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    Tea Modern Chinese

    4.3 (261 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Tea Modern Chinese Photos

    TEA MODERN CHINESE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Tea Modern Chinese

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    Menu
    Amy N.

    Unfortunately, my friends and I were not impressed by the afternoon tea food. I enjoyed curry chicken basket, the shrimp cake, and the papaya penna cotta, but everything else was just okay. The cucumber salad didn't really have any flavor. My friends felt the same. One positive was that they let you sample all of the teas beforehand, which is nice. I always get so indecisive about which tea to get at afternoon tea. The negative is that I was not wow'd by any of the teas. The ambiance is very cute and nice. Service was standard and good. In the picture attached, the items are as follows: On the top from left to right, egg sando, curry chicken basket, shrimp cake, mushroom potsticker, and cucumber salad sandwich. On the bottom, black sesame puff, papaya penna cotta, raspberry lychee mousse, and chocolate custard tart.

    Rija K.

    Loved everything about this little restaurant in downtown orange! Ambiance could be better as it is just a casual restaurant the street but the cute little tea pots upfront with option to literally sample each tea before buying was so unique as I have never seen this in any other spot. Garlic noodles, dumplings, beef were all delicious. I loved their milk oolong to the point i bought a packet of the loose leaf from art of tea (thats the brand their teas are of). Would love to come back to try afternoon tea!! I also dream to have glass tea pots on a table in my tea room in my house one day lol loved that set up so much.

    Janine K.

    I brought my bf's mom and aunties here to celebrate a few birthdays, and it ended up being the perfect spot for a special occasion! The restaurant is so cute, and all the bites are beautifully crafted and good. You can really tell how much detail goes into each one, and trying the different teas was such a fun and unique experience! We came around 3pm, which was great because if the afternoon tea bites don't fill you up (though honestly, they were more filling than expected!), you can also order from the dinner menu. Each tea set comes with one bite per person, so everyone gets to try everything from savory items to dessert. Since we were already there, we tried a few entrées, and the crab roe fried rice was amazing. They also offer free refills on the tea, and each person gets their own pot, just like a classic afternoon tea experience. Overall, I'd definitely recommend Chinese Tea Modern for birthdays, celebrations, or any special occasion. We loved our experience and would gladly come back!

    Inside
    Julie T.

    This place is a winner!!! This restaurant is now also serving lunch and dinner not just their afternoon tea and they have a new menu!! The new name of the restaurant is Star Leaf Tea and Asian Kitchen! Such cute, cozy modern tea house vibes with elegant but affordable options for dinner! The service was amazing and the food was so well balanced, refreshing yet satisfying and indulgent. We ate everything off our plates. Come check this restaurant out for a date or treat yourself moment! They also have Afternoon Tea im the day time where you can get cute bites and a selection of teas. What we ordered: Royal Thai Tea Indonesian Rice Crackers Prawn Ceviche Thai Fried Chicken Wings Spicy Tôm Yum Soup Chilean Sea Bass 12 Hr Braised and Grilled Short Ribs Mango Sticky Rice Tropical Coconut Panna Cotta Service was amazing! We loved Pauline who was so so sweet and hospitable! So was Cam and a young fellow who helped us!!

    Fidelia C.

    I had been wanting to try the afternoon tea here for a while since I kept seeing it pop up on social media. I have to say that I was very disappointed with the afternoon tea. The restaurant was very cute (my 6 yo was very impressed and said everything was so "fancy"). We really appreciated the tea sampling table they have for you to try all the teas before choosing one so you won't regret your choice. I was under the impression that there was an a la cart menu to order from in addition to the afternoon tea set and had intended to order a la cart for my daughter, however that was not the case. The server did say we could order individual items from the tea set a la cart, so we decided to order some additional dumplings for my child only to be told that it was $5 PER DUMPLING. You should have seen the look on our faces. I'm pretty sure even the server thought that was a ridiculous price and he quickly said he could give us two dumplings for $6. That was still a steep price to pay but infinitely better than $5/dumpling. We decided to just go with an extra two dumplings first and see what else our kid would eat from our afternoon tea set for two. The food tasted mostly fine, but the amount of savories was so small and unfulfilling. I've had many afternoon teas in many countries, including in a fancy hotel in Mayfair, London, as well as your small local tea house in Bath. The amount and quality of food did not justify the price at all. The scones were not traditional english scones but they tasted good and my child liked them. They were served with a whipped cream instead of clotted cream, which was disappointing. The desserts were all too sweet and nothing inspiring. I really really wanted to like this place but the only thing we liked was the restaurant decor and the teas.

    BLOOMING TEA Fruity and  Floral
    Jun L.

    I'd been wanting to try their afternoon tea for a while, and my daughter made reservations for Sunday to celebrate my birthday. It's a fixed menu priced at $45 per person, with a nice selection of different tea flavors to choose from. The three of us arrived on time and were seated right away. The oriental-style fans displayed on the wall added a lovely touch to the atmosphere. My daughter chose the Liquid Jade Citrus tea, my niece picked Passionfruit Jasmine, and I went with the Blooming Tea. My daughter's and niece's teas arrived quickly, but mine didn't come even after our food was served. We were told they were waiting for a teapot. Not wanting everyone to wait, we started eating, and my tea finally arrived when we were already halfway through our meal. The food was decent--nothing extraordinary--but you can tell it took some effort to prepare. Overall, it's a pleasant place for a special occasion or a relaxed afternoon chat with friends.

