Jozlyn H.

Everything was delicious! Their spicy eggplant is yummmmm!!!!
(4)
Jp K.

Pretty bad service. The servers/cart ladies can be very rude. Would not eat there again. They are not the only dim sum place in town. Much better out there.
(2)
Gspot H.

Gonna try the special: sautÃ©ed shrimp with butter and garlic. My fav dim sum spot in Chinatown. U gotta take bill to cash register
(4)
Kathy F.

Fastest Dim Sum in the city. Everything on one cart. Very tasty and delicious. Good if you want a quick lunch or meal. We ordered noodles, and had about four plates...total for meal around $24.00. Very filling. Two stars because we felt like our meal was rushed and the male server kept placing and taking dishes from us as if he were in a hurry. If you want to eat and leave try Mei Sum; if you want to have a leisurely meal try another one of China towns great authentic places.
(2)
Golden R.

We ALWAYS come here with a BIG party = 15+... Mei Sum staff (from Kelly to Jenny to Amy & even YUU) are soooo accommodating (we guess they have engurish names so you can call them easily. I keep calling Jenny, but she wouldn't turn her head, until I tapped her then asked her "your name Jenny right?" she smiled and said "yes,yes,yes, soerry soerry!" Hehe. Guess she new and gotta get use to her new name. Lol If they have a table opening up they are quick to set it up for you. If you local, you know them from the corner of Smith St...NOW they on Nuuanu and they are sooooooooo nice. Before at the old location they WERE rude. Food is always mmmm! Great dim sum! All day, till night, they got dim sum. Usually dim sum is only a lunch thing. Hawaii dim sum know how to do it - ALL DAY & NIGHT They always win the "Best of...." & "Ilima Awards", but they don't have to put up all those awards cause they know they good!! Order the soft shell crab from your waitress they bring um fresh. Oh, they going push some food they you don't want, Just Say No! It's fine. When you say...2 of this...they going say...how about 3 cause really good you know, if not you bring home. Ok!!! Nuff said.... Good food, big parties ok! Stuffed=Yes!!! What chinese restaurant is not squishy?
(5)
Diana B.

Mei Sum what a fabulous place for dim sum. Hits the spot in my belly every time! I have been here on a few occasions. There is lots of variety and the food is tasty and completely affordable. I'd love to come a lot more often as a matter of fact. It's too bad I live too far. I recommend the shrimp dumplings and the crispy shrimp dumplings as well. As you can tell, I am a shrimp lover and Mei Sum Dim Sum is a great place to eat them! Parking is a piece of cake. There is street parking and parking lot just across the street.
(4)
Charlotte V.

Yes, it's hard to get waiters attention sometimes especially when they are busy but I also come back when I want tasty cheap dim sum. I love the mochi puffs, mochi rice, garlic chicken, taro cake, etc, etc. I haven't tried their dish menus -just their dim sum. But their dim sum always comes out hot and fresh.
(4)
Angela A.

My favorites are the seafood dumplings, pork hash, and sticky rice in lotus leaf. Worth trying!
(4)
Jane L.

This is a tiny little shop in china town. If you want good dim sum that is served all day, this is the place to go to. I'd go to this place again if I was in the area but not drive out of my way to go here. Service: They were really nice and at times they seemed like they were trying to rush us to get out. I didn't know how to intake that information. Food: Oh my goodness everything that I ate was soooooo good. I didn't even have a chance to take any pictures because I was so hungry. Parking: Street parking or any of the parking structures located around this area.
(3)
Melissa L.

Dragged my friend here before our spa appt. because ive been here a couple other times and had pretty decent experiences. It being Sunday, not that much places were open but we really wanted Dim Sum. Felt so rushed and it annoyed me pretty quick. For the most part they don't have the carts going around. Its basically you just order and they pull it for you from the back. As soon as we sat down they asked up what we wanted about 3 mins later. We ordered some stuff from the picture menu on the table but they also have a whole different menu you can order from if you ask -_-. We got about 4 things and I asked for Look Fun. after 10mins and asking 3 ladies. we were already full and over waiting for it. We went up to pay and cancel that order and the cashier said it takes 15mins to make -_- really? your employees cant tell someone something as easy as "it takes 15 mins to make". So turned off. Left probably the smallest tip I've ever left on my life and vowed to skip this place.
(3)
Hayato H.

Dim sum all night!!! My favorites are soft shell crab and look sum. It was empty store today so the nice waiter gave us deserts with a nice smile. Mei sum fried rice was alright. Uses a lot of garlic chips! Great place for two, family or a big group.
(4)
Dominique T.

I was very excited to come here after seeing the pictures of the food. And it was the closest one from our hotel after a 20-min bus ride from Waikiki. However, despite how nicely the chef(s) prepared the menu and food, service was lacking and lost 2 stars. It was good to notice that it was because we looked young and fit the stereotype of being tourists. The lady next to us was in mid sentence asking for something and the waitress simply walked away. We were told to be seated at a smaller table for 2 and were not even given any menus. My friend had to get up and grab one when we saw the lady after us were given one. They also took her order before taking ours even though we got there frost. No biggie since we were able to place the order. Our order was not immediately taken.... but what they lacked in service, the food spoke for itself. The garlic chicken wings and garlic fried egg plant are "must haves". I love the lightly dusting of the sugar and salt on the fried items with a dosage of fried garlic specks. The shrimp har gow came in 3 and not 4 like other places. They were delish so a 4th would be welcomed. The siu mai and chicken feet were good, too. The fried soft shell crab was delish!!!! I would come back despite the lack of service because I like the food. And I would like to try the other items on the menu. An additional 1/2 star for having a menu with pictures even though I don't really need it.
(3)
Paul R.

My hero!! We got a late craving for some dim sum, so we headed down to chinatown.. Every place was either closed or no longer making dim sum :/, but then we found this gem!! This is a no frills kind of place. Just good food, and decent staff. We got our usual. Shanghai dumplings, siu mai, har gau, and look fun.. Everything was really good.. A bit slow, but i was in a good mood so i decided to talk to my gf that day :p.. Only thing that wasn't great was the look fun.. Too much noodle or dough or whatever that stuff is.. Ladies working the tables were really polite. Very sweet, but kitchen slow. Place was old, but very clean. Pretty big too. Could definitely host a big group here, and not all that busy either.. Well at least from my experience. I will definitely be back, and i full recommend this place. Enjoy!
(4)
Pualena P.

My personal dim sum rule is NEVER go to dim sum without a fluent Chinese speaker. Needless to say, I couldn't have been happier when my Chinese-speaking classmate/group project partner/new bff asked if I wanted to go eat dim sum for our post-presentation preparation meal. We walked over to Mei Sum from the HPU library on Bishop street (walking distance from school & downtown FTW!). The restaurant was nearly empty at 3:00pm, which was great for us because we got one-on-one service! Well...three-on-two...three servers, two customers...you get the idea. We ordered the following: Beef noodles: I give this dish 3.5 stars. I have a love affair with noodles. They are my FAVORITE thing in the world and I know good noodles when I see them. These fat, flat, and fabulous noodles were accompanied by hunks of beef. Sounds good, right? Well...the dish was greeeeeasy! Which can be expected...but the beef was pretty fatty. Would I get it again? Maybe. But I'm sure there were other great things that I would like to try instead. The Bean Curd dish was fab! That was my favorite dish we got today. Five stars! Shrimp: I can't remember what the dish was called but it was fried shrimp...not shelled, not beheaded...not de-legged...we had entire little deep-fried shrimpies staring back at us from the plate. I know I make that sound less than appetizing, but I popped each one of those critters in my mouth and enjoyed every last bit! (well...almost every last bit...I couldn't eat the head and I spit out the tail. I guess I'm not THAT adventurous.) Deep Fried Taro Things: These were interesting. Again, very greasy...but actually quite good. The taro was moist and the filling (some kind of mystery meat) was cooked in some kind of yummy sauce. (gosh...the culinary ambiguity is starting to make me anxious...what did I just eat?!) Finally, we got Shanghai Dumplings which are dumplings that are SUPPOSED to be filled with soup! I've had these in Shanghai and they were one of my favorite things! So I was beyond excited to see them on the menu! I was, however, sorely disappointed. These dumplings were not filled with anything but soggy meat. I choked one down and didn't touch the other two. My mission for authentic Xiao Long Bao in Honolulu continues! All in all, I've had better dim sum. I'd come back, but not before I try other places first. That's not to say that I didn't eat myself into greasy a food oblivion...because I did!
(3)
Andrew T.

Friends brought me here for dim sum... I enjoyed it going down... although the dining room was kind of medium-dirty (actually not so bad by general Chinatown standards) and my stomach was kind of upset for the 12 hours afterwards. My friends said their stomachs were fine so maybe the blame does not belong to Mei Sum. Either that or you just have to be innoculated to their particular bacterias and you'll be fine next time you go back! I am used to dim sum served from carts; here you order from a menu. Waitress was friendly but didn't admit to speaking English and kept bringing us dishes we didn't order and saying something we thought was "sssh, free"... we actually wondered if they were uneaten dishes from other tables at one point. None of them were missing bites so we ate them. The check is indecipherable so we had no idea if she charged us for those dishes or not. In the end with tax and tip we spent $15 each for a moderate amount of food. My favorites were the fried taro ball and the turnip cake. I will go back.
(3)
John N.

Okay, here is a rant. My biggest pet peeve in all of dimsum-dom is the spelling and pronunciation of shrimp dumplings. Dimsum is Cantonese. Therefore, it has to be pronounced in a pure Cantonese way akin to Guangdong/Hong Kong Cantonese dialect. Shrimp in Cantonese is "ha" like the ha part in yelling "AH HA!". Gau is dumpling. Put those two together and you will get HA GAU. Definitely not HAR GAU. Now you have learned this, please call it HA GAU from now on and not HA GAU. You will confuse the heck out of Cantonese speakers that way. When I was a kid, if I called it by HAR GAU, I would probably be locked up and studying math for the next week. I'm not joking either. So about Mei Sum. I've frequently here a few times within the past year and they are quite inconsistent. Notables from the last visit were HA GAU - Thicker pei than normal, smaller shrimp amount. It'll give the appearance of the normal sized ha gau but it isn't. The taste is right on though. C+ Phoenix Jowls(chicken feet) - This is decent here and on par with the restaurants that serve it well too. A Spare ribs steamed with black beans - Okay. Overcooked on purpose, but nothing necessarily bad on that part. C Siu Mai - Uninteresting. Same thing you can find in most places including take out. Nothing sets it apart from other spots. C Beef balls - Tastes old. You can tell it is old when the color turns purple-reddish inside. I don't mean it has been out for a while, I am just saying the uncooked beef was frozen for a long while. Service is okay. Just okay. Nothing more and nothing less than what is expected of in a Chinese dim sum restaurant. When it is busy, you have to be a go-getter. Not a fan of the newer location as it is a bit farther away from the Chinatown strip.
(3)
Anna K.

I have been going to Mei Sum Dim Sum since college. I love this restaurant for the gourmet food, the friendly service, and the affordability. I don't need to go PF Chang for the over priced steam sea bass filet. I don't need to wait long time to be serviced at Legend. I just need a classic dim sum stop with unbeatable taste and price. I found it 15 years ago and it has been my one stop for dim sum. This is a true family owned business. Mr. Luo and his wife have been the chef 365 days a year morning to night and established the strong customer base and an unsurpassed reputation in the local community. It is as close as you can get for an authentic Hong Kong dim sum. It is a family owned restaurant. I am a native dim sum lover and trust me, the Mei sum dim sum is something. This is where the local goes for dim sum. Must try the steamed or sweet and sour Seabass Filet in addition to the Dim Sum album.
(5)
Christie T.

Mei Sum is a great option for a quick, casual, and very affordable meal. Love the Shanghai Dumplings, delicious pork/mushroom/ginger flavor, and also nice and juicy.
(4)
Tia S.

Noms! It's always busy when I go; which is good 'cause that tells you the food is yummy. They offer all the usual dim sum basics (char siu bao, har gau, gau gee, etc.). The servers are aggressive and try to get you to order too much, but that's expected. Just be firm and politely say, "No thanks." Food is affordable. Dim sum starts at $2 and some change. Endless hot tea refills. Custard buns are my fave!
(4)
Ariana M.

I have been here a few times before and never had such a horrible experience. I had a random Dim Sum craving and decided to come to Mei Sum because I was familiar with it and knew they had decent dim sum. Usually the services is fast, and were usually in and out. Which works out really well because lets face it, were always in a rush to get somewhere. This time, service was horribly slow. It was like none of the workers knew what they heck they were doing or something. I have no idea what was going on or if they just hired new people. But it was just horrible. We ordered our dim sum and it took FOREVER to come out. No joke. We only ordered about 5 dim sum dishes. Our whole meal process (from ordering to paying for the check) took OVER an hour. I don't think I have ever spent that long at any dim sum restaurant. They also forgot one of our orders that we were waiting a good 15-20 minutes for. I mean come on -_- your menu is not complicated. Its not like I'm waiting for a damn medium rare steak or something high end. I'm waiting for my damn shrimp dumplings!!
(1)
Ella H.

I wouldn't even give one star, but I can't post without any stars. I just ate there, and sat by the water and tea station. One of the waitress cleared a table, dumped the water back into the water pitcher. Then she just rinsed off the cups in running water and put them back on the tray. Another waitress came soon after and put water in the same cups and served them to the people behind us. They don't use soap water for the cups, they just rinse them with cold water. I wish I saw that before we ordered. We would have walked out. It's disgusting, and against health code for sure.
(1)
Lei L.

Top notch dim sum joint! I highly recommend their dried scallop dumpling...they were steamed to perfection. They are open from 8am WOWZA for a perfect early morning breakfast. It's a very low-key restaurant & casual.
(4)
Wendy K.

Jelly fish OVERPRICED!!!!!! $9.95 for a SAMLL plate of Jelly Fish! It's on the dim sum cart, price unknown until you pay your bill. Cheaters!!
(1)
Taz N.

my sweeti n i decided to eat our lunch here on fri 10/24...gotta say the deep fried crab waz da damb best dim sum i ever tasted..what we didnt realize was the price..it used to be $8.95 now its $11.95 ...n i ordered 2 servings...ooh boy...for me it was worth it but my sweeti didnt think so..she was kinda mad....oh well..other than that the service was ok..the servers were pretty much attentive to us...n there was always someone offering us dim sum to choose..my wife loved the deep fried eggplant n the lotus mochi rice...we're difinitely be back...i gotta ask the price of the crab tho...if u love deep fried foods..u gotta try this!!!!.....umai!!!!!!...oh yea if ur concerned about the parking...theres a clean n secure parking structure u can park at for $.75 every half hour...or u can park on the street, but good luck on that depending on the time of day...my best bet would be the parking structure which is about 2 blocks away from the restaurant...especially if u have a nice car or comcerned about ur car..i am one of those people...i always park my car im the safest spot i can find even if it means i gotta walk far to wherever im going...the entrance to the structure is on beretania right across from the Chinese Culture Center...on ur left...its right before Alaa Park...the parking lot is huge so u shouldnt have a hard time finding parking.....good luck!!!!!!!!! !
(5)
Bryce A.

Another visit to Hawaii, another stop for a dim sum brunch/lunch at Mei Sum. Parking is a little different now - street parking is still available, but the lot around the corner isn't any more. There is an underground lot a little further down the road on the same block, I'm not sure how much it costs at other times but on Sunday it was a flat $3 rate...which turned out to actually be $1.50 (yeah, I have no idea). The look fun, baked pork buns, sticky rice in lotus leaf, and baked custard buns are still all great choices if you are looking for your standard dim sum dishes, though if you want the look fun then you should order it as soon as you sit down since they generally won't have them on the carts and it takes a while to make. Something I tried for the first time on my most recent visit was the garlic eggplant and fishcake. This is definitely not something you normally see at dim sum, but it's great. You get fishcake sandwiched between slices of eggplant and deep-fried, with toasted garlic sprinkled on top. The seafood wraps - mushrooms and seafood wrapped in bean curd - are also delicious. You can get a whole lot of food for ridiculous prices. I went with a party of 5, we ate until we were stuffed, and the total bill came out to $53. As long as you can put up with the hit-and-miss service, this is a great place for dim sum.
(4)
Cam L.

Food is not bad. Not the best dim sum ever though. Service is horrible!! This was expected from dim dum places but one of our cart pushing lady was downright rude. She basically yelled at our table when some ppl in our group asked her what some of the dishes are and as soon as she left our table we could see her pointing at us and talking about us to another employee. Super uncomfortable and just pissed us off. The restaurant itself felt very grimy and dirty. Bathroom was not cleaned. I definitely will not be returning here. I would avoid this place and find food elsewhere in this area.
(2)
Paul K.

WOW!!! The food is delicious, service quick, seating lightening fast and the selection is incomparable!
(4)
Monica A.

Believe it or not, this would've been my first Dim Sum experience but my boyfriend and I decided to leave the restaurant before we even got our orders placed. That was how bad their customer service was. No acknowledgement when we entered the doors, they didn't bring us water or tea unless we asked for it and they took forever to take our order. When the lady finally came to take our order, we started ordering a couple of dishes and things were getting better until someone who seemed like her "trainer" cuts us off, yelling in Chinese while we just sat there waiting for them to finish where then the waitress says, " . . . and then?" AND THEN?! Are you kidding me. She should've at least excused herself. We continued to order when the trainer comes back babbling on and literally grabs the order notepad from our waitress and tries to start taking our order. That's when we decided enough was enough and told them we were going to eat somewhere else and got off our seats and left. No respect towards their customers nor respect towards their own workers. :/
(1)
Shay F.

I wasn't expecting much when coming here....so I was pretty surprised when the dim sum that I got actually tasted pretty good. I enjoyed all the dishes I ordered! Going there is a bit of a challenge since it's in downtown, but I went after 6pm so I could snatch a metered stall and not pay! Yelp 365 Challenge #270/365
(3)
Misty P.

I've been here before at their old location with my mom, and most recently at their new location on Nuuanu Ave with my fiance for dim sum. Despite the other reviews, we had pretty decent service - but we were the only one's there on a Friday afternoon. Make note though, that the waitresses are pretty adamant and good at their sales pitch. She was trying her best to get us to buy the bao (or baked manapua). I don't like manapua, but my fiance bought into her sales pitch "It's good you know?! SO SOFT!! FRESH!" Ok, we get it - whatever lady...so we added it to our table. I don't know if she thought we were rich or something. I should've just yelled "Shit, bring on the char siu bao, and three more orders of egg tarts, naked girls and bring out some Alize!" We ordered shrimp shumai, pork hash, deep fried soft shelled crab, egg tarts and black bean shortribs. All this with the wonderfully "fresh" char siu bao only cost us $23.00. Of course, with every dim sum or Chinese place, there was hot tea on the house and our waters were filled constantly. The food was good and yummy and what you would expect from a dim sum joint. Parking is in a lot on Smith St? Or is It Pauahi? But basically behind the restaurant on the opposite adjoining street. We instead opted to park in the City and County public parking garage which only cost $1.50 even after eating and walking around Chinatown.
(4)
Oxcar A.

This is my first bad review. I just left this discussing restaurant(service) I order the sizzling chicken which had no flavor what so ever. Our waiter's name was Ringo (the jerk) when we got there he did not greet us even though we did. When we ask for a dish recommendation he just pointed at a dish. After he gave us such an amazing recommendation by pointing at a picture we were still not sure what we wanted to order. So we decided to start with some sides of dim sum. We told him we needed more time and wanted to start with those sides. He left and gave us a facme. Anyways I ask him for a box to go, he never brought it. Btw the place was not busy just two of us and another table so no excuse. When we were paying I wrote on the recipes (Ringo bad service) and obviously a big fat 0 for tips the cashier looked over to see if we left tips on the table and ask my friend is he needed a smaller bill for tips he said no. When I handed my receipt she said you need to leave tip here or the table. That's when I got furious and told them how their service sucks. Seriously what place ask you to leave tips this way. Tips are earn base on the service provided Also, we ask for water and they took for ever to bring it we shouldn't be asking for water this shows how attentive they are! Our waiter Ringo never bother to come to our table and ask if everything was okay.
(1)
Puying M.

I used to go here quite often as I live in the neighborhood. Over the years I've noticed that the service has gotten worse and worse to the point where it now borders on downright rude. Food quality had also gone downhill. Ate here about a month ago and literally could not finish 2 of the 4 dim sum plates I ordered- they were so nasty. Frankly it tasted rancid. The fact that they don't put prices on the dim sum menu can result in sticker shock when you ask the waitress for a recommendation on a dim sum and she recommends the soft shell crab but neglects to tell you that is $11. Not very clean either. Will NEVER go here again.
(1)
VG d.

Good food, HORRiBLE "service" Despite this being the case for 14 years. Mei Sum had always been my "go to" place for dim sum, I've brought plenty friends and office staff here for brunch. Then one day I made the mistake of ordering the "special of the day" off the menu: "Pineapple fried rice with shrimp" which turned out to be disgustingly awful. I told the waitress it was awful and to send it back to the kitchen when OMG - ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE! She yelled at me, loud voice inside the restaurant: "TOO BAD! YOU ORDER? YOU EAT!" I told her I didn't want it and we got into it right then and there. So, for maybe $.94 worth of ingredients, a long-time loyal customer (and her friends) will NEVER spend money here. Instead, we can now be found ordering plenty at Fook Lam, where they actually smile and VALUE THEIR CUSTOMERS, going so far as to validate parking! In the Chinese Cultural Center. Equal or better food quality, nice service.
(2)
John R.

What can you say about a place that greets you with a cart with fried taro but, "Yum!" A bright and cheerful place with friendly staff and many of my favorites. Very enjoyable.
(5)
Jenn Y.

Dim Sum. There are so many in Chinatown, which one should you go to? I was introduced to this place by my boyfriend. He said this place was good so I thought ok lets try it. Like any place in downtown, it is hard to find parking so take your pick street parking or garage. Ok inside appears small, but maybe because there is so much people here and it can get crowded. When you can find yourself a table, the little chinese ladies come with all their all their goodies in steam basket. I get my usual pork hash, etc etc. Anyways the reason why I keep coming here is it is clean including the bathroom, food seems hot and fresh, never cold. The ladies are actually nice here. They listen to you, dont forget or ignore your order and actually refill your water cup and tea. I really enjoy coming here which is why I am a repeat and happy customer and for sure of their greatest fan =D
(5)
Ty T.

Oh Dim Sum Lady how I love your sweet talk and abuse. Where else can you be treated so rudely, but still tip 20% and come back for more? This is the most amazing phenomenon in the dinning industry. They're not even doing it jokingly or with sarcasm. It reminds me of the scene in Desperado, where Cheech revels that they purposely give bad service because the bar is a front for Buchos drug cartel. I'm not saying there's Triads gambling in the back, but don't make a wrong turn going to the restroom. As for the food, amazing. Everything is good, and everything fresh ;) If they don't have what you want on the cart, you can order and the kitchen will make it for you. One final thought. If went to any other place of business and got a bill written in a different language and you couldn't understand it would you say something?
(4)
Kim C.

Subduing the Beast "Give me some dim sum yum at Mei Sum Dim Sum or I'll chew your head off!" I screeched. My husband has been deployed twice, went through grueling training, and endured some hardships in life. But nothing had prepared him for pregnancy number 2. You could have compared me to the girl in Exorcist. Vomiting, screaming out profanities, eyes blotched red, hair tangled, pale skin and so forth. The pope himself wouldn't wanna come near me. Only food could subdue me. What my poor husband had to withstand during my 9 months of pregnancy just boggles my mind. He also attained a sympathy bump on his belly to show for it. Before I knew of Yelp, we went on a crusade in search of dim sum compared to my beloved Mei Sum. Little did I know they moved down a block into a bigger, cleaner, better, less sketchy location. Some hole in the wall dim sum shops matched the prices and the great portions but the taste was not there. Through Yelp I discovered that Mei Sum did not close down, but just moved. Mei Sum serves dim sum till they close. After a certain time the carts are gone, but they serve pipin fresh hot dim sum. Sure you have to wait a while, c'mon now good food takes time. My Favorites: *Crispy Seaweed Roll It's fried seaweed with an irresistible crispy bite, chock full of different seafood. "Um, can I get like five plates all to myself..thanks!" *Chicken Feet Yes, chicken feet. The tantalizing texture and the explosion of flavor in these tasty morsels make me swoon. *Shrimp Pork Hash They serve them huge the mananpua man can't compete with the taste or size. *Noodles Mei Sum Special Fried Noodle Minute chicken Fried Noodle So if your in need of satisfying some dim sum craving head down to Mei Sum and get your fulfillment.
(5)
Andy F.

I've been to all the dim sum restaurants on Oahu (except this one in Aiea, which I must try soon), and multiple times to all the ones in Chinatown. If I had to rank all the Chinatown ones in order, I would put Mei Sum #2 behind Fook Lam. My grandfather loves this place, and I always come here with him. Having consistent quality and freshness at any place of business is important, which is a big reason why I come here and rank it so high on my list. Everything is always hot and warm, and tasty and delicious, and I always leave here satisfied with the dim sum. The good thing I've noticed is that they never have too much (nor too little) dim sum piled on the carts, which can just sit there forever and be steamed to death. From observations, it seems to me that they have a few of almost everything on cart, and a few more for the popular items. In the instances where it's not available on the cart, you can just order from the server. I've sat at the table near the entrance to the kitchen numerous times, and they are always pumping out freshly made dim sum, both steamed and fried and baked. Whenever you hear the bell, it's a signal to the servers that there is fresh dim sum there ready to be put onto the steamer cart, or fried or baked dim sum ready to be plated. With the fried or baked dim sum, the servers always takes a tray full of the freshly made item to offer each table. I love that table cause you get first dibs :). Another reason why I value this place more than the others is the large variety of the dim sum. If you go to Golden Palace, Empress, Mandalay, Happy Garden, etc. The dim sum menu is pretty much the mirror image of each other with a few options that are unique. Here, there are quite a few dim sum choices that you just don't find at any other place, such as the deep fried soft shell crabs, deep fried garlic eggplant, steamed fish cake ball with corn and mushroom, and XO Sauce Look Funn just to name a few. And that's on top of an already huge array of other dim sum selections. Coming here so many times, I've pretty much tried all of them. The chicken feet/phoenix talons, deep fried seaweed seafood roll, and steamed bean curd rolls are my staples for all dim sum restaurants I go to, and overall, they have the best seaweed roll, and one of the tops for the other two. The service here is fine. For me, it's just the typical Chinese Dim Sum restaurant in Chinatown where all the servers are from China (with some who act that they are still in China!) who only understand the basic form of English, so one should not expect 5-star quality service from servers who are able understand every single word you say. Using a lot of gestures helps a lot. Just point to the menu or point at what you want from the cart. Other than that, all the servers are pretty friendly, and very attentive. I've never had any poor experiences. They always come by with the dim sum cart to check if you want more food, they rid of your empty bamboo baskets and dim sum plates with haste, and they always fill up your water and refill your teapot right away. If you need anything, just wave a server down and smile and ask, and they'll get you whatever you need right away. For such a small place, there seems to be quite a few servers working at one time, which is good. As I mentioned in the beginning, this place serves consistent, excellent quality dim sum with a large variety to choose from that is always fresh, which is why I value them highly amongst all the other dim sum restaurants. I've never left here unsatisfied, nor dealt with any poor experiences involving service. The prices are typical with all the other dim sum places around Chinatown, $2.85 for the regular items. They have validated parking in a parking garage that you enter from Beretania St. right after you pass Nu'uanu Ave. Lastly, they serve dim sum nighttime too! There won't be carts, but you can still order it, and they'll prepared it for you.
(4)
VikÃ©ndios N.

Had lunch with some close friends who eat out A LOT, so I had high hopes for this place. Unfortunately, it was just a-ok. ATMOSPHERE: Very plain & uninviting interior. Bright white lights, walls & floors. Tiny parking lot behind the building. FOOD: House noodle - We substituted the noodles with a cake noodle, which was delicious; crunchy outside and soft inside. Topped with squid, bok choy, some sort of tender fish & shrimp. Chicken feet - Loved this dish, even more than the one at Legend Seafood. Chicken manapua - Didn't care for it. Taste was okay but it didn't go well with the other dishes we ordered. Taro w/ scallops - Very interesting. Looked like little bird nests. Layer of taro at the bottom with a thin slice of scallop on top. Shell was some sort of deep fried noodle. Sort of on the bland side. Steamed look funn with charsiu - Good but I prefer the one served at Legend Seafood right around the corner. Look funn was a bit mushy. Custard tart - Crust was nice & buttery and the custard was good. SERVICE: It was average for a Chinese restaurant. Food came out quick. Don't talk story after your meal especially if they're busy, which they were, cause you'll get "the eye!" OVERALL: Good food but not the greatest. I still prefer Legend Seafood.
(3)
Katherine N.

Lesson number #1: Don't talk about your customers in your native language thinking we don't understand because we do :D Lesson number #2: Do not stare down your customer while they're putting their money away to see if we are gonna tip you! Lesson number #3: If you want a better tip, give us better customer service! Lesson number #4: Clean your dishes better I saw visible food stains on it. Nasty. Anyways my friends and I were looking for a new place to eat dim sum and we found this place. Long story short, the beginning of the meal was fine. Their mochi rice with pork is pretty good but everything else didn't taste so great. I didn't think ANYBODY could mess up on shrimp dumplings but somehow they did..? Whatevaaa, but towards the end of our meal we felt as if the older waitress wanted us to leave. Feeling unwelcomed we paid but decided to sit and converse a little but the old waitress kept saying "yeah put your tip on the tray, your waitress work hard". Haha excuse me? Am I suppose to tip? Even after we heard you speaking in Cantonese about how "they think we ripped them off" & "they better tip" & "oh okay they left a couple dollars". I was hoping to find a new place to rave about but oh well back to square one!
(1)
Lee H.

The parking sign is misleading. The sign is only for employee parking, but doesn't say it. I got harassed by one of their employees when when I was just following their sign. Parking is only available on the metered parking in the street.
(1)
Jenn T.

I came here for an awesome lunch with friends for my bday. It was my first time here, and luckily we got seated pretty quickly, no waiting, which was awesome for a Sunday dimsum run! They have the standard dim sum dishes, which in my opinion was all pretty delicious. The restaurant is fairly small, small enough for the carts to come by enough with out you getting stuck in the corner table and them forgetting about you. The service was pretty decent as well. A great choice for a yummy bday celebration!
(4)
Tiffany O.

Atmosphere: Rather small. It was crowded around lunch but they were able to seat us quickly. Food: They have a good variety of things to choose from, all of which tasted good. I like that if they dont have them in carts, you just tell one of the servers and they cook it for you as soon as possible. Nothing really stood out flavorwise, however. But it was satisfying. Service: Friendly and fast, which is something that is usually lacking at Dim Sum restaurants.
(3)
M C.

This used to be my favorite. But the last couple of times the quality has not been there, specifically last Friday nite for takeout. My regular order of Garlic eggplant tasted like it was heated up from the lunch menu and the roast duck was tough and dry without an accompanying flavor. The 3rd dish of Beef Broccoli Fried Noodle had 2 pieces of broccoli some meat but the plate was dominated by tasteless noodles. In a word that would be it....our takeout was tasteless.
(2)
Kim M.

My family loves Mei Sum and I love dim sum, so I'm lucky when I get invited. The food is great but the service is crap, especially when it's busy. I just went here earlier this month with the fam and bf for my little sister's birthday dinner. She just made 10 and is the pickiest eater I know.... Surprisingly she loves Mei Sum and has for years. We ordered a ton of food, a ton. Some of my favorites: +lemon chicken +fish with snow peas +Peking duck I will never forget my first time (at this new location). It was during my lunch hour at Queen's and I walked down there with several coworkers. Yes, we WALKED in the hot blazing sun... And I'm never doing that again in long pants and peep-toe boots (at least they were peep-toe though). Service was horrible. Everything we ordered they either forgot to make or forgot to bring out. But the food that we did have was great. I miss the old location--the service was a lot better there. Good service or not, I will be back. The food is tasty and Mark's Garage ($5 parking) is right across the street!
(4)
Sheila G.

We got our table fairly quickly, but it went downhill from there. I've experience really bad service but this really takes the cake. 15 minutes being there, my bf and I left because within that time, this was what had happened: (1) When we were ordering, the waitress kept walking away. We didn't even finish ordering and she left. (2) They sent us a cold fried eggplant and when I told them I wanted it hot, the lady said to tell somebody else and she walked away. Another lady took it away after. (3) Waited for 10 minutes and while we were waiting, a couple came in and they were royally given everything upon order. (4) We were charged $6 and we only ate 3 shrimp dumplings. I didn't noticed they charged us the eggplant until we paid and left because my bf was wondering why we paid so much for the three dumplings. And yes, I told the cashier somebody took it away. I WILL NEVER, EVER RETURN HERE EVEN IF MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. NEGATIVE INFINITY STARS.
(1)
Lauren S.

Good dim sum in Chinatown. Their char siu look fun is good and the chives and shrimp is my favorite. The only one I do not care for here is the ham soy gok (mochi inside) the insides were sweet and different than other places I've had it at (usually my favorite one) and so that was the only disappointment. Everything else is pretty standard and well priced! I will continue coming back!
(4)
Kioko S.

My family met up with relatives for lunch here today and for the most part it was enjoyable. It's a small, quaint little dim sum joint in the outskirts of Chinatown. The dim sum cart was excellent! The fried taro, garlic eggplant, steamed half moons (vegetable and meat options), char siu buns (steamed and baked), fried pork mochi (don't know what it's called but looks like a football) pork shu mai, and big egg tarts were delicious. The food was nice, but the customer service was a bit iffy. We had to call the cart over even though there was virtually no one in the restaurant and after we paid, they kind of gave us the boot out. Overall, it was a nice restaurant and a less hectic option than Legend's dim sum. I'll probably try out a few more dim sum places before I give my verdict as to what the best dim sum is in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(3)
Dave F.

First time for me at Mei Sum. Came here with high hopes for a stellar dim sum dining experience. I actually found it rather slow and unorganized, most of the dishes were kinda cold, except for the dry beef chow fun. It was kinda confusing for me because the carts didn't come around regularly and I was disappointed the steamed items cart didn't come around. The spring rolls, even if they were cold we're good. The chow fun was nice and hot when it arrived table side which made up for some of the other cold food. I kept running out of water and had to ask for refills vs being refilled regularly. I would come back, but I want to try the other choices around town. Also, good luck finding a good parking stall...
(3)
Darrell P.

'Dem some tasty dim sum! Old school & authentic. Dim sum literally means, "touched by the heart." Dim sum dining emerged from the leisure class of Cantonese society in the 10th century. Today, everyone enjoys dim sum (also called yum cha when eaten at teatime). Dim sum offers the diner a chance to slow down and enjoy the finer things in life. Much of dim sum features bite sized dumplings and pastries stuffed with meats and vegetables. Store Front: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Mei Sum has one of the best reputations for dim sum in Honolulu's Old Chinatown -- and often the crowds to prove it. It's also open later than other places in the area. 'Been craving dim sum for a while now, say about 6 months... ('Still looking for a good dim sum place in the South OC area.) 'Located in Old Chinatown, where a lot of the original Hawaii Five-O was shot, Mei Sum is the real deal. Again, I went with my Aunty Judy & Uncle Joe who come here about once every two weeks with the o'hana. Shortly after being seated, Aunty Judy chose the majority of the dim sum from the passing carts and I simply enjoyed the ride. It was great! The Cart: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ The three of us arrived shortly after 1pm and the restaurant was already crowded. I think Aunty Judy ordered just about one of everything, two in some instances... Our table that could've easily sat six people was covered in dim sum dishes from edge to edge. The Spread: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ 'Happy to be here: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ The service was alright. As a couple of yelp*ers mentioned, it seems to take the carts some time to come back around. So, you may want to grab 2-3 dishes when it does. Other yelp*ers recommend coming early for faster service. 'But what do you expect from a long time, popular local spot?... 'A large following. The Crowd: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ If you are unfamiliar with dim sum, approach with caution - this place is for the more seasoned dim sum patron. As I mentioned, authentic. 'Very little English is spoken here. Yes, the menu items do have photos but even with that, I can still see it being a bit challenging overall. It also helps, if you are accompanied with someone that can speak Chinese as well. (Mahalo nui Aunty Judy!) 'And if you are neither a connoisseur of dim sum or don't know anyone that speaks Chinese, don't be discouraged from giving this place a try! Food and adventure go hand in hand! Shrimp Dumplngs: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Pork Hash: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Mochi Rice: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Chicken Feet & Pork Spareribs: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Taro: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Taro Cross Section: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Dessert!: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ If you make it out to Old Chinatown on O'ahu this is definitely a place to get real old school, dim sum. - Aloha! Food: 5 Ambiance: 3 Service: 3+ Value: 5
(4)
Tyler K.

