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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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

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

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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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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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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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

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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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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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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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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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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Definitely recommend Mimi Garden! The food was delicious, authentic, and the service was quick! Oliver and John were attentive and kind. The elegant decor really elevated the experience as we celebrated our mother's birthday. 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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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

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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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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Rarely leave reviews, only if it's really good. This place is GREAT. Food is the best, super fresh and amazing flavor. Staff is awesome too, they have plenty of friendly staff helping and ensuring you are taken care of right away. I highly recommend trying this spot, you will not be disappointed. Pricing is very fair. Atmosphere is also very high end. I'd recommend the sweet and sour chicken with white rice, and the bbq pork dumplings. Crazy good. read more

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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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

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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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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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

Excellent service from Jerry, dumplings are made in house and cooked to order. Overall amazing dining experience.

What a little gem. This is a wonderful restaurant. The food is the best, and the service is outstanding. We had the sweet and sour chicken, a large portion of crunchy chicken with a fantastic sweet-and-sour sauce. We also had the garlic string beans, perfectly cooked, and a large portion. Our last item was the pot stickers, also perfect. It was just my wife and me, and we had quite a lot to take home. I wish I could give a 10 Star review it deserves one. read more

Great service and good food! Came here after whale watching and it hit the spot. Good portions!

Solid. We came here for dinner with our 3 year old. Friendly service, immediately given a water cup without asking, then they brought out a toddler appetizer plate of sorts - all just nice little touches before dinner even started. Really nice to see this level of service and care from the get go. The ambience is perfect, tons of flowers and dim lighting, comfortable chairs, spacious tables, and just a small and cozy neighborhood restaurant that can go a long way. The food. The green beens were just perfect. The veggie fried rice was excellent. The chicken dumplings were perfect. The scallion pancakes were decent, but a touch to doughy for me (unless that's they're recipe, but we prefer them crispier). The sweet and sour chicken was totally amazing. One of the best dishes I've ever had at a Chinese restaurant. Just phenomenal. Overall, just a solid place with excellent food and excellent service. What else could you ask for. read more

This place is so good. Food is amazing. Service excellent. Big fan. Chairs comfortable.

Food was excellent! The Garlic Green Beans and Hot & Sour Soup were great, Bao's were bomb, and would absolutely go again! Service was solid too! Don't for get to get the chocolate mochi long bai too! read more

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Amazing food and experience! Friendly service! Good vibes and ambiance. Cant wait to go back read more

Mimi Garden - Coffee Cloud Cocktail - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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From the moment we stepped I to this quaint new restaurant we felt so happy. The ambiance is so relaxing and modern. The service is on point, attentive and helpful. The food is authentic and remarkable! Do yourself a favor and try this place. You will have a wonderful meal in a gorgeous setting read more

Mimi Garden Newport Beach was great. Cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, and delicious food. Not pictured with the peppered beef noodles which were delicious - a favorite among our group. Can't wait to come back. read more

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

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Beautiful new location. Food is delicious and service is phenomenal. We're excited to come back to this new location. read more

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

Please train wait staff! At 2 dinners, items forgotten, wine orders mixed up, almost impossible to get servers attention while they chat with each other around the register. Very slow service. Could be great restaurant...just train staff. read more

Really delicious dim sum. Great xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and freshly handmade. We loved the crab fried rice (order this first as it does take time to make) and the salt and pepper tofu. Everything we had here was delicious! And large servings Service was typical of Chinese restaurants where things get served as soon as they're ready, so it's fresh as possible but keep that in mind because pacing can be off It's a cute restaurant - I liked being able to see the dumplings being handmade! Ps: there's another review here who claims he has better taste than everyone else because he went to high school in Newport (?) and is a homeowner (???). He also claims he ordered filet mignon here (??? There is a beef tenderloin dish but for someone who went on a long rant about how to label food properly I'm surprised he missed this) read more

Mimi Garden - Steamed vegetable dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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We have been looking for a good Chinese restaurant for a long time. Well, we have found it except it's not good, it's excellent! Mimi Garden - Dumplings and Bao! The atmosphere belies the fact that it is in a strip mall. You walk into a beautiful setting with a genuine smile welcome. Everyone is there to make your stay memorable. The food! So fresh. The flavors make you want more. We so far have had the broccoli beef, steamed chicken dumplings, sweet and sour chicken, broccoli with garlic, and green onion pancakes. An assortment of beverages and wine and beer. A must try. Serving sizes are huge! So much more to enjoy. Hope to see you there soon! read more

We were a little late for our reservation so had to sit outside luckily it wasn't too cold as they don't have heaters out there. The food was delicious! They have some kinks to work out like figuring out which order goes to which table, and the umbrella on the patio is unbalanced the poor waiter kept tripping on it, and it was almost hitting customers I asked them to turn on the overhead lights and it was much nicer out there.. took us a while to get the food, but it was good and we will give it another try! We appreciated the complementary soup dumplings for the grand opening read more

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

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