There is a reason this joint usually has a wait- because its great. You don't get the excitement of ordering food from carts, but the food is brought out hot and fresh in a decent amount of time after ordering. I've had about half the menu and can't complain about anything.
Reviewed by:
Benedict B. on:
3/19/2013 8:02:00 PM
i love this place! i love the seafood dim sums. came with a party of 10 and a baby. it was a little tight but since the food was great we didn't care. service was fast.
Reviewed by:
Narin L. on:
3/10/2013 2:21:00 AM
Good place for dim sum if you're looking for be in and out and are not expecting anything more than your typical ha gao (shrimp dumpling), chicken feet, stuff crab, shrimp mayonnaise and others..Service and quality really went down since I first visited a couple of years ago but still my go to spot when I'm in the mood for dim sum and when I dont want to wait for the carts to come around like I would at Fungs Kitchen or Kim Son!
Reviewed by:
Melissa P. on:
2/28/2013 7:48:00 PM
First impression: ALWAYS packed, unless it's the awkward down-time around 3-5. The rest of the day, don't try your luck here if you're aiming for a quick lunch. Expect at least a 10-15 minute wait outside after taking a number from whoever is "managing" the wait line.But hey, it's worth it.HK Dim Sum is definitely one of the better quality dim sum joints down Chinatown as far as size of each piece, quality, flavor, and speedy table service once you get your order in. It's definitely worth its hype and the pricing isn't TOO ridiculous, as opposed to some other establishmentsAs far as service goes, I'm going to say one thing and one thing only. You are in Chinatown. What do you expect? This isn't a P.F. Changs chain or Benihanas. You're coming here for the food. If you wanted good service, why even bother driving down Chinatown.The menu has a lot of variety, and by that I mean it has the standard long-list of dumplings, veggies, desserts, meats, seafood, noodle platters, etc. that any other dim sum place has. I always make it a point to order the mango pudding (comes in a cute heart shape too like most places) to finish off my lunch. Really good for groups, but try not to get more than a 4-top party because there are only one or two large round tables and typically you'll see families there.Parking in the plaza is always a pain in the butt during peak hours but you'll find one.
Reviewed by:
Andy N. on:
2/25/2013 8:03:00 PM
one of the better dim sum restaurants that i can say i have been to. focal point of this place to me is that the dim sum is made to order, no rolling carts like your typical dim sum joints
Reviewed by:
Justus P. on:
2/23/2013 1:12:00 PM
Last time we ate there - admittedly it was for dinner a year ago - the food was really not good. Hopefully they've upped their game, but I wouldn't go in expecting all that much.
Reviewed by:
Racquel D. on:
2/15/2013 10:53:00 AM
Is this place never packed?? Word of advice - don't come here on a Sunday at lunchtime. Rookie mistake.I've only been here once and would definitely recommend it. The food is delicious. Everything was good. I wish the location was bigger, but what can you do?Service was okay. I don't really need to get into detail there. It was decent and friendly.I pretty much have the same thing to say about any establishment in Chinatown - beware of the parking situation! It's like I'm at UH stalking people for their spots all over again!
Reviewed by:
Anthony C. on:
1/27/2013 2:31:00 PM
some of the best dim sum in Houston... Even NYTimes said so. The eggtarts are of the cookie variety (awesome). Two dishes that stood out the most... taro cake and squid curry (try this one if you like curry).
Reviewed by:
Jennifer M. on:
1/10/2013 3:34:00 AM
Expect to wait in a line on weekends. Worth it? Depends how badly you want dim-sum. And how picky you are at the quality.The dim sum here isn't bad - some dishes quite good actually. But with a name like HK dim sum, you've got a lot to live up to.Ha Gaos are good and meaty, but wrapping always falls apart before it hits your mouth. Siu Mai is decent. I usually also order: curry squid, pan-fried turnip cake (don't get the steamed one), and "cheung fun".Good place to come though if you're craving dim sum at non-dim-sum hours of the day.
Reviewed by:
Ro Y. on:
1/4/2013 9:50:00 PM
We came on New Year's Day, so the place was pretty crowded, but the wait for 6 people took about 15-20 minutes, which I think was not so bad, since they move pretty quickly.I thought the choices were a little limited for a place that basically only sold Dim Sum all day, and their shumai did not look appetizing. There are also no carts being pushed around for this one (for those who are a fan of that) because it's a pretty small place. I'm vegetarian so I didn't get to try a lot of their dishes, but their Chinese broccoli was very good (and an excellent ratio of leaf to stalk, for those who know what I mean), and their sesame red bean balls were really good!My friends really liked their BBQ steamed buns, chicken feet, and the dumplings (of all kinds). They weren't so enthused with a coconut and red bean dessert, though.One plus was that they spoke very good English here, and our party had to split the check in very confusing ways and they were very accommodating (and capable) with our request instead of being rude or fussy with it. I definitely appreciated the service above the food.