My go to spot for dim sum, Mei Sum is located right across the street from Mark's Garage. Despite being in Chinatown there's a number of parking options such as the municipal lot near by, and they actually have free parking in the back (only a few stalls). Onto the food. Mei Sum has a good variety of dim sum and noodle dishes, everything from pork sui mai to jelly fish. Their noodle dishes are all very good but i'd suggest the house special noodles or the char siu lok fun. Same goes for the dim sum, everything I've had from here has been very tasty, my favorites are the taro puffs, steamed char siu bao, and the garlic chives. Another thing I like about this place is the price, you can easily leave here feeling REALLY stuffed and only pay $10. There's nothing fancy about this place and the waitress can be a little blunt but they all mean well. If you're looking for simply good dim sum for a good price check out Mei Sum.
(4)
Arturo G.

First off the wifey and I went at 7pm on 2.10.13 and yes that is Chinese New Year, but the place wasn't as busy as i expected it to be. We didn't want to dine in so we got a menu to order for takeout. While standing there for just about a minute or two a waitress comes up and asks what we would like to order. So we placed 4 different dim sum orders and the waitress leave. About minute later another waitress comes and asks us what we want to order, we tell her we ordered from another lady, pointed at her and said we want to add another dish. She takes our order down hands it to the original waitress and then she gives her a pissed off look and said something under her breath. It wasn't until 50 minutes later we received our food. And get this within 30 minutes they bring out 4 bags of takeout food and place it behind the counter and leave and say nothing. The Service here is horrible. I really don't recommend this unless you like horrible service.
(1)
Teri K.

This is not a fancy dim sum place. However, food is consistently good, affordable, and there's enough variety to keep it interesting.
(4)
Lyn L.

I've eaten at Mei Sum when they were at the corner of Pauahi and Smith Street...and I thought the food was pretty good....well....can't say that anymore...sorry. Went there today with my girlfriend...ordered the following: Black bean sparerib - very bland...hardly any black bean flavor Harn Siu Gok - tasted like the oil was old Pot sticker - nothing to write home about...kind of bland Siu Mai (they said they are famous for this) - very bland and uninteresting Fried soft shell crab - very oily and tasteless. Price is ok...about $18 for all of this, but it simply wasn't good. Service was sketchy...had a hard time "flagging" someone down. couldn't get them to bring us the check when we were ready to leave I was amazed that there are so many FOB looking Chinese people eating there....I was not impressed and probably won't bother going back... Give me Happy Day or Royal Garden anytime!
(2)
Takeshi M.

jook is good black egg
(3)
Kaliko P.

Goodness gracious - Is this the same restaurant I fell in love with many months ago? We came back for thirds on a weekend (big mistake) and during lunch time (even bigger mistake). I don't mind waiting for good food, but this time we went the service took a LONG time. We were seated on a large table with two other strangers; in all fairness we were asked ahead of time if we'd have problems with this arrangement and we said no (because we didn't want to wait what seemed another half hour with a fussy hungry kid) It was fun passing around the condiments among us and staring at that ONE pot of tea on the table. Later they brought us separate pots of tea but I wondered if they got their tabs correctly. How did they know the strangers weren't with us? How could I decipher the tab when everything was written in Chinese? Deep fried eggplant this time was ...ehhhh OK. It was not spectacular as I remembered it. We had to wait over 20 minutes for it. We never got separate dishes to put our mustard and sauces in, so our plates were literally palettes of saucey art work and no one ever came to get us the correct dishes - on the other hand we didn't say anything because the service was mad-house. Mei Sum was filling and the price was still right (approx. $28.00) for the two of us, not including tip, but I think I'd skip weekends and prime-time lunch/dinner hours from now on. It was a pretty mediochre experience with hum drum dim-sum (hey that rhymes). Oh yeah, no free tapioca pudding dessert during "rush hour".
(3)
Air-n L.

Food was good. We went early so it was kinda empty. Prices pretty good too. Just the Seafood roll wasn't as fresh tasting but otherwise the rest of the dimsum we ordered was good. Seems like the waitress always try harassing you to try eat everything-"you like try? You try you try...but I guess they always like that at all the dimsum places....
(5)
Michael C.

Bad service is an understatement here. This is the first time I have ever been to a Chinese restaurant and have had servers not want to stop to take my order. I have been to more packed restaurants and still was served so I don't know what was up with the service here today but with 2 other Yelpers not with the UYE posting 1 star reviews on the same day I know that I am not the only one that received bad service. Let me put it this way, this is the first time I have ever left a Chinese restaurant still hungry.
(1)
Nat N.

Where else can you get dim sum for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Mei Sum! They serve dim sum all day long from 7am: it's hot, fresh, reasonably priced, and delish! The employees are friendly (for Chinese standards) too. In addition to dim sum, their regular menu items are also good. Love their crispy noodles and garlic chinese broccoli! They have customer parking in a lot in the back of the building - enter from Pauahi Street (between Nuuanu and Smith)
(4)
Rex C.

Awesome dim sum. Always satisfied when leaving here
(5)
Joanna L.

I recently came here with a friend for a late lunch and was pleasantly surprised that they had passed my expectations. But then again, I had really low expectations. 1. LATE LUNCH? If you come here past 2, you'll have to wait a little bit for them to freshly make some of the dim sum. While I do like that their steamed items came out piping hot and fantastic, it means the deep fried stuff (according to the staff) takes 45 minutes to cook. ...fer realz?! Other than the fact that their deep fried stuff takes for-evverr, their menu is also limited after 2:00. When my friend asked for a menu to order noodles, they returned with the dim sum menu. The same one that can be found between the table cloth and the plastic that sits ontop. Alright, I guess it's just steamed dim sum for us, then. 2. GARLIC EGGPLANT! Yes, this dish was so delish, it gets its own number. The eggplant is stuffed with fish cake (I think) and deep fried with lots of crispy garlic!! MMMM, how I love garlic... especially when it's crispy! Oh, yeah... vampire, I am definitely not. Other plus: this dish doesn't take 45 minutes! 3. WATER! At first it was a bit difficult to find a refill of water, but then one of the ladies left us a pitcher and it was smooth sailing from there. Granted, I still believe that the lady got distracted and left it on our table by accident. So a little while after the pitcher of water was left, one of the other ladies stopped by to refill our water. We point out that we already have a pitcher of water (literally right under her nose... she was pouring our water around the other pitcher!) and so she refills our pitcher too! Too funny! 4. PARKING. There's street parking and if you can't find any on the streets, there's also the Municipal Parking. Fun fact! Did you know that Mei Sum sits above a Municipal Parking Lot? You enter from Beretania St. Right after Nuuanu Ave, there's an entrance to the left right before the park. Overall, this place is passable, but it's not better than the ones at Cultural Plaza. Personally, I'd only come here for late lunch (because the Cultural Plaza dim sum places are closed) or if I'm craving their garlic eggplant.
(3)
Yuko A.

When going out to Dim Sum in Chinatown, my family and I usually go to Legends. We have been going for years, but today we decided to try out something new. Mei Sum looked like it had gotten some good reviews and it was close to our parking spot, so we decided to check it out. It was packed, which is always a good sign at lunch time on a weekday. Luckily, we got the last open table. One thing I immediately noticed when I walked in was that there was only one lady pushing a cart around. I thought this a bit strange since most restaurants I've been to usually have at least 3-4 ladies pushing the carts. I guess its understandable though since you have to order dishes from the waitresses here. We were able to get some shumai, shrimp dumplings, yuba (bean curd), and spinach and garlic dumplings from the cart. The shumai and shrimp dumplings were good, the yuba wasn't bad except it only had veggies in it. I prefer the ones with meat in them. We ordered turnip cakes which were perfectly crispy on the edges. It was annoying though because when we asked the waitress for some hoisin sauce, she told us that they were out. A chinese kitchen out of a chinese dipping sauce? Doesn't make sense to me. The shrimp look fun was good but I thought the shrimp seemed a little small. Maybe it was just our dish? Overall it was a cheap eat lunch but the service was terrible and they seemed to have less variety than Legends. For now we will probably stick to Legends but I haven't completely crossed Mei-Sum off my list. YELP 365: 051/365
(4)
Tracie F.

I used to LOVE this place. They USED to be good. My last experience was HORRIBLE!!! I will likely NEVER return. Why you ask? Let me count the ways (um reasons)... SERVICE...sucked. We were in there on a busy night (which I hear is every night) and had a pretty short wait. That is where the positives end. We were not even acknowledged for 10 minutes. When we were a grouchy Chinese woman barked at us and told us how busy she was. The big questions...why weren't there more servers (or cooks)? Our dinner last 1 hour and 45 minutes. Too long! By the time our last plate came we were so anxious to get out of there we took it to go. They expect a decent tip and if that is the case then I expect decent service. Period. CLEANLINESS...Honestly? It was ok. No Chinatown street walkers (aka: roaches or any other kind for that matter) and the bathroom was clean. Always a nice bonus. FOOD...it was simply ok. I usually love this place but this time it seriously was mediocre. As usual they were out of things but I have grown to expect that coming here. Food is hot off the wok which is always nice. I just wish it didn't take 45 minutes to get it. Will I come back here? Nah probably not. There are so many other good Dim Sum places so I'll try something different next time. I actually recommend that you do too.
(2)
waiter d.

I can forgive the wait, the disorganization but what I can not forgive is watching them empty the used water glasses and refill them for new customers without washing them. Paid the bill and walked out!
(1)
E. M.

Seems like we should learn our lesson. Each trip to Mei Sum ends up with something going wrong. Today my son and I went to eat dim sum. We ordered the usual....pork shu mai, har gow, shrimp look fun, and a few other selections. The food is tasty for the most part. The first two were brought out quickly and we started eating. Then I noticed my son taking the food out of his mouth. He had bit into something that was crunchy. We thought maybe it was Hawaiian rock salt and tried dissolving it with water. But no, it was a couple of small pieces of glass. I guess a glass broke in the kitchen and flew into the pork/shrimp mixture. Needless to say we both lost our appetite. I tried to explain to the woman in charge, who did not speak much English what had happened and showed her the glass pieces. I told her my son had lost his appetite and we wanted to cancel our order. She took away the little dish with the glass. But brought out the two dim sums that were ready. I again explained to her that the dish she took away contained the glass pieces. She finally understood and replaced the order. I didn't want to ruin the other diners' meals nor did I want to make a scene so I decided to just pay and leave. We will not be going back. We ended up throwing away the rest of the dim sum because we didn't want to take a chance of more glass. I just hope my son didn't swallow any other pieces.
(2)
Rick L.

I have a three strike rule and Mei Sum was on it. I don't go back to restaurants after my palette gets abused. However, Mei Sum has really cleaned up and the food was much better than my three previous taste test. I joined a couple of my marathon friends at the new Mei Sum location after training and was surprised on much better customer service they had, the food was much much better and the restaurant was clean compare to the former location. Parking is still rough as it is normally in Chinatown. I would definitely come back here again.
(2)
Holly C.

My husband and I tried this place after the rent a car staff highly recommended it. The place was easy to find..parking not so much as I found Chinatown to be a mess when driving down there. However once we made our way inside, it wasn't overly crowded which was nice and as soon as we walked in, the staff greeted us warmly and quickly seated us. The menu was just right..not too many items but not too skimpy either. The food was really good and it was really cheap. My husband and I ate till we were filled and the bill came out to be under $25 and we didn't hold back. I wish the prices were on the menu but that would be the only complaint. The chow fun noodles took a long time to get to us but I think it was hand made and it was really good. I would definitely go again.
(4)
Foodie F.

I frequent this restaurant maybe every other month. On the weekends it can be very busy but for the price and quality of dim sum it is worth the wait. I like the seafood bean curd wrap and pork bean curd wrap. My favorite is the turnip cake dim sum but it is something you have to order. It does not come around on the carts. Also my favorite is the string beans with ground pork, if the string beans are fresh. Just FYI they have only one bathroom. There are also little shops around the area you can visit while someone waits in line.
(4)
Al D.

Food kind of inconsistent and mediocre service.
(3)
Chad H.

If it wasn't for the food being good, they would only get 1 star. Service was by far the worst I have ever seen. There were three other tables there as well, that seemed very unhappy with the food service
(2)
Junel S.

Terrible! Came here for dim sum & was unimpressed. The only good item on their dim sum menu was the mochi rice - pretty good. The rest of the items I tried - deep fried taro, and a lot of the dumplings - were not good. It just didn't cut it for me. However, even worse was the customer service. Our waitress could not understand anything I was saying, and vice versa. She forced us to order everything at once (which is opposite of what dim sum should be, you should be able to order as you please) and she took my menu when I asked her if I could keep it. She said there was menus on the table - but a menu on the table next to me, facing the other way and immovable does not count! Then when it was time to pay, I must have been standing at the cashier for 10 minutes until they finally gave me attention. They were just chatting away with each other. DO NOT IGNORE YOUR CUSTOMERS. To sum up, if you don't speak chinese, they will most likely ignore you here & provide bad service. DEFINITELY never coming back!
(1)
David C.

Buh bye, Mei Sum. Found a much better dim sum house that serves xiao long bao that are hot and juicy. So unlike your thick skinned dumplings that are usually dry and the meat inside has fallen apart. Weird. Plus, the service here is so much nicer. They actually bring the red vinegar, ginger, and spoons without a customer having to ask for them. Buh bye, Mei Sum. Unless I happen to see you here at Fook Lam--just a few blocks away with great parking, too.
(1)
Angela M.

Dear Mei Sum, I enjoy dim sum for dinner. You fulfill this. I like you very much indeed. I especially like your sticky rice, black bean spareribs, and garlic stuffed eggplant bomb of fantastic-ness. I REALLY like the free dessert at dinnertime and would like to order a gallon of your magical tapioca please. I don't see you much these days because I am quite certain your food multiplies my fat cell count. Your char siu bao, siu mai, look funn with shrimp, hagao, fried taro, turnip cake, and custard tarts have LOTS of calories. Did you know that? I wish it weren't true. Sure, I could just not order ten different dishes, but then what sort of Chinese person would I be? One with filled with shame, that's what kind. See you eventually. Perhaps I will be by soon to pick up some of your black bean chow funn. Which rocketh. Sincerely, Angela
(5)
Mari K.

I've been here a couple times for dim sum and would definitely recommend it! If you're like me, and you love to go eat dim sum, then you probably have your usual favorites that you order every time you eat dim sum--no matter where you are. So some stand out points to make about this place: It gets really busy, be prepared to wait for a table. The service is not all that great, depending on where you sit in the restaurant the carts somehow come by more often than in other spots. Try the fried eggplant dish. It's sort of like tempura eggplant that has been rolled in deep fried chopped garlic. Crispy on the outside, gooey eggplantness on the inside and crunchy garlic? Ugh, drooling just thinking about it! Also, the look fun noodles with char siu inside are delish. This is usually one of the dishes I love to order whenever I eat dim sum and I have to say this one's probably one of the best. It is perfectly cooked so it's not too mushy and not to firm, and the sauce was the best blend of salty and sweet!
(4)
C Y.

This place has dim sum all day. Beats having to call a restaurant to find that they serve only a small subset for dinner. The prices are reasonable and it tastes great. I love the soft shell crabs.
(4)
Mark S.

Never have I walked out halfway through a meal. My wife said she read on Yelp (boo to you all!) that this place was pretty good for dim sum. We went here. We were thrown a menu with pictures on them. We thought we could use the menu the entire time while eating, but one lady was like "you done?" and grabbed it from us before we could respond. The people pushing around the carts dont even tell you what they have in their carts. You're supposed to magically know what is inside each little bin/tin. We got 2 or 3 dishes.. and then it seems everything we ordered after that was "still being made" and would take "10-15 min".. and no the place didn't just open. the restaurant was full. We waited about 20 min and never got what we ordered. We weren't the only ones upset. Another 2 tables were complaining. We were done with it. I took my bill and paid $8 for the 2 or 3 dishes that we ate and we walked out. no tip. screw this place. I do NOT recommend trying this place.
(1)
Elizabeth G.

I really love the food here and that's probably the only reason why I keep coming back even though I know how horrible the service is. The first couple of times I didn't receive good service was understandable because I chose to come during the rush of lunch. But, when I came back this time the service was just absolutely unacceptable. We were seated and there were maybe two or three other parties in the restaurant. Our server gave us water and hot tea with a couple of menus to look at while she helped other customers. Five minutes passed, then ten, and almost half an hour later of trying to flag down someone l literally had to yell across the room while flailing my arms in the air to get someone's attention. Finally, someone took our order without any apology for making us wait as long as we did. Then the food took forever and our server kept offering us dishes that we did not order and the ones we were waiting on never came... The food is wonderful here especially the garlic eggplant. I'm torn between returning because I don't know how much longer I can stand this horrendous service...when the food is just so amazing.
(2)
Averi S.

Years ago, Mei Sum was the very first dim sum restaurant I had ever been to. I thought it was amazing, but I had nothing to compare it to. I started on a quest to try all of the top recommended dim sum restaurants. Even though the others were good, Mei Sum has always remained the best, and my favorite. They have a wide array of dim sum and other really good items on their menu as well. Aside from their fantastic dim sum, one of the stand out items from Mei Sum is their Garlic Softshell crab. It is DELICIOUS!!! I have never had anything like it before ANYWHERE. The service is always good also, but they already know me there. I am the food porn queen, so they always ask to see my photos and ask if they came out good. Mei Sum dim sum.... I love you!!!
(5)
C D.

Ok, where do I start! Long story short. Me and my other half went here today to try it out. Jan 2, 2013 a little after 2PM.We first ordered dry scallop dumpling and spinach dumpling off the cart. Then we ordered chicken feet & shumai, it came about 5 min later. At the same time we ordered those two dumplings we had ordered dry beef chow fun. It took about 30 min. No exaggeration. 1. Water. We had to ask for the water several times. Then they finnally came with water. We asked them to leave the pithcher of water, which they complied. We were like thank God. You know what they say... Be careful what u ask for! The F@#%ING water pitcher had a dead visitor in it. FYI do not drink the water, the handle connecting to the pitcher had nasty crusted crud on it. The pitcher is plastic about 2quart it may have a yellow top to it. The lady came to fix the problem, but when she returned the yellow top to the pitcher was missing. I would recomend ordering soda in the can which the have & its cold. Incase your wondering what our dead visitor was in our pitcher. It starts with R and ends with an H! 2. Bill. We had to ask for our bill several times. Finnally our bill came. I caculated our bill to the penny. It was over $3+. Then the manager did damage control. By that time it was too late. We payed our corrected bill with a small tip and left right away. Unfotunately we will NOT be comming back. If u want good dim sum go to cultural plaza where u will find legends & tai pan dim sum, which is way better.
(1)
Sparkles S.

Usually I eat dim sum at Happy Day but today (Sunday) there was traffic on the freeway during lunchtime so I detoured off the Pali and found this place. First of all, let's talk parking. Street parking was hard to find, but as soon as your pass this place and turn right there's a small parking lot on the right next to a garden. Walk into the building and there's an entrance into the building that Mei Sum is in. When we arrived, there was a short wait, about 5 minutes for a table for 5. We got our food right away. We got our usuals- Shrimp Har Gau, black bean short ribs, pork hash, fried shrimp, mochi rice wrapped in tea leaves. We also ordered look fun. Each roll of look fun was wrapped with three pieces of fresh shrimp in addition to the dried shrimp served in a sweet shoyu. I'm a fan of Happy Day's look fun being grilled but this was so soft and delish even my 3 year old ate it. Fried eggplant with choke garlic. The eggplant was not soggy at all and was stuffed with some yummy stuff. I don't like eggplant since it's usually soggy but this was so good I ate two pieces. Soft shell crab was really good. Dish comes with 2 crabs and they cut them in half so 4 people can share. I also liked the Shanghai dumplings which reminds me of the little Taiwan dumplings that's usually served with soup. Our server was very nice to us and kept telling us that the 3 year old was a good boy. I guess it helps that we didn't give him his morning snack and he was crazy hungry during lunch which helps when trying new things. He ate a little of everything and was the only one to also eat warm custard for dessert and said "Yummy food."
(4)
Mr B.

Good simple food in a very basic ambience. Service efficient rather than attentive but that's hardly unusual at this price point is it? Dim sim and main menue both good and good value.
(4)
Terrance Y.

As Dim sum restaurants go there is no better at least from the ones I've tried here (as you can see I'm a regular) I've tried some of the others and they are lacking in taste or the dim sum just isn't that great but Mei Sum is consistently good dim sum I like the soft shell crab as well as the chicken wings and the noodle dishes are pretty good too but their Dim sum is one of the better ones around. Service can sometimes get a bit slow sometimes as they only have two different carts but for the most part a lot faster than some places I've been to. The prices are pretty decent and parking near by is okay for lunch if you don't work in the area.
(4)
Mia G.

OK. Let me first start off with: I have learned to lower my expectations here in Hawaii when it comes to food. However, I am disappointed that a place with such a strong Asian culture could dish up such an awful food experience! I get it, really I do, lunch is busy so I don't expect my server to me up my ass. But at a dim sum place......can I please get more than one cart to serve the whole restaurant?????? And can it come to my table more than one time in 30 minutes????? I'm begging you. Please. Do. Not. Make. Me. Order. From. The. Menu. It defeats your purpose as an establishment and defeats my purpose in being here. That is all. Oh wait. The food here sucks. Now that is all.
(1)
Lillian H.

Went back to Mei Sum on the Saturday after Chinese New Year's in hopes that it would be a better experience. Unfortunately it was pretty awful. I tried to make a reservation but when we got there it didn't seem like they took any reservations down. Luckily there was a table for us (party of 3). However, we were ignored much of the time. We ordered our food (some dim sum, fried rice, and hot and sour soup) and it seriously took at least 20 minutes to start coming out. It was around 8pm and we were hungry, not to mention we wanted to catch some lion dancing at the Chinese Cultural Plaza before it ended at 10pm. It was very difficult getting the waitresses' attention and it was very angering to see them giving much better service to a larger party right next to us. The food is okay, but honestly with the simple types of dim sum I eat (spring rolls, potstickers, etc.) it's more sensible to just go to a cleaner and more professional restaurant (i.e. Mandalay Bay). We won't be back for another let down!
(1)
Rylan C.

Ive tried almost everything on there menu. im a fan of there garlic eggplant hands down. like the price. parking can be a hassle but sundays best bet cuz its free parking on sundays but yes if you like dim sum id recommend mei sum the place to go to
(4)
S.M. K.

Best service and food! A must place to go for excellent, respectful service and tasty dim sum. Easy parking in the bldg enter from Beretania Street.
(5)
Francis B.

If I could rate this restaurant any lower, I would. We arrived at mei sum at around 9:45 am, on a Sunday. It wasn't very busy, when we entered, and we were greeted by a woman who seemed irritated by us coming into the restaurant. We were seated at a table where the utensils were all over the place, missing napkins and chopsticks directly on the table. The waitress left us at the table without saying anything, came back about 10 minutes later to take our order. After we ordered our food, it took 30minutes before our first dish (with 3 dumplings on it) came to the table. After waiting another 10 minutes for each dish to come out, we were fed up, cancelled our order and received terrible service leaving the place. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.
(1)
Min K.

I don't know what the hype is for Mei Sum Dim Sum. The only good things that came out of this experience was free almond float and their name. I love saying it! We went on a First Friday night, and Mei Sum was picked because dim sum was available and my friends didn't want to drink on an empty stomach. The hype was built from the reviews here and from my friends; it's cheap and good. Cheap is right, but good, not so right. The flavors were severely lacking. Flavorless and bland, the hot sauce and mustard combo couldn't lend flavor to the ha gao and shumai. There are no push carts with the bamboo steamers nor the grills where they'll sautÃ© your dumplings. I'm not saying they're spitting in my food, but it would be nice to be able to pick and choose STEAMING dim sum instead of lukewarm dim sum. Service wise, it's really a pick and choose based service. You pick the right gal, you'll get good service. Pick the wrong gal, she'll glare at you and eye you down and take FOREVER with your food. I'd stick to my Legend Seafood or Panda for flavorful dim sum; albeit a bit pricey but it's worth the cost!
(2)
Sofie L.

This dim sum place is by far the worst place on this island. I wish I could give them negative stars! The food is not fresh at all and the waitresses are the rudest . A week ago, we came to this restaurant since we had no choices (too early in the morning), I asked the waitress if the food was made and served for the same day, since I had bad diarrhea after I had food in this restaurant last year. The waitress just answered: "Who does that? The food we made yesterday and heat up today is fresh enough!" Th spinach dumpling tasted a little funny as I felt there is some sand/dirt in it. I told the waitress and she just said: "No restaurant will wash the vegetables. You just don't have common sense!" What kind of answer is this??????????????? I guess I was terrified and will never come to this restaurant again.
(1)
Jeff L.

Mei Sum's regular chef may be out today...or forever. In any case, all of the dishes were sub-par today...
(2)
Bad News S.

Good dim sum, good hours, clean restaurant We came by on a Sunday afternoon after a long day of sightseeing. For a Sunday afternoon, finding Mei Sum open at 3 was a blessing. Even for a late afternoon, it was still half full. At this hour we ordered from the menu with 4 dim sum dishes (hai gow, siu Mei, hai gow with chives, shanghai dumplings). Also ordered a beef chow fun All the food seemed freshly prepared and was hot, tasty and not too greasy. We were delighted by the great tasting for, pleasant and clean surroundings, and fairly attentive service.
(4)
Beata S.

Good dim sum variety, and good prices. Actually, by Hawaiian standards this place is down right free. Definitely try pork with vegetable bun, it's light fluffy, sweet and sour all at the same time. The garlic eggplant is crispy on the outside soft gooey and flowery on the inside, a definite must try! The chicken with mushroom dumpling has the most interesting flavor, both my wife and I said, "oh wow" as soon as it hit our taste buds. Chicken feet were pretty good, as were the shrimp with chives dumplings. Overall every dim sum dish we tried was good. However, word of caution, stay away from the wonton soup! The broth is made from one of those artificial chicken soup packets/cubes that taste like chemicals. That's a first and a big no no for a Chinese place, especially since Chinese broths are usually so complex and wonderful.
(3)
Kelly G.

Morning brunch with a small group of friends. We had a full day ahead of us and it was great that Mei Sum was open so early, 8am on a Saturday. They advertise that they open at 7am! Most dishes were ok. It was early enough that most dishes were made fresh. Siu mai (Asian pork hash), gai lan (Chinese broccli) with oyster sauce, daikon radish cake, char siu pastries, chicken feet, shrimp dumpling, spinach and shrimp dumpling, half moon, sticky rice with stuffing, shrimp chung fun (rice roll) and more. Too bad they didn't come out on push carts though. Total came out to about $13 a person with tip. Not bad, but had a better experience at Fook Lam.
(3)
David P.

Yelp 365: 022/365 When I moved into the Chinatown neighborhood when I went to high school, my family and I were searching for a place to eat here that had great tasting food. We stumbled onto a nearby restaurant called Mei Sum Dim Sum (when it was located on it's old spot on Pauahi). It was so delicious and we saw a line starting to form outside to get a seat in here. Amazing dim sum, great Chinese food, and awesome service. Now it has moved to its current location on Nu'uanu in the Smith-Beretania Apartments. The service has gone down a bit, but two from the old wait staff still works there so it went from great to a little above so/so. The water doesn't get filled anymore unless you ask, but they are great when knowing when you need a teapot refill. Their dim sum and menu items are just as good as when they were at the old location and they have daily specials posted up. Bigger space also and instead of just street parking, they have a lot and a garage where you can park, if you can not find street parking right outside the restaurant. I would have given this place five stars, but a few months ago, the misses found a maggot in her garlic ong choy. Ever since then she is very suspicious of that dish and gets kind of queezy when thinking about that place. I guess the reason could be that it was so busy, they did not wash the vegetables good? I don't know what the reason could be, but I ate a lot from that dish and got no stomach problems or ever did from this place. So I'm still one happy customer. Give this place a try if you want good dim sum (served all day) AND great tasting Chinese food (not Chinatown Express or Panda Express style but real Chinese food). May the YELP POWER be with you.....
(4)
Hsiao-Ting C.

We were exploring Chinatown when we became hungry. We wanted dim sum so we yelped for a place. Mei Sum had one of the higher rating so we decided on this place. I don't know how people gave this place such high ratings since we had a horrible experience. They gave us a table but nobody came to help us until 10 minutes later. No menu, no silverware, nothing. We ended up going to the refrigerator to get a drink since we were thirsty. One of the waitress came and while we were talking to her, she would just walk away. How rude! Another waitress finally came to give us our silverware and water. She then would just randomly pick stuff up from the dim sum cart and put it on our table without asking. Excuse me but I didn't request for that dish. I had to tell her no and that I would like to order from the menu. We ordered a couple of dishes and they were ok. Overprice mediocre food. The Shanghai dumplings had no juice in them. Just a big rip off. I would not recommend this to anyone Horrible service for mediocre food.
(2)
Jera G.

Mei Sum has great dim sum and great prices! The only thing that sucks is that after a certain time of the day, the dim sum is made to order and it takes a SERIOUSLY LONG time for the order to come out...but it does not overshadow the flavor of everything! I LOVE the garlic chicken and garlic soft shell crab! Yum!
(5)
Sam N.

If you're new to dim sum-style dining, then I highly advise that you go with a friend who is experienced. Otherwise, the ordering process (as well as the pronunciation of most menu items) might intimidate you. Mei Sum is an excellent choice for dim sum. Please don't expect the cleanest atmosphere or the most attentive servers - in fact, when it gets busy, don't be surprised if you need to make repeated attempts to flag down a server. Again, the food is excellent here. Try the shrimp w/ chive dumplings or even the pork hash!.
(4)
Consuela P.

One of my favorite dim sum restaurants in Honolulu. Couldn't be happier with the quality & value of the food found here! And it reasonably priced as well but caution that the service is slow and bad, especially when it's busy. They have just moved from Pauahi to Nuuanu Avenue and are now in a short strip mall.
(4)
Raych D.

A good friend of mine raves about this spot whenever I see him. And although I don't eat to much Chinese food because of that oily feeling after wards I made it a point to try this place out and the other day I did just that! We came a little after 1pm so the lunch rush hour has passed and we walked right in with a lot of vacant tables. I liked that the place was huge and clean considering it's in Chinatown, I also liked that the restaurant didn't have that Chinese restaurant smell to it. Everyone there was from different ethnicity from the Chinese straight out of China, Filipinos, locals, Japanese and Caucasians. We sat down, made our hot mustard sauce and looked at their wide selection of dim sum menu. Since my friend was more familiar with the placed he began ordering a bunch of items and I just picked and choose. I did tell him I wanted my taro ball but he suggested that we get the taro ball with scallop and I agreed and that was just unbelievably good! I love the taro ball by itself and I do love scallop so even better with two things I love combined! Everything we ordered where all very fresh and delicious. Only thing that I hated was majority of it was made with pork and I don't like pork unless on rare occasions. One dish I loved that contained pork was the fried mochi. It was freshly made for us, I like the crispy texture with the semi sweet taste it gives which was the only thing I ate since I took all the pork filling out. I tried the look fun with pork and it wasn't my favorite I guess because it was filled with pork and look fun is the same noodle used for chow fun which I also don't care for. Everything else I did try was very fresh, filled with meat or shrimp and very flavorful! Everyone there are nice and fast in getting your food. Not sure on the price since my friend was treating but I don't think dim sum is to pricey. My advice is to go after the lunch hour rush and try to order things fresh (fried mochi w/pork, fried mochi w/red beans) because it taste so much better! A few of my favorites are: -Fried mochi -Mochi rice wrapped in lotus leaves -Shrimp dumplings -Chicken hash -Chicken hash
(4)
Terry K.

Been there twice last week. Okay, it's new, cleaner than the old location. Food, staff, price the same. Be prepared to wait if you go during the noon lunch hour. Deep fried eggplant is my favorite. dried scallop, pork hash, char sui look fun, country style rice noodle, chicken feet was our the meal on my last visit. $20 plus tip
(4)
Lance W.

Ok, much better. Water glass is way too small, maybe service might be better if they didn't spend so much time filling the water. On the other hand small water glass was good because the waitress kept coming back to refill my water. this gave me the opportunity to tell them I wanted more stuff. Mind you I was ordering four to six dishes each time.I know she would have preferred that I ordered all my food at one time. But heck, my eyes are usually bigger than my belly, and I didn't want any left overs. Because of this Service was way better than in the past, Along with the great tasting Dim Sum, this was a way more enjoyable visit. In the past I wanted to only tip the cook, and not the waitress because the food was good but the service was so darn slow.. This time I left a 20% tip because it was all good.
(4)
Michelle L.

If Mei Sum is good enough for Kelly Hu, it's good enough for me! Yes, she was dining there this past Monday and my friend was completely starstruck...she couldn't stop talking about it. I walked right past her crossing the street because I was too caught up telling my stupid story to Boy. I'm still mad about it lol. The food is good and prices are fair. I fail for a Chinese because I can't really tell what is good or bad Chinese food but I enjoyed it so it must be good. The fried eggplant was bomb, I highly recommend it. For 8 people, our bill was only $50. The new location is much cleaner and bigger but they need to do something about their bathroom situation. ONE unisex bathroom for the entire restaurant?? Yeah, I don't know about that one.
(4)
Aline T.

This review is for Dim Sum. I came on a Monday at 7pm. Parking I parked at Mark's Garage. Weekdays after 3:30pm, there's a flat rate of $8 if you don't want to find street parking. (There was no street parking and I hate finding parking, so I settled for it.) Location Right across the street from Mark's Garage on Nuuanu. Food Dim Sum was mediocre at best. I was disappointed in their char siu bao. The one at Royal Garden is infinitely better. My gf and I were looking at each other as we chewed. She said it tasted like soap. I said it tasted like flowers. Whatever it was, it didn't taste like a char siu bao. The Look Fun, Shumai, Mochi Rice and chicken feet were decent. The deep fried shrimp didn't come with mayo like at Royal Garden so it was difficult eating it. The batter was too thick and a little too soft for my liking. Royal Garden at Ala Moana Hotel is better for dim sum. Don't order the gau gee. There was just a small piece of meat the size of my fingernail. I kid you not. When I'm not lazy, I will upload pictures. Service The service was decent. They refilled our water and it wasn't difficult getting their attention - then again, there was only 3 other tables. OVERALL If you crave dim sum and you just have to eat it after lunch hours, go here. All day dim sum is limited to Panda and Mei Sum, I believe, and both are actually about the same quality; so, it comes down to parking and price.
(3)
D C.

Good food!!! Hot! Good service. Clean. Shanghai Dumplings are great! They just need a better menu to look at.
(4)
Sharon O.

