Small restaurant but they have delicious dimsum I enjoy their seafood dimsum Service is good we usually do takeout or dine in on non busy hours read more

I've seen Tai Pan everytime I Yelped dimsum. But I had no idea where it was. But then again, I must have passed it while going to the restroom from Hong Kong Noodle House. Getting old. Anyway. It is a decently cheap dim sum venue. Kinda reminds me of the level of the former Canton Dim Sum on Hotel. Kind of a small place, I heard there's a line on weekends. Had the usual, siu mai, har gau, dry beef chow fun, black bean spareribs and bean curd wrap. All were good. I was happy. Parking $2. read more

Came here specifically for the crispy mochi carrot since I was already in the area and had been curious to try it. The outside had a nice crisp shell, while the inside was filled with a soft, custard-like center. Super cute presentation, but flavor-wise it was a bit underwhelming for me -- the sweetness was very mild and didn't quite stand out. Fun to try once, but not something I'd go out of my way for again. The restaurant itself was extremely busy with weekend dim sum crowds, but ordering was surprisingly efficient. I walked up to the cashier area, placed my order, and was in and out within just a few minutes, which was impressive given how packed it was. read more

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How do you dim sum... After meeting up a new restaurant in the Chinese Cultural Plaza which isn't free parking though having parking is very convenient for the area since it was Sunday street parking is free and I was very lucky to find a stall very close by and after our gathering Nadine C mentioned this restaurant as we passed right by it that it had an adorable item that was shaped like a carrot and as we walked in the fully packed restaurant right there is a covered shelves was several plates of dim sum and there's the carrot...mochi carrot to be exact and it was just too adorable to pass up on and as I got that and also another pastry that looked like Pineapple Bun both was filled with custard. The bun was nice and light not too sweet with custard that was more thick than the usual thin that I'm used to and the carrot mochi is best described like a Jian dui as the mochi was much more firn and inside had a large cavity with a bit of custard and yes it tasted like it's fried. The vibe of the restaurant was very busy but the staff was very nice and helpful as we just wanted to a couple of items to go which is nice and affordable and a great option to take home. Thank you! read more

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Excellent dim sum at this restaurant in CP. Tripe steamed to perfection. Siy mai has huge shrimp and moist. Look funroll moist and tasty. .Youmayhave to wait for table crowded at lunch..Seafood bundle steamed and huge .Jook looks good andenoughfor2 people. read more

Tai Pan Dim Sum - Seafood roll - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Haven't ate dim sum in a long time so decide to swing by for lunch. It was pretty busy but the food came out fast. I enjoyed the noodles better than the dim sum. The service here really depends on the waitress. Some very rude, while others extremely nice! Rude ones threw our take out boxes at us and walk away mid ordering. Food was good edible but I would not return. Ambiance is nothing special, typical Chinese restaurant vibes. read more

Tai Pan Dim Sum - Bbq look fun roll and noodles - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Food here is awesome. Not sure why others gave low stars . I like it here , Easy parking. Prices are pretty reasonable, good service top quality, clean restaurant too. Only thing bathroom you have to go out side of the restaurant. read more

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Here for the first time with my brother and niece. We were near Chinatown and wanting dim sum. Mei Sum was closed shockingly (it's Wednesday)! Desserts and a big Manapua are in the case on the wall , self-serve style. Our dim sum came out fairly quickly and it was all good. Normally you must park in the Chinatown cultural center, but we were lucky and got the last space on River Street side. We especially enjoyed custard tart (Dan Tan), which was just the right creamy, custard consistency, not heavily cornstarches as many places serve it. The food came out quickly after we ordered, and if you don't order right away, you will have to wait for the server to come back, which could take a while. All happy with our meal and service and will come here again! read more

