Dimsum Garden — Restaurant in New York

In the late afternoon, feeling a bit peckish but not yet dinner hungry, having some dim sum dumplings sounded like a great idea.

We ordered four (dim sum cost between $6.75 to $9) items from the menu to share, marking our choices on a paper menu with pictures and descriptions, which was super handy and helpful. While waiting for dim sum to come, we tried the Hong Kong Milk tea, which was absolutely delicious and a highlight of our visit. However, the positive experience ended there.

The wait for our dim sum was surprisingly long, over 25 minutes, even though the restaurant was only half full. When the dim sum finally arrived, they didn't look very appetizing to be honest. The duck dumpling in a see-through dough resembled something like an alien, and unfortunately, the taste didn't make up for their appearance. All of them fell short of expectations and didn't hit the mark in terms of flavor. I am usually fighting for the last piece to have, but not this time, I did not enjoy them unfortunately.

To add to the disappointment, the staff forgot to bring us the fourth portion we ordered. However, given our overall experience and the taste of the dim sum so far, we decided not to bother notifying the staff, paid our bill, and left.

The interior had a modern design twist, which created a cozy, spacious, and well-lit ambiance, but it was air-conditioned way too much.

I am sure other meals on their menu are delicious and flavorful, which is why I'm giving them a decent score. However I feel the dim sum didn't do justice to the reputation of the place. Visited on a Sunday, July 2023....

Nothing better than having warm, delicious dim sum when it’s drizzling on a February rain. We got a seat for two with no wait, always appreciated. The atmosphere was cozy with chatters from other diners barely noticeable in the background. The restaurant has a clean design from the wood and bamboo elements. We ordered chicken feet, soup dumplings, pork short ribs, durian pastry, sesame purple sweet potatoe balls, wrapped sticky rice, shrimp dumplings, and some oyster sauce lettuce. First thing first, the chicken feet is arguably the most balanced and flavorful I have had in New York City being a dim sum lover. The spices were distinctive without overpowering. The texture was just right without feeling soggy as sometimes they stay in the steamer or cart for too long. The xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) were another decent surprise on par with some of the best Shanghainese restaurants. Coming out piping hot while retaining so much succulent juices wrapped underneath a delicate skin that is not too thick. Sesame rice balls were perfectly fried with sesame flavor coming through and omg the pairing with purple sweet potato was a must try! Durian pastries were lovely if you are a fan, slightly on the oily side though. The lettuce, shrimp dumplings, sticky rice, and pork short ribs were on par but very decent portions. Overall good value with hefty portions and occasionally surprising execution! Servers were attentive: constantly helped us change dishes and had a fast food delivery. PS: Just not sure why the lettuce was $16 definitely not...

Note: the kitchen closes at 9:30pm and they won't seat you then. Bring cash for a 5% discount.

Kind of hit or miss. Here are the dim sum I tried: Best - egg custard bun. It's sweet, not salty, and an excellent flavor and texture Good - pork buns, curry fish balls, mushroom dim sum, sesame ball, scallion pancakes (great texture, average flavor) Fine - all of the shrimp dim sum, I think there was also a beef one that was ok Not great - I didn't like the spinach dim sum bc it's just steamed and not flavored, but if that's not offensive to you then you'll think it's just ok.

These are from the sample platter, plus the curry fish balls, scallion pancakes, pork buns, and egg custard buns. These plus a pot of tea (rose herbal was very pleasant, just don't let it over steep) is plenty for two very...