First of me and the other half would always come here when we had a dim sum craving. We especially love the jelly fish that's on the dim sum menu. Service was always a hit or miss but wasn't too bad to the point it bothered us because we were too busy eating. But one day when decided to go to mei sum it was rather slow 4 tables including us and two waitresses. The waitress Took our order but forgot 1 of the five things we ordered. After we finished it we waited ten minutes to order more. She just ignored us talking really loudly in Chinese to the other waitress complaining or something. Mind you not we're still hungry but other half was pissed already finally we decided to leave. As soon as we got up the waitress magically appears and hurries to clean the table. Wow that's it!! That ruined it for me. No matter how much I want dim sum I will never go back there again.
(1)
Kelly M.

The dim sum was good, but a bit pricey. Most dishes are "medium," so $2.65 per plate. It was odd; all the orientals were sat in the center area, and carts circulated there. We were given a menu with pictures and not a single cart came by us. Hmmm. Almost as if they didn't expect me to know a shu mei from a ha gow from a char sui bao.
(4)
Denise K.

Mei Sum gets 4 stars because it's open late and you can eat dim sum until 845pm! Dim sum for dinner? Awesome! Some of their fried dishes can be too oily. But overall, mei sum hits the spot. Personally, I think Legends has better dim sum, but you're limited to daytime hours.
(4)
Wayne S.

Love the new location, same good food. You don't go there expecting good service, but you do go there expecting good dim sum. They don't disappoint and the prices are definitely reasonable. I am a regular and will say that its an awesome place for dim sum.
(5)
Greg L.

Good food
(5)
Esther Y.

Mei Sum has been touted to me as the BEST dim sum on the island. As such, I had high expectations coming here. I'm Chinese and I grew up in the California Bay Area, which is very well known for its dim sum, so I tried to hold my expectations a tad...but then again, I figured that Hawaii is very Asian-influenced and should also have good seafood right? Well, I'm torn between giving Mei Sum 3 or 4 stars. I actually haven't had amazing dim sum in Hawaii yet (been to Legends and Tai Pan now), but it hasn't been bad either. I always get hargow, siu mai, tripe, chicken feet, rice rolls (look fun, as they're called in Hawaii), and char siu bao (baked or steamed) at every dim sum restaurant to compare. Mei Sum's is comparable to Tai Pan. It's fresh enough, and tasty enough, but not a place I'd be confident in taking my parents to.
(3)
Lauren K.

This i usually my go to place to dim sum. But after a recent experience, I might have to find another place. I went here for dinner with a few friends and was seated immediately. The place was pretty crowded but I felt really rushed when I was ordering. Anyways, we ordered: sticky rice seafood dumplings deep fried seaweed soft shell crab and some other dim sum. The wait was soooo long. I've been coming to Mei Sum for a while now, and have never experienced this long of a wait. When paying at the register, one of the other workers gives me my change and says, "LEAVE TIP ON THE TABLE, YEAH?" Ugh, obviously.. Other than that, food was good.
(2)
Ketchum H.

...without any doubt, this is superior to any dim sum restaurant we have ever enjoyed in Honolulu...San Francisco has a better one, however, the air fare will kill you...
(5)
Billy K.

Dim sum here was excellent. Had to wait a bit long for it but well worth the wait. I would of given this place 4 or even 5 stars if the waitress didn't piss me off or the service was better. I simply ask for a water refill then the waitress just told me "yea yea" as she was walking away. Not only I didn't get my refill I just watch her go to a table with 4 other waitress and started eating. I don't care how good the food is but if you have just one ignorant and/or not passionate worker like her, it will ruin it for everybody.
(2)
Clara Y.

I am pleased that Mei Sum has relocated. Awesome prices, friendly, very fast service and quality food. I really wanted to give this place five stars,but I feel as though they need to install another bathroom ( not just the
(4)
Alex C.

I wish we had dim sum like this in Denver! I didn't get the haughty dim sum vibe here at all, and we were the only anglo people in here, which is never a bad thing. I have a Chinese uncle who introduced me to dim sum and is a very tough critic of Chinese food overall. I think he would be very pleased with Mei Sum. We ordered 6 dishes, the gyoza and softshell crab were our favorites by far. The moochi rice in lotus leaves we could have missed, but it's my sisters favorite dish since she was 5, so we had to try it. It seemed bland and overfilled. The gyoza had more ginger in them than I'm used to, but it worked perfectly. The softshell crab was served on a bed of cabbage with fried garlic and lots of scallions. It was amazing! The best part about Mei Sum is the price. We (three people) left feeling stuffed for under $25 with tip. And that included a plate with 2 softshell crab! You could spend $25 on just the crab on the mainland. If you're a tourist here in Waikiki/Honolulu, this is one place you HAVE to try.
(5)
Juliet M.

Interesting indeed, mos- def scrumptious . I do not think you can go wrong. A yummy and quick treat at a deal.
(4)
Jamie W.

Holy in your face when u sit down! Bam its game on! I have never had or been to a dim sum place so I really don't have anything to compare it to. Once u sit down be prepared to be swarmed by 2 cart ladies, water lady and the green tea lady all at the same time. I thought it was ok but wish I had a guide with me of how this was suppose to be eaten and what to order
(2)
Esther F.

I've been to this place once before and I thought the place was okay, but I never reviewed, and so I forgot what I ordered. This time, I know it all! Here's the down low. My friends wanted to go eat dim sum, and we didn't know if there were any places opened at night around six or seven. As we looked online, we see Mei Sum opened until nine at night. I was surprised because I've never experienced dim sum so late since it only keeps you full for about an hour. Since this place is located in Chinatown, we all know parking is quite hard to do, so we take the nice bumpy bus ride, all the way down to avoid the horrible parking. There are some spots, but it's meter parking. What's worse is that I went on First Friday, so you know it'll be packed with people by then. There were tables opened, but the ladies were rushing to get the tables cleaned for people. We got seated for three, and we were given water and then jasmine tea. The lady came by and ask what we wanted and we said: $2.65 per plate: Barbecue Pork Manapua (Cha siu bao)(2 pieces)- It was okay. Meat could taste better. Bread could be a little softer. Shrimp Dumpling (Ha Gow)(3 pieces)- Texture was okay, but taste is off because of the Shrimp. Crunchy texture, but lack of taste. *Deep Fried Taro (3 pieces)- Was fresh and good, I think this was the best thing I've eaten here. Mochi Rice ball (3 pieces)- A little less flavorful. But it's okay. Needs a little more sauce on the rice. Shrimp Pork Hash (Siu Mai)(4 pieces)- Was hard this time around. It was there but not the texture. Last time, it tasted better.. Off day for Siu Mai? Chicken feet (3 pieces)- Texture this time around was hard. Last time was softer where I can pull the bones apart easily, but I'm having a bit trouble doing this... Taste is okay, could be better. Shrimp Churn Fun(3 pieces)(need to double check prices on these)- It's okay.. The shrimp got the crunchy-ness, but not the flavor I was looking for. I drown mine with the sauce. Hahah. Among three people, we were still a bit hungry, but we decided to not get anymore. We split about... 13 dollars? Tips not included in the bill, so you can leave some. The service here.. was okay, could be better. We were hidden in the corner where the restrooms are, so it was hard to get service there unless you flag them down and yell across the room. It's okay. The place was kind of quiet, so you'd most likely take on attention. In my opinion.. don't wait for someone to pick up the check and then wait for them to give it back to you because it'll take forever. Just quickly ask for the check and just walk up to them and pay. Much faster. Summary: Food was mediocre. (love the deep fried taro though). Portion for price was okay (give them credit because food is expensive and they throw in a variety of food into one item, which is why business is hard to handle). Service could be a little better too... And definitely just bus it there if you're not willing to look and pay for parking. Three stars.
(3)
May L.

Their dim sum is super yummy! They seem to be pretty clean, service is typical. I go there mostly because they serve dim sum till 8pm ish. I normally can't wake up before noon on weekends and won't be able to make it to dim sum :(
(5)
Paul A.

AWFUL SERVICE!!! 3 strikes and you're out!!! Went 3 times and was treated like $#@! 3 times while also watching others walking in the door being treated the same way. They treat the customers bad and each other as well! It's what you call a "SHIT SHOW" AVOID! There are plenty of good dim sum places all over!!!
(1)
Jenel O.

I love dim sum. Arrived here the other day around 11:45 with coworkers in tow - 4 of us total. Were seated promptly and it was a good thing we arrived when we did because a line began to form right after we arrived. The new location seems to offer less seats than the last location. The cart came by once and never again - it got stalled on the other end of the restaurant. We had to flag the lady down for more food. The second "order" came piecemeal and although content, I could've eaten more but wasn't willing to wait. I love the steammed dim sum so that I don't walk out feeling gross (from oil). My all time favorite is always the har gau (shrimp dumplings) but I also enjoy the spinach & scallop, bean curd roll, stick rice balls and others. I think we paid $28+tax and tip and it would've been higher if they came around quicker and had food ready when we were ready to order and eat it rather than waiting for it to steam in the back. The plus is that when it did come, it was nice and hot!
(4)
Crissy K.

Delicious dim sum at very reasonable prices. Everything we had was great, but my favorite -- which I tried at the suggestion of a friend, who had originally tried it at the suggestion of HIS friend -- was the garlic eggplant. Tender (but, very importantly, not soggy) eggplant wedges dipped in some kind of magic, then fried and topped with crunchy garlic bits: YUM. The service here is so-so. It IS a Chinese place, so I wasn't expecting stellar, but still, when you ask what a dim sum lady has on her cart, you'd think she could tell you what she has on her cart; instead, one of the ladies grabbed the laminated menu off our table and told us to look it over. (My friend later pointed out that the eggplant -- the best thing about this place -- was not even ON said menu!) That said, it still gets four stars because of the eggplant. Seriously, even if you're not normally an eggplant person or a garlic person, TRY THIS. You won't be sorry! Parking is readily available at the municipal lot on Beretania, just past Nuuanu; the stairs/elevator let you right out on Pauahi near the intersection with Smith, which is exactly where you want to be!
(4)
Zhen L.

Not a big fan of dim sum, so whenever I go to a Chinese (if not with family), I usually order either a rice plate or a noodle dish. So one evening when I was hungry and everything was closing in downtown, I found myself here. After looking through the menu, I decided to order the roast duck rice plate to go (I'm a big fan of roast duck nom nom nom). As I was opening my take-out box with my mouth watering from its smell and my hunger, I was a bit disappointed. The vegetables looked way overcooked, and the roast duck was... well... didn't have much meat on them. Made me wish that I went to Nam Fong earlier and cooked my own rice. However, it did satisfy me, but again not worth the $9-10 that I paid for it. 2/5 Service, although a bit slow, was friendly. Since I speak Chinese, I was just making small chat with the waitresses and asking them for other recommendations for future references. Overall, 3/5... it was "A-OK!" Perhaps their other dishes won't disappoint me, if I decide to return anyway.
(3)
Josh D.

Every First Friday or even during events in Chinatown, hands down, we have to go eat at Mei Sum Dim Sum! The prices are so reasonable and the food never fails! I recommend eating their szechuan style eggplant, their cake noodles, and their Meisum fried rice. One thing though is that I wish that their tapioca was less watery and more thick.
(4)
Chloe M.

Mei Sum used to be my go to spot for when I craved dim sum and was low on time and cash. After my Wednesday lunch, I'm not sure if I will return. Food: -Har Gau: This was one of the only okay tasting things that I ordered, but maybe because it's my favorite dim sum item? It wasn't dry and gross like the other items, but it wasn't yummy. -Gin Doi: Too much mochi, too little red bean! -Dan Tart (Egg custard tart): Another one of my favorites. It was edible, but not sweet enough. -Pot stickers: This tasted okay, but after the meal I was burping garlic for the entire afternoon -Look Fun: Not enough shrimp, and the sauce wasn't yummy like the other dim sum restaurants. I had to wait FOREVER for it to come, and was low on time. -Baked Char Siu Bun: BLECH. Dry and tasteless. Tasted like it was made the day before. Prices range from $2.35, $2.65, and up. I noticed that they have soft shell crab and jellyfish for $6.50 a plate. The food is not as cheap as before and the quality went way down. Service: I'm having bad luck with bad service this week. When I was ordering I asked for 2 items that were in another waitress' cart. The waitress brought one of the items and I asked for the other item. She then said "UGH, ORDER EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE OKAY?!" Sheesh, someone was grumpy. Overall: Next time I want dim sum, I'm going to save up for Mandalay. At least they're nice and their food actually tastes good. Boo you Mei Sum.
(2)
Lisa K.

In true dim sum style, they'll bark at you for special requests (like refilling your water glass) berate you for ordering wrong, order *for* you based on what they deem appropriate at any given time, and ignore you if they darn well feel like it, but the key is not to take it personally. I can't even count the number of visits I've made to Mei Sum, only because the food is always fantastic. The new location took me a little bit of walking back and forth to find, because you enter from the plaza area, not directly off Nuuanu Ave. Just look for the sign. Try just about anything on the menu - you can't go wrong. I even felt bold enough to try chicken feet once... ok, because I was there with my Chinese in-laws who were curiously eyeing me for a reaction... but even that was pretty tasty. It's kind of disappointing that they don't stay open later on special event nights like First Friday, but if the worst I can say is that they aren't open late enough, then it's really not so bad.
(5)
Shandis C.

Went to Mei Sum's new location yesterday for the first time, and it's really clean, spacious and aesthetically pleasant! I actually kind of miss the old location and it's "Chinatown" feel, but it's also really nice to be sitting on brand new chairs, on clean floors surrounded by clean walls. Other than the usual dim sum such as pork has, char siu bun, shrimp dumplings, I really have no idea what the others are called and I just point to the ones that look good. I've been happy with everything I've ever ordered here, and I'm not sure if it's just me, but it doesn't seem as "greasy" here. This last time though, I ordered some kind of taro ball coated with a crispy batter, and it lacked flavor. This visit also, perhaps because the space is bigger and we were in the corner, the cart came by only once, and other than that, we had to tell the waitress to bring us more ________. That was a little disappointing, but at least they brought the food quickly. Overall, this has been and continues to be my #1 choice for dim sum. What else is there to say, low prices, good food, and now a nice clean space. There's not much more to it!
(4)
Nicole G.

I had eaten at Mei Sum several times over the past couple of years, but after my most recent experience, I'm not sure if I ever want to return. My friend and I sat down for dim sum and it wasn't too busy. We ordered four dishes from the waitress and expected to get more later. But for only those four, simple dishes (shrimp dumplings, mochi rice, etc...) we waited...and waited...and waited. There was about a 10 minute wait between each of the dishes.. it was kind of ridiculous. And then, after finishing those and waiting there to order more, the waitress throws our bill on the table, along with two small bowls of a sweet, white boba drink "on the house". My friend and I were like, "...okay...I guess we're leaving". One of the most unsatisfying dim sum experiences I've had in a while. But, other than that, the food was pretty up to par.
(2)
Amina M.

Went here with a local friend who speaks Mandarin. I don't think I would've been able to get by here otherwise, because it doesn't seem the waitstaff speak much English. Like most dim sum places, this restaurant has a lot of ladies pushing around carts of unidentifiable (but delicious) dumplings, fried delicacies, and much more. If you have dietary restrictions like me, don't go here unless you are going with someone who speaks Mandarin. I don't eat pork and 90% of the stuff they plopped down in front of me (despite repeated reminders from my fellow diner that I can't eat pork) was indeed pork. Their turnip cakes are excellent, as is the steamed bok choy and many of the shrimp options. I can't comment on the other stuff, but I would definitely go back with someone who could be my guide! I'm nicking 1 star for lack of English and another for the awkward timing of our dishes.. A whole bunch of stuff came out at once and then the first item we requested didn't come out until after we paid the check (wtf?). Parking also sucks. We wound up just paying to park in a garage nearby for $5.
(3)
Rebecca C.

hit or miss... but today was mediocre food with bad service... as always!
(3)
Cecile M.

I have not had dim sum in a while and this place made me feel like I have missed out on good chicken feet, cha su bao, and siu mai. This place was open early and stays open late. This place is also a good bang for your buck, especially when everything on the island tends to be more expensive in comparison to the mainland. Service was pretty good considering that it is an Asian restaurant, they were friendly and fast. Next time I'm in Honolulu, this place is a must to dine in.
(4)
Diane Y.

Not edible. That this place has such a high star rating is a total joke and a complete embarrassment to anyone who knows good dim sum. The dishes are served soppy and lukewarm, like someone made a sorry attempt at microwaving last week's leftovers. Mei Sum can't even manage the very basics of dim sum - such as the shrimp dumpling. The skin was actually dried out and hardened at the top, and the ingredients were clearly not fresh. The rest of the things I tried were unnecessarily greasy and also not served above room temperature. I've gotten better far better dim sum from take-out only places in San Francisco. Save yourself some money - even Costco's frozen food's aisle has better dim sum than this. I kid you not, buy a bag of pot stickers and some spring rolls, heat them up and at the very least you'll get hot food that has a bit of flavor. I'd say this is the McDonalds of dim sum places, but I wouldn't want to insult McDonalds.
(1)
miya y.

Terrible service. I'd give them ZERO stars if that was an option. To sum it up -- Long wait time. Refusal to give money back until I threatened to call the cops. Long story -- Waited almost an hour for my order, which they - I'm sure - forgot about. Ordered common dim sum items = shumai, steamed charsiu bao, mochi rice A large party of 10 walked in 2 minutes after me & were getting served multiple dishes & dim sum. A father & daughter came in shortly after and were eating right away. A single lady who walked in 15 minutes before me leaving got her food and offered a free dessert. 2 phone orders were taken & picked up before mine was done -- when one of the orders were ready, the waitress (who took my order by the way) asked if the phone number on the ticket was mine & then realized which order was mine. Instead of owning up to forgetting, she says that they are working on my order now (I've been there 30 minutes)... I gave them another 15 minutes until I decided to ask for my money back. The waitress said "sorry, one minute" & walked away. She was back at the counter & I asked again for my money back & she just ignored me, walked back to the kitchen. I asked for my money back again, and just says "sorry, one minute". I asked for a manager. Ignored. I said that I didn't want the food, just my money and the waitress claimed she didn't know how to work the "machine". I paid cash. My order arrives. Ignoring my request for my money back, she just kept trying to make me take the food claiming my order was so special & made fresh, when I ordered dim sum like everyone else in there, who were getting their orders before me. I ordered common items, which I noticed people eating, and didn't have a big order. Then she tells me I should make a phone order next time; regardless of your method of order, be it phone orders or walk-in orders -- they all take the same amount of time. They pretend like they don't understand what you're saying until you threaten to call the cops. It's sad that it has to come to that point for them to give me my money back.
(1)
Lester L.

Great place. Not sure if it was: 1 - I was really hungry 2 - The novelty of dim sum at night, or 3 - The food was genuinely good but I really like the food here. The service is good. The servers, unlike most good Chinese restaurants, were very nice and very responsive. They brought and refilled water without being asked!!! We'll likely head back again this week and everytime we're back on Oahu. BTW, there's convenient parking right across the street in a structure, but it's $10.
(4)
Robin S.

This used to be my favorite dim sum restaurant. We were regulars. The service and food started going downhill in the last few years. On our last visit the service was the worst we ever experienced. We arrived late in the afternoon well past their prime lunch hour. They began by trying to push the leftover cart food on us. Since it was 3 PM, the food in the cart was a couple of hours old and looked it. They were not very nice after we insisted on ordering from the menu. When we went to pay the bill, the woman informed us that tip was not included. There was not going to be a tip for the grumpy service. I rely on Yelp reviews a lot for restaurant selection so thought I should warn people.
(1)
Mawie T.

Best fried rice of my life. The dim sum is great when you order it for dinner from the kitchen instead of at lunch with the cart. It's so delicious. The atmosphere is pretty chill, but the food makes it worth searching for parking in Chinatown. My favorite place to get dim sum so far.
(5)
Feng L.

Be here on a Saturday afternoon 6pm, not crowd, waitress(guy) is not quite into service. Ordered Clam with black bean sauce, totally mistake! Both quality and quantity are no good at all! For dim sum, just ok! seafood Kim-chi is not too bad Will not recommend and will not be back.
(2)
Kaiulani K.

Everyone knows the way to get the Dim Sum ladies to like you is just say "yes" to everything, avoid asking questions, and when in doubt just smile and nod while they pile your table full of un-wanted dumplings. HOWEVER, I am breaking the mold and saying "no". The first cart they pushed by had nothing that appealed to my party (baked manapua, custard, taro dumplings) , so I declined all of it. Then the Dim Sum Ladies decided "oh, that's the table that doesn't want to eat," and it took a ridiculous amount of time to get another server's attention despite the carts and tray flying right past us. Finally, we got a cart with the -capital G- Goods: siu mai, har gao, spring rolls, look fun, seafood and chive dumpling, half moon, etc. We wanted it all, in multiples even! We ate like kings and queens and when we were full, we ordered more. Now we were riding high on the Dim Sum Ladies' lists. We were the third table they offered the really good stuff (fried soft shell crab, fried shrimp, fried nori rolls- noticing a trend?) to, and yes, there IS a hierarchy. In the end, we were a bit anxious for p.o.'ing the Dim Sum Ladies, but our gamble paid off and we got everything we wanted and nothing we didn't- probably a first in my dim sum experience. Now that we are prepared to handle the environment, we will back. Oh, and by the way, they were EXCELLENT about refilling water and all the entrees I've ordered here are great, my favorite being the bittermelon and beef in black bean sauce.
(3)
Susan S.

Ate here for lunch today. Found hair in the fried seafood with nori. I like this place but the waitress totally ignored me when I Oriented out there was hair in the food. I had to flag down another person who brought over another serving.
(2)
Cyn C.

I've gone to the old location a few times in the past. Each time, the service always sucked. The food cart, logically you would think should go in a circle around the room, yet the cart would always stop short and turn the other way. It was always very difficult to get food. Recently, decided to try their new location. OMG, same problem. Then the lady was going to push her cart right pass us and only stopped b/c we called her back. While we were ordering, I had asked for something to be cut, she rudely reply just wait, I was going to do it. I would pass on going here again. It's so close to Cultural Plaza, I would recommend Legend or Tai Pan instead.
(1)
Dominic C.

This is a chaotic, confusing, poorly run restaurant. The manager was very arrogant and rude to both his employees and patrons. We asked for dishes for the condiments three times, and they were never brought. Dim sum carts were left unattended, and when asking waitstaff for food, we were barked at to wait for the cart. The table next to us waited over a half an hour for food that never arrived and finally left hungry and disappointed. A dim sum meal should be, by nature, a casual and relaxing meal. But in this establishment it was almost a battle to get fed and you leave stressed and disappointed.
(1)
Edward K.

Dim sum. Really the breakfast of champions. Most people don't know that dim sum is actually a breakfast food, which is why most dim sum place aren't open pass lunch time. But the curiously attractive draw of this place is that the Dim sum is just good not GREAT but it serves that "good" dim sum all day long. It's also pretty cheap for dim sum. I've been here so many times that I've pretty much tried every sort of dim sum they have so I won't go over each one. Mostly because each one is worth it. The taro puff Dim sum is delicious and a local favorite. The spare ribs are flavorful and spiced just right. The meat balls are... meaty, just the way I like my balls. There really isn't anything I don't like. Now I haven't tried their lunch or dinner menu so I can't say much about that but if we're talking about dim sum, this is my first pick. The staff is Chinese so it a bit hard to get your order across but that's the standard for any Dim sum place. They do have a picture menu that you can just point to and they'll bring it over right away. It's really the standard affair, carts go around and serve whatever they contain. You pick what you want and they write it down on this slip of paper that rates the dim sum by price. If there's something the cart doesn't have, you just let the waitress know and the chef in back will make that item to order. So what makes this place better than others? I think it's mostly the fact that they serve it all day long. But don't let that distract you from how awesome the food is. Now if you compare it to others out there like Legends, Mandalay, or Fook Lam, the dim sum isn't the best taste wise, but it's the best bang for the buck and that keeps me coming back over and over again.
(5)
S D.

Photo class lunch. 1st time here, people say it's good... we'll see. :-) Was disappointed. I guess I'm used to Legends.
(2)
Phil J.

READ ALL REVIEWS BEFORE YOU GO TO THIS POO POO HOLE!!!Kind of upset that most good reviews are at the top and you have to dig for the truth. This place sucks. IT IS THE WORST SERVICE AND FOOD I HAVE EVER HAD. Do not waste time or money. They need to close the doors. There needs to be a NO GO category.
(1)
Randy L.

First time I've been to their new location. Place looks about the same. I just ordered dim sum for takeout, so that's all I can review. I phoned in an order while I was on the other side of the island for an 8:30 pick up. This can be tricky, as English is not their strong suit. Well, traffic was better than anticipated, and we arrived at 8. I went in apologetically, anticipating waiting a half hour. They were very accommodating, and had the order ready in about 10 minutes. The order was accurate. Took the dim sum to my sister's on Kauai the next day, steamed it, or microwaved it, and it was still pretty good. I'd go back. We particularly liked the fried taro with scallop. Of course, that's if you like taro.
(4)
Avery C.

Absolutely loved this place. In fact, this is the only place I've reviewed since I've moved to Hawaii that I've given 5 stars. I love Chinese food and in particular I love Dim Sum, and this place was spectacular. I got pot stickers, shrimp with shallots, and chicken with mushrooms (which was the best, came with the most savory gravy). I got there after 2:00 so everything was made to order. It came hot with three pieces per order. Only cost about $10.00 with tip. Now if only I can improve my chopstick skills it would be perfect. Positives - 1. Great food. I did not have a bad item. I would say the chicken and mushroom dish is absolutely the thing to get. 2. Good service. They are very busy, but you get a lot attention too. 3. Very affordable. $10 to fill me up on high quality food is a first. Negatives - 1. Parking is a little rough in Chinatown, but you can't really hold that against any individual restaurant.
(5)
Mai T.

My sister and I were looking for a place to eat breakfast so we headed towards chinatown and landed at Mei Sum. Compare to the other dimsum places, Mei Sum was on the cleaner side, which is always a plus and at around 9:30am, there were many tables open! My sister is the expert when it comes to Dim sum, she is trained by her bf and family on how and what to order.. so i just grabbed my chopstick and waited for the steaming hot baskets to come. We had about 7 different types, i like the ones with chives and shrimp. The half moon was also very good and you shouldnt leave without trying the yuba ( this is Japanese) on the menu i think it said, bean curd.. I absolutely dont like it when you order something and when it comes it is luke warm, Its supposed to be steaming hot, and that is exactly how it was! For about a little over 25.00 dollars for the both of us, we had a happy full meal! They also do take out, and going to any Chinese place in the morning can get crazy, but you are looking for a late breakfast and in the chinatown area, you should try Mei Sum!
(3)
Mali T.

4.6 Love this place! All I can say is that their selections of Dim Sum are amazing! It gets pretty busy here during lunch hours! The place is very clean and the taste is authentic! Their Shrimp dumplings, Pork Hash, Scallop dumplings, Soft shell crab, spare ribs, Cheung Fun and chicken feet are my favorite! Yummy in my Tummy! Next visit Home I'll sure pay Mei Sum a visit =)
(4)
Ji-hye Y.

My favorite dim sum place. My Chinese Friends recommended me other places but for me this place was way better. I think I might not used to super authentic Chinese food. Interesting thing was my Japanese friends also Loved here. My point is Korean or Japanese or who doesn't really into heavy Chinese dim sum , must try this place. garlic eggplant, shrimp, shrimp chive, look fun, sesame mochiball was to die for. Reasonable price too.
(4)
Ronni S.

Decent dim sum but horrible service. There was a lot of wait staff but they all seemed to be congregated by the register and not serving food. I'll look elsewhere next time.
(3)
Janet K.

This is my friend's favorite dim sum spot. I thought the dim sum was just alright. The service was great, but we were there when it was slow. The restaurant is fairly clean but they have only one bathroom for men/women to share.
(3)
REBEKAH H.

My mom started me on going early in the morning, about breakfast time. Because we are the only ones in there the service is great and fast. Some of the dishes are cooked to order so they don't get any fresher, and best of all, no wait for a table! The taro is my favorite, it is always crispy and fresh, no matter what time of the day you go. At some places they have so much taro that there is not much filling. Not so here! I also like the shrimp with chives, eggplant with garlic and their look fun has a lot more meat in it than other places. This is my far one of my favorites on the island! When you go during the day you sometimes have to fight for service and beg for food. So go in the morning! What better brunch than dim sum!
(5)
Russel M.

New location is just as good if not better than the old. The prices and service are unbeatable. I don't agree with the poster who likes Legends and Tai Pan better. We go there too and don't think they measure up lately. Our favorite is still Panda Cuisine across from Wal Mart but if your downtown you definitely should check out Mei Sum.
(4)
Mina T.

I like going to Mei Sum late at night, since they are open and serving their dim sum pretty late. They are reasonably priced and their service is pretty good. I like their mochi rice and their chives and shrimp dumplings!
(4)
Stuart C.

Really good Dim Sum, nothing like you may get on the mainland. Mei Sum opens early at 7:00 am, they have Dim Sum to go for the people looking for a cheap lunch. We went there on the first day of our family vacation. The staff is really nice and helpful to tell me that there is parking around back of the restaurant just before I had the rental car towed by HPD. Don't park in front before 8:30 am it's a tow away zone. Overall the Dim Sum was very good and would have gone back to the restaurant, but Hawaii has so many good restaurant and types of food.
(4)
Victoria C.

So finally tried their dim sum and it is pretty good. The dumpling type dishes seem to have more filling inside compared to some other places. But I still prefer Tai Pan over Mei Sum any day.
(4)
Sita L.

Just started back in the new location. The dim sum was always good here, but I found it to be even better the last two times now. Very fresh, the seafood was excellent. I don't eat pork anymore or beef so I can't comment on those, I am big on seafood and every seafood dumpling was full of seafood, not fillers. The service, hahaha, yeah, well temperamental at times. I wish I spoke Chinese, I would love to have known what the two servers where having a very heated conversation about. !! But it is not fine dining. So it is all part of the experience. Take out is fast and efficient also.
(5)
NIKKI F.

I've eaten yum cha (dim sum) all over the world and Mei Sum wasn't the best I've ever had but it was decent and the overall experience (noisy, busy Sunday brunch) was pretty good. The steamed prawn dumplings and the soft-shell crabs were delicious. Being able to order off the a la carte menu was good for fresh and tasty stir-fry vegetables. The service was fast and friendly, the food was hot and tasty. The price was very reasonable, I'd recommend giving it a try.
(4)
Zoe B.

We have been to this restaurant for many times and observed many bad things during our visits. And we finally made our decision of not going back regardless how tasty some dim sum items can be, because we had our last straw today! My husband ordered a take out Char Siu Bao (Steamed BBQ Pork Bun) for me after work, then took the bus back home so I could eat it. It was for me so he wouldn't know if there was anything wrong in the bun until I ate it. So he came home and I immediately ate it. There were 2 Char Siu Bao in 1 order. I finished the first Char Siu Bao, and then started on the second one, once I pulled the second one apart, I found a body hair inside! It was very GROSS! I almost vomitted. I don't even know if I had eaten anything gross in the first bun coz I didn't really look into the first one when I was eating the first one. According to the thickness of the hair, it looked more like some sort of facial hair (from the eye or nose) instead of the hair from the head. So it grossed me out even more!!!!! I asked my husband to take it back right away and asked them to change it out. So my husband drove back to the restaurant right away, and told the server (who took his order earlier) about the hair. The server's initial response was not nice, she wanted to blame the hair on us instead because it "has been a while" since the Char Siu Bao left the restaurant. That's so lame!!! It's a take out, no one is gonna know if there is anything wrong until the order got home and be eaten. And it takes time to travel from the restaurant to home. So my husband got upset with that initial response. But he showed her that it's inside the bun so it can't be our own hair. Then she took it back reluctantly and only gave my husband 1 Char Siu Bao back cause only 1 hasn't been eaten. They don't do refund, and did not replace the whole order. The server said it's the owner's decision of only giving us 1 coz the other had been eaten already. Well, I am more upset at their attitude instead of the number of Char Siu Bao they replaced. They just don't have manners and don't know how to be polite, and don't even admit their own faults and try to blame it on others....... It's very unsophisticated to do so for an adult! In the past, we already observed that the owner micro-managed the staff at the dining area. He would boss people around and making the staff spinning their head. I feel sorry for the staff. I think they constantly get worried about the boss. That's the vibe I got at least. And I guess the boss isn't good, so he is not able to train the staff to be a nice one, so the staff probably absorbed the bad attitude through the owner's bossing around and reflect the bad attitude back on the customers. Some can be mean, not just rude. And I figured that there are only 2 staff members at the dining area for morning and night shifts, while there can be many tables to be served at those times. Maybe the owner doesn't want to hire/pay enough staff and overworked the staff, making the staff unhappy and then the staff got bad attitudes from that. Since we have observed that everyone isn't serving with good attitude and the owner is very irritating, they don't deserve any business from us anymore. I would rather pay somewhere else that provides a healthier work atmosphere to the staff and more sane experience to customers. We are not going back because of that irritating cheap owner and the attitudes that he had trained his staff. I can't really blame the staff, I only blame the owner, as he isn't a nice one to start with, making the staff following his bad attitude. Very irritating and annoying to see that happening.
(1)
Gloria S.

Okay if you like good Chinese Dim Sum at affordable prices and so so services this is a decent place to go. I like the pan-fried turnip cake, seafood dumpling roll, shrimp dumpling with chives and their fried rice... If you like it spicy then just add some chili sauce and hot mustard with soy sauce! Yummy! Just don't expect the greatest ambiance, and if your in luck you may get a smile from the waitress! Don't tip them in coins! I saw a guy tip a waitress in coins and she was muttering something in Chinese and did not look happy at all! In any case I think you will like the food and prices! You can always take it to go! One more note! If your taking it to go and need extra sauce, and you get a look from the hostess/waitress just ignore it and ask for the extra sauce, smile and move on! :-) Enjoy!
(3)
Tammy T.

This was my first time ever eating dim sum. A friend of mine took me there because she said it was the best...it was *thinking* OK. The service was your typical Chinese place where everyone and their mother is bustling around yelling stuff in Chinese. We got (pics): prices range from 2.50-4.00 a dish Shrimp Pork Hash Shanghai Dumplings Fried Mochi Shrimp Dumpling Chives I thought the shrimp dumpling chives were yummy, the Fried Mochi was good too. I don't like mochi, but deep fry that bad boy. Hellz Yeah! I was bit turned off when I grab the Shanghai dumping and it's water broke on the table *shiver* just the though of an inanimate thing releasing a load of water at one time creeps me out. But, that's just me, this could be the staple of what makes a dumpling a dumpling, Idk. Like I said first time eating dim sum.
(3)
Rolette G.

Love the dim sum. Really good but really busy. So the wait is long. If you're in the area, I recommend you to call in then take out.
(4)
jeannine s.

I have always been a fan of Mei Sum and love it more in its new location. After trying out a few dim sum places in Chinatown, I rank Mei Sum among the best. Dim sum is prepared fresh, always hot, steamy and yummy no matter what time of the day -- which is not always what you get when you visit other Chinatown dim sum restaurants during off hours. An added bonus is the great service you get. Servers are always curteous and efficient, something sometimes unexpected in a chinese restaurant.
(4)
Nikki S.

I love this restaurants DIM SUM... it's always fresh and so YUMMY!! the only complaint I have is that sometimes the waitresses are always standing around gossiping.. Even my 10 year old daughter stated they didn't seem to want to let us get more dim sum cause they were busy standing around talking... but... other then that we will return cause I can't stay away from the DIM SUM!!! :)
(3)
Adrian K.

Good food fast service! !
(4)
David J.