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Service was fast. The tea tasted like soap. The food was below average. We ordered (2 ea) shrimp ha gao, pork hash, taro balls, fried nori wrapped shrimp. And (1 ea) sticky rice, char siu manapua, choy sum with hoisin, spring roll. Everything was dry and probably the worst dim sum I've had. The cherry on top...the bill for 12 items was $90. At other dim sum places, they give you the tally at the end of how much everything cost and total. The lady just said $90 and my friend paid. He asked for a breakdown of the prices and she told him, that's the price. Live and learn...won't go there again. read more

Dàjiā hǎo Chinatown celebrated its first Hawai'i Buddha Peace Festival. The outcome wasn't what I had expected but it's a beginning of hopefully something better and beautiful for the community. Let's all keep an eye and ears for that to come ;) I chose Tai Pan Dim Sum for lunch today. They didn't have much selection as I came late in the afternoon and they were only open till 3:00 pm. I had stuffed eggplant, chicken feet, black bean spareribs and shrimp dumplings. The food is tasty. It's even better if you top it off with the chili paste. I was greeted by the first waitress and said she was coming back to take my order but she didn't. A second waitress said the same thing but was held up with another customer. I stopped the third waitress and was finally able to place my order. Chinese restaurant is know to be a fast moving pace but I think that service can improve. While waiting for my order, I was able to observe and realize that a little cleaning and tidying is much needed from the kitchen to the counter to the table and to the display case where food is normally displayed. It was empty so I didn't think of taking a photo. I should have. I'll leave it up to those near the restaurant to try or not to try. Xièxiè read more

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I really really liked my visit to Tai Pan Dim Sum! Actually came to the Chinese Cultural Center to have breakfast at Fook Lam only to be disappointed by a sign that said they would be closed on Tuesdays starting 1/16/2024 which was the day we went....bummers but it actually was a good thing because I got to try a new place. My breakfast companion steered me to Tai Pan and I have nothing but accolades for this visit. I forgot to take pictures of the bean curd seafood wraps, the CharSui Look fun and the Turnip cake and Taro cake but they were all worthy of a try. I was told the owner of this Dim Sum House used to be co-owner of Fook Lam until they split and he started this restaurant. The dishes as very similar. The only difference is there are no carts which is okay because service is fast and there's not room anyway. Soooo if you're down for DimSum don't be hesitant to try this place, I did and I'm very happy I did. Parking in the center parking structure was $2. Stopped to watch the Tai Chi workout, those participants are tough, I'm wondering if I can donate and get the shirt? read more

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First time visit and it was amazing. I have another go to dim sum restaurant but this place clearly tops it! Dim sum was truly delicious- fish ball, turnip cake, shu mai, har gow and fried taro. Service was a little chaotic and twice they brought us wrong dishes but it worked out. Quick turnover place on a Saturday so not a place to lounge and catch up with friends. read more

My auntie took my wife and I to this restaurant many years ago. Today, there was a line for their dim sum. Six people waiting outside the front door. I did a jaunt around China Town and then came back. The line was gone, and I picked up two orders of streamed pork hash. Good taste and good service. Enjoy read more

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Back recently after a long break away. Forgot how much I enjoy this place. I had stopped coming when my mother stopped asking for her favorite food: lo bat gao. Food consistently delicious. There are a few favorite items they no longer carry. There are still a couple of items I have to go elsewhere to enjoy. Still,what they do have is basically really good. I love their new seafood dumpling bursting with filling! The reason have elevated my star review is because of the excellent service. These ladies working here @ Taipan are so kind yet efficient and hard working. They took care of our party with every attention to detail, even clearing our plates and baskets as soon as they emptied. I also noticed that while other dim sum restaurants continue to raise their prices, Taipan lags behind them just a wee bit. In today's competitive market one has to stay competitive! Believe I will be back again soon. Taipan continues to be a favorite takeout place! And yesterday it was a welcome dine in spot for myself and friends! read more