    Allison M.

    My friends and I loved that you could sample the tea first before deciding on your choice. The staff was very accommodating for dietary restrictions. The savory dishes were very tasty especially the shrimp cake. The dessert dishes were not too sweet, but I prefer that. I did expect a little more food or at least some slightly bigger portions but overall a positive experience. Will be coming back!

    Afternoon Tea Set
    Tiffany T.

    Afternoon tea, but make it Chinese-inspired. Tea Modern Chinese is a welcome addition to the lovely Old Towne Orange neighborhood, serving traditional flavors with a modern touch. The space is elegant, bright and airy, with decorative florals scattered throughout the space. Plus, the array of their tea selection--fourteen choices to be exact--is a welcome sight in greeting you upon entering the space! The $45 afternoon tea set comes in nine courses with four sweets and five savories, along with your choice of tea. Before ordering, your server will invite you to sample their teas, which come in a variety of black, oolongs, and herbal blends. My friend got the Earl Grey creme while I went with the lavender chamomile, both of which were delicious. However, next time I'd definitely go for the Earl Grey, as it was the smoothest one of its kind I've had yet! The food was truly a home run, with my highlights from the savory selection being the mushroom potsticker and curry chicken basket, and the raspberry lychee mousse as the standout from the sweets. The brown sugar scone was served with your traditional jam and cream on the side and was perfectly baked. Service was great, with our server checking on us frequently to ask if we wanted our teas to be refilled. My only minor critique is it would've been great had they offered some raw sugar packets or smaller sugar cubes, as the tea cups were tiny while the sugar cubes were large. As someone who takes sugar with her tea, I would've appreciated having the ability to control how much I was putting in each cup of tea. Besides that, I have no other qualms and would highly recommend spending your next afternoon here.

    Melissa L.

    Very cute afternoon tea location with ample parking. Service was good and fast! The inside has a great ambiance and didn't get too crowded. The tea was refreshing and I really liked the assortment of small bites to eat. My favorites were the desserts but whose wouldn't be? Overall I would definitely come here again.

    Rachel L.

    Great afternoon tea with an Asian twist! Food was spectacular and unique. We also tried items off the lunch/dinner menu which were fantastic. Service seemed underwhelming- took a while to take our order then had to send someone else to take it again because the first person never put our order in. We had made a reservation but when we arrived, our table wasn't ready. The solution was for the staff to tell other people to leave so all our guests could sit. That didn't seem like the best way to go about that but the staff did what they could.

    Han N.

    Came here for an afternoon tea experience and it did not disappoint! From the decor to food to tea selections, everything was great! I loved how the pastries and small bites were unique. It was a nice change from the usual afternoon tea places. I really liked the black sesame hazelnut choux! 2 of my favorite things combined tasted amazing! I also enjoyed the other savories small bites especially the curry chicken basket. Small but flavorful! Service was great, they checked on us to see if we needed more hot water for our teas. I think the limit was 90 minutes for afternoon tea. We were gently reminded our time was coming to an end. It didn't seem like long enough since our group liked to chit chat a bit but I guess it's understandable since they had other reservations. I'd probably come back to try other dishes they offer.

    afternoon tea
    Gardenia B.

    Afternoon tea here is top notch! My best friend and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!! They have an amazing selection of teas and I wish I could try them all. The food was tiny but yummy, definitely perfect for an afternoon savory and sweet snack. It's a great girly time to spend with family or friends and I definitely recommend it!

    Tea menu
    Joshua T.

    Wonderful experience celebrating a birthday today. Its great they let yiu taste the tea before ordering, and each food item was very delicious! Servers are all very nice, and the inside is spacious with lots of Chinese-style decorations. Parking can be a pain, but it is Old Town Orange.

    Sample the teas

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    Ask the Community - Tea Modern Chinese

    Do you sell loose leaf teas by themselves Togo?

    Hi Michael, Yes we do. Please email us at Teamodernchinese@gmail.com and I can provide you the tea selections we have to choose from. Thanks.

    Can we dine the brunch as a 1 person table? Especially when the reservation doesn't allow one to change the party from 2 to 1

    What do you mean? Can a person seat by themselves at a tea services! Yes it s 45 per person so you would just get a service for one?

    Hi do you accommodate vegetarians for the tea service?

    Hi Toni! Thanks for sending in your question. Currently, we only have 1 non-vegetarian item on our… Read more

    Do you serve champagne? And can we bring our own with cork fee?

    Yes! We do have champagne and mimosas available.… Read more

    Can you accommodate a tree nut allergy?

    Hi Sarah! For our Afternoon Tea service, there are a few items that do contain nuts, like our Black… Read more

    Do you allow walk-ins for the afternoon tea service?