Mei Sum Dim Sum is one of many Dim Sum restaurants on the island strategically located near China Town. Coincidence? I heard lots of great things about this place and it was good to finally try. I went with a large group of people on a reservation and we had no problems getting seated. The place was really busy on a Saturday lunch hour and there was plenty of people waiting in line to sit. The venue is ok - there's really nothing spectacular with their decor. Being in down town/ china town, parking is a little tough. The dim sum itself is pretty good and in par with most of the dim sums on the island. I did notice that there were fewer selections than others Dim Sum places. However, the price is on the cheaper side averaging about $2.00 per plate. The pork hash was exceptionally good and so was their mini custard pie. We also ordered the Singapore Noodles and I ended up eating more than half the dish! I was disappointed with the service. It seemed like there were running out of all their dim sum dishes and the cart didn't come around often enough. Maybe it was just that day. Overall, a fairly good place to eat dim sum if you're in the down town area with good prices. Not the best Dim Sum place I've been to, but good enough I'll definitely try again.
(3)
Pinky F.

One word. Bad. Should of guessed on a Sat 1030 with 5 other people that this place has gone downhill. A good joint is usually full. What made it extra bad was we had to wait 40 min. The waitress said sorry "you must wait but we make food good so you don't get sick". Now if that dont scare you..... But its been a couple hours and I'm not sick. The food tasted ok BUT it was not fresh. So I can't say for sure but I don't recomend this one. Scary. Risky.
(1)
Chris L.

The food was good but the service sucks. Bad attitude, no smiles, and try to rush you.
(1)
Bo W.

Friendly staff, delicous food, and quick service. One of my favorites.
(5)
robyn t.

i do not claim to be an expert on dim sum but can differentiate between good and not so good...although the prices here are fairly inexpensive, there are other options that ARE good AND cheap. this is just not one of them. note to self: if it's a chinese restaurant and the only chinese in there are the servers, LEAVE!
(2)
Claudia M.

Since Panda Cuisine stopped serving dim sum, i decided to try another dim sum place. This place has awesome dim sum. Their service was so so, after they spilled hot tea by our feet. Their food was pretty good. And their pricing was reasonable as well. I will come here for my dim sum from now on.
(4)
Kylie K.

My boyfriend and I just went for dinner today and the dim sum was very good. We go there about once a month, our favorite dishes are shrimp w/chives, char siu mamapua, pot stickers, deep fried shrimp. Today we got complimentary tofu almond desert. yeye we love free things. The price is very resonable. Although it maybe croweded at times, your wait time is relatively short. Check this place out, I think you will enjoy your meal and easy on the wallet
(4)
Ash R.

I've been here about a dozen times. Needless to say, I like it here. I've only eaten at the old location. A few days ago my Mom and I went here for lunch, but didnt see any sign that said they've moved, so we drove away sad. BUT, I'm glad they've only moved and havent gone away for good. I'm excited to try the new place! Dim sum here has consistently been good, not amazing, but for Hawaii, this is pretty good! I've gone to Happy Day's in Kaimuki several times for dim sum and it has always been way too oily to the point that I cannot go there anymore, despite the discount (see my review on Happy Days) But I will say, I do enjoy consistently seeing friends and family at this dim sum joint, you know its good if you see people with the same standards in taste.
(3)
Shannon T.

My family owns a bakery, which is ridiculously crazy during the holidays. Every Christmas Eve, we have lunch at Mei Sum after the bakery has closed for the holidays. It's become a family tradition for us. Of course, it's not like we don't go there during other times of the year - in fact, we probably go there about once every two weeks or so. It's most definitely one the regularly places we eat at! The custard buns are addicting, the garlic stuffed eggplant, mochi rice, and shanghai noodles are delish too! Oh, and my bf and I adore the bean curd dim sum they have. It's soooooo yummy!
(5)
Joshua B.

Great fried rice and noodle places with excellent services! A little pushy with the roving tray with appetizers, but good nontheless. You must try the coconut tapioca for dessert. It's absolutely delicious!!
(4)
S T.

I love dim sum here! It's tiny and a mom and pop kind of restaurant, but I like the dim sum.
(4)
Laura S.

Maybe I came during a bad time considering it was chinese new year, but really, the service could of been better. So, I found this place on yelp when looking for late night dim sum and found that they were still open and relatively cheap for dim sum being between 3-5 per dim sum plate. This place had good reviews on yelp, so we decided to give it a try. The location of this place is very easy to find, so I give them at least a star for that, but the rest of the experience, unfortunately it was very poor. There was a wait for a table but that wasn't bad, just figured since its busy, must be good, so must be worth the wait. When we sat at the table, the server gave us our plate and chopsticks, but didn't return with any menus or water for a good 15 minutes. Didn't think too much of this since they were busy for the night, but after they gave us the menu and waters, they didn't come to take our order for another 15 minutes. We ordered 5 different orders of dim sum only and we got our first dish relatively fast but after that we had to wait almost 45 minutes to get another. By this time, I was getting hungry and growing very impatient. Our last order never came and we were sick of waiting after being there for an hour and half, so we got up and left to pay, when we got to the register, the server then asked if we still wanted our last dish. I didn't want to stay there any longer, so we just got it to go. I have never experienced such bad customer service anywhere and to make matters worst, she insisted we leave her a tip. Are you kidding me!?!! I will not be returning here as I'm pretty sure I can find a better place with better customer service to feed my dim sum craving.
(1)
Jamie T.

As a fairly new resident of downtown honolulu, I like Mei Sum for its walking convenience, speedy takeout & tasty food. I've never eaten in & had the dim sum, only dinner takeout. We always get the same thing, and its always good. - beef chow fun (dry), salt & pepper porkchop, sweet & sour pork, shrimp canton, walnut shrimp & oyster sauce choy sum- PLUS! even though they've got thick chinese accents when taking my order on the phone, they've never gotten it wrong...believe me, I'm impressed everytime AND! they're not rude, even more impressive! My takeout is ready in 15 minutes & everything is packed, chopsticks, napkins, chili pepper sauce & mustard. That is why they are my go to take-out chinese place :o)
(4)
Jamie L.

So fine, it might not be the swankiest joint in town, but it is good and it is cheap! I ordered pickup tonight (shrimp dumplings, pork hash and look fun) all for the low-low price of $11 and it was amazing. Don't expect heart-warming service, but expect good food and cheap prices. BYOB!
(4)
O G.

(This review is for the new location on Nuuanu.) Whenever one forays into the realm of dim sum, you have to consider multiple factors: 1) Freshness and quality 2) Price 3) Whether there are any uninvited guests present at the table (And by uninvited guests, I'm not talking about your psycho ex-girlfriend with the kung fu grip and hemlock lips...I'm talking about insects!) You also should compare it to its competitors, namely, the Cultural Plaza denizens of Legend, Tai Pan and Good Luck. As far as freshness and quality, this place is better than Good Luck but not as good as Tai Pan and Legend. As far as price, this place is more expensive than Tai Pan and cheaper than Legend, with medium dishes costing about $2.65. (Good Luck is ~$1.80, Tai Pan ~$2.35, Legend is more.) As far as uninvited guests, Mei Sum (found a mosquito in the vinegar bottle) is better than Good Luck (where, on occasion, I've had to dine with cucarachas running across the table) and worse than Tai Pan and Legend, where the only bottom feeder roaches are the downtown lawyers on their lunch breaks. (Sorry, I couldn't help it.) Ergo...save your time and money and go to Tai Pan, where the food is better AND cheaper (a Chinese person's fantasy come true!). For unimpressive dim sum that's more expensive than a better neighbor, this place gets 2 stars!
(2)
QuodE D.

Let me start by advising that you should not get the table in the middle of the room. If it's offered to you, kindly reject it and invite the customers who would be next on the sign-in sheet to sit before you. It's the desert isle of tables! Since it's surrounded by other tables, the servers can't make it to the middle. Thus you just watch as others customers peer into the carts and pick out wonderful dim sum morsels all the while you just hope the server notices your frantic hand waving and desperate expression. I sympathize since that was me earlier today. I was sure they'd only see us at the end of the day, shriveled and emaciated. But a server did see us--occasionally--to drop a couple of items. And they were good. The garlic eggplant is tasty and the char siu bau is fine. The scallop taro puff was a surprise for me since I haven't had it before. The look fun is supposed to be good (we had it with char siu), but I've had better at a number of other places. Sadly, that was all we were able to get to wash ashore our desert isle table. Perhaps I'll try again later.
(3)
Ash G.

I like Mei Sum for what it is worth. Good diim sum and cheap prices, you really can't go wrong here. I have been several times to the old location and can say that the only issue I have had here is waiting for my dim sum to arrive on my table (and then immediately into my mouth to be devoured!) Yea, like most of the times I have gone they have brought one thing out and then like it takes quite some time (12 min) for the rest of the order to come to your table. When I go I generally always seem to get these staples; the deep friend taro, charsu look fun, beef shumai, and mochi rice. One time I went there with my friend, we got 4 items and it was $12 (not including tip). I am not at all a picky eater but I do know good food apart from not so good food. Check this place out, it's worth your while and money.
(4)
Betty S.

We did not like the dim sum here. Every time I go somewhere new, I always want to try dim sum from other places. We came here rather late for lunch @ 2pm and was seated right away. We were given our menu's and was told to order from them. Most of the dim sum was very bland and/or not made correctly. Now I'm no connoisseur of dim sum but I had just come back from Hong Kong 3 weeks prior to my visit in Hawaii (and I'm from SF where there is dim sum in all parts of the city), so I had some pretty damn good dim sum before and this was no comparison at all. In fact, I was surprised that they were trying to sell the luke warm dim sum leftover on their cart, that was sitting in the middle of the restaurant. What was pretty decent was the beef rice rolls, and the pork dumplings (sui mai). Our shrimp dumplings we ordered never came, and we were waiting so long we decided to tell them to cancel it. Meh, I won't be coming back here.
(2)
J Z.

Their dim sum is really not that great. You get the same at pretty much any other Chinese dim sum place. So this is where service comes into play. But obviously, the owners don't care about how their customers are being treated. While most of the ladies were doing their job when we were there, there is one server I would not keep around (if I ran the place). They have two carts, one that serves steamed items and another for the fried stuff. This person hogs the cart with the steamed items. Having been here more than once, we always see her standing around, gossiping. You really have to get up or tell other servers to get her come to your table. You ask her what she has. She doesn't respond. Her face is so grumpy-looking. You order hai gow (shrimp), she places something else on your table. We asked for fun gow, she put another order of hai gow and tells you that here it is. This lady needs to be fired!!!
(1)
Scott M.

I am a regular customer at Mei Sum. I've been to almost all the dimsum places in town and this one hast the best food and best prices on the island. I would have given them a 5 star rating however the lack of service and the fact that you have to chase down the carts is really irritating. There seems to be a major language barrier with most of the wait staff. I hope they can get the service issue handled soon.
(4)
Sharon O.

I love this place! It's a little more upscale looking since they moved to the Nuuanu location this year, but the food is still delicious! My friends and I ordered the usual shrimp, siu mai, turnip cake and taro puffs, and we decided to also try something different...the deep fried soft shell crab. This was the winner! It came out nicely seasoned with green onions, chili peppers and fried garlic on a bed of cabbage. And it was deep fried to a golden perfect. They had actually cut the crab for us, but the shell was so soft, it practically melted in your mouth. The breading on the outside just added another layer of crunchy texture that was not greasy surprisingly. My only regret is that we didn't order another one. Would definitely go back there for that again!
(5)
Che L.

After all these years, the beef chow fun is still the best. The waitresses always assume that I don't speak the language?
(4)
Traci J.

Having arrived in the 808 the day before, we made our annual early morning dim sum run to Mei Sum. Found street parking near their new location and found the same set up as before. Deep fried shrimp purse goodness with a mayo dippy sauce, pork hash - better texture than places in Seattle, baked hum bow (so-so), shrimp chive dumpling (better flavor than regular har gow) and a new fish vegetable patty (kind of like fish paste stuff with vegetables then pan fried), sticky rice in a won ton wrapper (way better than Seattle - more goodies, and less densely packed). I can never wait till we get to Ala Moana beach to bust in to the cartons and start picking at the stuff when we hit the part of Nimitz with the car dealerships.
(4)
David N.

Their new location is so much cleaner and offers plenty of seating. No more waiting (which is often the case during peak lunch hours in their previous, limited seating location). The most common dishes are readily available (e.g., ha gow, shu-mai), but the other dishes (e.g., shrimp look-fun) are made to order and comes out fresh and steaming hot! You have to try the garlic-fried chicken wings, but order 10 minutes in advance as this is also made to order.
(4)
Jennifer S.

In the spirit of Chinese New Year, I was in search for a good dim sum restaurant. What better place is there than getting the 411 from Yelpers? I found a place in Chinatown...Mei Sum. My must haves for dim sum is turnip cake and mochi rice. Both were good and not oily which scores high in my book. I also tried the baked char siu bao. I really wanted to try the egg custard but they ran out. I do recommend when you eat here, look over the menu and order the dishes you'd like. The carts don't come around too often when they're busy. Also, finding street parking can take a while but when its free on Sunday, one can't really complain.
(3)
J A.

Always consistent. Really good cold Ginger chicken. Order the custard dimsum early. Rice in lotus leaf, winner. Bring a long sleeved shirt or jacket, this location is chilly at night.
(5)
Brent S.

Hands down one of the best places for dim sum in Hawaii. Everything is pretty much good. It's relatively cheap. But it gets pretty crowded during the weekdays. So be prepared to wait a little. But since it's dim sum, it's usually pretty fast.
(4)
Natalie K.

Agree with a lot of other reviews. Staff isn't friendly, food is okay but not stellar.
(3)
Travis K.

A pretty good dim sum place, located in Chinatown. Affordable as dim sum goes, but more importantly the food is good. Try the garlic eggplant with fish cake, it's delicious if you love garlic. The taro puff is good, and so is the mochi rice in lotus leaf. We normally only order dim sum, but have order noodles and some seafood dishes off the regular menu, they've been tasty. We mainly go for the dim sum though. The waitstaff is pretty friendly, but it seems to be forced, like its not normal for them to be all welcoming and helpful.....it is a Chinese restaurant though. The ladies often "suggest" dim sum dishes you should "try"....which means buy. Sometimes we get a little carried away with ordering and are left with leftovers to take home. Dim sum, especially the fried stuff, doesn't taste so good when its not fresh out of the steamer or fryer, so I suggest, order dishes slowly, as to avoid having lots of leftovers.
(4)
dean t.

Last lunch in downtown before heading back to the Mainland...sister-in-law suggested Mei Sum and were my wife, son and I happy! Garlic eggplant (two orders, was so good), pork hash, half moon, baked char siu bao, shanghai mai fun noodles w/ shrimp, look fun - they were all excellent. Was 1:30 PM, but the place was packed with Asians and haoles. The ladies with the dim sum carts were generally helpful. No room for dessert, so we'll need to come back to try the coconut tapioca and custard. Reasonably priced, parking a hassle, service okay, but the food is terrific...and you can stop by the flower vendors on Beretania, by Maunakea St., after your meal to pick up a freshly-strung lei.
(4)
Liz C.

Shrimp Porkhash, Garlic Fried Rice, Mini Charsiu bao, and Honey Walnut Shrimp. May you feel like a buddha at the end of that feast!
(5)
Doris D.

Really cheap and local place. Trust me, they treat you better if you speak Cantonese! The dim sum tends to be on the lukewarm side but I can deal, given the price!
(4)
Avy R.

This is my favorite place to get dim sum at. Well, I have only been in a few dimsum places in Chinatown, maybe there are better ones I havent tried. You should let me know if you have a better dimsum spot! ;-] They recently moved though, about a few blocks down, a bit away from Chinatown. Looks cleaner, nicer bathroom. Still quite small though. Yeah, you kinda have to wait outside when it's busy... but it's worth it, cuz dimsum is the cure to everything! :P
(4)
Aldora K.

I love dimsum. Mei sum is one of the few places that has mai lai go ( sponge cake ) that is good. You just have to order once you get a table because it takes about 10 minutes to be ready from the kitchen. In all, I think the Mei sum is a good place to bring family and friends for some dim sum.
(4)
Manako E.

My friend and I used to have this as our Friday lunch spot. Their dim-sum isnt SUPER amazing, but it's good. One of my favorite dim-sum places next to Legend's. My favorite is the fried eggplant. I give it three stars cause their waitresses are always reallllly mean. But they're kinda fun to watch too...
(3)
Janine S.

Mei Sum has been my only dim sum restaurant for years. They are the only restaurant that makes a char siu bao so fluffy and sweet and perfect that I order more than one. The chicken maunapua is yummy, and my order always includes chicken dumplings (they taste like gingery chicken noodle soup), sweet corn fish cakes (put the chili sauce on them), and mochi rice in lotus leaves (OMG YUM). I usually go on a weekday if possible or as early as I can on a weekend. I actually don't like the cart. I prefer the dim sum to come out of the kitchen. Flagging down the cart lady is not my thing. Speaking of which, the only reason I gave this place four stars is because of the service. Consistently so-so and sometimes the water isn't filled, but there's always hot tea in front of you. FYI, prior to their new location the reviews might not be the best. It was cramped and dirty and I think this made the service worse. I wouldn't have wanted to work there. The new place seems to have rejuvenated the employees of Mei Sum and I've been having better and better experiences since. Plus, when my boyfiend and I can both get super stuffed for less than $20 I really can't say no. Bottom line: It's cheap and pretty good. What do you have to lose?
(4)
Gina B.

I'm a weekend Mei Sum Dim Sum regular. Not because its the best Dim Sum I've ever tasted. So, why then? Because, nothing cures a hangover like walking in the hot sun (same intensity whether its 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.) to the corner of Pauahi and Smith streets to be seated in the midst of this bustling, loud restaurant. I start feeling like a normal person once I take my seat. That's almost all it takes. Then comes the dim sum and hot tea! My selection of favorites include mochi rice, fried taro, look fun with shrimp, pork hash, char siu manapua, garlic eggplant, custard tart... A party of two can spend as little as $13 total (that's tax and tip included - but a dim sum order of about 4 items). I'd quit drinking if it were costing me much more to recover from my hangovers. So as long as I'm drinking, then I'll be coming back to Mei Sum Dim Sum!
(3)
Aris F.

The dim sum is decent and the prices very reasonable -- four dishes a mere $11 with tax. Service could be smoother, even for a dim sum restaurant -- I'd have ordered more, but I felt like I was being rushed. (And please don't try to dump lukewarm turnip cakes on me next time. I like my turnip cakes hot from the kitchen!) Bathroom could be kept cleaner....
(3)
Trang T.

BEST DIM SUM EVER!!.. Try the lock fun and the shrimp dumplings. The noodles taste super fresh as well as the shrimp.. Nom Nom Nom Nom. !
(5)
theresa s.

good to great dim sum. the chicken buns and steamed scallop dumplings are my favorite. food is made fresh. new location is clean but lighting is too bright-- think florescent bulbs.... it can also get very warm in the restaurant. some of the wait staff are very nice, while the others just are racing around-- i think they need more help on the floor. nice that it is BYOB. bring your own glasses, or they will give you water glasses.
(3)
David K.

Good dim sum at fair prices. My nephew is a foodie and I have to take him out. New location but same dependable quality dim sum.
(4)
Sasha Y.

my husband and i just had lunch here today,we ordered 6 dishes totally: mochi rice,shrimp pork hash,chicken feet,garlic eggplant and half moon,we tried to order almond tofu for dessert but was told sold out, so we ordered a tapioca,and they gave us one for free,the dim sum was good,price was reasonable,the total cost was $16.5 plus tip.i could see that they've really got good business,the restaurant was full,if we were here 1 minute later,we would definitely join in the waiting line!
(4)
Katrina F.

I love this place! The food here is never disappointing. My only complaint is that the service is kind of bad. I am white, and they dont exactly treat me with much respect...but I am used to that walking into Asian restaurants. They sure are nice to me when I am with my Chinese father in law!! Haha. But the food is so good that I still give this place five stars. If you want excellent dim sum, this is the place to go! Im not sure if this has changed since they moved locations, but I know they closed EXACTLY at 8:45 on the dot...so dont get there late! I remember we were having a small dinner party there one night and a friend came a little before 9, but they wouldnt let her in! We had to beeegg for a few minutes and finally they caved. Funny ladys that work there...so strict!!
(5)
Max K.

Sum Ting Wong? Ah? Nah...just kidding... I love their dim sum here. I've ordered a few items on the menu too but we're usually here for the dim sum. I enjoy the Deep Fried Eggplant with Garlic....(ooh..boy...ah...you gonna love this one...ah!)...sorry, had to throw that one in. We always get the Siu Mai (pork hash), Bean Curd Roll (my favorite), Black Bean Spareribs (my gf's favorite), Deep Fried Seaweed Roll, and the Bean Curd Roll (whoops, already said that one...but it's my favorite...hahaha!) Off the menu we've tried the Dry Style Chow Fun with Black Bean and some other noodle dishes. They were all good. We already know we'll be back and enjoy the Bean Curd Roll (oops, I did it again)... ...and the new location looks larger than the older space. It looks cleaner too. Definitely a must try!
(4)
V M.

Not the best dim sum I've had but my cousin suggested this place since I wanted some dim sum. The dim sum was greasy/oily but it hit the spot. The waitresses were nice and suggested types of food that my sister might enjoy since she's a vegan. I'd come back to eat here. Parking can be a pain. Prices are decent.
(3)
Derrick N.

Good Dim sum, they moved from their previous location, to a bigger place. On par with legend. They don't have the cart for the fried dim sum, but you can order from kitchen. Another great place for dim sum.
(4)
Love S.

So I bookmarked this place to try at a later time. I drove to chinatown looking for Pauahi street and my new found dim sum place on yelp. I saw a line coming out of this restaurant and I said to myself, " they have pretty good dim sum there". Then I looked at the sign and it said Mei Sum. Sh*t, I drove all the way to chinatown to check out a place I've eaten at 4 or 5 times. derrrr....sharpest tool? Shed? I parked in the Maunakea parking garage and went to Happy Garden around the corner instead.
(4)
Jolly R.

This is your typical Dim Sum place. Food is pretty good for the price. I ordered shrimp dumplings and vegetarian eggplant.
(4)
TH N.

Decent dim sum for very resonable price. It is not the best dim sum place in HI, I admit, but their price is unbeatable.
(5)
Tania P.

I went to their new location last night... The new location is bigger... That's about it. All the dim sum was incredibly bland or fishy/old tasting. The dim sum is not as good as it used to be. Next time I want late night dim sum I'm going to Mandalay or Panda!!! What sucks is that I passed up Bangkok Chef to go here. Grrr!
(2)
Mia F.

Delicious dumplings, friendly servers, much cleaner than other Chinatown establishments...a must try!
(4)
Amy H.

First dim sum back on the island and it sure didn't disappoint! We ordered the tried and true favorites - steamed char siu bau, siu mai, har gau, and taro gow. They probably have one of the best taro gow I've tried (it was actually hot!). The cart service was quick, which probably was helped by the small size of the restaurant. We got in around noon, so the restaurant was mostly full and had a good turn-over of dishes. All-in-all, a good little dim sum place in Chinatown.
(4)
K K.

Mei Sum is a good place to get your dim sum fix without the MSG twitch that you get from most places. We had an early lunch (10:45am) this weekend and was surprised to see this place already packed. We were lucky that when we walked in there was an empty table available. We quickly got our plates, tea cup and a pot of hot tea. Because the restaurant is crowded and not ideal for those carts they normally don't move it around to all the tables. Instead you have to just ask a waitress for what you want. You'll quickly find that if you want steamed items it can only come from the lady with the steamed cart and fried items only from the lady with the fried cart. The fried cart was almost empty and most items I asked for had a "10 minute" wait. Even after 10 minutes we never got it. Instead we were lucky to have a table close to the kitchen so whenever a fresh batch of dim sum came out one of the staff would walk around with a tray asking "you want pot stickers?, you want fried turnip?, etc". Be sure to make eye contact with this lady if not she'll past you by. If you're table is on the opposite side of the room you probally won't get a shot at these fresh offerings. The dim sum are tasty without the MSG additive and prices are reasonable. My wife and I spent about $26 for the following items. Spare ribs with black bean sauce - tender and tasty! Chicken with mushroom dumpling - juicy and stuffed with filling Pork with crab dumpling - okay Items we got fresh from the kitchen: Fried fish cake with corn - the corn gave it a nice sweet taste and blended well with the fish. Good! Potstickers - my favorite! filled with yummy goodness. Really good! Garlic chicken wings - one word.... ONO! Garlic stuffed eggplant - another one word description... ONO! Char siu look fun - wife's favorite dish. Perfect with the garlic dishes.. If you haven't eaten here and like dim sum you're missing out!
(4)
Dev C.

The only saving grace of this place is the scallop taro puff with a little mayonnaise on the side. That being said, I gave this place a 1 star because I was drinking tea here and I thought some of the tea leaves in my cup looked funny. When I looked closer I noticed the a couple of "leaves" had legs. CAVEAT EMPTOR.
(1)
Mailani W.

My dim sum experience always lands on extreme ends of the spectrum. I either get the feisty Chinese auntie who uses her tongs like a weapon selling me items off her cart like Billy Mays. If you take too long (in her terms) to decide she will often use her tongs like a jabbing instrument. OR, the other side being the dim sum cart will stop by every table in your vicinity but not yo damn table! I swear they see me waving and give me eye contact and then it's heading my waay..... and then SYKE! she rolls away. Be that as it may, the chicken and char siu hum bao is solid alongside the gyoza. Dig the mochi balls w/pork inside! Tastes like the food was just made and not sitting on the cart for half a day. Hong Kong style noodles are popular and the garlic fried rice is mad garlicky (warning). Although I didn't think it was all that. If you don't see something on the cart, order through the ladies and it will soon be on your table. They also have an extensive regular dining menu as well if dim sum isn't on your agenda.
(4)
Eric X.

This was my go to spot for dim sum until I realized I could get equal caliber for less around the corner. In fact I can think of two places where you will save .80 to a dollar per plate and suffer no loss of quality. That adds up. This place has great stuff when it's cart time, but don't come when they are about over, because you'll end up with plates that have been sitting around. I enjoy the traditional serving style, but I also like fresh.
(3)
uilani c.

The dim sum was decent but nothing much more than most other places I've had the pleasure of dining. The service was typical of many dim sum/Chinese restaurants, I will leave it at that. :) What I did find outstanding is the vegetarian dry emein. Whoa, babycakes! The noodles were soft enough to have absorbed just the right amount of liquid and it was perfectly flavored. The texture of the noodle was still apparent because of the perfect absorption. Most def the best emein I have tasted in Hawaii. Brief run down on the parking: the lot with the posted map of Mei Sum is NOT their parking lot. It's street parking or the municipal parking lot. And both are heinously full for most of the day.
(3)
n p.

Went here for lunch today and walked out full and happy. It was crowded but we got seated in under five minutes and from there it was just me and all the food that was spread over the table. It was really good and I ate so much that I can't even remember what the names of the dishes were but everything was delicious. Definitely going back.
(5)
Christine S.

Tasty dim sum and noodle dishes. Be in the mood for grease.
(3)
Omar E.

Mei Sum is far and away my favorite dim sum on in Honolulu, and therefore Oahu/Hawaii in general! I've tried a bunch of the other famous places in Honolulu, esp. Fook Lam and Tai Pan Dim Sum, and I'd take Mei Sum over them any day. Especially awesome here is the 'Mochi Puff', probably the greatest dim sum item of all time (a deep fried mochi ball, filled w/ minced pork). Give it a shot sometime, the staff is relatively friendly for a dim sum place, and the owners are very welcoming!
(5)
JC C.

Always good dim sum. For better service and fresh dim sum, go at night.
(4)
Edwina K.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Mandarin) Had a great time walking the streets of Chinatown this afternoon. This was my first time (in Honolulu) and it was buzzing with food vendors, kid activities, etc. We made our way for some Dim Sum and Mei Sum was crowded! The food was fresh and piping hot - so delicious!!! We got the usual and since it was New Year's, we also ordered the Singapore street noodles - made with curry and it had a kick to it! We left Chinatown with full bellies, two goldfish, a narcissus plant, and 5 GIGANTIC sunkist oranges. They each weighed a little more than a pound!!
(4)
Jonathan D.

In the early 2000 year their dimsum was genius. I've been here more then twenty times since the new millenium started. Idk what went wrong. The food seems more greasy. Or maybe it's because they changed locations that they decided to bacome more lazy with the service. Either way I know I'm never going back because of the greasy food and lousy service that forgot my charsu bou (manapua) and didn't refill my tea or water even if I asked. And there was no one else in the place besides me and a friend. So disappointed :(
(1)
Cindy G.

5/18 - $25.80 (for 2) - Out foodspotting and had lunch at Mei Sum's new location at 1170 Nuuanu Ave. This small restuarant seats about 80 max and usually has a waiting line...for good reason!! Luckily, we arrived for lunch just before the crowd. Service was quick and the food was super yummy!! We had the recommended PORK HASH but we also had SHRIMP DUMPLINGS, SEAWEED CRAB ROLLS, and the SPRING ROLLS...yummy yummy!! Plus, took the BUTTER & GARLIC SHRIMP to go with the intention of having for dinner but didn't last an hour. I asked around and they are open from 7:30am-8:30pm and serve dim sum from the rolly carts all day long...we'll definately be back.
(4)
Irene C.

Christ Almighty hallelujanh. I would like to thank God for this blessed place. I am Chinese, I love dim sum. It's like I have an innate Dim Sum-dar (that's my dim sum radar), and this one is totally on it! (Does that make sense?) Anyway, LOOOOOVE that it's close to my crib, LAAAAAAMMMEE that parking is a bastard, but it is well worth it. It tends to get uber crowded, so try and go on an off night. . .say, Wednesday at 6:48pm. If you go, you have GOT to try their deep friend shrimp dumplings (I can't spell anything in Chinese or else I look ignorant). I seriously order two of those for myself whenever I go there. Sharing them makes me really angry inside. It's also SUPER affordable. Unfortunately, there's also a lot of tourists. I'm not too fond of tourists, but I'm sure I looked and acted like one at some point. To the Dole Plantation! Just kidding. Oh, and for some reason, I always feel itchy there. But the food is good. Always good.
(5)
Devon S.

Pretty good dim sum. They had all the typical delicacies you get at any local dim sum eatery. But one main difference. In a word? Garlic...i mean GAAAAAAARLIC! Dont get me wrong, i love the stuff, but geeze! Ok, like, helped a friend of mine move into a new place so she took me here for lunch. I love dim sum so i was SO game. We ate and the food was good. Really it was. It wasnt until later that i realized how seasoned it was. After eating so much, i was too sleepy to just go home from her place so i crashed on her couch while she napped in her bedroom. About a hour into my slumber, i turn over in my sleep and im like "man, whats that smell?". Oh well, no big deal. Another hour goes by and i wake up from my nap altogether. Damn, whats that smell? I know we didnt bring any food home with us. Hmm, oh well, so i get up to go put her computer together and whatnot and i am haunted by the smell of dim-sum, Wth is going on? It was then that i sniffed my arm and realized that it was ME! I smelled like straight up garlic cloves! Insane. Whats worse, when my friend woke up from her nap, i hear her say to herself in her bedroom "whats that smell?" I just started laughing. Didnt have the heart to tell her it was her. 3.5 stars all things considered.
(3)
David M.

Worst service in Honolulu. Not only are they rude but very unattentive. Went in the early afternoon one day. They sat us on one of the center tables and brought us water. That was pretty much it! We were one of four tables, two of which were sat after us. We sat there for 15 minutes watching the other tables get tea and their orders taken. We didn't even get menus yet! Their reply to this inconvenience was that they did not see us?!?! We were sat in the center of the room and were already given water! They get 1 star for the water! 0 stars for service. All the people that will hear of this unacceptable experience......priceless!
(1)
Maile F.

This place is consistently good. I like having the choice to eat dim sum all day and night. The service is hit or miss. Sometimes really good. Other times not. We just keep reminding the waitress's what we are lacking. Sometimes we get the attitude but oh well. We had Helen the other night. She was awesome. But then we found out that there is more than one Helen. Beware! I like the garlic eggplant, seafood roll, taro puff, mochi goh, and the house special fried rice. Beef lookfun not so good. Capital pork chop was just okay.
(4)
Robyn T.

Dim Sum is sooooo great and the price is very reasonable! You can get your food really fast. Its great to order but I always get so full from just ordering from the carts. I order siu mai or pork hash, har gau or shrimp dumpling, jing char siu boa (steamed) go char siu boa (baked) or manapua, jung or lo mai gai which is the mochi rice with filling steamed in lotus leaf, and fried taro or woo kwok. Yummy... all great! The garlic eggplant is great too but you have to order it. For dessert... Coconut jin doi or custard pie (dan tat).
(4)
A K.

Mei Sum has the best dim sum hands down. But this will be my LAST TIME going there. We got there around 12p. The lunch rush was just ending. We sat down and the three of us were really hungry. The waitress took our order as she walked to and from our table to help someone else... half paying attention (Strike 1) I asked for dim sum and she said I needed to wait for the cart. (The dim sum cart sat unattended for 10 min without moving!) I asked the waitress again for dim sum. She tells me I have to wait for the cart. :/ then she takes our menu. We didn't even order dim sum yet! She talks to another waitress and 5 min later the cart finally comes. I could barely understand what she was saying and couldn't point to anything since I didn't have a menu! She gives me a menu and starts walking away! She talks to the table next to us then comes back and finishes my order. (Strike 2) BUT I had to wait for another 15min for a different server to bring garlic eggplant! (Strike 3) When we were done eating I asked for a box. By this time the lunch crowd had dissipated. She tells me rudely that I need to wait a moment. I watched as she did everything else except grab me a box! We paid the bill and 10 min later I'm still waiting for a box! (STRIKE 4) I was so pissed and extremely disappointed by then. I finally grabbed my own box on there shelf and we left. There are no excuses for BAD customer service... Including good food.
(1)
Jennifer D.

Although it's not your cheapest option in the neighborhood for Dim Sum, the food is tasty and the rude service makes it totally authentic! Reminds me of home sweet Honkers!
(3)
Nick Y.

"You down with MSG? Yeah you know me." I'm not certain if Mei Sum actually uses MSG, but they don't make any claims to the contrary. Also, the boxes of anti-hypertensive tea for sale behind the cash register seem to be their tacit admission of "flavor enhancement." Anyway, circling Chinatown for parking, the long wait on the sidewalk, the gruff service, and the dingy dining room add charm to the overall Mei Sum experience. Even if you disagree, it all becomes worth it when that cart rolls around.
(4)
Kit T.

Brusque service, reknowned dim sum, consistent flavor. Meatarian focus, vegetarians are not well accommodated. Have eaten here dozens of times. Love the mochi pouch in lotus leaf (these are big, servers can snip them in half to make 4 pieces), scallop and spinach dumpling, shrimp dumpling, and char siu bao. The cake noodle is also a winner, with minute chicken, rivals the old Lee Hou Fook on River St, or Mini Garden...my favorite thing from tonight was a sign in the bathroom that said "if you squat, please wipe up stray spots." Now I feel like I am in a developing country! Heh. It's not rocket science, it's good dim sum.
(4)
Eileen S.

Thanks to fellow yelpers, we decided to give this place a try to satiate our dim sum craving while we were in Honolulu last week. This place is was pretty good and we left content. The dim sum cart pushing ladies speak Cantonese, so that was perfect for me. Otherwise I would have had to rely more on the laminated photo description cards under the glass top on the table... CheungFun (as we call it in the east coast) is called LookFun here!
(3)
Stacey L.

While my husband and I were in Waikiki, I needed some dim sum! We got a late start on a Thursday and didn't get over to Chinatown until 2pm, and were doubtful that places would still be serving. But then we found Mei Sum! After quickly being seated and served hot tea, we perused the menu. The pictures of each offering were very helpful, as we have only had dim sum in Chicago and St. Louis and some items were different. We ordered about six different things - potstickers, bbq pork buns, dried scallop dumplings, scallop and spinach dumplings, coconut buns, and shrimp dumplings. So delicious! It took a good 20 minutes to get our food, since after 2pm they cook dim sum to order, but that meant that everything was piping hot. The scallop and spinach dumplings were my favorite, with fresh spinach and good-size scallops in a steamed dumpling. The coconut buns were a great ending (we have had red bean paste buns before, but it being Hawaii, decided to try something different) to the meal. We were pretty stuffed by the end, and the bill came to $16! Can't do better than that in Honolulu! I would definitely suggest Mei Sum to anyone interested in dim sum - cheap prices, good service, and delicious food!
(4)
Kuli O.

