Shirley B.

Food: We came here for afternoon tea, each ordering the tea set, and overall the food really stood out. The finger foods was Asian‑inspired, with flavors like black sesame, curry, and other creative twists that made each bite feel unique. Every piece was thoughtfully made, rich, and decadent without feeling repetitive, and the presentation was beautiful across the board. It definitely felt like a more elevated, modern take on afternoon tea. The tea itself, however, fell a bit short for me. I ordered a non‑caffeinated chrysanthemum tea, which unfortunately didn't have much depth or flavor. My friend's Darjeeling was better, but still not as rich or complex as I've had elsewhere. Given how strong the Asian inspiration is in the food, it would've been nice to see more thoughtful decaf tea options in that same direction, like decaf sencha, barley tea, or kuromamecha, to better match the concept. Price: The afternoon tea service is prix fixe at around $45 per person, which includes a curated set of savory bites, desserts, and a pot of tea. For the quality and creativity of the food, the price feels pretty reasonable compared to other OC tea services, though the tea itself didn't quite meet the same level as the food. Ambiance: The space is bright, warm, and inviting, with a nice amount of natural sunlight coming in that makes it feel cozy rather than stuffy. There are subtle Asian design elements woven into the décor, giving it a modern, slightly upscale feel without being overly formal. It's a great spot to catch up with friends and linger over tea. Service: Service was good, friendly, welcoming, and attentive without being overbearing. Even during a busy service, staff remained kind and approachable, which added to the overall relaxed vibe. Parking: Parking can take a bit of effort. Since it's located on a busy street in Orange, you may need to circle around the roundabout or park a little farther away and walk over. Not impossible, but definitely something to plan for, especially on weekends.

Kat S.

Love the Asian-inspired afternoon tea. The savory parts were perfect, and the bread for the tea sandwiches was a bit dry but still good. Dessert was good favorite was the sesame cream puff and papaya coconut. Lots of good teas to choose from Iron goddess Dragon well Masala chai Early grey creme Liquid jade Ordered a couple of dishes from the lunch menu Pad Thai Fried rice Both were very good Tender chicken Chewy and spicy noodles Reservations suggested Service was quick and friendly

Mckenna B.

Just tried out Star Leaf and it was a great experience!I love the concept of an Asian fusion tea time. I thought the savories were a nice mix of Asian and classic with both creamy cucumber sando and the egg sandwich as well as the shrimp cake and the gyoza. The shrimp cake was definitely my favorite, I think they did an excellent job. The desserts were also a good mix between the different tarts and the cream puffs. I especially enjoyed the pink lychee truffle dessert--SO good! The teas were presented in a cute way with glass pots. We tried the Passionfruit and the Darjeeling, which out of the two, my favorite was the Darjeeling. You do get to sample teas as well, which is great if you're unfamiliar! The only thing I would love to see here is a loose leaf brewed tea selection versus the teabag. I think it's more suitable for the pre-fixe tea time. I very much still enjoyed our teas, however, and will return to try out the full service dining!

Van D.

As someone who enjoys afternoon tea, I was excited to try Star Leaf, which is a new rebrand of the former Tea Modern Chinese down in Old Towne Orange. No reservation required for the afternoon tea experience, this should have been a red flag. Upon entering, I informed them I was there for the afternoon tea experience. They told me to sample the teas in front and picked one. I liked both the Darjeeling and the Lavender Chamomile, and ultimately decided on the Darjeeling because it is the more unique one of the two and I needed some caffeine to get some work done. I had my laptop and my huge purse with me... and the restaurant only had one other table of guests... and yet I was squeezed into this tiny table with limited space. As "nice" as they were trying to be... maybe not common sense on giving the customer a comfortable experience. So their Afternoon Tea ($45/person) is cheaper than other afternoon tea experiences but it is also more lacking in offerings. No scone and accompaniments, no option for soup or salad. It is basically more affordable because it is offering less. The tea came out first. CATFISH MOMENT. When I was sampling the tea, the tea display in front had these tubes of loose tea leaves. Most tea houses offer teas with loose tea leaves... somehow when I get my tea pot, IT'S A TEA BAG. HOW DISAPPOINTING!! The tray was simply a top layer of savory bites and a bottom layer of sweet bites. Remember my comments on the red flag about not requiring a reservation prior?? Well most tea houses require a reservation so they can prepare an adequate amount of treats. I TASTED the staleness and lacking freshness of these offerings. Savory: - Egg Salad Sando: Sandwich bread dried along the edges, clearly premade and not well preserved. At best average. - Cucumber Sandwich: Sandwich bread dried along the edges, clearly premade and not well preserved. Awful execution of the cucumber sandwich you find at most afternoon tea offerings. This was so bland. - Curry Chicken Basket: Interesting curry in a waffle like base, and wrapped like a shu mai. Better than the sandwiches. - Shrimp Cakes: The best item on the savory layer but oily. - Mushroom Potsticker: Decent potsticker, but not good enough to make me come back here. Sweets: - Chocolate Custard Tart: Looks like they bought a premade base and filled it randomly with stuff. Not tasty. Wow how do you mess up chocolate? - Papaya Penna Cotta: Not a typo on my part, but I think their menu meant panna cotta?? I took one bite and put it back. The papaya was overriped and the inside was more of a cheap coconut jello than a fancy panna cotta. - Black Sesame Puff: The exterior was stale and the cream had build up on the outer layer. Clearly premade but not well preserved. Not tasty. - Raspberry Lychee Mousse: The best bite on the sweet tray. I was pleasant surprised after all of the other awful treats on this layer. I am thoroughly disappointed. I had my laptop with me because I planned to stay here and work for a few hours but the food was so awful I didn't want to order anything else from them. Also after they set down the tea setting, there wasn't too much checking on the customer experience. Considering how empty it was, I think they had bandwidth to be more personable. I do not recommend the afternoon tea experience. I know they have a separate dinner offering that I hear is decent... but my experience was so dreadful I'm not motivated to come back.

