Pros: - inexpensive, all dishes are reasonably priced - traditional: you get a paper sheet with a pencil to make your choices - friendly service: everyone is nice and polite - authentic: proper Hong Kong dim sum with classic dishes - location: convenient in the center of Waikiki - green tea: some of the most fragrant teas I've head (supposedly from Taiwan) - seating: both indoor and outdoor available Cons: - feels like a chain: because it is - dishes may be dirty: I had to return my glass with someone's lipstick on it - touristy: you are in Waikiki after all

Every time I visit Waikiki, I have to allocate some time to eat at Tim Ho Wan. I've also tried their location in New York but the flight time to Hawai'i is shorter and I'm so glad they have a location in Oahu. We arrived at around 7:15 pm on a Monday evening and had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. The place was not packed but they do have a constant stream of customers dining in. After seated, we got iced waters right away. We had some poke beforehand so we didn't go crazy with the ordering this time around. We ordered the baked BBQ pork bun, the steamed rice roll stuffed with minced beef, wonton noodle soup, and deep fried eggplant filled with shrimp. The 5 star items were the pork bun and the eggplant. The pork bun was buttery and flakey on the outside, and the bbq pork was flavorful, tender, and pipping hot on the inside. The deep fried egg plant was just the right texture and the shrimp was marinated well. It was very fresh judging from the temperature of the dish. I wouldn't recommend the wonton noodle and the steamed rice roll. Service was fast, our food arrived quickly after ordering. The restaurant is decorated like a high end modern dim sum restaurant so it's a good spot to dine in with family, friends and can even be a good date spot.

If you're staying in Waikiki with no car and have a craving for dim sum, then this place will certainly suit your needs. While it meets all the standards of a good dim sum place, it's not necessarily any better than other local favorites. I do like the snow-capped char siu bao, a light sugary flakey covering on the bao that's offered in maybe only 2 other places in Honolulu. However, these and pretty much all the other dishes are smaller than elsewhere but at Waikiki prices. I do enjoy their selection of teas especially their oolong tea. Pictured are their shrimp dumplings, which are decent (dainty also comes to mind) and noodles (I included a tea cup for size reference - this may be "family style", but more for a family of one?) Waitstaff are very nice, enthusiastic to taking pics of you & your friends/family. They all work well together bringing dishes out as they become ready and clear empty dishes in stride. Overall an enjoyable experience good food but expect to order a bit more and pay more because you want to stay in Waikiki!

We loved this place! We regularly eat in Chinatowns in Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Francisco -- this place stands up well in that company. The prices are not low, but fair for Waikiki. Every dish was good to great. The lunar new year special pig feet were the standout. But fried, steamed or braised, sweet or savory, and meat or seafood, it was all yummy. Some diners might complain that the Chinese broccoli was softer than is traditional. I like it both al dente and well done, so that didn't bother me. Prompt service. The hostess didn't have much English, but a great attitude. The only thing I would change is the mediocre pop music playing.

I forgot to post a review when I visited last October. Food here was fantastic, very fresh. We went for a swim in the afternoon and dragged our clothes over our swimsuits so we would be presentable for an early dinner. They were going to seat us on the left side which is enclosed but I mentioned we were still a bit wet so they seated us on the open balcony on the right side of the entrance. We ordered a plate of noodles, great flavor, my favorite preserved egg and pork porridge, great consistency and it came with green onions and crispies to add, not tossed on top. Pan fried taro, my favorite was fresh & soft and fried; the pork buns were hot and steamy. The sticky rice in lotus leaf was hot, good bite, with all the goodies inside. We would definitely come back. They are pricey for Hawaii but so are a lot of places. I would order all the same items. I was just checking to make sure they would be here on our next trip.

Delicious delicious dim sum! But make sure to make a reservation before if you're a larger party. Located on the second floor of the mall you can either take the escalator or elevator up. Our party got seated and got right to ordering. We order most of the usual suspects, ha gow, sui mai, xo turnip cakes, lao sa baos, bo la bbq pork buns, steamed sticky rice, rice rolls, chicken feet and rice and pork patty. The standout dish were the bo la bbq pork buns, the crust wasn't overly sweet and there was a good amount of filling inside. All the dishes came out quite expeditiously and were overwhelmed by how much we had ordered. Our party of 8 ordered two pots of tea, one jasmine green and one oolong. Rather than charging per cup each pot was $6 with refills included. Half way through our meal the staff came by to switch our plates and check in. W grad a great brunch and left full and happy. Definitely worth a meal if your in Honolulu and have a dim sum craving!