China Garden

A rare OC dim sum parlor, long known for lobster noodles and prickly front counter service

China Garden’s reputation as one of Orange County’s most popular dim sum restaurants dates back decades: Even at a time when nearby Sam Woo locations were similarly busy, lines of people always formed at China Garden on weekends before their doors opened, a sight visible from Jeffrey Road for at least a couple of hours as their brunch service continued.

Between their reasonable dim sum prices, actual carts roaming the dining spaces with new dishes to try, and a killer deal on lobster with garlic noodles ($10!), there was a lot to love about the China Garden of old… and only one major issue. Though servers did a good job of pushing the dim sum carts and running food to tables, frequent confrontations between the front counter staff and guests – waiting in line or paying for meals – made dining there unusually and unnecessarily tense. Once the pandemic hit, chopping those long lines down and shrinking the dining room, the once energetic environment turned lonelier and sad for a while.

Today, China Garden has largely recovered from its prior lull, though the previously incredible prices have unsurprisingly given way to inflation – the lobster noodles are now $22, still well below Tan Cang Newport Seafood levels – and quality has now settled at hit-or-miss, particularly on the Cantonese dishes and meats. Carts have returned to the dining room, and the dim sum inside tend to be properly prepared, if not always fantastic. At $5.50 to $9 per plate, it’s harder to overlook flavor and texture issues than it was when the dim sum cost half as much.

While there are some very good dim sum restaurants in Little Saigon and Cerritos, just outside Orange County, China Garden remains a viable option in Irvine – and continues to serve crowds that the regrettably closed Sam Woo cannot. Arrive early and you’ll have a better chance of avoiding the recently returned lines.

Stats

Price: $$-$$$
Service: Table

Addresses

14825 Jeffrey Rd.
Irvine, CA 92618

949.653.9988