Yau-Ru C.

Cute concept but poor execution. At $45 per person for a total of 9 mini bites (5 savory, 4 sweet) and one pot of tea, I expected the service to be better. Although staff was friendly, the quality of service was choppy at best. After being seated for 15 minutes, the waitress finally stopped by our table to take our order. The first thing she told us was that we only have 90 minutes dining time which started counting at reservation time, after making us wait 15 minutes to place order. The food is decent, but nothing stood out except the shrimp cake. There was no cream, milk or sugar at the table for the teas that may need them. Typically you can order regular menu food à la carte (like orange chicken, short ribs, etc) but they don't do it on weekends when they are busy so it's a pain to bring kids here who don't necessarily enjoy cucumber or egg salad sandwich. For a place with 5 staff and only 7-8 tables occupied when we visited, the level of chaos in service was obvious and painful to watch. I think the concept of the restaurant is unique for the area, but the staff needs lots more help.

Sung W.

We found Star leaf on yelp and finally went thete and wow... so glad we did!! place is STUNNING inside, legit feels fancy and upscale the second you walk in. pauline greeted us at the door, super sweet and patient while we stood there staring at the menu forever trying to decide lol. They offer a $45 afternoon tea prefix menu but we just ordered off the regular menu and everything was legit. And here's what we got: * Crown fried rice w/ seafood + fish roe 5/5 easy, best fried rice i've had in a minute, those little pops of roe * Mango sticky rice 4.8/5 perfect sweetness, mango was ripe af * Coconut Panna cotta 4.8/5 creamy dreamy coconut heaven * Som tum papaya salad 4.6/5 spicy tangy crunchy everything i wanted * Pad thai mixed 4.5/5 noodles on point, not too sweet like some places * Gold yellow curry w/ beef 4.3/5 rich and flavorful, beef was tender * Royal thai iced milk tea 4/5 solid but the food stole the show Restroom was clean, service was on point, whole vibe is classy but still chill. only complaint is parking is a total nightmare, took me like 30 minutes circling lol but 100% worth it. Already planning the next trip back. if you like Thai food that looks almost too pretty to eat, come here!! My Personal Rating: 4.78 Food 4.8/5 Staff 5/5 Price 4.5/5 Ambiance 4.8/5 Cleanliness 4.8/5

Lisa Y.

This spot was formerly called Tea Modern Chinese, but now it's Star Leaf Orange! They're known for their Asian-inspired afternoon tea, but now they also serve lunch and dinner. For small plates/apps, I'd recommend the Thai Prawn Ceviche! It has black tiger prawns, onion, tomato, cilantro, mint, and Thai chili fish sauce (the best part!). It's so yummy! It's marked as spicy, but I didn't think it was too spicy which made it enjoyable! It's very refreshing. Great way to start the meal. For mains, we got a few different dishes. My favorite is their Madame Noi's Pork Collar. It has a tasty soy molasses marinade and comes with lettuce cups, cucumber, mint, Thai basic. They give you a basil garlic dipping sauce on the side and some rice. With this dish, you build your own wrap with the ingredients provided. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the texture of pork collar, but this one was really good! One of their menu highlights is their Royal Crown Fried Rice. If you get it with the seafood and fish roe, it comes with this layer of fish roe across the top of the fried rice. So pretty to look at! You can also add chicken, beef, or mix to your fried rice if you prefer. The Golden Curry has a nice variety of vegetables including eggplant, zucchini, string beans, red bell peppers, and scallions. You get a choice of protein, but I'd recommend the soft shell crab! Perfectly crispy and different than other protein options I've seen with curry! They also have a Truffle Wok Seared Noodles though I don't think the black truffle flavor was very strong. Would high recommend the Thai Prawn Ceviche and Madame Noi's Pork Collar!

