Chinese food in the area. We got takeout here and was satisfied with everything: pork soup xlb, sautéed spinach and pepper beef fried rice. I would just say that the fried rice was lacking a bit in terms of the rice texture--flavor was still great. The packaging was really nice the food was great quality. Takeout was easy within 15 min but I'm sure it might take longer once they get busier. Can definitely see myself coming here on a weekly basis. read more

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Talk about a positive addition to Newport peninsula! People are calling it a Din Tai "dupe" but I think it's up to par with DTF and has a lot of similar menu items! This is great for those who don't want to wait in line for a meal and it's really good. Portions are very generous and I really enjoyed some of their unique items like the truffle pork xiao and the pineapple beef. Their spicy noodles are sooo yummy but not very spicy, but a bit of added chili oil really amplifies the flavor. Don't skip the green beans or cucumber salad (obviously)! The pork buns are a staple and fluffy like a cloud. I know everyone loves the chocolate buns from DTF, and Mimi Garden has them to meet your cravings! Rich and chocolatey. The ambiance is ethereal and whimsical without being overwhelming. It's cute inside and has a good amount of space for parties of any size! Welcome to Newport Beach, Mimi Garden! read more

New dim sum spot on the peninsula, naturally I had to check it out. Food? Actually pretty tasty. Service? A different story. It took ages to get the check, ages to get water, and apparently "Chinese mustard" doesn't exist here. Just honey mustard (wtf!). The prices are a little high for this location, so unless they tighten things up fast, I don't see this place sticking around for long. Oh, and my favorite part...they brought out bao buns I never ordered, then asked if I canceled them. No, no, no, I never ordered them to begin with. Don't gaslight me over steamed bread. read more

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I don't leave reviews often. But this place warranted it. The food was really good. The service was HORRENDOUS. We came with our family and it took over 2 hours to get served...and the restaurant was EMPTY. They prioritized to go orders before our dine in order. When the food came out, they brought out one plate at a time (like 15 minutes apart each). Easily the worst service I've ever received at a restaurant. read more

This is my second time coming here with my boyfriend! We discovered this cozy spot near my workplace, and it has been amazing! The food is as good as Din Tai Fung & Paradise Dynasty, but the price is fair and affordable! We love the Xiao Long Bao, Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin Fried Rice, Hot & Sour Soup, Spicy Shrimp & Pork Wontons, Garlic String Beans, and BBQ Pork Buns! Service is quick and servers are always friendly and attentive! Will definitely be coming again! read more

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The food was amazing and very fresh. The service was awesome, would highly recommend.

Great service, adorable little spot with indoor and outdoor seating. Food came quickly and everything tasted amazing. So excited to have a new local spot to go to. I got the cucumbers, juicy pork dumplings, spicy pork dumplings, and pork bun. Can't wait to go back and try new things. read more

Mimi Garden - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Our family came here for lunch, we ordered a lot of different dishes because we had 10 people. Everything was delicious, some of the dishes could use a little bit less sweet like the fried tofu. Parking lot is big, we had no problem getting parking on Sunday afternoon, restaurants decor is nice, will be back. read more

came here for the first time on a friday night with friends. we only waited a few minutes for a table inside. i love that they have more room on the patio as well. i just have to say im pleasantly surprised by how good the food is. like it's actually really authentic chinese food. i did not have high hopes considering the location and demographic of customers. usually all the good chinese food is in 626, irvine, etc. for those expecting a din tai dupe - don't lol. they may share some similar menu items but that's literally just chinese food. they have tons of unique menu items and the food is not an apples to apples comparison. we got the green beans, pork xlb, pork red chili wontons, and beef stir fried noodles. everything was great! we liked some more than others. thought the red chili wonton sauce could have been more flavorful maybe with more garlic or scallions? but everything else was great and i'd come back again. read more

Mimi Garden - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

We got just about everything on the menu and every single thing was A M A Z I N G! Pork dumplings, spicy pork dumplings, wasabi shrimp and sweet and sour chicken was my faaaavorite but wasabi shrimp was my most favorite. The kids meal was the cutest thing ever and so so yummy. Service was so fast!!! Everything came out almost immediately and for 15 - 20 minutes our food was coming out. The servers and kitchen were the most friendly. Overall, this was the most delicious, friendly, and pleasant dining experience ever. read more

Mimi Garden - Kids meal - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Came here to celebrate the holidays. They allow for reservation in advance, which I'd recommend as it was pretty packed when we came (not sure if just because of holidays though). The interior is slightly smaller than I expected and it's an open kitchen concept where you can see them prepping in the kitchen which was cool. The service was also very good and constantly checking on us. Parking is very easy as it's in a shopping plaza. The food itself was not bad but I felt that it was not super authentic. The rice cakes were cooked in a sauce that reminded me of orange chicken sauce but the rice cakes themselves were very nice and chewy. We really enjoyed the chive dumplings and tofu salad, those were our favorite items. The crispy fish was a little on the salty side and the xiao long baos were pretty good but the dough was slightly undercooked. Definitely had a modern twist from traditional Chinese food. Overall enjoyed our experience here! read more

Mimi Garden - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Love their food. Been looking for a place with great bbq pork bun and I found it! The ambiance is calming, food is fresh and they have excellent customer service. read more

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