Reviewed by:
Roxanne W. on:
1/4/2013 4:56:00 PM
This is a great place for Dim Sum! The first time I ever tried it, we went to HK Dim Sum, and now it's my go-to place. Expect a little bit of wait, but it usually moves fast. And, it's worth it. Get a little of everything, and share it all. The prices are really reasonable so it's okay if you get carried away. We usually end up ordering a little more food than we probably should have, but the bill is never very much. This is also a great option if you like the concept of brunch but no the breakfast food.
Reviewed by:
Lisa J. on:
1/2/2013 5:34:00 AM
When it's too late to eat dim sum ordinarily you'd be out of luck perhaps you woke up too late on the weekend and was craving for the shu-mai or ha-cao. Well HK Dim Sum serves it all day! HEAVEN RIGHT?! Well yes, I love going here for my fix. Small place and friendly service and staff. I always get the originals, pork dumplings, shrimp dumplings, sticky rice, fried shrimp eggrolls, turnip cakes and of course egg custard. It's always fresh because they make it to order and isn't sitting on a steam cart waiting to be picked from the crowd.
Reviewed by:
A. L. on:
1/1/2013 4:48:00 AM
My in-laws came to visit us during the holidays, and we decided to take them out for dim sum. There was 5 of us total, four adults and one 2-month old infant.We showed up at the restaurant with the baby in a stroller, and the waiter was nice and seated us at a big table in the corner. We ordered, the food came out fairly quickly, no surprises there. My in-laws really liked the dim sum, but I thought some of the dishes were greasier than normal. But overall I enjoyed myself.However, when the bill came, there was a mandatory tip added to the final amount. My husband caught this as I was about to add an additional tip to the credit card slip. Really?! Mandatory tip for a party of 4 adults and 1 infant? I was annoyed by this. I don't remember reading anything on the menu about mandatory tipping for parties 5 or larger, and I thought it was ridiculous that the baby was considered as part of the group. She was asleep the entire time! But I didn't feel like arguing, since the service was fine up until that point, and I was going to leave a nice tip anyway.So in conclusion, decent food, decent service, just remember to pay attention to the itemized bill before you pay!
Reviewed by:
Gyo K. on:
12/19/2012 8:20:00 PM
Had a mediocre meal there last week. I wish I had read my previous review, I'd forgotten how I no longer liked it. It's just as dirty as ever, with a grungy industrial floor mat running the length of the restaurant, and lots of food particles strewn on the floor.I ordered my usual noodle dishes and dim sum. Dim sum just average, noodle dishes lacked flavor.
Reviewed by:
Chia L. on:
11/9/2012 9:43:00 PM
The dim sum here was just "ok". first, the shrimp balls were so small and barely had any shrimp. all I could really taste were the fried noodles. Second, we also ordered some actual kitchen items like chow fun and fried rice; the chow fun was good but the fried rice was HORRIBLE! it was SO bland and the rice wasn't that golden color you'd expect fried rice to be, it was still white. We had to add so much soy and siracha to it to make it taste decent. lastly, we asked the food runner for salt and black pepper, he nodded his head "yes", so we thought that meant he was going to bring us some. He NEVER returned to our table so 15 min later, we asked our sever and she tips us they didn't have any. Wow. I honestly wouldn't go back to this place unless I was truly craving for dim sum and no other place was open.
Reviewed by:
Still W. on:
11/2/2012 8:25:00 AM
I wanted to wait until I've eaten here a couple times before writing a review since the first visit was a little lacking. The following items kind of fell flat for me. Egg custard crust was very dry. Tripe was lacking flavorful. Pork spareribs were good the first visit, but the second time around not so much because the black beans and peppers were just dumped on top leaving most of the pork bland. Pieces were also chewier than normal. I asked if they had a beef tendon dish and they said they had the a mixed tripe and tendon, which I ordered. I was disappointed since there were literally only two small pieces of tendon in the entire dish. Chicken porridge was light on the Chicken and not garnished with green onions which I feel really make the dish. I also did not detect any ginger which I've come to expect in porridge. Pork shuimai didn't taste totally right and had a really rubbery texture to it.The items that I really enjoyed were the steamed custard bun, shrimp dumpling and shrimp in the flat white noodle.