Tai Pan Dim Sum - Yum yum dim sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Deeeeeelicious!!! Still the best flavors for dim sum, in my 100% fair opinion. The service gets better and better with each visit as well, and I'm so thankful the food has reminded the same after multiple decades. Today, my wife tried something different - the Beef Brisket Noodle Soup. Yo, that dish was SO AMAZINGLY GOOD! The broth was exactly as expected, with its savory, deep, clean taste... accompanied by perfectly cooked thin egg noodles. The bowl of noodles was topped with tender and delicious pieces of fatty beef and tendon. Exactly what she was craving for! My faves, of course, are the Bean Curd Roll, Char Siu Look Fun, Chive Dumpling w/ Shrimp, Shrimp Gau, Meak Gok, and Black Bean Spareribs. Tried a new dish today - the Stuffed Eggplant. It was prepared black bean style and it was yum yum too. Love this place. Hope you love it too! read more

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Good food but had a bad allergic reaction. Ate a bit of fish that was dropped into the shrimp dumplings. You will enjoy the food here but be careful if you have food allergies. read more

It's been a while since we came to Tai Pan and Cultural Plaza. Hubs and I had some LNY groceries to buy, decided to grab brunch. I knew he was turned off by the male cashier at Tai Pan so I said we can eat anywhere, but the traffic in Maunakea area was nuts so Cultural Plaza it is. On the outside everything looks the same, but there were minor changes -- the uniforms (orange t-shirt vs red blouse I think), there are male waitstaff, and I didn't see the (always grumpy-looking) cashier. We also got to put our name on a waitlist which is now at a visible spot. I recognize the same waitresses and a couple of new faces. Quality of food is still as good as before. Looks like they've reverted to their previous menu too, instead of the printed and laminated list. For the two of us we ordered 2x chicken feet (super tender), baked char siu bao (very soft and fluffy bun, delicious char siu inside), shrimp seaweed roll (juicy shrimp, very crispy), beef balls (bouncy and tasty), and new osmanthus and coconut jelly (light and refreshing). Total was a little over $30. We ate like we were in a race (which we were haha) so ours was probably their fastest turnover. Somehow the atmosphere felt a little brighter this time. Also, it looks like they do curbside pickup for takeout orders. Solid four stars. read more

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Been here many times over the years. It's located in the corner in the Cultural Plaza in Chinatown. It's pretty busy & loud inside every time I go there. I don't really understand the hype. Service is not the greatest but not terrible. The food is okay, it's a little overpriced. I think Tai Pan used to be better a few years ago but has declined in quality in recent years. read more

Tai Pan Dim Sum - Shu Mai, shrimp dumpling, mochi rice, beef ball, egg tart - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Good hidden place that has been providing dim sum for many years. There is usually always seating if you go early enough to beat the lunch crowd. The best time is early or mid morning. They have a display case of dim sum treats and a huge menu board of their offerings. Service is quick and the foods arrive fast. The place is usually super busy with many patrons walking in for take out and the cooks shuttling dim sum plates out from the kitchen. Parking is validated in the Cultural Plaza garage. read more

Tai Pan Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A regular stop for our family. When we have the time, we'll walk-in for brunch on a weekend (although the wait can be up to 20 minutes for a table), or I'll order takeout. Go-to items are the steamed shrimp and chive dumplings, the shrimp stuffed fried eggplant, the pork bean curd rolls, and sometimes the pork baos. Literally the best dimsum dishes on the menu, for us at least! Each order comes with 3 pieces of dimsum. I definitely enjoy the authenticity of the restaurant- no frills, always bustling, slightly overworked and irritable staff that mean well, quick service as long as you're not shy about asking for what you want. Alot of local Chinese patronage for breakfast hours, and they don't necessarily get dimsum. Interested in trying some of the entrees next time on the menu. Prices are reasonable for Hawaii cost of living. read more