    Hi Bee! Due to high demand, we recommend making reservations for guaranteed seating - if no… Read more

    If I'd like to go during tea service, what options are pescatarian-friendly (and don't use mayo) that could be good for a friend?

    Hi there! For our Afternoon Tea service 2/4 savory items contain either meat or mayo (curry chicken… Read more

    Can they accommodate for a gluten allergy?

    Hi Mike! For our dinner service we do have some gluten friendly dishes, however we’re still working… Read more

    View All 10 Questions

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    This is a really cute place!…read more Service is wonderful and friendly. Food is flavorful and good proportion. Pricing is comparable for Old Town Orange. The place is clean and has nice decor. Nice ambiance!

    Food: We came here for afternoon tea, each ordering the tea set, and overall the food really stood…read moreout. 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.

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    Sonder - CHICKEN OYSTERS: Buttermilk brined thighs, tare sauce | $8ea

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    Came to Sonder for my birthday. Had an amazing experience. From Matt who helped us. To Lamson the…read moreowner who checked up on us. Food was excellent especially the mains. Loved short rib. So much meat. So tender. Flavorful. Pork over fish sauce was also great. Sauce was on point. Not salty or sweet. Drinks were really good. Had the clarified cocktail and another chef special drink. Both so good. Music was so good also. Fun older jams great vibes. Fun spot in downtown Santa Ana to hang out.

    My daughter recommended this restaurant for a pre-Mother's Day dinner because she had been here for…read moredrinks at the bar when they first opened and really liked the ambiance. We came with reservations on Saturday night before Mother's Day. The first thing I thought when I walked in was that there was a live band playing with bad speakers because the music was so loud. But when I saw there was no band, I thought maybe their speakers were broken because the music had that scratchiness to it. Then I realized it was a DJ spinning vinyls with foreign music from the 1950's with that scratchy vintage sound on full blast (think shrill trumpets and shrill voices.) Now don't get me wrong, the music was wonderful and very unique ( again, a lot of foreign songs) with a few I even knew...my husband and I loved most of the songs that were played. HOWEVER not when it's so loud that we can't even hear our own thoughts! I felt annoyed within the first 5 minutes of being seated when my family and I had to keep repeating ourselves, and my husband even went to check the rest of the place to see if it was any quieter anywhere else, but it was blaring music everywhere. I ended up ordering for my whole table of 8 people because we couldn't even hear each other over the music to make suggestions on what to order. My adult kids (all in their 20's) kept apologizing for recommending this place for my mother's day dinner. But oh my, the food was delicious---practically everything I ordered was amazing! OMG the hangar steak skewers, pork belly skewers, iberico pork secreto steak, little gem salad, and their bread with goatmilk -butter were my faves! We also had the short ribs and the pork fried rice with prawns but they were mid...nothing to write home about. This would've been a great place to come have a drink at the bar for happy hour or even late at night on a weekend since they open until 1am on thursday, friday, saturday... but don't come for dinner unless you bring earplugs and learn sign language or know how to read lips because there will be no conversations over dinner unless it's just to the person sitting next to you. Even so, I noticed the young couple next to us looking very annoyed-- they got up and left after quickly finishing up their one cocktail while the speakers blared out an instrumental piece of a girl moaning the whole time until she climaxed. Heck---I'll have whatever SHE'S having lol So plz keep the music down several notches until after 10pm, and let the rest of us enjoy our dinner so that we can sing praises on how delicious everything was. Until you do, I think I'll cross this place off my list for now and revisit again sometime in the FAR future.

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    3.8(343 reviews)
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    My Mom and I come here often for dine-in service and also to go. The staff is pleasant, attentive…read moreand courteous. Most of the time we come here for lunch as they have a FANTASTIC LUNCH MENUE at very decent prices (please note the lunch menu does present smaller portions) The restaurant is always clean, well maintained and with ample seating.

    We came right at opening and were seated promptly. However, we were not attended to nor provided…read moremenus for an entire for 15minutes after, which might be longer if I did not get up on my own to ask for menu at the front. When asked for menu, the server said sorry it's bc they don't have alot of menu books available but proceeded to give me 3 out of like 10 that I see they have. So they obviously had some! There were only 3 tables that had customers. After that taking the menus, we were again not attended to for 20-30minutes, noone brought us water or ever asked if we were ready. We had to flag them, once again. They were at least 3 servers so it's not like they were short of help when there's only 3 tables full at the time. It's like they were ignoring us. We proceeded to order 9 dishes that took awhile to come out. Only 1 dish came out which was the walnut shrimp and then more came out 15minutes later. How do they expect our big party to start eating with just 1 dish. We also had to wait literally 30minutes with nothing to eat for 3 dishes at the end when we finished everything else already. We had to ask about it 3 times. They need better timing in everything.... I noticed a couple tables having the same problems. As for the food, it was alright. The honey walnut shrimp and fried salted pepper shrimp was not crispy. The peking duck was actually great, one of the best. But it is not worth their service & other foods.. There are tons of chinese food options out there, we will not be coming back here. 2il

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