Mei Sum has solid basic dim sum. I go there at least once every two weeks and the staff is responsive and kind. I enjoy the spinach and scallop dumplings and the deep fried eggplant. Sometimes they try to pass over not-so-hot dumplings, but every time I ask they get fresh ones. The atmosphere reminds me of CHina town in NY in the 1970s but a lot cleaner. ;)
(4)
Kacy L.

Favorite dimsum spot. Service is hit or miss sometimes but the food is worth it. make sure to order the mei sum fried noodles with your dim sum!
(5)
Hiro S.

We went there for lunch today. I was actually surprised to get good service at a Chinese dim sum place. :p They welcomed us with big smile! We ordered a couple of dim sum dishes ( shrimp dumplings, shu mai, beancurd rolls, soup dumplings, etc.) along with some noodle soup (saimin and won ton noodles). They were all good and so reasonablly priced (aka cheap!). We all liked and, sure we would be back here again!
(4)
John A.

It's surprisingly hard to find Dim Sum on Oahu, as a lot of the asian places don't advertise it... and then some only serve it during certain hours. I actually ended up finding this place when I was on my way to Hana'uma Bay (again) and decided to venture in. The inside is decorated just like any small business in Hawaii, so nothing fancy. The price is relatively inexpensive, however it tasted like some of the food suffered because of this. I don't want to write a severely scathing review as I only went there once (I usually give a place 2-3 strikes) but I will definitely venture back there again when I go back. Oh yeah, the sticky rice was a little dry. Was it left out too long/not enough moisture?
(2)
Christopher C.

Visit: 7/24/09 - Lunch. Dim Sum. The food was good. They had this chicken dumpling that was okay. The mochi rice was good. Deep fried shrimp was not so good. I think they left it out too long. Service was better today. Price was good. $18 for 2 of us. I will come back.
(3)
beth c.

I have been here several times. The first two times i ordered dim sum and it was fine. However, recently i decided to venture out a little. I ordered the won ton noodles. Horrible! As I was eating, I found pieces of metal, like the pieces you would find from your chore boy scrubber, (the ones you used to scrub your dishes with) it was in my bowl entangled in the noodles. Disgusting. I called the waitress over to tell her and she looked at me, nonchalantly and said, " You no like?" And appeared irritated like I was being a pain. Ugh, i did not want another bowl. I left.
(1)
Jocelyn L.

"Love the dim sum there...fave in Honolulu"
(3)
hanako y.

clean and good food.
(5)
Charley C.

I had dim sum there with my awesome sister the second day I visited Hawaii. Didn't expected much from the decor as we arrived but the dim sum turned out to be pretty delicious. Of course it wasnt great by Hong Kong standard, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. (We had barbecue pork buns, shrimp fun cheong, ma lai go(malaysian cake), ha-gau, etc) It was very inexpensive too. Would definitely go back if I had the money to visit HI again. :)
(3)
Angry K.

I have to say that there is nothing completely outstanding about this place. The dim sum is okay - there are better and worse places in Chinatown. And the service, well, just like any other Chinese restaurant, it's hit or miss. Depends on the person, I suppose, but don't expect them to be exceptionally friendly or go out of their way. The one great thing about this place? They serve dim sum after 2pm, which you will not find anywhere else! They serve dim sum all the way to 9pm, and it's guaranteed to be fresh. But that also means that you have to wait a bit. Parking for Mei Sum does suck, too. If you find street parking nearby, that's your best bet, or you can park at the municipal parking lot underground a little ways away. Otherwise, you can park at the stupid lot right across the street that charges $5. Ouch.
(3)
Ryan Y.

Had dim sum over here yesterday, fast service, nice dim sum portions and cheap. Most of the dishes we ordered were the meduim size ones at $2.65/plate. Dining partner had the chicken feet which I don't eat, but from other places noticed that the feet are plumper over here, good if you're into chicken feet I guess.
(4)
Hazel T.

Service takes forever for the food to come out. The workers are not that friendly, well some are. I think they need more workers. The place is clean tho. They have parking in back of the restaurant and meter parking in the front. Baked manapua are the bomb! The price is legit , but food takes foreverrrr. Next time I'll just make a phone order
(3)
Emily G.

I would give five stars, but this was the first time I've eaten dim sum at a restaurant, so I have no comparison. My husband and I showed up at about 5:30 on a Saturday and stuffed ourselves for ~$25. We were served immediately, and each dish was freshly prepared and tasty! I ordered the garlic fried eggplant, and it was crispy and not too heavy. Nothing stood out as greasy or soggy, and we both left with a smile. We plan on returning before our vacation is over.
(4)
Niki F.

The two stars are primarily for the service which was TERRIBLE. My boyfriend and I walked in at 1230pm on a Tuesday and the place was packed (which we saw as a good sign). We waited and waited and waited for a server to stop at the door. Seeing that there were no open tables she had us put our name on a list, which was fine. A couple of guys came in a couple of minutes after us. Because there is no waiting area and we were in the door way we told the hostess we'd wait right outside. We had been waiting about 7 mins outside when I noticed a party leaving, so I figured they'd come call us as soon as they wiped down the table. I was wrong, as the walls are made of glass, I watched as the hostess sat the two people who came in after us! What's up with that? I walked in to see what was going on and the employees just ignored us or asked us how many in our party, said ok, ok and walked away. The only reason I stayed was because I was really craving dim sum. About 10 mins later we were finally seated. Service through out the meal was just as poor. I mean come on, if you're going to be rude and grouchy at least be efficient. They only let you order a few selected items and apart from that you have to wait for the cart to crawl over to you. When it finally did come not all of the items on the menu were even available. The dishes we did try were alright. My favorite was the seaweed roll which is stuffed with seafood, lightly battered and deep fried. The mochi rice in lotus leaves were pretty good too. Sadly, I do not think the poor service is worth putting up with for alright food. Will not be returning.
(2)
Nicole M.

I have a love hate relationship with this place. I sometimes love the dimsum and then there are days when it is terrible. Some days the waitresses remember they are in the service industry and are somewhat friendly and helpful. Then there are the other days, and most days are the other days, when the waitresses are rude, lie about what's available, shoo you out of the restaurant and demand a tip. Mu last romance ended when we had a TERRIBLE experience. Sorry Mei Sum. I'm done.
(2)
Deanthony N.

Went here a couple of times for dimsum. Like many places in chinatown, it's a bit hole in the wall, but the food is pretty good and makes me happy. In my experience, dinner time was much more pleasant than lunch. Dinner time, all of the dishes (even dim sum) are made to order and are pretty cheap cosidering what you get. Lunch time was hella busy and a lot of the dishes run out or you gotta wait. Also it's crowded with the people, and the carts moving within the limited space. Me I get the usual stuff (shumai, char siu bao both baked and steamed, other things that I don't know the names of haha). One thing I really like is the egg cream bao, THAT is really good in my opinion. Most dim sum places only have those custard tarts, but the bao at mei sum is gooooood. Service can be kinda hmmmm, but I have had nicer experiences at mei sum compared to legends and fook yuen.
(3)
Leslie T.

MId-afternoon on a weekday, Mei Sum, was quiet, two or three tables filled. The advantage? made to order dim sum was hot, fresh and delicious. Garlic eggplant, various things in fried taro, everything was good, reasonable, and made us want more. This place is a long time fav of my family and friends and did not disappoint.
(4)
David G.

The dim sum here is pretty much middle of the road when compared to other dim sum eateries in the chinatown/downtown area (I have sampled close a dozen in the last several years). Bonus for a relatively roomy and clean dining area and above average service (though the few times I have dropped in were off peak hours). One peeve: The noodle wrapping was occasionally too sticky, making it difficult to separate the individual dim sum from each other. The biggest disappointment was the deep fried softshell crab--I expected it to be oily but it was on the super duper greasy side. Otherwise, again, pretty typical fare and quality for the area.
(3)
Brandon S.

Taste was ok but everything was soggy. I was very disappointed .
(2)
Mica M.

Just ate here after not having done for probably 5-6 years and since they've moved to their new location...mostly good reviews. We ordered: Minute chicken cake noodle (family style platter) Choy sum w/ oyster sauce (dim sum portion for approx. 4) Pork hash (3 pcs) Har gow (steamed shrimp ball) (3 pcs) Turnip cake J Mochi rice (3 pcs) Taro gok (deep fried taro puff) (3 pcs) Eggplant garlic (4-5 pcs) First, let me start by saying all the food was tasty and done really well. The cake noodle was fried perfectly and not overdone and accompanied by the perfect amount of sauce, chicken and choy sum. It was a healthy portion for several people to enjoy. The har gow -shrimp balls- were freshly steamed and generously filled. I like the strips of thin bamboo shoot they put inside w/ the shrimp. The pork hash was tasty but very small in size. Each hash could've probably sat exactly within the area of a quarter...much smaller portion than I recall but again, a great flavor. The turnip cake was freshly griddle seared and was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside but the cakes were cut barely a half inch thick and used to be more substantial in size. The choy sum with oyster sauce was standard and good. The taro gok (fried taro puff) was fresh, light, tasty and not greasy with a yummy pork, mushroom and mashed taro filling. The mochi rice was flavorful and sticky with a filling of pork, mushrooms, shrimp and maybe some chesnut - all very good. I'd read a quick yelp review prior to heading there today and I'd seen someone mention the eggplant garlic so I had to try it and am glad I did. The eggplant is cut thick, stuffed with a super fresh homemade fishcake, lightly battered and fried and served with a sprinkle of fried minced garlic. The eggplant was cooked perfectly and was tender all the way through and the fishcake was light tasting and perfectly complimentary to the garlicky bits...a repeat dish for sure. All in all a great experience and Mei Sum still has some of the tastiest dim sum in my humble opinion. Would like to go back and try the whole fried softshell crabs they were peddling...they looked amazing! Check them out if you're in the Nuuanu/Downtown area if you have a craving for dim sum! Their new location is right next to the post office at the top of Nuuanu and Beretania. Parking available under their building, street or in the municipal lot across the street by Marks Garage.
(4)
Amit B.

Wonderful service and absolutely delicious food. I went with a local guy who was my "guide" who spoke to the waitstaff in Mandrin Chinese. I think I'd be a little out of my element if I tried it solo, but if you are adventurous, I say, go for it. The food is certainly worth it.
(5)
Shelley K.

I love dim some & my fav place is Legends in the Chinese Cultural Plaza...but when I was cheap & good dim sum I go to Mei Sum :) this place has good dim sum that's served all day for less than the high end places. If you are craving dim sum & are on a tight budget then this place is for you.
(3)
Augusto D.

Reasonably priced for good dim sum! It's just a little weird for me that they serve the dim sums using hand carried trays instead of the push carts.
(5)
Albert F.

Mei Sum is a fairly decent dim sum joint. Usually crowded, its a safe bet for dim sum. The restaurant is on the smaller side, but its kept clean and alot of people like it.
(3)
Jennifer H.

I can't believe I didnt write a review of this place yet! This place makes decent and very yummy dim-sum. They just relocated to Nuuanu and Beritania so some of the old pictures are out-dated. Definately try the chicken feet and the Sticky-rice wrapped in lotus leaves!!! Best damn chicken feet ever here! Love the steamed cake too ( Ha-Kau). I come here every month. This is DA SPOT!!! So nice and clean and very good service and so homey! Maybe cause i speak chinese that they service me better...=p
(4)
Jesse C.

I'm a weekend dim sum warrior! Don't get it twisted this isnt the best place to dim sum or the worse for that fact. But I loathe the larger restuarant because if you arent a vocal person, you will never get serviced. This smaller-sized establishment offers the same quality of dim sum you crave and deserve but without the need to use your hunger growls to call out a server. Come hungry and get your fill of a hawaii staple breakfast!
(3)
Arthur R.

If you enjoy rudeness and mediocrity you will have a good time here. Waited 1 3/4 hour for food listed as specials and was finally told, "It is not cooked yet." We were seated in the patio area and two tables next to us were served and turned over twice. A large band of yellow-shirted Asians arrived after we'd been there for an hour arrived and were served immediately. Don't know if they were fascists (e.g. like Italian black shirts and German brown shirts, but they were treated as if royalty). We explained food was needed quickly when we arrived (just taken insulin) but made no difference. Getting close to the two-hour mark we headed to Indigo's for good service and better food. Gosh, these people are rude. We were at the old location same time last year and then it was delightful. Don't know why, we were dressed up nicely and everything. No star.
(1)
wesley t.

Nothing special, but the service is terrible. The Mei Sum special cake noodle was horrible. The noodles were served gummy and the sauce was very bland. The waitresses tried to convince us that the dish was good. I rate the service as a big zero.
(1)
Anita L.

We really liked this little place because they were so nice to us. The dim sum selection is average, but it tasted good. The staff were just so kind and accommodating perhaps because they usually get a regular crowd and had never seen us before. They had the traditional Hong Kong style noodles, rice plates etc here as well as dim sum. Everything was very reasonable.
(3)
Dale C.

I could have given this place more stars, but the service is horrid! Even fast food restaurants have better service than this place, but the food is good to above average. As long as one overlooks the poor service, the food is very satisfying. Customers are treated like another pig in the farm. Keep in mind that tips are deserved instead of expected, so when the service was just bad, we left a small tip. They looked at us like they deserved more. But why? Food quality makes up for the poor service.
(2)
gregory g. b.

I am a dim sum lover, and have dined at some fine establishments in the L.A. area (Triple 8 Seafood, Empress Pavilion). So I consulted the waitress at "Zippy's" while visiting Honolulu and she steered me to "Mei Sum." We went early Monday morning. Parking is poor in the downtown area but we found a pretty cheap lot close by. "Mei Sum" is a typical "china town" joint. Simple tables and chairs in a fairly small room looking out on Nu'uannu Street. The dim sum was among the best I've enjoyed. We loved the har gow, shiu mie, and fun gor. The baked buns were also delicious. The real treat was the eggplant fried in garlic, a new taste sensation for us that we thouroughly enjoyed. The beef noodle and red bean cake was also tasty. The waitresses were very attentive and pleasant. This place is too small for the tiny carts that typify "Triple 8" or "Empress Pavilion" but the steam table service was very good. We felt lucky to find "Mei Sum" and will be back one day for sure!
(4)
Andrew S.

Great dim sum! Came when it was empty and the service was great, friendly and the food was delicious! My new favorite dim sum in Honolulu! I recommend highly and can't wait to go back!
(5)
Ingrid S.

This is the second year of visiting this place and I don't think anyone can wrench me away from it. The food is wonderful, mostly locals come here and newbies need not worry because the menus have pictures. The food is fresh and unbelievably affordable. They do not serve alcohol but you can bring your own. The wait-staff are friendly and eager for you to take part in their restaurant. This place is open from 7am until 8:45pm (really!). Parking can be a problem if you can't find any on the street but there is a lot right across the street ($5 last I checked).
(4)
Trvlr W.

Mmmmm dim sum! Haven't had dim sum in a while - this was really great food. Of course, I went with a group of people and we totally pigged out to our hearts content. All of the dim sum was fantastic as with the jelly fish and desserts. If I can remember how to get here, I'd definately return! It's a bit crowded and a a wait line but it's worth the wait.
(4)
Rhea T.

3.5 stars. My FIL is an avid dim sum fanatic so whenever we're in Hawaii, he loves to take us out for dim sum. While I am no dim sum connoisseur by any means, I would like to think that I know "good" dim sum from the "bad". And trust me, I've had some pretty bad dim sum in my lifetime. I didn't know what to expect here, but I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, their service sort of lacks (and this is pretty common at most dim sum places that I've eaten at), but their dim sum makes up for that. They do, however; lose points for lack of parking space and service.
(3)
bimi a.

I used to love their dim sum, and always did take out. The order takers are very impatient and pushy. I only wanted 2 pieces of manapua, and they gave me 4. They took it as 2 orders. I was disappointed in their dim sum using ground pork. There were some chewy undistinguishable pork parts in there. I'll probably go back, but try to stay away from ground pork.
(3)
Christina W.

The food/quality is very good. The service is average and sometimes border poor. I wish it were a little cleaner but hey, it's Chinatown - sort of expected eh? The taro puffs are my fav! And their har gao is delic.
(3)
Satoru Y.

After having crappy dim sum since I've been back, it's good to finally get some that's decent. The service is really attentive and personable; better than most dim sum places. When we came in, it was pretty packed, but they made sure to seat us as soon as possible. They were pretty quick with the tea refills. The dim sum carts passed by pretty frequently. Luckily, the noise level inside the place wasn't as bad as some other dim sum places; such like the sometimes deafening environment at Legends from the very "vocal" staff and patrons. The food was good, but the selection was not too expansive. They did have some great items on the menu, but it seemed to be missing some items. I was looking forward to having some Intestine. They did, however, have some good Jellyfish that wasn't on the menu. I was able to order some of my other favorites such as Rice in Lotus Leaf, Look Fun, and Half Moon. Everything was of consistent quality, something that is definitely not present in most dim sum places. A good neighborhood place to get some good dim sum with a great staff.
(3)
Becky T.

Props to this place for being one of the few places downtown to be open on Sunday. I also love that you can get dim sum even in the evenings, albeit without the push cart experience instant gratification experience I love about dim sum. However, even ordering off the menu, the food came out pretty fast and piping hot, so I can't really complain. The actual food itself is pretty average dim sum offerings, but prices were reasonable and service was courteous and the waitress always kept our water glasses and teapot full.
(4)
Lauren W.

If you're about to go to a potluck party and want to bring a dish with some WOW factor try this. Place a "To go" Order for Peking Duck and a double order of rice buns from Mei Sum. Let them know that you will be steaming the buns at home. Pick up a large bamboo steamer from one of the markets on Mauna Kea Street. Put the duck on a platter at home and prep the steamer with the rice buns inside. A few minutes of steaming and voila! Instant WOW factor.
(4)
Kimberly L.

I've only come here once, and it was for dinner, and it was with the son of the family who owns it. It was interesting to eat dim sum at night for the first time ever in my life, but the food was pretty good and the setting was cleaner than most dim sum places I'm used to. I can't say I've been back, but I also can't say it would be an unpleasant experience if I did go back. I just like Legends better.
(4)
Jas A.

My favorite dim sum to eat. Flavor is always right on, but not too oily. I enjoy introducing people to eating dim sum here first. Parking is not too bad...only if you know when to come. Never have to wait in line. No one can match the price and amount of time the have dim sum service(until 8:45 PM!).
(5)
Atherfagalagi N.

Mei sum runs their dim sum service later than other places, but they don't have 20 carts zooming all over the place. Usually just one or two carts and ordering from the kitchen. The house special garlic fried rice is ono but if you don't like ham ni then you might want to skip it. They also have a slightly different and broader selection than some other places. Park on the street if you can and you usually can. After lunch head over to Otto Cake right up the street
(4)
Jeff B.

Very good. Fulfilled all my expectations. Never disappointed. I still haven't been super-wowed by anything in particular, so not five stars. But everhthing was very good. Very clean inside. And remember that alot of restaurants in Honolulu could disappoint you, so perhaps factor that in to your decision.
(4)
Leslie G.

Dim sum is good, it's usually quite crowded and noisy. Service could be improved.
(3)
Uli K.

I go here once in a while. It's not my favorite, but it's not bad either. The chicken feet and the ong choi were actually very good, but other dishes were a bit on the oily side. Service was slightly better than usual.
(3)
Tommy B.

Food is delicious, but the service is abrupt and pretty bad.
(2)
R R.

I've eaten here once and had a GREAT time. The service wasn't bad for how crowded the place was on a weekend morning. I went with about 5 or 6 other friends and we all shared family style. Everything we had was excellent and I would definitely love to eat here again.
(5)
Shayla W.

Our party of 3 came here during their dim sum hours (7 am- 2p.m) for a light lunch. We ordered multiple orders of: -shrimp dumplings -fish balls with corn -pork hash -spring rolls -steamed manapua Everything was pretty tasty! It was good but not as good as some other places in downtown. We were just happy the service was fast and always checking up on us. Our light lunch was also very cheap. It was like around $6 for the each of us and we ordered multiple orders. If you're looking for a decent, cheap, and fast place for lunch, check it out!
(4)
Robynne M.

Today was my first time trying this place for Dim Sum. It was ok nothing special we had chicken feet shrimp dumplings pork hash char su bao bean curd roll turnip cake spinach scallop dumplings look fun with shrimp deep fried taro seafood dumplings garlic soft shell crab The selections were blah i had better selections at other establishments.
(3)
Mary T.

Recommended by a friend who visited Hawaii. I was on vacation with my family and my parents were craving some dim sum. We Uber'd over to Chinatown to try this place out since my friend had eaten here when she had visited. It was a small area and very clean. The food took awhile to come out and they did forget some of our orders, but they brought it out eventually. Some of the food took awhile and we had to wait awhile in between our dishes for the remainder of the order. The ladies were nice and the food itself was pretty good.
(3)
Lianna N.

My parents and brother love coming here because the parking is very easy seeing as there is an underground cheap municipal lot just one block away. As far as dim sum it's always available and there are lots of choices on the menu. I'm not sure it's my favorite place to eat dim sum in Chinatown or in Hawaii in general but it gets the job done if you're having a craving or want to eat dim sum at an off hour that other places might not serve it. Grew up eating here so it's kind of like a staple but I do think there are better options in Chinatown with more variety. Service is what it is at all dim sum places and they're not quite as busy as other more popular places soooo you can always get a table and don't have to wait. Solid Chinese restaurant dim sum place in Chinatown where you could get a reliable meal.
(3)
Holly B.

Good Hong Kong-style dim sum is available at dinner time, which makes for a delicious variety to enjoy. We had a plate of shrimp and candied walnuts, mochi rice wrapped in lotus leaf, shrimp pork hash, char siu bao, taro gok, deep-fried seaweed, and jasmine tea. Everything was tasty, though the deep-fried seaweed and taro gok were a little oily. Quick service to get us on our way. Full house at 6:15 p.m. on a Sunday!
(4)
Brian M.

"Mei" I have "Sum" dim sum please! I know that's so corny, but what do you expect when eating dim sum for one of the first time in the morning with friends. My friend Alan T. put out the offer for morning dim sum and I just couldn't refuse. Along with Yelpers Anna F. and Jacob N. we got there at 9:00am on a Sunday which turned out to be a good choice, not that crowded. Anna F. who speaks fluently, order for the group and she's awesome when it comes to ordering food. The dishes that were order was made to order as it was still too early for the cart, I was stoked and really did care for any bun items that I saw on the cart later because I wanted to try as many new things as I could. Well I got my wish as the food kept on coming and coming, I was ready to tap out, but had to Man up because you know some Yelpers can eat! I can now say I had my dim sum fix....for the next three months..lol! Service was as Ok, but I enjoyed the translation of conversations between the waitresses from Anna. You really don't want to know what they say, pretty darn funny. Overall 3.5 Stars rounded to 4 Metered Street Parking or Municipal Parking near by.
(4)
John M.

You can find a dim sum all over Chinatown. Just feels weird they all act like they don't need your business. But we all know you come to a Chinese restaurant for the food not the service. Dim sum is not bad here. Reasonable prices. We ordered a bunch of stuff today and one of the items was a vegetable fried noodle. After taking a piece in my plate I notice something on the noodle. It looks like a worm...or something like that. (See picture). I know that kind of stuff happens but what happened after that is what got to me. She was standing there explaining to me why it's there. Then takes my plate away but ask if I'm still going to eat the rest of the noodles. Yeah I'm pretty much done at that point. Then says they'll take the noodles off the check but when I looked, it was still on the check. As you know, most times those receipts are in Chinese so had to check and ask. Someone else helped and took it off. Just a bad experience overall today.
(2)
Alizabeth H.

Food was hot and came to the table fast. It was busy in the restaurant. All the food we tried was cooked well and tasted good. The tea I enjoyed. The AC I enjoyed too. Why only 4 stars? Because the Service is a little slow when you need questions answered or need to order something else. They did make a mistake with what we ordered but they changed it and we had to wait. It was still a great meal. We couldn't finish everything we ordered. We would come back but not go out of our way to come here. I believe we ate here before but it wasn't the best experience and so we didn't try it again till now.
(4)
Gluten L.

We ate there a few times and enjoyed it. I don't think they know about gluten (it's difficult to communicate with them about it). I ate there before I was being too careful about that kind of thing. Their dim sum is awesome. Also, they're right near our apartment.
(3)
Alex G.

If you have a chance to come get some dim sum, get only dim sum! The garlic soft shell crab and luk fun were awesome! Living in San Diego I'm used to quality dim sum, I feel that the selection could be a bit better. There aren't as many options for dishes as I would have hoped. Over all the dim sum was good! Stick to the dim sum!! I was starving after missing breakfast, we finally made it here for lunch. Being the one in the group who tends to eat more to be satisfied I ordered an extra plate of fried noodles and I left without any sort of appetite. Sharing the dish, we began to shift through the assortment of meats fish and vegetables and take our picks. We found a worm hidden in the noodles. They were polite enough to remove the dish from our order as we were not going to pay for food like that.
(1)
Sasha L.

Ahh, my to go place when I need cheap quick dim sum and don't feel like going to cultural plaza. They have shanghai dumpling with soup and all the other staples! They also have garlic deep fried soft shell crab and eggplant!
(5)
Jenny Y.

We visited this dim sum restaurant after you read some reviews of yelp. Some of the comments about the waitresses not understanding English was offensive but that's why we wanted to go because the food still looked really good. They have menus and have photos of them if you don't speak any Chinese, which was perfectly fine. We brought my parents and they were able to relate to the staff. They were from the same town thank you China. The food was really good fresh to order it brought hot to the table. We ordered the classic tubes of dishes Siu Mai, chicken feet, sticky rice, shrimp ha gao and a few things we saw as their specialty like their soft shell crab. We also ordered a fried beef rice noodle dish that was so tasty. We would definitely go back next time. The restaurant was relatively clean the Chinese restaurant and the washer was it a obscure area but also clean. They also had a booster seat for my daughter which is very nice.
(4)
Maria R.

My S/O and I decided to have a late lunch following a semi-lazy Monday morning fixing our bikes and watching cartoons (how old are we now? Hahaha). We also decided that dim sum sounded appetizing, so we biked to Chinatown only to find out that Canton House was closed (my bf loves their chicken feet there). Fortunately, there is Mei Sum-- a dim sum place that my bf had been meaning to try a while. We were lucky to have our bikes because parking can be a total drag in Chinatown. There are no bike racks around the area so we locked ours on the gate in front of the restaurant. Keep in mind that because Chinatown is a lively community, the bike racks are easily filled and some bikes can be stolen so please be very careful. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were greeted by two ladies sitting down and immediately directed us to sit on a table. They weren't demanding, unlike Fook Lam's ladies so I appreciate that. It was a slow afternoon, just perfect enough for them not to rush things. We got our usual dim sum which ranged from $3 and up. Chicken feet, look fun, shrimp shumai--you name it! Their tea was also delicious, we both finished the whole pot! They have really good price for such great food. The food that we thought was superb was the fried garlic eggplant; a deep fried eggplant with deep fried minced garlic on top! It was perfectly fried-- when you take a bite, it has that little appetizing crunch and when you get to the core, its a soft core of eggplant; the minced garlic just tops it off with the extra flavor! Yum! Our bill came out to about $26-$27. In conclusion, I would like to recommend this restaurant for those who are craving dim sum and are on a budget. Although parking can be a hassle here, you could always park at the municipal building by Smith Street and take a short walk to Mei Sum. Mei sum is open until 9pm, which is perfect for those night cravings of chinese food.
(4)
John C.

I have eaten here many times since 2006. I actually took a break for a few years because I wanted to try other dim sum restaurants. I came back recently for some dim sum in the evening. It doesn't look like much has changed with their menu. They didn't have anything on the cart so they had to prepare everything fresh for us. This didn't take much time. They kept us happy with the water and waited patiently for us to order. We were satisfied and at the end, they gave us each a small bowl of coconut tapioca soup.
(4)
Lai T.

Dear Mei Sum, you're like the blind date which start off with high hopes and then ended up being such a waste of a night. Seriously! The line outside was impressive considering that it was near 1 PM on a Saturday. But then when it took about 20 minutes to get my to-go order I was pretty turned off by you. I understand you were out of my taro gwok and had to make more, but honestly-did you run out of taro and have to sneak out to go buy some at the nearby grocery store? While I was waiting for my order, I witnessed a restaurant full of folks who were either hangry and waiting for a table or eating without much passion or happiness at their table. One table in particular was upset because the order they placed 30 minutes ago had never made its appearance-despite the fact that they had followed up with 4 different employees. Hmmm...seemed like what I experienced was the norm. Meanwhile the managers were running around frantically trying to turn those frowns upside down-but scolding their employees out in the open. The upset customer told the manager that his Trip Adviser review would read good food but "lousy" service. Sounds about right to me. Get it together, Mei Sum. You have the potential, but definitely have some kinks to work out in terms of staff communication, which ultimately affects your execution on service.
(2)
Leslie T.

The little food we got was good. We were at Mei Sum for about 45 minutes and how the place works is they bring around carts of food for you to pick from. The cart when by one time and never again. Our table got skipped each time. I did not get full or enough food to eat. Customer service was not good. We pretty much got ignored the whole time.
(2)
Richard T.

Just visited here and was not impressed at all. The food was ok but the service was a joke. I would say the majority of foreign / Asian ran places typically don't have good service but I would say these people were rude and maybe a bit discriminatory (disclaimer: I'm Asian)!! Please skip this place!
(1)
Alessandra B.

Newbie friendly :) We saw that the servers are really nice and are willing to explain in detail what kind of dim sum they have in their carts. Some of the servers try to slip you plates without you asking for them, but if you don't want it just say no! Not a huge selction of dim sum, but they do have other dishes you can order. We're San Francisco- Bay Area natives so we have high expectations when it comes to dim sum, but this place will do til we can go home and get the good stuff.
(4)
Alain S.

Good food, good value. Had more fried than steamed food so have to try another time when back in Oahu to really evaluate. I did like the mushroom dumpling and would visit again
(3)
Julius R.

Food is not that bad. We ate breakfast for the Chinese new year. Lucky enough to watch a lion dance close and up front. Parking is across the street. $4 an hour. Would I come here again? Why not.
(3)
Jon H.

If you're looking for a cheap dim sum then Mei Sum is your answer. It's ugly, it's old, but hey, you'll get plenty of food for your dollar. And when I say cheap, I'm talking "walk in with $10 and leave feeling fat" kinda cheap. Their dim sum menu is extensive, and if you're a veteran of the dim sum game, you're bound to find your favorites and go to orders available. Personally, I tend to gravitate towards the look fun and chive dumplings. But you really can't go wrong with an order of char siu bao or those taro puffs. Value aside, however, I don't wanna misguide you too far when it comes to the food. Yes, it's cheap and you'll leave full, but it's by no means award-winning dim sum. In fact, I'd barely list it in my top 10 dim sum stops on the island, and I honestly have to think long and hard to name that many. And the service can be a bit hit or miss sometimes. I don't believe for a second that it's intentional, but some of the workers can be irritatingly snappy. But, if you go to Mei Sum with realistic expectations, I'm confident that you'll at least leave somewhat satisfied. Because Mei Sum is located in Chinatown, across from Mark's Garage, parking could be an issue. But you can always leave your car at the municipal lot, or if you go there for dinner after 6 pm, you might get lucky and score some free street parking.
(3)
Cheni F.

Both service and food qualities were unacceptable. They used to be okay. I told my lunch buddy that I refuse to leave any tips because they did not deserve it. I think the manager heard that, pronto now he acted he cared us. I will never go back again.
(1)
Gabe R.

You should not expect super friendly service but they have some of the best Dim Sum around! I have gone here once a year for the last 4 and it's always good food. Plenty of selection and the food is always hot.
(4)
Derrick S.

I would usually get take out at this place and I would call beforehand. They tell me the order will be ready in 15. But every time I came and said I was there to pick up take out they would be like "OOhhh sh_t.... ok now we make your order". So then I would have to wait longer. what the heck! The soft shell crab is good tho.
(2)
Dyan K.

One of the main reasons why I hardly go into downtown is the parking and the atmosphere. But places like Mei Sum are one of the few reasons I will brave ghetto Chinatown, pay for crap-ass borderline unsafe parking, and ford though the hordes of homeless bums. If you like dim sum, you should try here. The deep fried shrimp and the garlic chicken wings are the musts to try. The shrimp is covered in a crispy, yet odd-colored, shell and the garlic chicken wings are doused in amazing tiny toasted garlic pieces. I love garlic, and I can eat these tiny pieces like Nerds candy. Prices are typical for a Chinese restaurant and the service is fine. I did stare at my empty glass of water for awhile until it was re-filled, but other than that, the service is okay.
(4)
Leah G.

I ordered the Pot Stickers, Pork Shrimp Hash, and the Stir Fry Beef and veggies. I was very satisfied with the dumplings and the Stir Fry was just ok. The place is a hole in the wall and it doesn't look that clean. Food was overall good.
(3)
LeaDan Y.

On my Top 5 Favorite Flavors - scallop look fun. When you order it freshly made, this tasty dish is easily absorbed into my face. I know that's a terrible visual but I could seriously just order 3 of these and walk out feeling satisfied. I don't really like the fried version of look fun that I find elsewhere. Most places also only have the char siu version, which I don't like as much. You can usually order dim sum at almost any time here which is why it is one of my favorite places to go if I want to just sit an enjoy dim sum at a reasonable price at almost any time of day. I prefer their taro, look fun, fried soft shell crab, and the friend mochi. Still I leave feeling as though I ate a lot of greasy food. I don't really like ordering their main dishes. At their previous location, I once saw one of the prep cooks drop a spring roll onto the floor, pick it up, and put it back onto the pan with the other uncooked rolls. While I warned all of my friends of this event, and many stopped coming here because of that, I still return just because of the look fun. At this new location, I would like to believe that they place greater value on cleanliness but I can't see the kitchen at all anymore so I guess, much like any other place, we take our chances. They offer quick service as well so if you are just looking to get your dim sum grind on and vanish, then this is a good choice.
(3)
Jenny C.

Oh my god ! I just bought a dish of crispy rice cake from this restaurant , after I ate half of the rice cake , found out inside had a dead inside Cockroach . I won't go to this restaurant anymore . Really feel sick of it ! Never again!
(1)
Luzcille O.

We called in our reservations for our large party of 15. Once we were all seated we ordered but was ignored after. We got the dim sum and waited over 45 minutes but our other order never arrived. We ended up leaving and it is quite doubtful anyone in our party will ever return. The dim sum was only ok... Definitely not worth returning for.
(1)
KK G.

BEST Hong Kong style dim sum in Hawaii - hands down!!! Unlike most restaurants, serves dim sum ALL day. The wrappers are perfect consistency and not too thick, which makes them mushy. Plenty of flavor. Fried garlic eggplant is a must have. This place is seriously good.
(5)
Annie C.

My friends and I had dinner here on Thursday and really really enjoyed the dim sum and food. It's not a fancy place, it's a chinese restaurant in downtown Honolulu. I would definitely come back again and recommend it.
(4)
Mike C.

San Francisco born and raised so I know what good dim sum is!! And this place was just ok. Check out the rankings below. Ha gow - 4* Skin was a little chewer than normal but had a good consistency and came out hot Fried soft shell crab - 5* 4* for the food quality but 2 crabs for $10 makes it 5* Chicken dumpling - 3* Not great not bad but perfectly ok. Hk style chow mein ~ 2* Noodles were fried right but sauce was flavorless. Fish and squid were equally flavorless. Bleh. Sticky rice in lotus leaf - 1* Rice was too glutinous and too sticky/wet. No peanuts or other filling, just meat
(3)
John vincent P.