Tai Pan Dim Sum - Steamed shrimp & chives dumplings - best I've ever had! Full of chives and plump shrimp pieces. Skin of dumpling is paper thin. - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place is in Chinese cultural plaza and is relatively small and tight, which is why I usually do take out from here. We parked on the metered parking outside cause parking inside CCP is soooo tight! The restaurant is a typical dim sum restaurant with a loud open kitchen, servers screaming orders in Chinese, and a cart with piles of bamboo steamers. The food in my opinion is good here, so I'm surprised it has only 3 overall stars. The food is good and priced reasonably. The fillings in their dim sum is like double anywhere else and is flavorful. There's not a lot of finesse to the food appearance, bit it tastes great! The small plates are $4.95, then increase to the medium ones at $5.45, then for the seafood items being in the $5.95 range. Look funs are $8 for char siu, beef, or shrimp. You can't beat their Xiao long bao (soup dumplings, but didn't order it this time around) at only $9.95. Don't be turned off by the 3 stars it has on yelp, and give it a try. It may feel intimidating to go in since it looks so tight in there, but the menu has pictures and writing in English as well. The price point for what you get is awesome and it tastes like what I imagine home cooked dim sum would be, generous and filling! read more

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Very rude cashier! I asked for parking validation and she just rudely no validation and looked away! I asked again she did the same thing!

Taipan is now my go-to to get take out dim sum. You can park at Open Market which gives half an hour for free. There's no parking validation. I usually get the chive potstickers which are my favorite. All other dishes are good too. read more

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The cashier doesnt even look at u when you're ordering and had to repeat myself so i asked if she took down the order i said earlier and she said no read more

Dim sum in a family style setting! Lots of variety to choose from, especially if you are an adventurous diner! Quick service, we were seated right away at 10:00 am, tables were filling up close to noon. Located in the Cultural Plaza, parking is available, $2 an hour, server will cut your dumplings in half if needed so everyone gets an equal amount! read more

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Last meal in Hawaii and decided to head to Chinatown since we had not been over yet. Walked around the plaza to look around and see where to eat. Although Tai Pan only had three stars on yelp, it looked lively so we thought we'd check it out anyway. First off, service was friendly and welcoming. It felt like a neighborhood spot, the servers all knew the people coming in, lots of laughing. I loved the atmosphere. It's order off the menu, but there are photos and a bakery display case in front as well. Some of the names on the menu are slightly off in English like siumai is called pork hash. My husband and I do speak Chinese so it probably helped. We also got the red colored rice roll with a crispy shrimp donut inside omg have never tried something like this and it was delicious. I thought it was going to be an upsell type thing for the look, but I was impressed with the texture balance of chew and crisp. We took cha siu bao and pork mochi footballs for snacks for later and bao were soft and fluffy, mochi was not oily! Definitely recommend this spot! read more

Tai Pan Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Take out. Went on a Sunday around 12pm. Busy place. All tables taken. People waiting outside. Found a free parking space on road. Fast and efficient service for take out. Ordered: Ha gao, shrimp dumpling Sui mai, pork hash Gai Dan tart, custard tart Coconut peanut mochi ball All orders $ 4.95 / each Lady took order and wrote down 4 orders x $4.95. Pay at cash register at front. Busy place. Highly recommend. read more

Tai Pan Dim Sum - Coconut peanut mochi balls. Custard tart. $4.95/per order. 02/26/23 - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Tucked inside the Chinatown Cultural Plaza in Chinatown is a hidden gem dim sum restaurant. There are so many dim sum restaurants in the area and I think this one is quite competitive with the others. Their menu includes the classic dim sum choices along with entrees like porridge, fried rice, and stir fry noodles for the table to share. We came with a group of 4 and got to try many of their dim sum options and were pleasantly surprised with the high quality of flavors, textures, and amount of food we were given, proving that this is a solid dim sum restaurant. The service was friendly and helpful but it was a busy afternoon when we visited so we had to actively flag down the servers which is normal. The atmosphere is very casual and the restaurant isn't that big but it can accommodate large parties. Pro tip - come early in the day because they do run out of their popular items in the afternoon. read more

I don't know where all my food photos are going but they seem to be getting lost in the Yelp abyss so reposting. Wanna remember all the good things I ate so I can reorder in the future. read more

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Tastes not bad but the dim sum getting smaller each time you go there, too little meat inside the manapua .

