Lam's Garden — Restaurant in Orlando

Someone who grew up eating dim sum here. The food here was average and tasted like the same food bought and reheated from the Chinese supermarket. Our teapot for our hot water had a broken lid and spout so we didn’t want to drink from it because we were scared we might drink the ceramic particles. We were the only ones eating in the store but then our food took almost 20 minutes to prepare. There were several items we ordered but they didn’t have in stock in the kitchen, so we had to either eliminate or substitute them with something we don’t want. We ended up ordering turnip cakes, sesame balls, shrimp dumplings, shu mai, and short-braised ribs. One would think a Chinese restaurant would always have enough sesame balls in stock. Wrong. This dish usually comes with three sesame balls, but they only had 2 in stock?? They then substituted the third one with a similar dish but with meat filling instead. This particular substitute had literally 5 pieces of fingernail-sized meat inside, and the rest is dough. The short-braised ribs had no meat on them. Only a mixture of fat and corn starch. The worst part was when I didn’t tip (because the food and service were not that great) the male server literally didn’t let us leave until the amount was at least a 15% tip, nothing less than this amount. As two female customers, this was kind of scary and very coercive. We paid the tip in cash but he didn’t give the exact change back. Honestly, at that point, my friend and I just wanted to leave and didn’t have the energy to fight for the change. I feel like we got scammed. Also, my friend got a weird stain on her jeans from under the table?? And to end on a funny note, when we were walking out we heard a waiter tell some unassuming customers that their "Chinese American" food was "authentic" (yea in the same sentence).

(Edit: I keep seeing a bunch of 5-star reviews for this restaurant. It's really making me question how many of these reviews are genuine and not just some paid, fake reviews to inflate their ratings.)

(2nd Edit: I just saw the following information. The same restaurant got shut down for 28 violations after an inspection. This makes a lot of sense now.)

Lam’s Garden at 2505 E. Colonial Dr. in Orlando shut down on June 19, 2023. There were 28 violations, nine of which were a high priority. Those violations included non-food grade paper used as liner for a food container, rodent activity, and a stop-sale issued on food due to temperature abuse. Officials conducted two more inspections on June 20. On the first inspection, there were 15 violations. On the second inspection, there were 10. The first inspection featured one high-priority violation for rodent droppings. The second inspection found zero high-priority violations. The restaurant met inspection...

Our visit was horrifying. Although it was on a week day and was not at full capacity; we waited to be seated for some time as no one was up front to greet us. We should’ve taken it as a sign when we saw the state of the restaurant on a Friday evening. We requested a booth until the owner screams “HE TOO BIG HE NO FIT HE CANNOT SIT THERE” from across the restaurant. Despite the protest, we sat in a booth; as a matter of fact, my partner did fit.

Our waiter was no where to be seen and rarely came to our table. Whether it was asking for a menu or new set of cutlery, our waiter expressed annoyance or reluctance. It was a hassle to get help from anyone. The owner and multiple employees watched us from the rear as we tried to wave down somebody to take our order or to ask a question about the menu. At this point, half of my party (including my partner) actually walked up and left to go to Chicken Fire after how they were treated by the staff and wanted to actually eat something. The food finally came. The shumai and other dumplings did not taste fresh. It tasted like it was frozen, defrosted in the microwave, and served onto a plate. The chicken feet was, however, delicious.

Come the bill….The waiter was NOT satisfied with the tip I left (after not taking his eyes off of the bill while I completed the transaction) and demanded I add more to the tip. He began spewing passive aggressive remarks at me, then became defensive after I called him out on his piss poor service and told him to reevaluate how he treats his customers.

Throughout this whole ordeal, I expected the owner to mitigate or handle this atrocity of a night. All night, the owner was standing at the rear of the restaurant watching everything unfold and never once stepped in. Every interaction at this establishment was a nightmare. I would never recommend Lam’s Garden to anyone I know and would advise them to steer clear. My partner was excited to try Chinese food and dim sum for the first time. He was visibly hurt by the staffs’ words and treatment. After reading past reviews, customers being treated poorly is a common occurrence at Lam’s Garden. Anyone wanting to try dim sum, please seek elsewhere. There are plenty of places that have delicious food with...

During this festive season it is nice to see families gather to celebrate at Lams Garden. This establishment has been a long time staple of Chinese Cuisine. Being one of the few restaurants in the Orlando area that serve Dim Sum, over the years it has been a hit or miss.

I have dined here many times before. Some experiences were better than others, some need not mention, others were great. I can’t quite figure out the inconsistencies. Although, service seems a big turn off even when the food is decent. This occasion was no exception. Years ago when they first started to serve Dim Sum I clearly remembered the lack of staff to facilitate efficient service. Now that business has grown, there still seems to be a lack of efficiency.

The atmosphere is a buzz with many people and activities. Stylish old school Chinese décor occupies the space. There are two semi divided rooms . Large round tables and booths seats diners. At the front you are greeted by large tanks with live fish and lobster. The menu is elaborate Chinese Cuisine or depending on the day Dim Sum. I’ve had splendid Chinese Cuisine here sometime ago. Their selection and service is quite lavish. This occasion is all about Dim Sum.

BBQ Pork Buns – steamed fluffy goodness.

Shumai – steamed shrimp dumplings.

Short Ribs – braised, fall of the bone, tender, flavorful.

Beef Tripe Salad – cold preparation, lightly vinegared, mildly seasoned, clean and fresh.

Spare Ribs – tender and flavorful.

Shrimp Balls – steamed tender balls of shrimp.

Pig Ears Salad – paper thin slices of pig ears lightly marinated. Not much flavor. Nice crunchy cartilage texture.

Chive Dumplings – pan seared dumplings stuffed with chive. Full taste of chive with nice crunch on the outside.

Chicken Feet – braised in sweet soy. Tender, succulent, flavorful.

Like a typical Dim Sum place in Hong Kong, this place is bustling with activities. There is hardly any time for pleasantries. However, in the Orlando market there has to be time for at least a little courtesy. Food was good, service could use a little...