I've eaten here in total 4 times. Yes the food is amazing, the service is not too bad but they could work on their people skills. This time though, in my opinion, the service was terrible. The ladies that work here were great, did not have any issues whatsoever with them. There was a gentleman working with long hair and glasses that made our stay feel unwelcome. Granted he took away the steamers when we were done with the dim sum but yet he could not notice we were out of water. He had an attitude the whole time we were there as well. My wife thought she left her phone in there after we left and when she went back in to see the guy kept saying no more no more its not here trying to get yer to leave. If it wasnt for that one guy i would not be writing this review. If he still works there by the next visit, i would honestly walk out and go to another dim sum restaurant down the street
(1)
Jon C.

When my fiance and I lived in Kakaako, this was one of our regular take-out dim sum spots. Main reason is they offer dim sum until 8 p.m. Often times after a post-work surf session, I would call them to place an order. The workers don't speak English very well but if you describe "shrimp dumpling" they know har gau and "pork hash" they know what you mean. Usually takes 15-20 minutes to make an order because after 2 p.m., they make the dim sum to order. The dim sum is good, not as good as some of the better places like Jade Dynasty at Ala Moana or my favorite Tai Pan and Legend Seafood in Chinese Cultural Plaza, but the prices are very good ($2.50 for a small I believe) and they offer dim sum into the evening. I've eaten there on Sunday mornings with my parents and the service is pretty attentive. It's a small place (about the same size as their old place on Smith Street. Parking is only available on the street, but I recommend the Municipal lot located underground between Nuuanu and Smith (entrance on Beretania) because I think its $1/hour.
(3)
Brian C.

Okay went here a year ago to eat with the family. It's was horrible then and it was horrible now. I read the reviews of others and I really don't see what they did. I'm all about attention to details, my family have built restaurants, flipped them and sold them. First off it is only 1 in the afternoon and they were out of egg custard. From the sound of it, they wouldn't make anymore even if we really wanted it. We also ordered a garlic egg plant in the beginning and while we got our other food the eggplant never came. So we asked about it and was told they didn't have any more now. The customer service was shooty and they were really rude. When we talked to them or order something they would not make eye contact or even look at us when responding. I asked for some Chinese mayonnaise and she forgot about it so I had to asked again 5 minutes later. Then when we needed more another lady told us it's unhealthy so she would only give us a little. I did not come there for health tips but to eat the food. The place was not the cleanest place I have seen. There was food and bits of stuff on the floor. The deco was very boring and felt like a boring restaurant from the 90's. No eye catching decor or conversation piece. Your pretty busy talking about the bad service and how dirty the place is. I did find out there is a better dim sum place down the street that cost a little bit more but is so worth it to go there instead. I DO NOT recommend this place to anyone.
(1)
Gregg T.

Horrible service!!! One time I went to pick up dim sum at 3pm because they were the only place that has all day dim sum. I ordered my food to take out and as I paid, I got scoldings for not phone ordering. The waitress gave me a disgusted look as in they didn't want to serve me. They even said "next time phone order." I was stunned and upset they would even say something like that. After that I never went to take out again. Then, I went there for the garlic soft shell crab during lunch time with my family. However, we weren't even given service after they sat us down and wasn't able to order anything. We sat for 20 minutes with no one to take our order and no carts came by either. Finally someone came and took our order but by the time we ordered, they said the crab was going to take another 15 minutes. We said never mind and just ordered things from the carts. The food had no taste and the spareribs was all fat and bones. No meat. And the look funn had hair in it so we didn't eat it. When we finished, we waited another 20 minutes just to pay. We spent over an hour just waiting for service. And what made it worst I was late for class. Dim sum suppose to be fast. But it there was nothing as in fast. Will never go back again!!!
(1)
Undercover S.

Wednesday, 6-24-15 at about 11:45 am Ugh! We were looking forward to decent dim sum at Mei Sum, but ended up with substandard quality dim sum. The only yummy thing was the deep friend soft shell crab. The eggplant stuffed with fishcake is disgusting...no taste and hardly any fishcake. Save your money and have dim sum at Golden Palace or Legend. And most of the Yelp reviews about Mei Sum's substandard food and lack of service are absolutely correct. They are in dire need of improvement. We're giving Mei Sum two stars instead of one because the servers were consistent in filling our water glasses. Thank you.
(2)
Odille C.

I went here this past weekend after a walk through Chinatown, craving dumplings. We looked everywhere for them, but they were either closed or sketchy looking so we settled for Mei Sum. The service was okay, there was one really rude waitress and one really nice one. The portions were microscopic, but tasty. I left full, but not very satisfied. Also the bathroom was partly a storage closet and was rather dirty. I don't know, if I'll return, but if I do I hope it gets better.
(3)
S A.

Always good for some dimsum. The bad...we came too early so the tripe wasn't ready yet. The good...everything we ordered came out fresh including the fried foods like the taro ball with scallop. Taro was warm and the scallop was cooked perfectly, not rubbery. The normal dim sum was good too. Will be back again for early/fresh dim sum!
(4)
Loke Y.

Took us in right away, service is average, most of our food came out quickly. Luckily we came early to beat the dinner rush.
(4)
Rissa K.

Love this place! Great place to come for inexpensive and yummy dim sum! It can get busy on the weekends but the wait isn't that bad.
(3)
Hil S.

Despite what others have said we have had great service. Very attentive and things came out fast. The dim sum was great and the Char Siu Bao was on point! We'll be back again.
(4)
Angelo A.

We visited Mei Sum today to join some co-workers in saying ALOHA to a friend that's transferring to our West campus starting next week. I asked my wife and daughters to join me. Since the girls are only 3 years old and haven't had dim sum before, I was naturally concerned that: #1 There wouldn't be anything that they would eat and #2 They might disturb the other customers with their toddler antics. Thankfully, neither of these materialized: #1 The girls loved the chow fun and, frankly, this might have been the best I've had in Honolulu thus far. They absolutely enjoyed it. #2 Since our meal was at about 4p the restaurant had very few other guests ( HINT: this is a great time to go). The girls were able to laugh and play without bothering anyone. PROS: 1. Service was fantastic. I've never had such a positive service experience at a Chinese restaurant. . . EVER. The servers were great!!! When they saw us come in with toddlers, they brought out smaller plates, forks and extra napkins right away. One even poured my wife some tea!!! 2. I'm not a dim sum expert, but everything that I tried was excellent. Hell I don't even know what I ate ( for the most part ) but it was all YUMMY. Here's some of what we had: look fun with char sui, beef chow fun, har gau, bittermellon with black bean sauce, gin dui, chicken feet, chicken wings, fried tofu, steamed fish, soft shell crab, fried seaweed (?), taro (?), custard buns... 3. They take credit cards: Visa, Master Card, Discover. 4. Comfortable environment, not noisy at all. (Granted, there weren't many other people there at the time). 5. Clean. 6. They have a restroom. CONS: 1. Parking, parking, parking. Although, there's a municipal parking lot around the corner, we were fortunate to find street parking. 2. Seemed pricey.
(4)
Stephanie M.

This was my first time to mei sum but it will not be my last. My friend and I had their taro puffs with pork, garlic fried crab, scallop mad chive dumplings, and chicken feet. Everything was soooo good, my mouths watering thinking about their food. Definitely a must try especially if you like different dumplings and what not. Their taro puffs and fried crab are MUSTS. You won't regret it
(4)
Amanda M.

The best thing about this place is the affordable price. I came here with 6 people and the bill only came out to $59. On top of that, the food is great quality and delicious. The overall service is really great too!
(4)
Carrie G.

This is one of my favorite restaurants for a wide variety of tasty dim sum. I have a few staples- scallop look fun, spinach and scallop dumplings, char siu pastry & garlic fried eggplant. The service is no frills, but the women who work there will take care of you- just be firm and clear with what you want and the quantity you want. It's BYOB :) The prices can't be beat. It's typically less than $10/person to stuff your face. Great for groups! I love to take visitors here for a local dining experience they can't get at home.
(5)
Karen M.

Afraid to eat there again. I was so happy that I got my mother and brother to eat at this restaurant. I loved this restaurant until that day. Mochi rice in the leaf wrap came in the little bamboo steamer basket with a bonus - a side of steamed, b52 roach in it. Yuck. So sorry I insisted on taking the family here.
(1)
Shantel V.

I have to thank a friend of mine for telling me about this place. She comes here every saturday with her family for dim sum. So when I was looking for ham Sui gok she mentioned to come here. So glad I did!!! I've been wanting this fried mochi dumpling for quite some time now and I'm always scared of trying new things at new places in fear that it'll taste different. I always used to get it at u-choice inn in town, but the past couple times I went they were out. I mentioned it to my mom and luckily for me my mom loves dim sum also. So off on a Sunday we went! Yahoo! This is the first time we actually sat down and ordered dim sum. It was great! It was busy but I don't mind busy... Busy usually means good in my book. We had a few dishes: Mochi Puff - exactly what I was looking for! It was tasty. Mochi rice - never had this before, but boy have I been missing out. This was delicious! I already declared this dish a must whenever I come here. Deep fried garlic eggplant- shut the front door! This was ammmmmaaazebbaaalllls!!!! This is another must. I wish I ordered some for home. And then the normal: pork hash, Manapua, and half moon... These were all good, I dont eat shrimp so I didn't eat the pork hash, BUT my son gobbled it up when I brought the left overs home. So it must've been good. And the Manapua was good, I'm really picky when it comes to Manapua, I'm usually a pink box eater. I don't think I'll order it next time, but it wasn't bad... It's just that I'm picky when it comes to Manapua. No big deal. Price was pretty decent too. We spent $22 for the 2 of us. Definitely will be returning.
(4)
Jo Z.

I eat here for lunch at least 2-3 times a month...the to go place for tasty dim sum. The service is hit or miss...but more hit. My fave is the deep fried garlic eggplant...soooo goood. The look fun with beef is nom-er-licious. Since I work in downtown it's convenient for me to walk, so no parking troubles. Good eats.
(4)
Dunny C.

Please read this review as it had taken me a long time to write. This is my first time ever writing a review on yelp, as I just see and read the reviews that YOU yelpers give me :). I would like to start off with a NO. This restraunt service is TERRIBLE. The food was below par. I would highly recommend other restraints. As I take service as 50% of the experience. Lets just say, this restraunt got a 0:50 rating for service. 3/4 of the food came out fast (as it was on the dim sum cart) however, after we were finished and we had asked for the bill, one of the Chinese waiters not once, but twice told us that more food was coming out, we had already received the dish but she kept saying we didn't. She argued and argued for it. I'm clueless to if she even had taken the order off the bill. NEVER ARGUE WITH A CUSTOMER. I eat out every day and I have never droppe a tip below 15%. I dropped a PENNY here. Simply ridiculous. And a shame. Btw if you walk in the restraunt they have a red demon looking god they are worshiping on a platform.
(1)
Shuao Li L.

My family love it here. It is Hong Kong style and reminds me of my trip to Hong Kong! We eat here a lot and enjoy the food.
(4)
Ryan M.

Mei Sum, for Dim Sum, we all want some Dim Sum! While shopping in China town on sunday, we happened to be parked near Mei Sum, we were planning to go to somewhere in cultural plaza but since we were already parked and street parking is free on Sundays, we decided to just go with convenience. We must have come at an off time, or before the lunch rush, because they did not have the dim sum carts going around, just ordered and they brought it out from the kitchen. I actually like that set up better because you can just look at the menu and not have to wait for the particular cart that has the stuff that you want to come around. Har gao, seaweed roll, char siu look fun were among my favorites that we ordered. overall very good dim sum. While we were there Danny Kaleikini came in to dine too! Cool, even local celebs like this place! Mei Sum is just as good as the dim sum places in Cultural Plaza, good stuff! Tips better to come on sunday since street parking is free on sundays in the area, if not you'll have to hunt for parking and keep feeding the meters or park in a municipal lot.
(4)
Kathlene V.

I went just today by my friend's recommendation, the food was average. The service was absolutely horrible. I walked in and asked to reserve us a table for 8. The clerk did, but when we got there my friend had brought an extra person and another was on his way. Staff member A complained! Like really. Complaining about 2 more people worth of money? The table they gave us 9 seats already so it really wasn't that hard to just add an extra chair and extra plates. The servers have fairly poor timing. They swarm you all at once, then ignore you until it's time to swarm you again. The servers would always ask you if you wanted whatever just came out of the kitchen, if you said "no" they'd just keep repeating what the item was called. We all ordered, but they purposely gave us multiples of a dim sum so we'd be charged more even if we said we wanted only one. After we finished some of the dim sums, without even asking they came back stamped our receipts and left more dim sum on our table. When it came to pay our bill came out to over $100 just on dim sum. So we split it by 10. We all agreed that their service sucked and didn't want to leave a tip. They came back after counting our money and complained because our tip wasn't enough. Staff member literally made me pull out my phone to do the math. Excuse me, miss? She could've said "oh, so no tip today" or "you like the food you should tip" she literally said "tip is 15%". We left the tip and stormed out. I understand that we had a big party, but should tipping be required for such poor service?
(1)
Jesse W.

7/5/08: solid dim sum meal. no question one of the better places in town. long wait, we just beat the lunch rush. parked in the adjacent city/county parking garage (don't bother looking for street spaces, you'll waste alot of time looking around).
(4)
Nida O.

finally a place i can get decent dim sum! the service we got was actually pretty good. i would go back. they forgot one of my dim sum dishes, but that's okay i had two teapots of tea.
(4)
Haylee F.

Decided on Mei Sum for an early Chinese New Year celebration with my fiance's family, who was visiting from San Francisco. They were kind enough to pre-order the menu for our party of 10 so to avoid the chaos of having to choose which noddle dish to share. The control freak in me hyperventilated a little, because I didn't even get to look at the menu to see what else I'd be missing, BUT my Uncle did a fab job of choosing a variety of dishes to satisfy even the most picky of eaters at our table. Stir-fired green beans, beef broccoli, pineapple shrimp, beef chowfun, jai (I think this is a traditional dish for good luck to be eaten around Chinese NY), crispy chicken and duck, Peking duck with steamed buns, sweet and sour pork, tofu...I swear the dishes kept on coming! After we were clearly stuffed beyond our limits, they were kind enough to box our leftovers so each family could take a little home, and they even threw in a few char siu bao from their dim sum case! Dessert was by far my fave, as it usually is! The coconut tapioca was the perfect end to the meal! It was chilled and refreshing...I ate 2 bowls, but I don't think anyone was judging...
(4)
ister l.

Best Dim Sum we've had on Oahu and very friendly staff. Will definitely come back again.
(5)
Kurt N.

Date of Visit: Day after Chinese New Year My best friend invited me and my wife for some dim sum with his girlfriend in Chinatown. I'm always hesitant when I go to eat in Chinatown but heck the best restaurants are always located in Chinatown or Downtown so I gave them a shot. We got there just after noon so it wasn't too busy but the restaurant was still pretty busy. Just like your typical chinese restaurant, the employees aren't too nice and never smile but I was already expecting that. Once we sat, the employees swarmed us like flies in cow poop. They began asking us with a tray of different dim sum platters what we wanted. I couldn't keep up because I didn't even know what I was ordering. The one dish I did like was the fried soft shell crab which was out of this world. The only other dish I remember ordering was pork siu mai and seafood with crispy noodles. Will I be back? Maybe...but I think I'll try someplace else.
(3)
Sean D.

(Deep fried seaweed roll, Shanghai dumpling, pork hash, seafood roll) Garlic soft shell crab is also a winner Call for reservation or take-out. For take out, be ready w/ ur order, they've very busy and u gotta know what u want.
(4)
NC D.

Located across Mark's Garage in downtown. Service is hit-or-miss. They serve dim sum all day, but the cart is available until 2pm. After 2, dim sum is made to order (which I prefer). They have a dim sum menu and a regular menu. I recommend the shrimp look fun and the shrimp dumpling.
(3)
Andy A.

WORST restaurant ever!!!! We walked in and sat down where the hostess seated us, the rude waitress came over took the nice black chopsticks away from us ( which everyone else was using) then came back and THREW!!!! Wooden disposable chopsticks at my girlfriend!!!!! We immediately got up and left!! I have never been treated so rudely, not even in Paris.... this place is horrible, need to fire the wait staff or shut down!!!!!!!!
(1)
Marjorie C.

Lots of tea and a busy, popular restaurant means long lines for the restroom :( I love this place!!! Located across from Mark's Garage and next to small boutiques such as Barrio Vintage and Owens & Co. parking can be a little tricky but we've always ended up lucking out and finding metered parking around the corner. It does get busy here so be prepared to wait a while if you have a large party. I highly recommend the look fun noodles, they are chewy deliciousness on a plate, perfect compliment to all the steamed dim sum. My order is pretty typical: *custard tarts *shumai *taro & pork puff *anything with shrimp *baked char su manapua buns (yum!) each delicious morsel gets a good coating of hot mustard and shoyu before being devoured! After eating here you should walk around to the nearby shops, lots of quaint and unique items to buy!
(5)
Celena F.

I came here for lunch on a Monday late morning with some business associates. The restaurant was not busy so 6 of us were seated immediately and the carts started rolling almost faster than we could get settled in our seat (not a complaint). Ladies were friendly enough and very attentive. I left the ordering to others since the only dim sum I'm used to is Chun wah kam...I know, I know, for shame! The fried taro puff things were delish as well as the chow fun roll. Shrimp siu mai was status quo. I enjoyed the baked char siu bao...the bun was sweeter than I'm used to. Also recommend the garlic eggplant. It's fried with tons of garlic. I didn't catch the final bill (#winning) but judging by the menu, it was very reasonably priced. I would definitely come back.
(4)
Marc H.

Table available when we arrived. Service was excellent even though they only had 2 servers, dishes were cleared in a timely manner and water was refilled without asking. Food was delicious and came out piping hot. We didn't feel rushed. And we received complimentary dessert.
(4)
Paul C.

I have never been a great fan of this restaurant as I thought it was "so-so" after several tries - I guess it's because I'm a "food snob" who is Chinese-American and I am picky with my Chinese food. But after seeing all of the posts of their garlic soft shelled crab I knew I had to try it soon. Met with a client here for lunch today and ordered an assortment of dim sum with their house special noodles. I must admit the food tasted better than previous experiences but the soft shelled crab was EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD! It came out fresh so it was piping hot and I heard the crunch on the first bite. I also enjoyed their steamed shrimp dumping, Hong Kong-style pork hash, chicken feet and jelly fish. The meal ended with the custard tarts to satisfy the sweet tooth. Because I understand Catonese, I didn't care the wait-staff arguing who was going to give us menus to look at because of "that's not my job" attitude. Also, the waitress/waiter were not attentive in having our waters refilled so I had to ask them several times during our meal. Overall, a great place to have lunch for dim sum and noodles.
(4)
Trisha G.

Another downtown fave and the best place for dim sum. The "new" location is an upgrade. (Meaning: saw a couple homeless guys fighting just across the street of the old location one night.) The decor is upgraded and it's overall a better look. Note that the service sucks here 9 times out of 10. The stereotypical chinese restaurant service should be expected. At rush times, like weekday lunch hour, the carts are delayed and getting a table can be rough. All that being said... its the BEST DIM SUM. All the standard stuff (char siu bao, potstickers, pork hash and half moon) plus garlic eggplant, look fun, deep fried taro with scallop, bean curd roll, spinach and shrimp, and more. Also, yummy cake noodle. If you go late, you can often get a free almond float or tapioca. Another choice is custard buns. So ono! Seriously good enough to steel yourself from the grouchy ladies working night and day.
(4)
Marianne P.

This place is really a hole in the wall! Went here for the first time since my fam wanted Chinese food & it was the closest to my home in town... Ordered the Shrimp&Pork dumplings, Sweet&Sour Pork, Scallop Look Fun, & Beef Tomato. The flavor was there & the Look Fun was my favorite outta all of them. The restaurant is clean & the atmosphere is calm. Next time I crave Chinese food i'm definitely comin back here!
(4)
Colleen C.

Came here with my Dad who was in town from Vancouver, so the Dim Sum bar was set high. We came on a weekday just before the lunchtime rush so service was good and no wait for a table. Dim Sum was delish and the price couldn't be beat - $24 for the two of us and we left stuffed! The decor left a lot to be desired (it's a little run down/hole in the wall-ish) but as long as you know that going in, you won't be disappointed. If they could up the ambiance factor, that would probably turn my 4 star into a 5 star review.
(4)
Kalani S.

Location is up on Nuuanu Street of of S. Hotel. Good luck with street parking, unless you go early, but you could just park at the Zippys around the corner. Food was pretty decent. A bit more expensive than the average dim sum place, but you pay for a bit better service I suppose. Honestly, I would rather just skip the higher prices and go to Fook Lam as it is basically THE SAME. Dim sum her is fresh and piping hot, though, and the tea is strong. Get the Shanghai Dumplings, although no where near like they are in Shanghai, they are pretty yummy! Service pretty decent, affordability is ok. We spent $54 for three of us. TIP: Ask to Lup Cheung, it's off the menu, but still order-able!
(4)
nic f.

because everyone in honolulu knows or is related to e/o, we first went here with the tutor of one of the waitresses "kids" (that kid is probably 40 now). now, a few years later, we're like family even though we only make it home to the land of hula a few times a year. the dim sum here is reliably fresh, delicious and reasonable. they always let hulamom order choy sum off the menu. delicious!
(4)
Heather O.

I haven't been to many dim sum places (been to Legend, Royal Garden and Tai Pan so far), but Mei Sum may have to be my favorite out of the four. Service is on par! Waters are constantly refilled, someone always checks up on you, and plates are cleared soon after you are finished with them. Two months since being introduced to this place, I've been here 3 times. And every time there is always available seating! I usually get there between 12-1 on a weekend. So its really nice to be seated right away. My favorites are the usual dim sum dishes... Seafood shu mai, shrimp dumpling, look fun, shrimp fried gau, etc., etc... But my absolute favorite thing about this place is the soft shell crab. Its so garlicky and crispy! This place always keeps me coming back for more soft shell crab. The black bean sauce clams and fried eggplant are delicious also, and I always get those dishes when coming here. After all that, I am completely full! My usual routine is to walk off all the food and MSG by walking around Chinatown to visit the boutiques and grab a bubble drink :P I am looking forward to being a usual customer here and trying out their other dishes!
(5)
Sean S.

Cheap, good dim sum in Chinatown. I'm not sure if there are carts on the weekend but during the week you order what you want. The only bad part here is the parking. Meter parking if you can find it or expensive parking lots nearby.
(4)
Asia N.

Thus is my favorite place now for dim sum. It taste better then legend. Legend use to be my favorite. Made to order if u come after 2pm n til 8pm. Pork dumplings, shrimp dumplings, chicken feet n specially the string beans with minx pork. So yummy n flavorful. There street parking n pay parking across the street. Service is bad but who care as long the foods is good that all it matter.
(5)
Arlene A.

Ahh Mei Sum Dim Sum! Love this place, been a frequent customer for years. Mainly because they serve dim sum all hours of the day and night. Parking is never a hassle in the Municipal Lot and it's just a short walk around the corner. My usual faves: Garlic eggplant, corn fishcake, shrimp pork hash, garlic chicken wings, fried shrimp with sweet mayo, taro/scallop, and their different dumplings. What's also pretty awesome is that if you come for dinner, they give you a free complimentary bowl of this tapioca milk dessert. So tasty!
(5)
Kanoe Q.

Love coming to this place for dim sum anytime of the day. It's good that you can order even in the late afternoon and have it made fresh. The ladies here are all friendly and don't give you weird looks when one person in your party orders what's considered "a lot" and manages to eat it all :) Jenny was a really attentive server and would get us anything we needed quickly with a great attitude. Will be coming here often since arrived is good and food is very reasonably priced.
(5)
Y C.

Food is good but service sucks. I don't hope they go out of business or anything, but I sincerely hope the servers and the lady at the cash register (owner? manager?) improves her attitude. There are too many good dim sum places for them to be that way.
(1)
Kristen C.

Came here for some dim sum with my family because my dad wanted dim sum and I read some pretty good reviews thanks to yelp so I thought we'd give it a try. We came around 1:30p on a sunday so there was no line but it was pretty packed inside with most tables filled up. We were automatically served and tried to be persuaded by the push cart people with what to ordered. Since I wasnt that hungry I only tried a few things, such as the steamed chicken bao, pork hash, , and the baked bbq pork bao. I also sampled the charsiu look fun and mochi rice wrapped in banana leaves from my dad. We also got the sweet sesame ball and garlic fried chicken wing, which looked good but I didnt try. Overall the total was $29 something for the 4 of us so not bad. The food just tasted ordinary so nothing special but i'll def have to try that egg cream bun and maybe if I try the other main dishes my rating will be higher. Until next time...
(3)
Sara H.

my fave dim sum place in hawaii. gets crowded esp on weekends so go early-ish. i got there at 11ish on a sunday and got a table for 4 no problem but it filled up and there were people waiting outside when we left. my faves are the hagao and the deep fried seaweed rolls. yum yum :)
(5)
Jaymes H.

solid, very cheap, greasy (I was disappointed by a couple of the plates, eg pork buns and redbean sesame balls) ... meh, did i mention how cheap it was, tho.
(2)
Grimeater A.

Decent Dim Sum but due to it's location I'd rather go to the far superior Legend Seafood. The dim sum is cheaper but the pastries don't seem to be as fresh as Legend Seafood.
(3)
Tracey U.

I took a friend's opinion that this place was going to be super but it turned out to be just OK. I did check out some reviews here before going and it seemed to look delicious especially the soft shell crab. So I took my nieces and daughter to lunch on a Tuesday around noonish. We got a table immediately but was bombarded with servers trying to push everything in front of us. I felt rushed into making a decision on food based on the name and a brief description which I did not like. Once I put the servers in place with my not so nice facial expression they stopped pushing food on me. However, then my service turned into no service. They completely stayed away from my table which was upsetting because I had to flag someone down every time I wanted to order something else. The one saving grace is that they did refill our water glasses numerous times without asking. I'm not sure if I would go back.
(3)
Daisy S.

Ah.. good and cheap dim sum! It's my only favorite dim sum place in Honolulu! Lived in Mililani, but whenever I wanted dim sum, didn't hesitate to drive down to Chinatown just to enjoy the cheap and good dim sum although the waiters are rude.. it's Chinatown! what do you expect!
(4)
Demur E.

Mmmmmei Summmmm! Is it obvious how much I enjoy this place? It is a great place to satisfy your dim sum fix. There is a municipal parking lot about half a block away (on Pauahi St.), so even parking is not much of an obstacle. Food: Yummy! Perhaps it is because they offer a surfeit of fried dishes, but I just really like the food here. It is nothing fancy or amazing, but tasty, consistent and affordable. There are dishes you can order off the menu...choi sum, noodles, fried rice, etc. which are very good. But I like coming here for the dim sum. One of the great things about Mei Sum is that if you have that dim sum monkey on your back, but the dim sum service is over (with the array of carted delicacies put to bed), there is no need to despair. They will make your dim sum to order! They have a laminated sheet of their dim sum and you can just point and grunt (well, perhaps that's just me) and they will have the kitchen make what you like. It comes to your table hot and freshly made. One of my favorites is the scallop taro basket (lacy and crispy on the outside with a soft, plump scallop nestled inside). The seaweed wrapped shrimp is lightly battered and deep fried. It is rectangular goodness. There is also a shrimp won ton that has huge chunks of shrimp inside of the crispy pouch. They serve this with some mayo sauce on the side, if you really want to be decadent. Their bao (steamed buns) are also very good and they have that sticky rice steamed with bits of meat wrapped in banana leaf. When I go with my Idiot friends, we have to get several orders of the same dishes, or else we'll fight. Mei Sum also offers almond float, layered rice cake and those amazing mini custard tarts. The fillings are (an almost unnaturally) bright yellow, I am not sure why, but I guess mine is not to wonder why...especially when it tastes so good! Ambiance: A big, well-lit and open room, it sports the customary round tables for groups of 10 as well as a few square tables for smaller parties. Service: Very good. Along with Happy Day (on Waialae Ave.) they are the nicest Chinese restaurant staff I've come across. One note: it can be extremely busy during the lunch hour and it may be more difficult to get the attention of the wait staff (and they are obviously more harried). Overall: One of my favorite dim sum places. If you want to avoid the lunch crowd, Mei Sum also allows you to order dim sum at the counter for take-out. You don't get the cart-action experience, but you still get the awesome food. But my suggestion is to go during a non-peak times and get your dim sum made to order!
(4)
Jenn G.

Food is good....if you could get service! The service there is ridiculous. I've never been to a restaurant with such rude customer service. My bf and I sat there for 15 mins staring at the lady with the cart and when I walked up to her to ask her if she would come by she got really upset and served everyone around us but us! The table next to us told her that we were first to order and all she did was dismiss us and continued to serve everyone else. I walked out and banned that place for 6 months. I came back again hoping it'll be different because the dimsum is actually good. Same service. We special ordered stuff and it never came out so we asked them to cancel it because we were full and ready for the check. She refused to take it off our check! She said it was on it's way so Instead she boxed it up and said to take it home and reheat it! I don't care how good the dimsum is I'll never go back!!!
(1)
Brian M.

"Mei" I have "Sum" dim sum please! I know that's so corny, but what do you expect when eating dim sum for one of the first time in the morning with friends. My friend Alan T. put out the offer for morning dim sum and I just couldn't refuse. Along with Yelpers Anna F. and Jacob N. we got there at 9:00am on a Sunday which turned out to be a good choice, not that crowded. Anna F. who speaks fluently, order for the group and she's awesome when it comes to ordering food. The dishes that were order was made to order as it was still too early for the cart, I was stoked and really did care for any bun items that I saw on the cart later because I wanted to try as many new things as I could. Well I got my wish as the food kept on coming and coming, I was ready to tap out, but had to Man up because you know some Yelpers can eat! I can now say I had my dim sum fix....for the next three months..lol! Service was as Ok, but I enjoyed the translation of conversations between the waitresses from Anna. You really don't want to know what they say, pretty darn funny. Overall 3.5 Stars rounded to 4 Metered Street Parking or Municipal Parking near by.
(4)
John M.

You can find a dim sum all over Chinatown. Just feels weird they all act like they don't need your business. But we all know you come to a Chinese restaurant for the food not the service. Dim sum is not bad here. Reasonable prices. We ordered a bunch of stuff today and one of the items was a vegetable fried noodle. After taking a piece in my plate I notice something on the noodle. It looks like a worm...or something like that. (See picture). I know that kind of stuff happens but what happened after that is what got to me. She was standing there explaining to me why it's there. Then takes my plate away but ask if I'm still going to eat the rest of the noodles. Yeah I'm pretty much done at that point. Then says they'll take the noodles off the check but when I looked, it was still on the check. As you know, most times those receipts are in Chinese so had to check and ask. Someone else helped and took it off. Just a bad experience overall today.
(2)
Alizabeth H.

Food was hot and came to the table fast. It was busy in the restaurant. All the food we tried was cooked well and tasted good. The tea I enjoyed. The AC I enjoyed too. Why only 4 stars? Because the Service is a little slow when you need questions answered or need to order something else. They did make a mistake with what we ordered but they changed it and we had to wait. It was still a great meal. We couldn't finish everything we ordered. We would come back but not go out of our way to come here. I believe we ate here before but it wasn't the best experience and so we didn't try it again till now.
(4)
Gluten L.

We ate there a few times and enjoyed it. I don't think they know about gluten (it's difficult to communicate with them about it). I ate there before I was being too careful about that kind of thing. Their dim sum is awesome. Also, they're right near our apartment.
(3)
Alex G.

If you have a chance to come get some dim sum, get only dim sum! The garlic soft shell crab and luk fun were awesome! Living in San Diego I'm used to quality dim sum, I feel that the selection could be a bit better. There aren't as many options for dishes as I would have hoped. Over all the dim sum was good! Stick to the dim sum!! I was starving after missing breakfast, we finally made it here for lunch. Being the one in the group who tends to eat more to be satisfied I ordered an extra plate of fried noodles and I left without any sort of appetite. Sharing the dish, we began to shift through the assortment of meats fish and vegetables and take our picks. We found a worm hidden in the noodles. They were polite enough to remove the dish from our order as we were not going to pay for food like that.
(1)
Jenny Y.

We visited this dim sum restaurant after you read some reviews of yelp. Some of the comments about the waitresses not understanding English was offensive but that's why we wanted to go because the food still looked really good. They have menus and have photos of them if you don't speak any Chinese, which was perfectly fine. We brought my parents and they were able to relate to the staff. They were from the same town thank you China. The food was really good fresh to order it brought hot to the table. We ordered the classic tubes of dishes Siu Mai, chicken feet, sticky rice, shrimp ha gao and a few things we saw as their specialty like their soft shell crab. We also ordered a fried beef rice noodle dish that was so tasty. We would definitely go back next time. The restaurant was relatively clean the Chinese restaurant and the washer was it a obscure area but also clean. They also had a booster seat for my daughter which is very nice.
(4)
Alain S.

Good food, good value. Had more fried than steamed food so have to try another time when back in Oahu to really evaluate. I did like the mushroom dumpling and would visit again
(3)
Julius R.

Food is not that bad. We ate breakfast for the Chinese new year. Lucky enough to watch a lion dance close and up front. Parking is across the street. $4 an hour. Would I come here again? Why not.
(3)
Carrie G.

This is one of my favorite restaurants for a wide variety of tasty dim sum. I have a few staples- scallop look fun, spinach and scallop dumplings, char siu pastry & garlic fried eggplant. The service is no frills, but the women who work there will take care of you- just be firm and clear with what you want and the quantity you want. It's BYOB :) The prices can't be beat. It's typically less than $10/person to stuff your face. Great for groups! I love to take visitors here for a local dining experience they can't get at home.
(5)
Maria R.

My S/O and I decided to have a late lunch following a semi-lazy Monday morning fixing our bikes and watching cartoons (how old are we now? Hahaha). We also decided that dim sum sounded appetizing, so we biked to Chinatown only to find out that Canton House was closed (my bf loves their chicken feet there). Fortunately, there is Mei Sum-- a dim sum place that my bf had been meaning to try a while. We were lucky to have our bikes because parking can be a total drag in Chinatown. There are no bike racks around the area so we locked ours on the gate in front of the restaurant. Keep in mind that because Chinatown is a lively community, the bike racks are easily filled and some bikes can be stolen so please be very careful. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were greeted by two ladies sitting down and immediately directed us to sit on a table. They weren't demanding, unlike Fook Lam's ladies so I appreciate that. It was a slow afternoon, just perfect enough for them not to rush things. We got our usual dim sum which ranged from $3 and up. Chicken feet, look fun, shrimp shumai--you name it! Their tea was also delicious, we both finished the whole pot! They have really good price for such great food. The food that we thought was superb was the fried garlic eggplant; a deep fried eggplant with deep fried minced garlic on top! It was perfectly fried-- when you take a bite, it has that little appetizing crunch and when you get to the core, its a soft core of eggplant; the minced garlic just tops it off with the extra flavor! Yum! Our bill came out to about $26-$27. In conclusion, I would like to recommend this restaurant for those who are craving dim sum and are on a budget. Although parking can be a hassle here, you could always park at the municipal building by Smith Street and take a short walk to Mei Sum. Mei sum is open until 9pm, which is perfect for those night cravings of chinese food.
(4)
John C.

I have eaten here many times since 2006. I actually took a break for a few years because I wanted to try other dim sum restaurants. I came back recently for some dim sum in the evening. It doesn't look like much has changed with their menu. They didn't have anything on the cart so they had to prepare everything fresh for us. This didn't take much time. They kept us happy with the water and waited patiently for us to order. We were satisfied and at the end, they gave us each a small bowl of coconut tapioca soup.
(4)
Sasha L.