Bonnie S.

I came for a delightful afternoon tea with my daughters, and it was such an enjoyable experience. They offer a great selection of teas, with samples available at the front of the restaurant. I chose the Chai Masala. I normally prefer cream in my chai, but this one was absolutely delicious on its own. Rich, aromatic, and perfectly balanced. They offer a set afternoon tea menu that includes: Savory Items Mushroom Potsticker Shrimp Cakes Egg Salad Sando Curry Chicken Basket Cucumber Sandwich Sweets Black Sesame Puff Raspberry Lychee Mousse Chocolate Custard Tart Papaya Panna Cotta Everything tasted incredibly thoughtful, from the flavors to the presentation. Each item had great texture and balance. My favorite savory was the Curry Chicken Basket, I could honestly eat 100 of these. The flavor was outstanding, and the edible shell was a delightful surprise. My favorite sweet was the Papaya Panna Cotta, which surprised me because I'm not usually a fan of papaya. This version was light, refreshing, and perfectly sweet. The restaurant itself has a clean, modern, and upscale feel with a calm, quiet ambiance. I truly enjoyed my time here with my daughters (both adults), and the service was attentive and friendly throughout. A wonderful afternoon tea experience overall.

Michele L.

Star Leaf is a wonderful Thai restaurant in Orange, CA with lovely Thai food and great vibes!! Bold, rich flavors!! Not only do they offer an Asian inspired afternoon tea experience but now are serving dinner. I came with my sister and had an enjoyable meal. Bold flavors and spices! Vibrant with balanced flavors! Dishes made fresh to order and so aromatic!! The Thai Prawn Ceviche was fresh, zesty, spicy and refreshing. Perfect with these crispy Indonesian Shrimp Crackers! The 12 Hr Braised Angus Short Ribs and Black Pepper Beef Strips were rich, succulent, incredibly tender and melt-in-your-mouth. Don't miss out on the Royal Thai Iced Milk Tea! The Mango Sticky Rice was the perfect ending to our meal! Wonderful customer service!!

Carmina C.

I've already been to Star Leaf in Pasadena and enjoyed the experience, so when I heard that they had taken over where TEA Modern Chinese used to be, I knew I had to come try it. I brought my cousin along for Saturday afternoon tea (online reservations were super easy to make ahead of time), and we were made to wait a little bit while our table was prepared. We didn't mind at all, since there was a table near the entrance area that was laden with teapots, from which guests are able to pour themselves complimentary samples of tea. It was nice to be able to try the various teas ahead of time so that we could decide ahead of ordering. It was a nice breath of fresh air to try an afternoon tea with an Asian twist, and we loved how affordable yet delicious the savories and sweets were. Our favorites included the Curry Chicken Basket, the Shrimp Cake, and the Papaya Panna Cotta. The servers came by and replenished our tea frequently, and it was always piping hot. One thing that people might want to note is that the interior of the restaurant looks just like...a restaurant. Star Leaf is a restaurant that just happens to offer an afternoon tea service. Just wanted to bring this point up to those who are looking for a certain kind of (frilly, feminine) ambiance with their tea service!

Fiona T.

Inspired by traditional British afternoon tea with a touch of Asian flavor, this place reminded me of the tea sets I used to enjoy back in Hong Kong and in luxury hotels in Japan. Walking in, the décor feels cozy yet elegant. I loved that we could sample the teas before ordering, and they even had non-caffeinated options for my toddler. After some careful consideration, my bestie and I chose our favorites: jasmine green tea and passion fruit jasmine black tea -- one stronger, one lighter, just perfect. Each bite has its own unique taste. For savory, I highly recommend the house-made shrimp cake. The curry chicken basket was also beautifully done. For sweets, instead of a traditional scone, there was a refreshing papaya with pudding inside -- something new and different. Another must-try is the raspberry lychee mousse. It truly gives that East-meets-West vibe. With an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs make everything fresh by hand, this is definitely a spot worth saving for your next girls' day or self-date moment IG: socalhkfoodies

Robert L.

Food***// flavors are just ok nothing outstanding, expectations were high but not as good as the Pasadena one? It's a fusion place but the Chinese note just too much Service****// was great, host were quick to get to order and also mgr said bye with us when we are stepping out. Ambiance****// they offer free herbal teas for tasting which was a nice touch. Overall a decent place to sit in the afternoon with friends but let's not have full belly here loll

Sue C.

We thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance here; the decor, especially in the corners, is beautifully done. The crab curry (loved the flavorful, coconut base!) and seafood vermicelli were excellent. The absolute must-try is the tropical mango sea bass-it was wonderfully crispy and perfectly seasoned. The cocktail bar also offered a great selection of drinks. A fantastic experience overall!