Reviewed by:
Stephanie Y. on:
10/26/2012 5:05:00 PM
Dim sum without having to wait for your food to roll to you. I'd say it's pretty good.Lunch for two hungry people:Steamed Shrimp in white flour noodleFried shrimp ballspan fried turnip cakechicken feetdeep fried dough with minced meetSticky rice wrapped in leaf with minced meatSteamed shrimp dumplingTiny custard egg tartEnded up with leftovers (eyes were bigger than our stomachs!). Sevice was surprisingly fast, (but the waiter did forget to bring out my water until I reminded him for a 3rd time halfway into my meal). Also, the waiter forgot to bring out one of our dishes but gladly cancelled it on the bill once I pointed it out to him. Busy busy place during weekday lunch so you might want to come earlier than the normal lunch crowd. Price, reasonable.I'd come here again for a dim sum quick fix, especially since they accept credit cards (rare in Chinatown).
Reviewed by:
Latisha P. on:
10/7/2012 2:27:00 PM
Pretty much this dim sum place is a solid 3! The service was cool for the most part, I'm not used to people taking phone calls and bursting out laughing on their cell phone while they're pouring me some water but hey, I don't judge if the food is great. Well it wasn't that great and I'm still not judging...maybe a little bit.Trying to remember what all we ordered; steamed shrimp dumpling, shrimp & pork dumpling, turnip cake, some kind of pork dumpling (I really wish I knew because honestly it was the best thing we ordered but the guy who brought it didn't even know what it was wtf? welp!), won ton soup (which I heard was pretty good) and other things I can't remember. They also brought out this raw squid looking dish that we didn't order. Hmm I wasn't even brave enough to try it. Looked and apparently tasted like yuck!The shrimp & shrimp/pork dumplings were just ok. I'm pretty sure I could find better in that same shopping center.The turnip cake was pretty good but the star of our table was that unknown pork filled dumpling.Overall it was a good experience. I'm not likely to return though.
Reviewed by:
Annie D. on:
9/14/2012 6:15:00 AM
Dim Sum, all day, errday.No matter where you go in Chinatown, you will almost ALWAYS get horrible service. There are a bajillion restaurants for you to choose from, they won't know that they have lost clientele.HK Dim Sum is a hit or miss in my book. Some days, the food taste great and some days you can tell that they have resteamed the food several times and bring it to your table.Do not come in here with high expectations because they do not offer mind blowing food here. HK Dim Sum offers your standard dim sum menu. But, be sure to try the steamed egg custard, which is probably the only thing that has been consistent.This is a great spot to go to if you're craving dim sum in the evening. Saturdays and Sundays can be busy. Pop in and put your name on the waiting list and be prepared to wait.
Reviewed by:
Linh N. on:
8/21/2012 3:10:00 PM
Good dim sum but the wait is always forever.
Reviewed by:
Sinclaire V. on:
8/16/2012 1:09:00 AM
Wish there was a no star selection! This place is horrible in service. The main guy/owner is a weird cheap skate. We ordered $120 worth of dim sum, after eating what we thought was all of the order.. We realized that there was 3 dishes that never came out. Walked up to the register and asked was our order being cooked the guy said no but he can put it in. We stated he didn't have to worry about it and can just cancel those 3 dishes that never came out or was being made, this dude straight told us "it's being made now" I said no, just cancel it. He goes ok, if cancel then I still charge you.Like wth is this crap he's plotting on me? Being full and don't want to argue anymore. I simply said fine. Walked back to table and tab was brought out to me. Keep in mind our drinks were never refilled nor were we offered any service besides the Hispanic guy who brought out an order spilling it all over my purse and NEVER SAID SORRY OR WIPED IT, but I still kept my calm.So we decided as a group to leave only $1 tip with a paper stating why we never coming back and why we tipped a dollar. We got up to leave once the 3 orders finally came out. As we were walking out the guy with glasses who's owner/main guy came running out the door and said wth is this?! So I turns around and said what is what? He said you fkn tip me a dollar, I said you gave us bad service then made me pay for 3 orders that was never made until I brought it up to your attention.... He waved the dollar in my face and threw it on the floor. My friends said politely " sir, tipping is not by law but by earning it and you didn't earn our service yet you are chasing us out the front door throwing it at us.This was not a weekend where it was busy.. It was a Thursday! Top it off as he was raging with us a couple walks out and says excuse me there is hair in our food, he turned back to them and said where, where you show me!We left. Never came back and never will!