Ahh, my to go place when I need cheap quick dim sum and don't feel like going to cultural plaza. They have shanghai dumpling with soup and all the other staples! They also have garlic deep fried soft shell crab and eggplant!
(5)
Shayla W.

Our party of 3 came here during their dim sum hours (7 am- 2p.m) for a light lunch. We ordered multiple orders of: -shrimp dumplings -fish balls with corn -pork hash -spring rolls -steamed manapua Everything was pretty tasty! It was good but not as good as some other places in downtown. We were just happy the service was fast and always checking up on us. Our light lunch was also very cheap. It was like around $6 for the each of us and we ordered multiple orders. If you're looking for a decent, cheap, and fast place for lunch, check it out!
(4)
Lai T.

Dear Mei Sum, you're like the blind date which start off with high hopes and then ended up being such a waste of a night. Seriously! The line outside was impressive considering that it was near 1 PM on a Saturday. But then when it took about 20 minutes to get my to-go order I was pretty turned off by you. I understand you were out of my taro gwok and had to make more, but honestly-did you run out of taro and have to sneak out to go buy some at the nearby grocery store? While I was waiting for my order, I witnessed a restaurant full of folks who were either hangry and waiting for a table or eating without much passion or happiness at their table. One table in particular was upset because the order they placed 30 minutes ago had never made its appearance-despite the fact that they had followed up with 4 different employees. Hmmm...seemed like what I experienced was the norm. Meanwhile the managers were running around frantically trying to turn those frowns upside down-but scolding their employees out in the open. The upset customer told the manager that his Trip Adviser review would read good food but "lousy" service. Sounds about right to me. Get it together, Mei Sum. You have the potential, but definitely have some kinks to work out in terms of staff communication, which ultimately affects your execution on service.
(2)
Leslie T.

The little food we got was good. We were at Mei Sum for about 45 minutes and how the place works is they bring around carts of food for you to pick from. The cart when by one time and never again. Our table got skipped each time. I did not get full or enough food to eat. Customer service was not good. We pretty much got ignored the whole time.
(2)
Richard T.

Just visited here and was not impressed at all. The food was ok but the service was a joke. I would say the majority of foreign / Asian ran places typically don't have good service but I would say these people were rude and maybe a bit discriminatory (disclaimer: I'm Asian)!! Please skip this place!
(1)
Alessandra B.

Newbie friendly :) We saw that the servers are really nice and are willing to explain in detail what kind of dim sum they have in their carts. Some of the servers try to slip you plates without you asking for them, but if you don't want it just say no! Not a huge selction of dim sum, but they do have other dishes you can order. We're San Francisco- Bay Area natives so we have high expectations when it comes to dim sum, but this place will do til we can go home and get the good stuff.
(4)
Karen M.

Afraid to eat there again. I was so happy that I got my mother and brother to eat at this restaurant. I loved this restaurant until that day. Mochi rice in the leaf wrap came in the little bamboo steamer basket with a bonus - a side of steamed, b52 roach in it. Yuck. So sorry I insisted on taking the family here.
(1)
Jon H.

If you're looking for a cheap dim sum then Mei Sum is your answer. It's ugly, it's old, but hey, you'll get plenty of food for your dollar. And when I say cheap, I'm talking "walk in with $10 and leave feeling fat" kinda cheap. Their dim sum menu is extensive, and if you're a veteran of the dim sum game, you're bound to find your favorites and go to orders available. Personally, I tend to gravitate towards the look fun and chive dumplings. But you really can't go wrong with an order of char siu bao or those taro puffs. Value aside, however, I don't wanna misguide you too far when it comes to the food. Yes, it's cheap and you'll leave full, but it's by no means award-winning dim sum. In fact, I'd barely list it in my top 10 dim sum stops on the island, and I honestly have to think long and hard to name that many. And the service can be a bit hit or miss sometimes. I don't believe for a second that it's intentional, but some of the workers can be irritatingly snappy. But, if you go to Mei Sum with realistic expectations, I'm confident that you'll at least leave somewhat satisfied. Because Mei Sum is located in Chinatown, across from Mark's Garage, parking could be an issue. But you can always leave your car at the municipal lot, or if you go there for dinner after 6 pm, you might get lucky and score some free street parking.
(3)
Cheni F.

Both service and food qualities were unacceptable. They used to be okay. I told my lunch buddy that I refuse to leave any tips because they did not deserve it. I think the manager heard that, pronto now he acted he cared us. I will never go back again.
(1)
Gabe R.

You should not expect super friendly service but they have some of the best Dim Sum around! I have gone here once a year for the last 4 and it's always good food. Plenty of selection and the food is always hot.
(4)
Derrick S.

I would usually get take out at this place and I would call beforehand. They tell me the order will be ready in 15. But every time I came and said I was there to pick up take out they would be like "OOhhh sh_t.... ok now we make your order". So then I would have to wait longer. what the heck! The soft shell crab is good tho.
(2)
Dyan K.

One of the main reasons why I hardly go into downtown is the parking and the atmosphere. But places like Mei Sum are one of the few reasons I will brave ghetto Chinatown, pay for crap-ass borderline unsafe parking, and ford though the hordes of homeless bums. If you like dim sum, you should try here. The deep fried shrimp and the garlic chicken wings are the musts to try. The shrimp is covered in a crispy, yet odd-colored, shell and the garlic chicken wings are doused in amazing tiny toasted garlic pieces. I love garlic, and I can eat these tiny pieces like Nerds candy. Prices are typical for a Chinese restaurant and the service is fine. I did stare at my empty glass of water for awhile until it was re-filled, but other than that, the service is okay.
(4)
Leah G.

I ordered the Pot Stickers, Pork Shrimp Hash, and the Stir Fry Beef and veggies. I was very satisfied with the dumplings and the Stir Fry was just ok. The place is a hole in the wall and it doesn't look that clean. Food was overall good.
(3)
LeaDan Y.

On my Top 5 Favorite Flavors - scallop look fun. When you order it freshly made, this tasty dish is easily absorbed into my face. I know that's a terrible visual but I could seriously just order 3 of these and walk out feeling satisfied. I don't really like the fried version of look fun that I find elsewhere. Most places also only have the char siu version, which I don't like as much. You can usually order dim sum at almost any time here which is why it is one of my favorite places to go if I want to just sit an enjoy dim sum at a reasonable price at almost any time of day. I prefer their taro, look fun, fried soft shell crab, and the friend mochi. Still I leave feeling as though I ate a lot of greasy food. I don't really like ordering their main dishes. At their previous location, I once saw one of the prep cooks drop a spring roll onto the floor, pick it up, and put it back onto the pan with the other uncooked rolls. While I warned all of my friends of this event, and many stopped coming here because of that, I still return just because of the look fun. At this new location, I would like to believe that they place greater value on cleanliness but I can't see the kitchen at all anymore so I guess, much like any other place, we take our chances. They offer quick service as well so if you are just looking to get your dim sum grind on and vanish, then this is a good choice.
(3)
Jenny C.

Oh my god ! I just bought a dish of crispy rice cake from this restaurant , after I ate half of the rice cake , found out inside had a dead inside Cockroach . I won't go to this restaurant anymore . Really feel sick of it ! Never again!
(1)
Luzcille O.

We called in our reservations for our large party of 15. Once we were all seated we ordered but was ignored after. We got the dim sum and waited over 45 minutes but our other order never arrived. We ended up leaving and it is quite doubtful anyone in our party will ever return. The dim sum was only ok... Definitely not worth returning for.
(1)
KK G.

BEST Hong Kong style dim sum in Hawaii - hands down!!! Unlike most restaurants, serves dim sum ALL day. The wrappers are perfect consistency and not too thick, which makes them mushy. Plenty of flavor. Fried garlic eggplant is a must have. This place is seriously good.
(5)
Annie C.

My friends and I had dinner here on Thursday and really really enjoyed the dim sum and food. It's not a fancy place, it's a chinese restaurant in downtown Honolulu. I would definitely come back again and recommend it.
(4)
Mike C.

San Francisco born and raised so I know what good dim sum is!! And this place was just ok. Check out the rankings below. Ha gow - 4* Skin was a little chewer than normal but had a good consistency and came out hot Fried soft shell crab - 5* 4* for the food quality but 2 crabs for $10 makes it 5* Chicken dumpling - 3* Not great not bad but perfectly ok. Hk style chow mein ~ 2* Noodles were fried right but sauce was flavorless. Fish and squid were equally flavorless. Bleh. Sticky rice in lotus leaf - 1* Rice was too glutinous and too sticky/wet. No peanuts or other filling, just meat
(3)
John vincent P.

I've eaten here in total 4 times. Yes the food is amazing, the service is not too bad but they could work on their people skills. This time though, in my opinion, the service was terrible. The ladies that work here were great, did not have any issues whatsoever with them. There was a gentleman working with long hair and glasses that made our stay feel unwelcome. Granted he took away the steamers when we were done with the dim sum but yet he could not notice we were out of water. He had an attitude the whole time we were there as well. My wife thought she left her phone in there after we left and when she went back in to see the guy kept saying no more no more its not here trying to get yer to leave. If it wasnt for that one guy i would not be writing this review. If he still works there by the next visit, i would honestly walk out and go to another dim sum restaurant down the street
(1)
Jon C.

When my fiance and I lived in Kakaako, this was one of our regular take-out dim sum spots. Main reason is they offer dim sum until 8 p.m. Often times after a post-work surf session, I would call them to place an order. The workers don't speak English very well but if you describe "shrimp dumpling" they know har gau and "pork hash" they know what you mean. Usually takes 15-20 minutes to make an order because after 2 p.m., they make the dim sum to order. The dim sum is good, not as good as some of the better places like Jade Dynasty at Ala Moana or my favorite Tai Pan and Legend Seafood in Chinese Cultural Plaza, but the prices are very good ($2.50 for a small I believe) and they offer dim sum into the evening. I've eaten there on Sunday mornings with my parents and the service is pretty attentive. It's a small place (about the same size as their old place on Smith Street. Parking is only available on the street, but I recommend the Municipal lot located underground between Nuuanu and Smith (entrance on Beretania) because I think its $1/hour.
(3)
Brian C.

Okay went here a year ago to eat with the family. It's was horrible then and it was horrible now. I read the reviews of others and I really don't see what they did. I'm all about attention to details, my family have built restaurants, flipped them and sold them. First off it is only 1 in the afternoon and they were out of egg custard. From the sound of it, they wouldn't make anymore even if we really wanted it. We also ordered a garlic egg plant in the beginning and while we got our other food the eggplant never came. So we asked about it and was told they didn't have any more now. The customer service was shooty and they were really rude. When we talked to them or order something they would not make eye contact or even look at us when responding. I asked for some Chinese mayonnaise and she forgot about it so I had to asked again 5 minutes later. Then when we needed more another lady told us it's unhealthy so she would only give us a little. I did not come there for health tips but to eat the food. The place was not the cleanest place I have seen. There was food and bits of stuff on the floor. The deco was very boring and felt like a boring restaurant from the 90's. No eye catching decor or conversation piece. Your pretty busy talking about the bad service and how dirty the place is. I did find out there is a better dim sum place down the street that cost a little bit more but is so worth it to go there instead. I DO NOT recommend this place to anyone.
(1)
Gregg T.

Horrible service!!! One time I went to pick up dim sum at 3pm because they were the only place that has all day dim sum. I ordered my food to take out and as I paid, I got scoldings for not phone ordering. The waitress gave me a disgusted look as in they didn't want to serve me. They even said "next time phone order." I was stunned and upset they would even say something like that. After that I never went to take out again. Then, I went there for the garlic soft shell crab during lunch time with my family. However, we weren't even given service after they sat us down and wasn't able to order anything. We sat for 20 minutes with no one to take our order and no carts came by either. Finally someone came and took our order but by the time we ordered, they said the crab was going to take another 15 minutes. We said never mind and just ordered things from the carts. The food had no taste and the spareribs was all fat and bones. No meat. And the look funn had hair in it so we didn't eat it. When we finished, we waited another 20 minutes just to pay. We spent over an hour just waiting for service. And what made it worst I was late for class. Dim sum suppose to be fast. But it there was nothing as in fast. Will never go back again!!!
(1)
Undercover S.

Wednesday, 6-24-15 at about 11:45 am Ugh! We were looking forward to decent dim sum at Mei Sum, but ended up with substandard quality dim sum. The only yummy thing was the deep friend soft shell crab. The eggplant stuffed with fishcake is disgusting...no taste and hardly any fishcake. Save your money and have dim sum at Golden Palace or Legend. And most of the Yelp reviews about Mei Sum's substandard food and lack of service are absolutely correct. They are in dire need of improvement. We're giving Mei Sum two stars instead of one because the servers were consistent in filling our water glasses. Thank you.
(2)
Odille C.

I went here this past weekend after a walk through Chinatown, craving dumplings. We looked everywhere for them, but they were either closed or sketchy looking so we settled for Mei Sum. The service was okay, there was one really rude waitress and one really nice one. The portions were microscopic, but tasty. I left full, but not very satisfied. Also the bathroom was partly a storage closet and was rather dirty. I don't know, if I'll return, but if I do I hope it gets better.
(3)
S A.

Always good for some dimsum. The bad...we came too early so the tripe wasn't ready yet. The good...everything we ordered came out fresh including the fried foods like the taro ball with scallop. Taro was warm and the scallop was cooked perfectly, not rubbery. The normal dim sum was good too. Will be back again for early/fresh dim sum!
(4)
Loke Y.

Took us in right away, service is average, most of our food came out quickly. Luckily we came early to beat the dinner rush.
(4)
Rissa K.

Love this place! Great place to come for inexpensive and yummy dim sum! It can get busy on the weekends but the wait isn't that bad.
(3)
Hil S.

Despite what others have said we have had great service. Very attentive and things came out fast. The dim sum was great and the Char Siu Bao was on point! We'll be back again.
(4)
Angelo A.

We visited Mei Sum today to join some co-workers in saying ALOHA to a friend that's transferring to our West campus starting next week. I asked my wife and daughters to join me. Since the girls are only 3 years old and haven't had dim sum before, I was naturally concerned that: #1 There wouldn't be anything that they would eat and #2 They might disturb the other customers with their toddler antics. Thankfully, neither of these materialized: #1 The girls loved the chow fun and, frankly, this might have been the best I've had in Honolulu thus far. They absolutely enjoyed it. #2 Since our meal was at about 4p the restaurant had very few other guests ( HINT: this is a great time to go). The girls were able to laugh and play without bothering anyone. PROS: 1. Service was fantastic. I've never had such a positive service experience at a Chinese restaurant. . . EVER. The servers were great!!! When they saw us come in with toddlers, they brought out smaller plates, forks and extra napkins right away. One even poured my wife some tea!!! 2. I'm not a dim sum expert, but everything that I tried was excellent. Hell I don't even know what I ate ( for the most part ) but it was all YUMMY. Here's some of what we had: look fun with char sui, beef chow fun, har gau, bittermellon with black bean sauce, gin dui, chicken feet, chicken wings, fried tofu, steamed fish, soft shell crab, fried seaweed (?), taro (?), custard buns... 3. They take credit cards: Visa, Master Card, Discover. 4. Comfortable environment, not noisy at all. (Granted, there weren't many other people there at the time). 5. Clean. 6. They have a restroom. CONS: 1. Parking, parking, parking. Although, there's a municipal parking lot around the corner, we were fortunate to find street parking. 2. Seemed pricey.
(4)
Stephanie M.

This was my first time to mei sum but it will not be my last. My friend and I had their taro puffs with pork, garlic fried crab, scallop mad chive dumplings, and chicken feet. Everything was soooo good, my mouths watering thinking about their food. Definitely a must try especially if you like different dumplings and what not. Their taro puffs and fried crab are MUSTS. You won't regret it
(4)
Amanda M.

The best thing about this place is the affordable price. I came here with 6 people and the bill only came out to $59. On top of that, the food is great quality and delicious. The overall service is really great too!
(4)
Charlotte V.

Yes, it's hard to get waiters attention sometimes especially when they are busy but I also come back when I want tasty cheap dim sum. I love the mochi puffs, mochi rice, garlic chicken, taro cake, etc, etc. I haven't tried their dish menus -just their dim sum. But their dim sum always comes out hot and fresh.
(4)
Angela A.

My favorites are the seafood dumplings, pork hash, and sticky rice in lotus leaf. Worth trying!
(4)
Shantel V.

I have to thank a friend of mine for telling me about this place. She comes here every saturday with her family for dim sum. So when I was looking for ham Sui gok she mentioned to come here. So glad I did!!! I've been wanting this fried mochi dumpling for quite some time now and I'm always scared of trying new things at new places in fear that it'll taste different. I always used to get it at u-choice inn in town, but the past couple times I went they were out. I mentioned it to my mom and luckily for me my mom loves dim sum also. So off on a Sunday we went! Yahoo! This is the first time we actually sat down and ordered dim sum. It was great! It was busy but I don't mind busy... Busy usually means good in my book. We had a few dishes: Mochi Puff - exactly what I was looking for! It was tasty. Mochi rice - never had this before, but boy have I been missing out. This was delicious! I already declared this dish a must whenever I come here. Deep fried garlic eggplant- shut the front door! This was ammmmmaaazebbaaalllls!!!! This is another must. I wish I ordered some for home. And then the normal: pork hash, Manapua, and half moon... These were all good, I dont eat shrimp so I didn't eat the pork hash, BUT my son gobbled it up when I brought the left overs home. So it must've been good. And the Manapua was good, I'm really picky when it comes to Manapua, I'm usually a pink box eater. I don't think I'll order it next time, but it wasn't bad... It's just that I'm picky when it comes to Manapua. No big deal. Price was pretty decent too. We spent $22 for the 2 of us. Definitely will be returning.
(4)
Jo Z.

I eat here for lunch at least 2-3 times a month...the to go place for tasty dim sum. The service is hit or miss...but more hit. My fave is the deep fried garlic eggplant...soooo goood. The look fun with beef is nom-er-licious. Since I work in downtown it's convenient for me to walk, so no parking troubles. Good eats.
(4)
Dunny C.

Please read this review as it had taken me a long time to write. This is my first time ever writing a review on yelp, as I just see and read the reviews that YOU yelpers give me :). I would like to start off with a NO. This restraunt service is TERRIBLE. The food was below par. I would highly recommend other restraints. As I take service as 50% of the experience. Lets just say, this restraunt got a 0:50 rating for service. 3/4 of the food came out fast (as it was on the dim sum cart) however, after we were finished and we had asked for the bill, one of the Chinese waiters not once, but twice told us that more food was coming out, we had already received the dish but she kept saying we didn't. She argued and argued for it. I'm clueless to if she even had taken the order off the bill. NEVER ARGUE WITH A CUSTOMER. I eat out every day and I have never droppe a tip below 15%. I dropped a PENNY here. Simply ridiculous. And a shame. Btw if you walk in the restraunt they have a red demon looking god they are worshiping on a platform.
(1)
Shuao Li L.

My family love it here. It is Hong Kong style and reminds me of my trip to Hong Kong! We eat here a lot and enjoy the food.
(4)
Ryan M.

Mei Sum, for Dim Sum, we all want some Dim Sum! While shopping in China town on sunday, we happened to be parked near Mei Sum, we were planning to go to somewhere in cultural plaza but since we were already parked and street parking is free on Sundays, we decided to just go with convenience. We must have come at an off time, or before the lunch rush, because they did not have the dim sum carts going around, just ordered and they brought it out from the kitchen. I actually like that set up better because you can just look at the menu and not have to wait for the particular cart that has the stuff that you want to come around. Har gao, seaweed roll, char siu look fun were among my favorites that we ordered. overall very good dim sum. While we were there Danny Kaleikini came in to dine too! Cool, even local celebs like this place! Mei Sum is just as good as the dim sum places in Cultural Plaza, good stuff! Tips better to come on sunday since street parking is free on sundays in the area, if not you'll have to hunt for parking and keep feeding the meters or park in a municipal lot.
(4)
Kathlene V.

I went just today by my friend's recommendation, the food was average. The service was absolutely horrible. I walked in and asked to reserve us a table for 8. The clerk did, but when we got there my friend had brought an extra person and another was on his way. Staff member A complained! Like really. Complaining about 2 more people worth of money? The table they gave us 9 seats already so it really wasn't that hard to just add an extra chair and extra plates. The servers have fairly poor timing. They swarm you all at once, then ignore you until it's time to swarm you again. The servers would always ask you if you wanted whatever just came out of the kitchen, if you said "no" they'd just keep repeating what the item was called. We all ordered, but they purposely gave us multiples of a dim sum so we'd be charged more even if we said we wanted only one. After we finished some of the dim sums, without even asking they came back stamped our receipts and left more dim sum on our table. When it came to pay our bill came out to over $100 just on dim sum. So we split it by 10. We all agreed that their service sucked and didn't want to leave a tip. They came back after counting our money and complained because our tip wasn't enough. Staff member literally made me pull out my phone to do the math. Excuse me, miss? She could've said "oh, so no tip today" or "you like the food you should tip" she literally said "tip is 15%". We left the tip and stormed out. I understand that we had a big party, but should tipping be required for such poor service?
(1)
Robynne M.

Today was my first time trying this place for Dim Sum. It was ok nothing special we had chicken feet shrimp dumplings pork hash char su bao bean curd roll turnip cake spinach scallop dumplings look fun with shrimp deep fried taro seafood dumplings garlic soft shell crab The selections were blah i had better selections at other establishments.
(3)
Mary T.

Recommended by a friend who visited Hawaii. I was on vacation with my family and my parents were craving some dim sum. We Uber'd over to Chinatown to try this place out since my friend had eaten here when she had visited. It was a small area and very clean. The food took awhile to come out and they did forget some of our orders, but they brought it out eventually. Some of the food took awhile and we had to wait awhile in between our dishes for the remainder of the order. The ladies were nice and the food itself was pretty good.
(3)
Haylee F.

Decided on Mei Sum for an early Chinese New Year celebration with my fiance's family, who was visiting from San Francisco. They were kind enough to pre-order the menu for our party of 10 so to avoid the chaos of having to choose which noddle dish to share. The control freak in me hyperventilated a little, because I didn't even get to look at the menu to see what else I'd be missing, BUT my Uncle did a fab job of choosing a variety of dishes to satisfy even the most picky of eaters at our table. Stir-fired green beans, beef broccoli, pineapple shrimp, beef chowfun, jai (I think this is a traditional dish for good luck to be eaten around Chinese NY), crispy chicken and duck, Peking duck with steamed buns, sweet and sour pork, tofu...I swear the dishes kept on coming! After we were clearly stuffed beyond our limits, they were kind enough to box our leftovers so each family could take a little home, and they even threw in a few char siu bao from their dim sum case! Dessert was by far my fave, as it usually is! The coconut tapioca was the perfect end to the meal! It was chilled and refreshing...I ate 2 bowls, but I don't think anyone was judging...
(4)
ister l.

Best Dim Sum we've had on Oahu and very friendly staff. Will definitely come back again.
(5)
Kurt N.

Date of Visit: Day after Chinese New Year My best friend invited me and my wife for some dim sum with his girlfriend in Chinatown. I'm always hesitant when I go to eat in Chinatown but heck the best restaurants are always located in Chinatown or Downtown so I gave them a shot. We got there just after noon so it wasn't too busy but the restaurant was still pretty busy. Just like your typical chinese restaurant, the employees aren't too nice and never smile but I was already expecting that. Once we sat, the employees swarmed us like flies in cow poop. They began asking us with a tray of different dim sum platters what we wanted. I couldn't keep up because I didn't even know what I was ordering. The one dish I did like was the fried soft shell crab which was out of this world. The only other dish I remember ordering was pork siu mai and seafood with crispy noodles. Will I be back? Maybe...but I think I'll try someplace else.
(3)
Sean D.

(Deep fried seaweed roll, Shanghai dumpling, pork hash, seafood roll) Garlic soft shell crab is also a winner Call for reservation or take-out. For take out, be ready w/ ur order, they've very busy and u gotta know what u want.
(4)
NC D.

Located across Mark's Garage in downtown. Service is hit-or-miss. They serve dim sum all day, but the cart is available until 2pm. After 2, dim sum is made to order (which I prefer). They have a dim sum menu and a regular menu. I recommend the shrimp look fun and the shrimp dumpling.
(3)
Andy A.

WORST restaurant ever!!!! We walked in and sat down where the hostess seated us, the rude waitress came over took the nice black chopsticks away from us ( which everyone else was using) then came back and THREW!!!! Wooden disposable chopsticks at my girlfriend!!!!! We immediately got up and left!! I have never been treated so rudely, not even in Paris.... this place is horrible, need to fire the wait staff or shut down!!!!!!!!
(1)
Marjorie C.

Lots of tea and a busy, popular restaurant means long lines for the restroom :( I love this place!!! Located across from Mark's Garage and next to small boutiques such as Barrio Vintage and Owens & Co. parking can be a little tricky but we've always ended up lucking out and finding metered parking around the corner. It does get busy here so be prepared to wait a while if you have a large party. I highly recommend the look fun noodles, they are chewy deliciousness on a plate, perfect compliment to all the steamed dim sum. My order is pretty typical: *custard tarts *shumai *taro & pork puff *anything with shrimp *baked char su manapua buns (yum!) each delicious morsel gets a good coating of hot mustard and shoyu before being devoured! After eating here you should walk around to the nearby shops, lots of quaint and unique items to buy!
(5)
Celena F.

I came here for lunch on a Monday late morning with some business associates. The restaurant was not busy so 6 of us were seated immediately and the carts started rolling almost faster than we could get settled in our seat (not a complaint). Ladies were friendly enough and very attentive. I left the ordering to others since the only dim sum I'm used to is Chun wah kam...I know, I know, for shame! The fried taro puff things were delish as well as the chow fun roll. Shrimp siu mai was status quo. I enjoyed the baked char siu bao...the bun was sweeter than I'm used to. Also recommend the garlic eggplant. It's fried with tons of garlic. I didn't catch the final bill (#winning) but judging by the menu, it was very reasonably priced. I would definitely come back.
(4)
Marc H.

Table available when we arrived. Service was excellent even though they only had 2 servers, dishes were cleared in a timely manner and water was refilled without asking. Food was delicious and came out piping hot. We didn't feel rushed. And we received complimentary dessert.
(4)
Paul C.

I have never been a great fan of this restaurant as I thought it was "so-so" after several tries - I guess it's because I'm a "food snob" who is Chinese-American and I am picky with my Chinese food. But after seeing all of the posts of their garlic soft shelled crab I knew I had to try it soon. Met with a client here for lunch today and ordered an assortment of dim sum with their house special noodles. I must admit the food tasted better than previous experiences but the soft shelled crab was EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD! It came out fresh so it was piping hot and I heard the crunch on the first bite. I also enjoyed their steamed shrimp dumping, Hong Kong-style pork hash, chicken feet and jelly fish. The meal ended with the custard tarts to satisfy the sweet tooth. Because I understand Catonese, I didn't care the wait-staff arguing who was going to give us menus to look at because of "that's not my job" attitude. Also, the waitress/waiter were not attentive in having our waters refilled so I had to ask them several times during our meal. Overall, a great place to have lunch for dim sum and noodles.
(4)
Trisha G.

Another downtown fave and the best place for dim sum. The "new" location is an upgrade. (Meaning: saw a couple homeless guys fighting just across the street of the old location one night.) The decor is upgraded and it's overall a better look. Note that the service sucks here 9 times out of 10. The stereotypical chinese restaurant service should be expected. At rush times, like weekday lunch hour, the carts are delayed and getting a table can be rough. All that being said... its the BEST DIM SUM. All the standard stuff (char siu bao, potstickers, pork hash and half moon) plus garlic eggplant, look fun, deep fried taro with scallop, bean curd roll, spinach and shrimp, and more. Also, yummy cake noodle. If you go late, you can often get a free almond float or tapioca. Another choice is custard buns. So ono! Seriously good enough to steel yourself from the grouchy ladies working night and day.
(4)
Marianne P.

This place is really a hole in the wall! Went here for the first time since my fam wanted Chinese food & it was the closest to my home in town... Ordered the Shrimp&Pork dumplings, Sweet&Sour Pork, Scallop Look Fun, & Beef Tomato. The flavor was there & the Look Fun was my favorite outta all of them. The restaurant is clean & the atmosphere is calm. Next time I crave Chinese food i'm definitely comin back here!
(4)
Colleen C.

Came here with my Dad who was in town from Vancouver, so the Dim Sum bar was set high. We came on a weekday just before the lunchtime rush so service was good and no wait for a table. Dim Sum was delish and the price couldn't be beat - $24 for the two of us and we left stuffed! The decor left a lot to be desired (it's a little run down/hole in the wall-ish) but as long as you know that going in, you won't be disappointed. If they could up the ambiance factor, that would probably turn my 4 star into a 5 star review.
(4)
Kalani S.

Location is up on Nuuanu Street of of S. Hotel. Good luck with street parking, unless you go early, but you could just park at the Zippys around the corner. Food was pretty decent. A bit more expensive than the average dim sum place, but you pay for a bit better service I suppose. Honestly, I would rather just skip the higher prices and go to Fook Lam as it is basically THE SAME. Dim sum her is fresh and piping hot, though, and the tea is strong. Get the Shanghai Dumplings, although no where near like they are in Shanghai, they are pretty yummy! Service pretty decent, affordability is ok. We spent $54 for three of us. TIP: Ask to Lup Cheung, it's off the menu, but still order-able!
(4)
Cam L.

Food is not bad. Not the best dim sum ever though. Service is horrible!! This was expected from dim dum places but one of our cart pushing lady was downright rude. She basically yelled at our table when some ppl in our group asked her what some of the dishes are and as soon as she left our table we could see her pointing at us and talking about us to another employee. Super uncomfortable and just pissed us off. The restaurant itself felt very grimy and dirty. Bathroom was not cleaned. I definitely will not be returning here. I would avoid this place and find food elsewhere in this area.
(2)
Paul K.

WOW!!! The food is delicious, service quick, seating lightening fast and the selection is incomparable!
(4)
Heather O.

I haven't been to many dim sum places (been to Legend, Royal Garden and Tai Pan so far), but Mei Sum may have to be my favorite out of the four. Service is on par! Waters are constantly refilled, someone always checks up on you, and plates are cleared soon after you are finished with them. Two months since being introduced to this place, I've been here 3 times. And every time there is always available seating! I usually get there between 12-1 on a weekend. So its really nice to be seated right away. My favorites are the usual dim sum dishes... Seafood shu mai, shrimp dumpling, look fun, shrimp fried gau, etc., etc... But my absolute favorite thing about this place is the soft shell crab. Its so garlicky and crispy! This place always keeps me coming back for more soft shell crab. The black bean sauce clams and fried eggplant are delicious also, and I always get those dishes when coming here. After all that, I am completely full! My usual routine is to walk off all the food and MSG by walking around Chinatown to visit the boutiques and grab a bubble drink :P I am looking forward to being a usual customer here and trying out their other dishes!
(5)
Sean S.

Cheap, good dim sum in Chinatown. I'm not sure if there are carts on the weekend but during the week you order what you want. The only bad part here is the parking. Meter parking if you can find it or expensive parking lots nearby.
(4)
Asia N.

Thus is my favorite place now for dim sum. It taste better then legend. Legend use to be my favorite. Made to order if u come after 2pm n til 8pm. Pork dumplings, shrimp dumplings, chicken feet n specially the string beans with minx pork. So yummy n flavorful. There street parking n pay parking across the street. Service is bad but who care as long the foods is good that all it matter.
(5)
Arlene A.

Ahh Mei Sum Dim Sum! Love this place, been a frequent customer for years. Mainly because they serve dim sum all hours of the day and night. Parking is never a hassle in the Municipal Lot and it's just a short walk around the corner. My usual faves: Garlic eggplant, corn fishcake, shrimp pork hash, garlic chicken wings, fried shrimp with sweet mayo, taro/scallop, and their different dumplings. What's also pretty awesome is that if you come for dinner, they give you a free complimentary bowl of this tapioca milk dessert. So tasty!
(5)
Kanoe Q.

Love coming to this place for dim sum anytime of the day. It's good that you can order even in the late afternoon and have it made fresh. The ladies here are all friendly and don't give you weird looks when one person in your party orders what's considered "a lot" and manages to eat it all :) Jenny was a really attentive server and would get us anything we needed quickly with a great attitude. Will be coming here often since arrived is good and food is very reasonably priced.
(5)
Melissa L.

Dragged my friend here before our spa appt. because ive been here a couple other times and had pretty decent experiences. It being Sunday, not that much places were open but we really wanted Dim Sum. Felt so rushed and it annoyed me pretty quick. For the most part they don't have the carts going around. Its basically you just order and they pull it for you from the back. As soon as we sat down they asked up what we wanted about 3 mins later. We ordered some stuff from the picture menu on the table but they also have a whole different menu you can order from if you ask -_-. We got about 4 things and I asked for Look Fun. after 10mins and asking 3 ladies. we were already full and over waiting for it. We went up to pay and cancel that order and the cashier said it takes 15mins to make -_- really? your employees cant tell someone something as easy as "it takes 15 mins to make". So turned off. Left probably the smallest tip I've ever left on my life and vowed to skip this place.
(3)
Hayato H.

Dim sum all night!!! My favorites are soft shell crab and look sum. It was empty store today so the nice waiter gave us deserts with a nice smile. Mei sum fried rice was alright. Uses a lot of garlic chips! Great place for two, family or a big group.
(4)
Dominique T.

I was very excited to come here after seeing the pictures of the food. And it was the closest one from our hotel after a 20-min bus ride from Waikiki. However, despite how nicely the chef(s) prepared the menu and food, service was lacking and lost 2 stars. It was good to notice that it was because we looked young and fit the stereotype of being tourists. The lady next to us was in mid sentence asking for something and the waitress simply walked away. We were told to be seated at a smaller table for 2 and were not even given any menus. My friend had to get up and grab one when we saw the lady after us were given one. They also took her order before taking ours even though we got there frost. No biggie since we were able to place the order. Our order was not immediately taken.... but what they lacked in service, the food spoke for itself. The garlic chicken wings and garlic fried egg plant are "must haves". I love the lightly dusting of the sugar and salt on the fried items with a dosage of fried garlic specks. The shrimp har gow came in 3 and not 4 like other places. They were delish so a 4th would be welcomed. The siu mai and chicken feet were good, too. The fried soft shell crab was delish!!!! I would come back despite the lack of service because I like the food. And I would like to try the other items on the menu. An additional 1/2 star for having a menu with pictures even though I don't really need it.
(3)
Paul R.

My hero!! We got a late craving for some dim sum, so we headed down to chinatown.. Every place was either closed or no longer making dim sum :/, but then we found this gem!! This is a no frills kind of place. Just good food, and decent staff. We got our usual. Shanghai dumplings, siu mai, har gau, and look fun.. Everything was really good.. A bit slow, but i was in a good mood so i decided to talk to my gf that day :p.. Only thing that wasn't great was the look fun.. Too much noodle or dough or whatever that stuff is.. Ladies working the tables were really polite. Very sweet, but kitchen slow. Place was old, but very clean. Pretty big too. Could definitely host a big group here, and not all that busy either.. Well at least from my experience. I will definitely be back, and i full recommend this place. Enjoy!
(4)
Pualena P.

