Tom's Dim Sum — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Sadly, there are NO Chinese restaurants within a 20 mile radius of where we live, so when we travel, it's an opportunity to enjoy the cuisine.

Never having eaten any Chinese food in Philly, I searched on Yelp for the closest restaurant to where we were, open now (4pm,) and Tom's popped up. Let's go!

ATMOSPHERE: We were the only ones in there at 4pm which turned me off, but they filled up soon after. They don't have a big seating area like most Chinese places, but instead have a perfect sized floor plan with a ramen shop look, designed in contemporary and clean lines. We sat at the counter which overlooked the street and neighboring Hilton Garden Inn. There's a private room towards the back, and regular tables throughout.

MENU: The usual enormous amount of selections along with dim sum but no cart service.

FOOD: Hot & Sour Soup - Ahh, I haven't had this in years! Their version tasted very spot on as expected, with the perfect balance of seasonings. The small bowl is good for 2 to share.

HK Style Shumai - HK stands for Hong Kong, but I'm not sure what the difference is between it and the Shanghai version. The 4 pieces were very tasty and ranks right up there with the best of them from my favorite places in Honolulu.

Beef Broccoli over Rice - I was actually wanting beef & snow peas, but they don't offer it so this was the next best choice. Wow is all I can say. This dish is listed with their entrees that come with rice, and a great deal it was at $8. The gravy was dark brown and so deliciously savory!? Geezuz! The sliced meats were extremely tender with zero fat, and the broccoli florets were cooked perfect. Dare I say this version is better than my dad's?? Eek yes!!!! Shhh!!!!

Kung Pao Chicken over Rice - My spouse's dish. Another highly recommended entree. The chicken chunks were tender, and the flavors were amazing. Man, I miss this place already!!!!

Chongqing Spicy Chicken - $12.95 A surprisingly good choice! Lightly battered and deep-fried chicken chunks reminded me of Japanese-style karaage chicken, though seasoned with just red chilis. Dipping them in shoyu made all the difference. Portion size was generous.

Beef Broccoli - $11.95 This was the dish that blew me out of the water years ago. This time it wasn't as good as the gravy was lighter in color as well as flavor.

Sautéed String Beans - $8.95 The beans looked wilted but were anything but as they crunched with a firm bite and were seasoned perfectly.

Spicy Pan Fried Dumplings - $6.95, 4 pcs. Nice and plump pork-filled potstickers but the taste was too doughy for me.

SERVICE: Our male server was a patiently cool guy, but not the greatest in terms of service. He disappeared for a while during our apps & entree, and didn't check on us until the end. But, they did receive a 20% tip under my rule book.

OVERALL: Tasty grinds, great prices, open from lunch through dinner. I was craving a custard tart but they don't have them. We will...

Upon walking in, you're greeted with the casual vibe typical of many dim sum eateries, though here, it's paired with service that might leave you feeling more dim than sum. This restaurant promises a variety of Chinese dishes with a focus on dim sum, but the experience can be as mixed as their menu.

Let's talk dumplings--often the heart and soul of any dim sum adventure. The Crabmeat Pork Soup Dumplings were a promising start, with a flavorful pork broth and minced pork nestled inside. However, the "crabmeat" topping was a mere impersonation of the real deal, leaving those in search of seafood authenticity a bit crabby. The Pork Soup Dumplings also packed a decent flavor punch but both dumpling offerings were noticeably missing the traditional ginger garnish, which is like attending a black-tie party without the tie.

While the Crystal Shrimp Dumplings are typically a fan favorite, they didn't exactly stand out. They were your textbook glutinous dumplings with shrimp, dependable yet unremarkable--a safe harbor in the stormy seas of more adventurous, albeit lackluster, offerings.

The Shanghai Shumai experienced some rough seas. These glutinous rice dumplings with pork and mushrooms arrived with a less-than-perfect presentation, broken and somewhat disheveled. It was a disappointing glimpse into the kitchen's lack of attention, leaving us feeling that the care in preparation was as fragmented as the dumplings themselves.

Moving onto the Shanghai Pan Fried Pork Dumplings and their spicy counterparts, the Spicy Pan Fried Dumplings, both dishes demonstrated potential with tasty fillings. Unfortunately, they seemed to be on a diet of sorts, with more of the breading than the stuffing. Both dumpling offerings were more introverted, not quite able to fully shine through their thick, bready exteriors.

The Peking Duck, usually a show-stopper, strutted out sans hoisin sauce, somewhat like missing a dance partner. While the skin's crispiness was inconsistent and succulent meat tried hard to save the dish, the missing hoisin could have been its saving grace, but we'll never know.

On a brighter note, the Crispy Tofu was a pleasant surprise, with its golden exterior giving way to a soft, welcoming interior, all drizzled with a savory brown sauce. It was a tofu-tastic moment in an otherwise murky culinary sea.

The Noodles with Pork in Brown Sauce could have been a comforting slurp but instead whispered tales of missed opportunities, being somewhat underwhelming and under seasoned--akin to soul food missing its soul.

While Tom's Dim Sum offers a spot to somewhat satisfy any dumpling cravings, the mediocre fare combined with less-than-pleasant service makes for a lukewarm experience. It's a place where the dim sum could truly sum up to something more, if only the attention to detail and customer care matched the ambition...

The food was ok, but the service is by far the worst! We were able to order appetizers and told the individual we were not ready to order the entree as we were still undecided, which is typical. Therefore, we ordered 3 appetizers and waited for someone to come back; however, no one did. Finally, my husband goes to the counter to get someone to come so we could place an order. The girl says, "I'll be right with you." So, we waited, thinking surely she'd be right over. But no! Instead she goes about wiping down tables, ignoring us, and never taking our order. So, we got up, went to the counter to pay for the appetizers and leave. At first the individual gives me a check for almost $50 worth of food. I'm standing there looking like, this can't be right, let me check and noticed several items we hadn't ordered on the check. Mainly, it was the wrong check, and yet she stood there like she wanted to argue. Another individual came and told her it wasn't our ticket. When I finally received the right ticket and paid, the counter girl had THE NERVE to say, "No Tip?!!!?" As if they're lack of service and us never being able to place our order was to be awarded. I looked at her with the same expression she gave me and stated, "No! Are you serious??!!!" Customer service is truly lacking these days!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!! I realize that some people will go because of prices and customer service is no big deal. But for us, it is as I'd like to be able to trust that my food is being handled with care. How can I have any measure of trust in anyone who treats me like I don't exist? I can see why the reviews are so low on Yelp. I should have checked the reviews first. Admittedly, I did not, and once again, when I don't check the reviews, I end up in joints like these where the either the food is bad or the customer service is, or both. SMH!! "No...