Reviewed by:
Mae C. on:
6/28/2012 9:28:00 PM
We have passed by this place a multiple of times during our late night outings to R House located near each other. We are fond of trying out different dim sum places, so I remember one night when we said how we would like to try this out if we were ever in the area and this place was open. So today became that day, since I had some late afternoon cravings for dim sum.We had visited this restaurant around 6pm, and we were surprised it was open that late on a Sunday; since most dim sum places tend to close early. The restaurant was fairly small with a few tables, which confirms others' reviews on why seating during their busy peak would require a long wait. It seemed fairly clean, but I have seen cleaner places. However, I must admit, the ambiance of this restaurant did give me a good vibe of Asian authenticity and made me forget I was even in Houston.The menu selection is fairly simple. They give you a piece of paper to select your dim sum items, as well as a regular non-dim sum menu. Their dim sum selection didn't show much variety from other dim sum places I've been to, but they did have a curry squid that my boyfriend and I have been searching for since we've moved to Houston from Austin. Furthermore, the dim sum you order is hot piping fresh from the kitchen, so that is definitely a PLUS! I really hate eating cold dim sum from the cart.The food was actually pretty good. Their service was courteous. I'm not sure if being at this restaurant at a later time with few people played a part, but this has been one of those few Asian restaurants where they actually refilled your water when you needed it; rather than having to wait a good 30 minutes for anyone to notice.One thing I would suggest is to not order their beef spare ribs. The meat given is fairly large compared to the ones from other dim sum places in Houston, but my boyfriend said it didn't taste that good.For a quick review:Cleanliness: 3/5Customer Service: 5/5 (..for a customer being there at 6pm on a Sunday afternoon)Food: 4/5Wait for Seating: 4/5 (or Average..again this is during a non-busy time)Wait for Food: 4/5 (or Average)...Now the reason why I gave this business a whopping 3 out of 5 stars is for the reason that I believe I got food poisoning. After my meal (the only food I had eaten since noon), I immediately became sick to my stomach and had to sleep it off to recover. I would have easily given them a 1 out of 5 for this reason, but in all fairness, my boyfriend only felt a slight queasiness after. I didn't want this one time experience (although important IMO) to not give a fair review, especially since it only happened to me and not him.Would I come eat here again? Probably so if I didn't receive that unfortunate food poisoning, but since that happened, *no*. Definitely not. I think I would just stick to Fung's Kitchen or some other dim sum place to fit my craving.
Reviewed by:
Tim J. on:
6/4/2012 9:47:00 AM
Tough to write a review about a place that you will likely forget moments after you walk out the door.like a girl that's really in to you but you got something else in the oven as you separate ways. The staff really works hard, and are super nice. But the food is so in-spectacular, it's like a beer under 99 calories)Yeah we had a lot of everything, but cant remember anything other than we ate alot of stuff. While this may be the best Dim Sum place in the South West side, it does so by default. As all the competition either taste like crayons or capsized below the water line.
Reviewed by:
Kimberly L. on:
6/4/2012 2:09:00 AM
So anytime you go to Chinatown, you're not expected to receive the greatest customer service and cleanest restaurants.I went here with friends for dinner. We orderedpan fried turnip cakesteamed shrimp dumplingsteamed shrimp & pork dumplingsticky rice with leafpork ribsrice paper and shrimpcurry squidsesame bun w/ meatThe food was pretty good. It came out in a timely way (relative of course). You can order without knowing any Chinese here. I believe the staff speak some English. Or you can just point at the menu and pictures.The place is small. Like many Chinatown restaurants. So I bet it gets crowded during the weekends in the morning to lunch time as that's when most people have Dim Sum.
Reviewed by:
David H. on:
5/31/2012 10:12:00 AM
And so the quest for the best dim sum place in Houston continues to HK Dim Sum this week...Unfortunately for me, another week brings another dissapointment, this time in the form of HK Dim Sum. Came here with the gf for breakfast around 10AM on a Sunday, and the place was decently full, which to me, usually is a good sign. First warning flag, the server asked us if we wanted tea, but not what kind of tea. Uh-oh (good sim sum houses always ask you what kind of tea you want, as opposed to, do you want tea).We ordered the sui mai, the har gow, seared turnip cake, shanghai dumpling, shrimp in rice roll, seared pork dumpling, and chicken feet. The sui mai was the best of the bunch, in that it was edible and your average sui mai. The har gow unfortunately was composed of some sort of shrimp filling that was super finely minced, which always makes me nervous as I can never be sure what kind of shrimp is in it (imitation, etc). I like my har gow to have shrimp pieces that I can identify. The shrimp rice roll came to the table uncut, and the soy sauce it was served with tasted burnt, without the sweet soy mixed in, which is a big minus in my book. The chicken feet had too much red sugar which blew out the other flavors, and the shanghai dumplings weren't soupy at all.Honestly, I would not come back here, as there are plenty of better options in the area for the same price (see Arco seafood). The service here was mediocre at best too, it took us almost 10 minutes to flag a server down...