I've never dinned it but i have ordered take out many times. Food is consistent in taste. Foos is ready on time. Free parking in CCP if you stay under 10 or 15mins. Friendly staff and my kids love the fish tank there. read more

Tai Pan Dim Sum is located inside Chinese Cultural Plaza on the ground floor. There is usually a group of people waiting outside for a table unless you go during off peak hours. Wait time ranges from 15 minutes (if you're lucky) to 45+ minutes for a table (these wait times were from my experiences). The restaurant is a decent size but the tables are cramped and sometimes you have to share a table (from what I observed). It's not a large restaurant but a good cozy restaurant. I've also seen people moved from table to table prior to getting their food. They have a good variety of dimsum options and dishes you can order from the kitchen. Service can be slow and items can be forgotten so you do have to remind the staff. On busy days, it seems that they are understaffed. The dimsum isn't bad though and it's reasonably priced for dimsum so they offer good value. Once you're finished, you just bring your bill to the cashier to pay. Good option in Chinatown for inexpensive dimsum. read more

Hi! First off, it has been a tradition for my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and I to eat here whenever I visited every summer. Since living here now, I've immensely enjoyed the home cooked dim sum meals that bring back the nostalgia of those days. Today for new years, my dad and I came to pick up 4 dishes. The cha siu bao, Dan tat, beef chow fun, and Hagao and shumai. Simple fare, but exploding with flavor! We took it to go as it was quite crowded. Hands down, highly recommend this place. Today's selection was done to perfection. The beef chow fun was well balanced by the shreds of beef, never overshadowed by extra flavor. The Dan tat's custard was warm and perfect in texture. Very soft! Lastly, the shumai and char siu bao were amazing. Big in size, filling. Couldn't ask for anything more. Enjoy it! read more

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Dim sum was fresh, delicious and reasonably priced, but just know it will help a lot if you can speak Chinese (or bring someone who can speak Chinese with you!). Like most Chinatown restaurants, they're not known for their service, so be prepared to flag down a waiter anytime you want anything and don't be shy about what you need! Everything is ordered off the menu (no cart service) but that means everything you get is freshly made and piping hot. We had two large rice noodle rolls (beef and shrimp): both were really tasty, with tender thin rice rolls and plenty of filling, the beef filling was especially delicious, tender, and flavorful. We also had the steamed shrimp dumplings (so much juicy shrimp filling!), the beef tripe (chewy and juicy), and the choy sum with oyster sauce (a very large potion!). In total it was about $40 for 2 hungry people and we were absolutely stuffed (we also had some leftovers of tripe and choy sum). I really appreciated how fresh everything was - dim sum must be eaten when it's freshly made, and Tai Pan is doing a great job of that! read more

The food was cooked with roaches! My son split opened his char siu bao (steamed) and out fell a whole body roach! My son also saw live roaches crawling around the restaurant. Near the table and by the door opening where they cook the food. The owner was there and didn't even say sorry at all or even acknowledge the situation. She ignored us until I had a problem with paying because I honestly didn't want to even pay for our disgusting experience there! The server was nice and tried to give us other things For free but when food has roaches in it, you don't want anything from there AT ALL!!! Honestly I should have a made a big scene but they were lucky me and my son just wanted to get out of there! That place is dirty and don't care for keeping up with its cleansiness or anything for the sake of their customers! They should be shut down. read more

Went in just before the lunch rush on a weekend, service was quick & polite, portions are great size for the price, the carrot mochi with custard on the inside was the BOMB read more

