Foh San Restaurant — Restaurant in Perak

Foh San Dim Sum in Ipoh is one of the most well-known dim sum spots in the city, popular among locals and tourists alike. Here's a general review based on common customer feedback:

Positives:

Wide Variety of Dim Sum: Foh San is praised for its extensive menu of dim sum offerings, from traditional classics like har gow (shrimp dumplings) and siew mai (pork dumplings) to more creative options. Many people enjoy the variety and freshness of the dishes.

Iconic and Spacious Venue: The restaurant itself is large and well-known, with a bright and clean environment. The spacious dining area allows for a relatively comfortable dining experience, even when it's crowded.

Freshly Made Dim Sum: Foh San is famous for its freshly prepared dim sum. Many customers appreciate the quality of the ingredients and the fact that the dim sum is often made on-site.

Central Location: Located in the heart of Ipoh, Foh San is easily accessible and is a popular stop for tourists looking to experience authentic dim sum in the city.

Atmosphere: The restaurant often has a lively and bustling atmosphere, giving visitors a true taste of traditional dim sum culture.

Negatives:

Long Wait Times: As one of the most popular dim sum spots, Foh San can get extremely crowded, especially on weekends or holidays. Many diners complain about long queues and slow service during peak hours.

Inconsistent Service: Some reviewers have noted that the service can be inconsistent, with staff sometimes seeming overwhelmed or inattentive due to the large crowd.

Pricey: Compared to other local dim sum places in Ipoh, Foh San is considered to be on the pricier side. While the food quality is generally good, some feel that the higher prices aren't fully justified.

Tourist Crowds: Due to its fame, Foh San often attracts large groups of tourists, which can detract from the experience for those looking for a quieter, more local feel.

Decline in Quality: A few long-time patrons have remarked that the quality of the food has slightly declined over the years, possibly due to the restaurant’s growing popularity.

Conclusion: Foh San Dim Sum is a must-visit for anyone in Ipoh seeking an iconic dim sum experience, but it might not be ideal for those who prefer smaller, more intimate dining settings or are looking for more budget-friendly options. The food is generally praised, but the crowds and service can be hit or miss depending on the time...

It is quite a bit saddening to see the review section being throlled with negative reviewers when the reality is quite the contrary.

The major reason for the overall bad reviews in my opinion is the crews' lackluster attitude during peak hours. Well, this is a well known dim sum restaurant and the crew would have the kind of flair bordering arrogance and to some 'lansi'. This might be the major drawback, I guess.

As for food, it still retains the title for being the most premium in Ipoh. And their premium is really no child's play. The ingredients used are literally the most premium, menu most diverse and among all, a notch higher than its competitors. Hence the price falls on the expensive spectrum. Portion is overall reasonable and huge but there are a few disappointing exception, namely the 魚皮角 which is rather tiny.

The 蝦餃 is good but their obsession with stuffing in the most premium ingredients made the outer skin thicker and prone to tearing. But the addition of the sweet 馬蹄 did give a punch to the generous prawn filling. Another standout in 餃 section is probably the basil dumplings which is a rather rare and exotic stuff not found elsewhere. The pumpkin porridge was also one of their nice and novel approach to the mundane peanut porridge.

Waiting time is well longer than usual as I believe they employ a cook per request system in order to retain the consistency of the food quality. But this does come as some sort of drawback esp during peak hours.

Just hope this will...

We travelled from Taiping to Ipoh with high hopes of enjoying some delicious dim sum, but our experience was just average overall.

The Siu Mai didn’t quite meet our expectations; it lacked the depth of flavours we were hoping for. On the other hand, the Har Gao was decent, with a nice balance of shrimp filling and thin, delicate wrappers.

One highlight was the egg tarts, which were delightful with their flaky crust and creamy custard filling. The BBQ pastries were also commendable, offering a pleasant blend of savoury flavours. However, many of the other dishes fell into the standard category, lacking the wow factor that often accompanies dim sum.

The service at the restaurant was commendable. The staff was attentive, frequently topping up our tea and promptly serving and clearing our table, which added to the overall experience.

The ambience of the place was quite charming, reminiscent of a traditional tea house, providing a nice backdrop for our meal. Interestingly, while we had heard that this spot is usually bustling with diners, it was relatively quiet during our visit, with only a few tables occupied.

In summary, while there were some enjoyable dishes, the overall standard of the dim sum did not live up to the hype. It’s worth a visit for the egg tarts and BBQ pastries, but don’t expect an extraordinary dim...