Reviewed by:
minzer n. on:
5/28/2012 11:09:00 AM
I don't know what all the rave is about. I've been here three times and all three times I've had bad experiences. The food is overly greasy and gelatinous. The last time i was there we wanted a table for 3 but the lady kept trying to put us at a two top with three chairs. There were plenty of tables open so I don't understand why our comfort was not being accommodated. We finally had to tell her it was 4 people so we could get a bigger table (we tend to over order).Thanks but no thanks. I'm going to stick with Kim Son in the Fountains.
Reviewed by:
Melissa T. on:
5/24/2012 4:21:00 AM
Hmmm...this has been my go-to spot for dim sum for a couple years now, but I'm shocked that I've never written a review. My bad. For being such a small place, I think the wait is reasonable. Prepare to be cramped though. For those not familiar with dim sum, they provide a picture menu. My family's usuals are:01: steamed shrimp dumpling02: steamed shrimp & pork dumpling03: steamed chicken feet17: steamed bbq pork bun40: pan fried turnip cake46: bird's nest shrimp ball51: deep fried taro puff61: baked bbq pork puffWhen I was little, I looked forward to the dim sum carts coming by, but now that I'm older, I just want my food...NOW! I don't have patience for the carts anymore. This place has no carts, so you can be assured that your food will be hot.
Reviewed by:
Hoa K. on:
5/5/2012 3:11:00 PM
Been coming here for 3 years!! I love the fresh dim sum that is brought out! Prices where raised tho :-(I usually go really early, when it first opens...fast service and hot fresh food!
Reviewed by:
Bonnie H. on:
4/29/2012 8:18:00 AM
Overall the food quality in here is very good. Their price is a bit high in my opinion. It is small place. Very crowded on Sunday. Thus if you decide to come here on Sunday's morning, come early. The usual wait is about 10-30 minutes. Large parking lot.The dessert weren't good.
Reviewed by:
Yin Q. on:
4/21/2012 6:28:00 AM
5 star for dim sum in Houston, 3.5 for dim sum in North America (yep it's sad really).I've tried quite a few dim sum places in Houston, never found an inspiring spot yet. Dim Sum in this town lacks creativity and fun, no peanut sauce or caramalized top egg tart like Canada, no melty baked bbq mini buns w pinapple top like Hong Kong... The only place here that has some fun with several cold appy dishes is Fung's kitchen.HK Dim Sum does deliver solid traditional dim sum dishes though. we tried fried turnip cake, shrimp ha gao, congee, and a few items. They were all very good, better than most other places I've tried in Houston. The texture is jus right, abundant flavor, freshly cooked, prompt service... I think this will be my dim sum spot in town.
Reviewed by:
Linh N. on:
3/30/2012 2:27:00 AM
It's my favorite place for dim sum!It's very small and gets crowded quickly. So try to go in early! Unlike the traditional "cart service" the food is hot and tastes very fresh. Not like it's been sitting out for awhile.
Reviewed by:
Kevin W. on:
2/16/2012 3:56:00 AM
I will freely admit, I am generally *not* a huge fan of Dim Sum. I've tried this cuisine in quite a few recommended restaurants in the "Chinatown" neighboorhoods across the US (even Canada) and I normally leave feeling the food is just inadequate. I have yet to see the fascination with Dim Sum. That being said, HK Dim Sum is definitely an exception to the aforementioned statement in my book. I would actually look forward (gasp!) to meeting friends and family here. Who would've guessed. Run tell 'dat!So, first off you'll want to arrive by 11am...at least on the weekends as it's already packed. In group settings I've had the stuffed eggplant, fried stuffed crab balls, shrimp and pork dumpings, some pan fried noodles, Chinese broccoli, and plenty of other things I can't remember.All in all, I like this location and would recommend this place!
Reviewed by:
Leena C. on:
2/7/2012 8:04:00 AM
HK Dim Sum = Yum Yum YumThe service was great. Very friendly and attentive and polite. It's not a huge place and although there were a few tables, the waiter was able to handle all of us pleasantly.We ordered: shrimp dumpling, shrimp and pork dumpling, pork spare ribs, sticky rice with meat, white rice noodles with pork and the fried wonton noodle soup.All the dim sum came out hot and delish. The size of the dumplings was impressively large. My only complaint was the taste of the fried wonton, it had an odd aftertaste but I did enjoy the soup.Our total with two ice teas was $31 so it was relatively cheap. They do take credit cards.Overall, it was a great experience and I would definitely go back.
AVG:(5.0)