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Located in the Chinese Cultural center in Chinatown, on the ground floor on the Ewa side of the Chinese Cultural center. They do a different style of dim sum, like the steamed chicken feet has a more tomato type of sauce with peanuts it was ok, a little different then what we had at other places. The pork hash was very large and flavorful with a great taste, worth ordering. The Beef Chow fun was also very good and very tasty and flavorful and it was not dried out, but moist and the beef was very tender. The Char Siu Bao was good just the right amount of bun to char siu was just right and tasty, they also carry baked Char siu bao. They changed the parking now they do not validate your parking now, so first 30 mins is free then a fraction after that is a $1.00 then 1 / 2 hours is $3.00, so we paid $4.00 for parking. Restroom are outside and you will need a restroom key from the business you are visiting to use. read more

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It's hard to believe that the Yelp average for Tai Pan is 3.2. The food is excellent--some of the best dim sum I've had, and freshly prepared to boot, which is a rarity these days. The only thing I wouldn't necessarily recommend are the siu mai. They're good, and very large, but they're pretty standard--not a standout. That's the worst thing I have to say about this place, though. The BBQ pork buns are fantastic: fluffy, not heavy, with well seasoned, juicy pork. The turnip cake is the best I've had anywhere, full of chunks of turnip and just enough preserved vegetable to give it a kick. The shrimp look fun (noodle roll) was wonderfully fresh, with a flavorful sauce and just the right amount of cilantro to give the flavor a boost. For something sweet, the custard buns are fantastic. Not too sweet, creamy, with perfectly steamed dough. The walnut buns are amazing! A rich, flavorful, and crunch walnut filling inside delicious bread--really authentic and unique, and not something you find on many menus these days! As for the folks who complain about the service, well, I have two thoughts. At worst, these comments are kind of racist and culturally insensitive. You have to know how dim sum restaurants work to enjoy them, sure, but don't blame the staff! The noisy, bustling vibe is part of the experience. Don't expect to be "waited on." Just figure out what you want, call auntie over, and enjoy! It's well worth it. read more

I'm gonna keep this review short. As of Jan 2023, supposedly restaurant has new owners. Anyway, Food was great. I am yet to come back and would like to try the other things on the menu. But whatever I did try they were all good. Also, by far the best shrimp fried rice I've had for a while. Service could be better, but not saying that it was bad. Understandable because they were very busy. It felt tight/crowded because tables were close to each other, but given how popular n busy the place gets because of the ono food I guess it doesn't bother others. --- Went again to try other things. Food was good. It wasn't as busy as the weekend and it was close to closing time. Service still could be better. But it never really bothered me as long as our orders came out correct. But maybe the associates should have the same service energy. I felt 1 particular associate was something else lol I felt that associate was rude from the beginning. Like we were u wanted and rushed. Or maybe it's because after we were finished that associate asked us to put a tip on receipt. We paid with card n we usually leave cash tips if we don't add tip on card. Anyway, After signing receipt for payment the associate asked for a tip. Who asks for a tip?!? Mind u we weren't a big party. (2adults, 2 kids ages 4 & 5, and 1 infant) I understand if tip was already included for a big party, but we weren't a big one. My husband thought it was rude and was debating to take back the cash he left on table. Haha I of course told him to leave it. I still would come back for the food tho haha read more

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Parents visiting from NY and wanna try the dim sum here. My top 2 choices were closed at that time so I was like let's try Tai Pan it couldn't be that bad right? Well like my fellow yelper Andy F said in his review. Food here is hit or miss but mostly miss. I couldn't agree more. Miss: fun gor (skin too thick and it had a weird smell), steamed shrimp dumpling (again skin too think), seafood siu mai (where's the seafood?) Hit: fried dough or yao zha gui (very crispy! Not greasy at all), jook (rice was cooked very thoroughly and very soft) Ok: chicken feet, egg tarts. They are ok not terrible but not really tasty neither. Besides the food, service was another reason I gave 3 stars. The man at the counter (I assumed he's the boss?!) was screaming at his staff all the time and it was quite disturbing. And he took his mask off most the time when we were there. Another red flag for me. They have validated parking at cultural center though. read more

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