My personal dim sum rule is NEVER go to dim sum without a fluent Chinese speaker. Needless to say, I couldn't have been happier when my Chinese-speaking classmate/group project partner/new bff asked if I wanted to go eat dim sum for our post-presentation preparation meal. We walked over to Mei Sum from the HPU library on Bishop street (walking distance from school & downtown FTW!). The restaurant was nearly empty at 3:00pm, which was great for us because we got one-on-one service! Well...three-on-two...three servers, two customers...you get the idea. We ordered the following: Beef noodles: I give this dish 3.5 stars. I have a love affair with noodles. They are my FAVORITE thing in the world and I know good noodles when I see them. These fat, flat, and fabulous noodles were accompanied by hunks of beef. Sounds good, right? Well...the dish was greeeeeasy! Which can be expected...but the beef was pretty fatty. Would I get it again? Maybe. But I'm sure there were other great things that I would like to try instead. The Bean Curd dish was fab! That was my favorite dish we got today. Five stars! Shrimp: I can't remember what the dish was called but it was fried shrimp...not shelled, not beheaded...not de-legged...we had entire little deep-fried shrimpies staring back at us from the plate. I know I make that sound less than appetizing, but I popped each one of those critters in my mouth and enjoyed every last bit! (well...almost every last bit...I couldn't eat the head and I spit out the tail. I guess I'm not THAT adventurous.) Deep Fried Taro Things: These were interesting. Again, very greasy...but actually quite good. The taro was moist and the filling (some kind of mystery meat) was cooked in some kind of yummy sauce. (gosh...the culinary ambiguity is starting to make me anxious...what did I just eat?!) Finally, we got Shanghai Dumplings which are dumplings that are SUPPOSED to be filled with soup! I've had these in Shanghai and they were one of my favorite things! So I was beyond excited to see them on the menu! I was, however, sorely disappointed. These dumplings were not filled with anything but soggy meat. I choked one down and didn't touch the other two. My mission for authentic Xiao Long Bao in Honolulu continues! All in all, I've had better dim sum. I'd come back, but not before I try other places first. That's not to say that I didn't eat myself into greasy a food oblivion...because I did!
(3)
Andrew T.

Friends brought me here for dim sum... I enjoyed it going down... although the dining room was kind of medium-dirty (actually not so bad by general Chinatown standards) and my stomach was kind of upset for the 12 hours afterwards. My friends said their stomachs were fine so maybe the blame does not belong to Mei Sum. Either that or you just have to be innoculated to their particular bacterias and you'll be fine next time you go back! I am used to dim sum served from carts; here you order from a menu. Waitress was friendly but didn't admit to speaking English and kept bringing us dishes we didn't order and saying something we thought was "sssh, free"... we actually wondered if they were uneaten dishes from other tables at one point. None of them were missing bites so we ate them. The check is indecipherable so we had no idea if she charged us for those dishes or not. In the end with tax and tip we spent $15 each for a moderate amount of food. My favorites were the fried taro ball and the turnip cake. I will go back.
(3)
Lianna N.

My parents and brother love coming here because the parking is very easy seeing as there is an underground cheap municipal lot just one block away. As far as dim sum it's always available and there are lots of choices on the menu. I'm not sure it's my favorite place to eat dim sum in Chinatown or in Hawaii in general but it gets the job done if you're having a craving or want to eat dim sum at an off hour that other places might not serve it. Grew up eating here so it's kind of like a staple but I do think there are better options in Chinatown with more variety. Service is what it is at all dim sum places and they're not quite as busy as other more popular places soooo you can always get a table and don't have to wait. Solid Chinese restaurant dim sum place in Chinatown where you could get a reliable meal.
(3)
Holly B.

Good Hong Kong-style dim sum is available at dinner time, which makes for a delicious variety to enjoy. We had a plate of shrimp and candied walnuts, mochi rice wrapped in lotus leaf, shrimp pork hash, char siu bao, taro gok, deep-fried seaweed, and jasmine tea. Everything was tasty, though the deep-fried seaweed and taro gok were a little oily. Quick service to get us on our way. Full house at 6:15 p.m. on a Sunday!
(4)
John N.

Okay, here is a rant. My biggest pet peeve in all of dimsum-dom is the spelling and pronunciation of shrimp dumplings. Dimsum is Cantonese. Therefore, it has to be pronounced in a pure Cantonese way akin to Guangdong/Hong Kong Cantonese dialect. Shrimp in Cantonese is "ha" like the ha part in yelling "AH HA!". Gau is dumpling. Put those two together and you will get HA GAU. Definitely not HAR GAU. Now you have learned this, please call it HA GAU from now on and not HA GAU. You will confuse the heck out of Cantonese speakers that way. When I was a kid, if I called it by HAR GAU, I would probably be locked up and studying math for the next week. I'm not joking either. So about Mei Sum. I've frequently here a few times within the past year and they are quite inconsistent. Notables from the last visit were HA GAU - Thicker pei than normal, smaller shrimp amount. It'll give the appearance of the normal sized ha gau but it isn't. The taste is right on though. C+ Phoenix Jowls(chicken feet) - This is decent here and on par with the restaurants that serve it well too. A Spare ribs steamed with black beans - Okay. Overcooked on purpose, but nothing necessarily bad on that part. C Siu Mai - Uninteresting. Same thing you can find in most places including take out. Nothing sets it apart from other spots. C Beef balls - Tastes old. You can tell it is old when the color turns purple-reddish inside. I don't mean it has been out for a while, I am just saying the uncooked beef was frozen for a long while. Service is okay. Just okay. Nothing more and nothing less than what is expected of in a Chinese dim sum restaurant. When it is busy, you have to be a go-getter. Not a fan of the newer location as it is a bit farther away from the Chinatown strip.
(3)
Anna K.

I have been going to Mei Sum Dim Sum since college. I love this restaurant for the gourmet food, the friendly service, and the affordability. I don't need to go PF Chang for the over priced steam sea bass filet. I don't need to wait long time to be serviced at Legend. I just need a classic dim sum stop with unbeatable taste and price. I found it 15 years ago and it has been my one stop for dim sum. This is a true family owned business. Mr. Luo and his wife have been the chef 365 days a year morning to night and established the strong customer base and an unsurpassed reputation in the local community. It is as close as you can get for an authentic Hong Kong dim sum. It is a family owned restaurant. I am a native dim sum lover and trust me, the Mei sum dim sum is something. This is where the local goes for dim sum. Must try the steamed or sweet and sour Seabass Filet in addition to the Dim Sum album.
(5)
Ariana M.

I have been here a few times before and never had such a horrible experience. I had a random Dim Sum craving and decided to come to Mei Sum because I was familiar with it and knew they had decent dim sum. Usually the services is fast, and were usually in and out. Which works out really well because lets face it, were always in a rush to get somewhere. This time, service was horribly slow. It was like none of the workers knew what they heck they were doing or something. I have no idea what was going on or if they just hired new people. But it was just horrible. We ordered our dim sum and it took FOREVER to come out. No joke. We only ordered about 5 dim sum dishes. Our whole meal process (from ordering to paying for the check) took OVER an hour. I don't think I have ever spent that long at any dim sum restaurant. They also forgot one of our orders that we were waiting a good 15-20 minutes for. I mean come on -_- your menu is not complicated. Its not like I'm waiting for a damn medium rare steak or something high end. I'm waiting for my damn shrimp dumplings!!
(1)
Ella H.

I wouldn't even give one star, but I can't post without any stars. I just ate there, and sat by the water and tea station. One of the waitress cleared a table, dumped the water back into the water pitcher. Then she just rinsed off the cups in running water and put them back on the tray. Another waitress came soon after and put water in the same cups and served them to the people behind us. They don't use soap water for the cups, they just rinse them with cold water. I wish I saw that before we ordered. We would have walked out. It's disgusting, and against health code for sure.
(1)
Lei L.

Top notch dim sum joint! I highly recommend their dried scallop dumpling...they were steamed to perfection. They are open from 8am WOWZA for a perfect early morning breakfast. It's a very low-key restaurant & casual.
(4)
Wendy K.

Jelly fish OVERPRICED!!!!!! $9.95 for a SAMLL plate of Jelly Fish! It's on the dim sum cart, price unknown until you pay your bill. Cheaters!!
(1)
Taz N.

my sweeti n i decided to eat our lunch here on fri 10/24...gotta say the deep fried crab waz da damb best dim sum i ever tasted..what we didnt realize was the price..it used to be $8.95 now its $11.95 ...n i ordered 2 servings...ooh boy...for me it was worth it but my sweeti didnt think so..she was kinda mad....oh well..other than that the service was ok..the servers were pretty much attentive to us...n there was always someone offering us dim sum to choose..my wife loved the deep fried eggplant n the lotus mochi rice...we're difinitely be back...i gotta ask the price of the crab tho...if u love deep fried foods..u gotta try this!!!!.....umai!!!!!!...oh yea if ur concerned about the parking...theres a clean n secure parking structure u can park at for $.75 every half hour...or u can park on the street, but good luck on that depending on the time of day...my best bet would be the parking structure which is about 2 blocks away from the restaurant...especially if u have a nice car or comcerned about ur car..i am one of those people...i always park my car im the safest spot i can find even if it means i gotta walk far to wherever im going...the entrance to the structure is on beretania right across from the Chinese Culture Center...on ur left...its right before Alaa Park...the parking lot is huge so u shouldnt have a hard time finding parking.....good luck!!!!!!!!! !
(5)
Jane L.

This is a tiny little shop in china town. If you want good dim sum that is served all day, this is the place to go to. I'd go to this place again if I was in the area but not drive out of my way to go here. Service: They were really nice and at times they seemed like they were trying to rush us to get out. I didn't know how to intake that information. Food: Oh my goodness everything that I ate was soooooo good. I didn't even have a chance to take any pictures because I was so hungry. Parking: Street parking or any of the parking structures located around this area.
(3)
Bryce A.

Another visit to Hawaii, another stop for a dim sum brunch/lunch at Mei Sum. Parking is a little different now - street parking is still available, but the lot around the corner isn't any more. There is an underground lot a little further down the road on the same block, I'm not sure how much it costs at other times but on Sunday it was a flat $3 rate...which turned out to actually be $1.50 (yeah, I have no idea). The look fun, baked pork buns, sticky rice in lotus leaf, and baked custard buns are still all great choices if you are looking for your standard dim sum dishes, though if you want the look fun then you should order it as soon as you sit down since they generally won't have them on the carts and it takes a while to make. Something I tried for the first time on my most recent visit was the garlic eggplant and fishcake. This is definitely not something you normally see at dim sum, but it's great. You get fishcake sandwiched between slices of eggplant and deep-fried, with toasted garlic sprinkled on top. The seafood wraps - mushrooms and seafood wrapped in bean curd - are also delicious. You can get a whole lot of food for ridiculous prices. I went with a party of 5, we ate until we were stuffed, and the total bill came out to $53. As long as you can put up with the hit-and-miss service, this is a great place for dim sum.
(4)
Monica A.

Believe it or not, this would've been my first Dim Sum experience but my boyfriend and I decided to leave the restaurant before we even got our orders placed. That was how bad their customer service was. No acknowledgement when we entered the doors, they didn't bring us water or tea unless we asked for it and they took forever to take our order. When the lady finally came to take our order, we started ordering a couple of dishes and things were getting better until someone who seemed like her "trainer" cuts us off, yelling in Chinese while we just sat there waiting for them to finish where then the waitress says, " . . . and then?" AND THEN?! Are you kidding me. She should've at least excused herself. We continued to order when the trainer comes back babbling on and literally grabs the order notepad from our waitress and tries to start taking our order. That's when we decided enough was enough and told them we were going to eat somewhere else and got off our seats and left. No respect towards their customers nor respect towards their own workers. :/
(1)
Shay F.

I wasn't expecting much when coming here....so I was pretty surprised when the dim sum that I got actually tasted pretty good. I enjoyed all the dishes I ordered! Going there is a bit of a challenge since it's in downtown, but I went after 6pm so I could snatch a metered stall and not pay! Yelp 365 Challenge #270/365
(3)
Jozlyn H.

Everything was delicious! Their spicy eggplant is yummmmm!!!!
(4)
Jp K.

Pretty bad service. The servers/cart ladies can be very rude. Would not eat there again. They are not the only dim sum place in town. Much better out there.
(2)
Gspot H.

Gonna try the special: sautÃ©ed shrimp with butter and garlic. My fav dim sum spot in Chinatown. U gotta take bill to cash register
(4)
Misty P.

I've been here before at their old location with my mom, and most recently at their new location on Nuuanu Ave with my fiance for dim sum. Despite the other reviews, we had pretty decent service - but we were the only one's there on a Friday afternoon. Make note though, that the waitresses are pretty adamant and good at their sales pitch. She was trying her best to get us to buy the bao (or baked manapua). I don't like manapua, but my fiance bought into her sales pitch "It's good you know?! SO SOFT!! FRESH!" Ok, we get it - whatever lady...so we added it to our table. I don't know if she thought we were rich or something. I should've just yelled "Shit, bring on the char siu bao, and three more orders of egg tarts, naked girls and bring out some Alize!" We ordered shrimp shumai, pork hash, deep fried soft shelled crab, egg tarts and black bean shortribs. All this with the wonderfully "fresh" char siu bao only cost us $23.00. Of course, with every dim sum or Chinese place, there was hot tea on the house and our waters were filled constantly. The food was good and yummy and what you would expect from a dim sum joint. Parking is in a lot on Smith St? Or is It Pauahi? But basically behind the restaurant on the opposite adjoining street. We instead opted to park in the City and County public parking garage which only cost $1.50 even after eating and walking around Chinatown.
(4)
Oxcar A.

This is my first bad review. I just left this discussing restaurant(service) I order the sizzling chicken which had no flavor what so ever. Our waiter's name was Ringo (the jerk) when we got there he did not greet us even though we did. When we ask for a dish recommendation he just pointed at a dish. After he gave us such an amazing recommendation by pointing at a picture we were still not sure what we wanted to order. So we decided to start with some sides of dim sum. We told him we needed more time and wanted to start with those sides. He left and gave us a facme. Anyways I ask him for a box to go, he never brought it. Btw the place was not busy just two of us and another table so no excuse. When we were paying I wrote on the recipes (Ringo bad service) and obviously a big fat 0 for tips the cashier looked over to see if we left tips on the table and ask my friend is he needed a smaller bill for tips he said no. When I handed my receipt she said you need to leave tip here or the table. That's when I got furious and told them how their service sucks. Seriously what place ask you to leave tips this way. Tips are earn base on the service provided Also, we ask for water and they took for ever to bring it we shouldn't be asking for water this shows how attentive they are! Our waiter Ringo never bother to come to our table and ask if everything was okay.
(1)
VG d.

Good food, HORRiBLE "service" Despite this being the case for 14 years. Mei Sum had always been my "go to" place for dim sum, I've brought plenty friends and office staff here for brunch. Then one day I made the mistake of ordering the "special of the day" off the menu: "Pineapple fried rice with shrimp" which turned out to be disgustingly awful. I told the waitress it was awful and to send it back to the kitchen when OMG - ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE! She yelled at me, loud voice inside the restaurant: "TOO BAD! YOU ORDER? YOU EAT!" I told her I didn't want it and we got into it right then and there. So, for maybe $.94 worth of ingredients, a long-time loyal customer (and her friends) will NEVER spend money here. Instead, we can now be found ordering plenty at Fook Lam, where they actually smile and VALUE THEIR CUSTOMERS, going so far as to validate parking! In the Chinese Cultural Center. Equal or better food quality, nice service.
(2)
John R.

What can you say about a place that greets you with a cart with fried taro but, "Yum!" A bright and cheerful place with friendly staff and many of my favorites. Very enjoyable.
(5)
Jenn Y.

Dim Sum. There are so many in Chinatown, which one should you go to? I was introduced to this place by my boyfriend. He said this place was good so I thought ok lets try it. Like any place in downtown, it is hard to find parking so take your pick street parking or garage. Ok inside appears small, but maybe because there is so much people here and it can get crowded. When you can find yourself a table, the little chinese ladies come with all their all their goodies in steam basket. I get my usual pork hash, etc etc. Anyways the reason why I keep coming here is it is clean including the bathroom, food seems hot and fresh, never cold. The ladies are actually nice here. They listen to you, dont forget or ignore your order and actually refill your water cup and tea. I really enjoy coming here which is why I am a repeat and happy customer and for sure of their greatest fan =D
(5)
Ty T.

Oh Dim Sum Lady how I love your sweet talk and abuse. Where else can you be treated so rudely, but still tip 20% and come back for more? This is the most amazing phenomenon in the dinning industry. They're not even doing it jokingly or with sarcasm. It reminds me of the scene in Desperado, where Cheech revels that they purposely give bad service because the bar is a front for Buchos drug cartel. I'm not saying there's Triads gambling in the back, but don't make a wrong turn going to the restroom. As for the food, amazing. Everything is good, and everything fresh ;) If they don't have what you want on the cart, you can order and the kitchen will make it for you. One final thought. If went to any other place of business and got a bill written in a different language and you couldn't understand it would you say something?
(4)
Kim C.

Subduing the Beast "Give me some dim sum yum at Mei Sum Dim Sum or I'll chew your head off!" I screeched. My husband has been deployed twice, went through grueling training, and endured some hardships in life. But nothing had prepared him for pregnancy number 2. You could have compared me to the girl in Exorcist. Vomiting, screaming out profanities, eyes blotched red, hair tangled, pale skin and so forth. The pope himself wouldn't wanna come near me. Only food could subdue me. What my poor husband had to withstand during my 9 months of pregnancy just boggles my mind. He also attained a sympathy bump on his belly to show for it. Before I knew of Yelp, we went on a crusade in search of dim sum compared to my beloved Mei Sum. Little did I know they moved down a block into a bigger, cleaner, better, less sketchy location. Some hole in the wall dim sum shops matched the prices and the great portions but the taste was not there. Through Yelp I discovered that Mei Sum did not close down, but just moved. Mei Sum serves dim sum till they close. After a certain time the carts are gone, but they serve pipin fresh hot dim sum. Sure you have to wait a while, c'mon now good food takes time. My Favorites: *Crispy Seaweed Roll It's fried seaweed with an irresistible crispy bite, chock full of different seafood. "Um, can I get like five plates all to myself..thanks!" *Chicken Feet Yes, chicken feet. The tantalizing texture and the explosion of flavor in these tasty morsels make me swoon. *Shrimp Pork Hash They serve them huge the mananpua man can't compete with the taste or size. *Noodles Mei Sum Special Fried Noodle Minute chicken Fried Noodle So if your in need of satisfying some dim sum craving head down to Mei Sum and get your fulfillment.
(5)
Andy F.

I've been to all the dim sum restaurants on Oahu (except this one in Aiea, which I must try soon), and multiple times to all the ones in Chinatown. If I had to rank all the Chinatown ones in order, I would put Mei Sum #2 behind Fook Lam. My grandfather loves this place, and I always come here with him. Having consistent quality and freshness at any place of business is important, which is a big reason why I come here and rank it so high on my list. Everything is always hot and warm, and tasty and delicious, and I always leave here satisfied with the dim sum. The good thing I've noticed is that they never have too much (nor too little) dim sum piled on the carts, which can just sit there forever and be steamed to death. From observations, it seems to me that they have a few of almost everything on cart, and a few more for the popular items. In the instances where it's not available on the cart, you can just order from the server. I've sat at the table near the entrance to the kitchen numerous times, and they are always pumping out freshly made dim sum, both steamed and fried and baked. Whenever you hear the bell, it's a signal to the servers that there is fresh dim sum there ready to be put onto the steamer cart, or fried or baked dim sum ready to be plated. With the fried or baked dim sum, the servers always takes a tray full of the freshly made item to offer each table. I love that table cause you get first dibs :). Another reason why I value this place more than the others is the large variety of the dim sum. If you go to Golden Palace, Empress, Mandalay, Happy Garden, etc. The dim sum menu is pretty much the mirror image of each other with a few options that are unique. Here, there are quite a few dim sum choices that you just don't find at any other place, such as the deep fried soft shell crabs, deep fried garlic eggplant, steamed fish cake ball with corn and mushroom, and XO Sauce Look Funn just to name a few. And that's on top of an already huge array of other dim sum selections. Coming here so many times, I've pretty much tried all of them. The chicken feet/phoenix talons, deep fried seaweed seafood roll, and steamed bean curd rolls are my staples for all dim sum restaurants I go to, and overall, they have the best seaweed roll, and one of the tops for the other two. The service here is fine. For me, it's just the typical Chinese Dim Sum restaurant in Chinatown where all the servers are from China (with some who act that they are still in China!) who only understand the basic form of English, so one should not expect 5-star quality service from servers who are able understand every single word you say. Using a lot of gestures helps a lot. Just point to the menu or point at what you want from the cart. Other than that, all the servers are pretty friendly, and very attentive. I've never had any poor experiences. They always come by with the dim sum cart to check if you want more food, they rid of your empty bamboo baskets and dim sum plates with haste, and they always fill up your water and refill your teapot right away. If you need anything, just wave a server down and smile and ask, and they'll get you whatever you need right away. For such a small place, there seems to be quite a few servers working at one time, which is good. As I mentioned in the beginning, this place serves consistent, excellent quality dim sum with a large variety to choose from that is always fresh, which is why I value them highly amongst all the other dim sum restaurants. I've never left here unsatisfied, nor dealt with any poor experiences involving service. The prices are typical with all the other dim sum places around Chinatown, $2.85 for the regular items. They have validated parking in a parking garage that you enter from Beretania St. right after you pass Nu'uanu Ave. Lastly, they serve dim sum nighttime too! There won't be carts, but you can still order it, and they'll prepared it for you.
(4)
Tiffany O.

Atmosphere: Rather small. It was crowded around lunch but they were able to seat us quickly. Food: They have a good variety of things to choose from, all of which tasted good. I like that if they dont have them in carts, you just tell one of the servers and they cook it for you as soon as possible. Nothing really stood out flavorwise, however. But it was satisfying. Service: Friendly and fast, which is something that is usually lacking at Dim Sum restaurants.
(3)
VikÃ©ndios N.

Had lunch with some close friends who eat out A LOT, so I had high hopes for this place. Unfortunately, it was just a-ok. ATMOSPHERE: Very plain & uninviting interior. Bright white lights, walls & floors. Tiny parking lot behind the building. FOOD: House noodle - We substituted the noodles with a cake noodle, which was delicious; crunchy outside and soft inside. Topped with squid, bok choy, some sort of tender fish & shrimp. Chicken feet - Loved this dish, even more than the one at Legend Seafood. Chicken manapua - Didn't care for it. Taste was okay but it didn't go well with the other dishes we ordered. Taro w/ scallops - Very interesting. Looked like little bird nests. Layer of taro at the bottom with a thin slice of scallop on top. Shell was some sort of deep fried noodle. Sort of on the bland side. Steamed look funn with charsiu - Good but I prefer the one served at Legend Seafood right around the corner. Look funn was a bit mushy. Custard tart - Crust was nice & buttery and the custard was good. SERVICE: It was average for a Chinese restaurant. Food came out quick. Don't talk story after your meal especially if they're busy, which they were, cause you'll get "the eye!" OVERALL: Good food but not the greatest. I still prefer Legend Seafood.
(3)
Katherine N.

Lesson number #1: Don't talk about your customers in your native language thinking we don't understand because we do :D Lesson number #2: Do not stare down your customer while they're putting their money away to see if we are gonna tip you! Lesson number #3: If you want a better tip, give us better customer service! Lesson number #4: Clean your dishes better I saw visible food stains on it. Nasty. Anyways my friends and I were looking for a new place to eat dim sum and we found this place. Long story short, the beginning of the meal was fine. Their mochi rice with pork is pretty good but everything else didn't taste so great. I didn't think ANYBODY could mess up on shrimp dumplings but somehow they did..? Whatevaaa, but towards the end of our meal we felt as if the older waitress wanted us to leave. Feeling unwelcomed we paid but decided to sit and converse a little but the old waitress kept saying "yeah put your tip on the tray, your waitress work hard". Haha excuse me? Am I suppose to tip? Even after we heard you speaking in Cantonese about how "they think we ripped them off" & "they better tip" & "oh okay they left a couple dollars". I was hoping to find a new place to rave about but oh well back to square one!
(1)
Lee H.

The parking sign is misleading. The sign is only for employee parking, but doesn't say it. I got harassed by one of their employees when when I was just following their sign. Parking is only available on the metered parking in the street.
(1)
Jenn T.

I came here for an awesome lunch with friends for my bday. It was my first time here, and luckily we got seated pretty quickly, no waiting, which was awesome for a Sunday dimsum run! They have the standard dim sum dishes, which in my opinion was all pretty delicious. The restaurant is fairly small, small enough for the carts to come by enough with out you getting stuck in the corner table and them forgetting about you. The service was pretty decent as well. A great choice for a yummy bday celebration!
(4)
Kim M.

My family loves Mei Sum and I love dim sum, so I'm lucky when I get invited. The food is great but the service is crap, especially when it's busy. I just went here earlier this month with the fam and bf for my little sister's birthday dinner. She just made 10 and is the pickiest eater I know.... Surprisingly she loves Mei Sum and has for years. We ordered a ton of food, a ton. Some of my favorites: +lemon chicken +fish with snow peas +Peking duck I will never forget my first time (at this new location). It was during my lunch hour at Queen's and I walked down there with several coworkers. Yes, we WALKED in the hot blazing sun... And I'm never doing that again in long pants and peep-toe boots (at least they were peep-toe though). Service was horrible. Everything we ordered they either forgot to make or forgot to bring out. But the food that we did have was great. I miss the old location--the service was a lot better there. Good service or not, I will be back. The food is tasty and Mark's Garage ($5 parking) is right across the street!
(4)
Sheila G.

We got our table fairly quickly, but it went downhill from there. I've experience really bad service but this really takes the cake. 15 minutes being there, my bf and I left because within that time, this was what had happened: (1) When we were ordering, the waitress kept walking away. We didn't even finish ordering and she left. (2) They sent us a cold fried eggplant and when I told them I wanted it hot, the lady said to tell somebody else and she walked away. Another lady took it away after. (3) Waited for 10 minutes and while we were waiting, a couple came in and they were royally given everything upon order. (4) We were charged $6 and we only ate 3 shrimp dumplings. I didn't noticed they charged us the eggplant until we paid and left because my bf was wondering why we paid so much for the three dumplings. And yes, I told the cashier somebody took it away. I WILL NEVER, EVER RETURN HERE EVEN IF MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. NEGATIVE INFINITY STARS.
(1)
Lauren S.

Good dim sum in Chinatown. Their char siu look fun is good and the chives and shrimp is my favorite. The only one I do not care for here is the ham soy gok (mochi inside) the insides were sweet and different than other places I've had it at (usually my favorite one) and so that was the only disappointment. Everything else is pretty standard and well priced! I will continue coming back!
(4)
Kioko S.

My family met up with relatives for lunch here today and for the most part it was enjoyable. It's a small, quaint little dim sum joint in the outskirts of Chinatown. The dim sum cart was excellent! The fried taro, garlic eggplant, steamed half moons (vegetable and meat options), char siu buns (steamed and baked), fried pork mochi (don't know what it's called but looks like a football) pork shu mai, and big egg tarts were delicious. The food was nice, but the customer service was a bit iffy. We had to call the cart over even though there was virtually no one in the restaurant and after we paid, they kind of gave us the boot out. Overall, it was a nice restaurant and a less hectic option than Legend's dim sum. I'll probably try out a few more dim sum places before I give my verdict as to what the best dim sum is in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(3)
Puying M.

I used to go here quite often as I live in the neighborhood. Over the years I've noticed that the service has gotten worse and worse to the point where it now borders on downright rude. Food quality had also gone downhill. Ate here about a month ago and literally could not finish 2 of the 4 dim sum plates I ordered- they were so nasty. Frankly it tasted rancid. The fact that they don't put prices on the dim sum menu can result in sticker shock when you ask the waitress for a recommendation on a dim sum and she recommends the soft shell crab but neglects to tell you that is $11. Not very clean either. Will NEVER go here again.
(1)
Kathy F.

Fastest Dim Sum in the city. Everything on one cart. Very tasty and delicious. Good if you want a quick lunch or meal. We ordered noodles, and had about four plates...total for meal around $24.00. Very filling. Two stars because we felt like our meal was rushed and the male server kept placing and taking dishes from us as if he were in a hurry. If you want to eat and leave try Mei Sum; if you want to have a leisurely meal try another one of China towns great authentic places.
(2)
Golden R.

We ALWAYS come here with a BIG party = 15+... Mei Sum staff (from Kelly to Jenny to Amy & even YUU) are soooo accommodating (we guess they have engurish names so you can call them easily. I keep calling Jenny, but she wouldn't turn her head, until I tapped her then asked her "your name Jenny right?" she smiled and said "yes,yes,yes, soerry soerry!" Hehe. Guess she new and gotta get use to her new name. Lol If they have a table opening up they are quick to set it up for you. If you local, you know them from the corner of Smith St...NOW they on Nuuanu and they are sooooooooo nice. Before at the old location they WERE rude. Food is always mmmm! Great dim sum! All day, till night, they got dim sum. Usually dim sum is only a lunch thing. Hawaii dim sum know how to do it - ALL DAY & NIGHT They always win the "Best of...." & "Ilima Awards", but they don't have to put up all those awards cause they know they good!! Order the soft shell crab from your waitress they bring um fresh. Oh, they going push some food they you don't want, Just Say No! It's fine. When you say...2 of this...they going say...how about 3 cause really good you know, if not you bring home. Ok!!! Nuff said.... Good food, big parties ok! Stuffed=Yes!!! What chinese restaurant is not squishy?
(5)
Dave F.

First time for me at Mei Sum. Came here with high hopes for a stellar dim sum dining experience. I actually found it rather slow and unorganized, most of the dishes were kinda cold, except for the dry beef chow fun. It was kinda confusing for me because the carts didn't come around regularly and I was disappointed the steamed items cart didn't come around. The spring rolls, even if they were cold we're good. The chow fun was nice and hot when it arrived table side which made up for some of the other cold food. I kept running out of water and had to ask for refills vs being refilled regularly. I would come back, but I want to try the other choices around town. Also, good luck finding a good parking stall...
(3)
Darrell P.

'Dem some tasty dim sum! Old school & authentic. Dim sum literally means, "touched by the heart." Dim sum dining emerged from the leisure class of Cantonese society in the 10th century. Today, everyone enjoys dim sum (also called yum cha when eaten at teatime). Dim sum offers the diner a chance to slow down and enjoy the finer things in life. Much of dim sum features bite sized dumplings and pastries stuffed with meats and vegetables. Store Front: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Mei Sum has one of the best reputations for dim sum in Honolulu's Old Chinatown -- and often the crowds to prove it. It's also open later than other places in the area. 'Been craving dim sum for a while now, say about 6 months... ('Still looking for a good dim sum place in the South OC area.) 'Located in Old Chinatown, where a lot of the original Hawaii Five-O was shot, Mei Sum is the real deal. Again, I went with my Aunty Judy & Uncle Joe who come here about once every two weeks with the o'hana. Shortly after being seated, Aunty Judy chose the majority of the dim sum from the passing carts and I simply enjoyed the ride. It was great! The Cart: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ The three of us arrived shortly after 1pm and the restaurant was already crowded. I think Aunty Judy ordered just about one of everything, two in some instances... Our table that could've easily sat six people was covered in dim sum dishes from edge to edge. The Spread: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ 'Happy to be here: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ The service was alright. As a couple of yelp*ers mentioned, it seems to take the carts some time to come back around. So, you may want to grab 2-3 dishes when it does. Other yelp*ers recommend coming early for faster service. 'But what do you expect from a long time, popular local spot?... 'A large following. The Crowd: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ If you are unfamiliar with dim sum, approach with caution - this place is for the more seasoned dim sum patron. As I mentioned, authentic. 'Very little English is spoken here. Yes, the menu items do have photos but even with that, I can still see it being a bit challenging overall. It also helps, if you are accompanied with someone that can speak Chinese as well. (Mahalo nui Aunty Judy!) 'And if you are neither a connoisseur of dim sum or don't know anyone that speaks Chinese, don't be discouraged from giving this place a try! Food and adventure go hand in hand! Shrimp Dumplngs: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Pork Hash: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Mochi Rice: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Chicken Feet & Pork Spareribs: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Taro: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Taro Cross Section: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ Dessert!: yelp.com/biz_photos/tpUUâ€¦ If you make it out to Old Chinatown on O'ahu this is definitely a place to get real old school, dim sum. - Aloha! Food: 5 Ambiance: 3 Service: 3+ Value: 5
(4)
Christie T.

Mei Sum is a great option for a quick, casual, and very affordable meal. Love the Shanghai Dumplings, delicious pork/mushroom/ginger flavor, and also nice and juicy.
(4)
Tyler K.

My go to spot for dim sum, Mei Sum is located right across the street from Mark's Garage. Despite being in Chinatown there's a number of parking options such as the municipal lot near by, and they actually have free parking in the back (only a few stalls). Onto the food. Mei Sum has a good variety of dim sum and noodle dishes, everything from pork sui mai to jelly fish. Their noodle dishes are all very good but i'd suggest the house special noodles or the char siu lok fun. Same goes for the dim sum, everything I've had from here has been very tasty, my favorites are the taro puffs, steamed char siu bao, and the garlic chives. Another thing I like about this place is the price, you can easily leave here feeling REALLY stuffed and only pay $10. There's nothing fancy about this place and the waitress can be a little blunt but they all mean well. If you're looking for simply good dim sum for a good price check out Mei Sum.
(4)
Arturo G.

First off the wifey and I went at 7pm on 2.10.13 and yes that is Chinese New Year, but the place wasn't as busy as i expected it to be. We didn't want to dine in so we got a menu to order for takeout. While standing there for just about a minute or two a waitress comes up and asks what we would like to order. So we placed 4 different dim sum orders and the waitress leave. About minute later another waitress comes and asks us what we want to order, we tell her we ordered from another lady, pointed at her and said we want to add another dish. She takes our order down hands it to the original waitress and then she gives her a pissed off look and said something under her breath. It wasn't until 50 minutes later we received our food. And get this within 30 minutes they bring out 4 bags of takeout food and place it behind the counter and leave and say nothing. The Service here is horrible. I really don't recommend this unless you like horrible service.
(1)
Teri K.

This is not a fancy dim sum place. However, food is consistently good, affordable, and there's enough variety to keep it interesting.
(4)
Lyn L.

I've eaten at Mei Sum when they were at the corner of Pauahi and Smith Street...and I thought the food was pretty good....well....can't say that anymore...sorry. Went there today with my girlfriend...ordered the following: Black bean sparerib - very bland...hardly any black bean flavor Harn Siu Gok - tasted like the oil was old Pot sticker - nothing to write home about...kind of bland Siu Mai (they said they are famous for this) - very bland and uninteresting Fried soft shell crab - very oily and tasteless. Price is ok...about $18 for all of this, but it simply wasn't good. Service was sketchy...had a hard time "flagging" someone down. couldn't get them to bring us the check when we were ready to leave I was amazed that there are so many FOB looking Chinese people eating there....I was not impressed and probably won't bother going back... Give me Happy Day or Royal Garden anytime!
(2)
Takeshi M.

jook is good black egg
(3)
Kaliko P.

Goodness gracious - Is this the same restaurant I fell in love with many months ago? We came back for thirds on a weekend (big mistake) and during lunch time (even bigger mistake). I don't mind waiting for good food, but this time we went the service took a LONG time. We were seated on a large table with two other strangers; in all fairness we were asked ahead of time if we'd have problems with this arrangement and we said no (because we didn't want to wait what seemed another half hour with a fussy hungry kid) It was fun passing around the condiments among us and staring at that ONE pot of tea on the table. Later they brought us separate pots of tea but I wondered if they got their tabs correctly. How did they know the strangers weren't with us? How could I decipher the tab when everything was written in Chinese? Deep fried eggplant this time was ...ehhhh OK. It was not spectacular as I remembered it. We had to wait over 20 minutes for it. We never got separate dishes to put our mustard and sauces in, so our plates were literally palettes of saucey art work and no one ever came to get us the correct dishes - on the other hand we didn't say anything because the service was mad-house. Mei Sum was filling and the price was still right (approx. $28.00) for the two of us, not including tip, but I think I'd skip weekends and prime-time lunch/dinner hours from now on. It was a pretty mediochre experience with hum drum dim-sum (hey that rhymes). Oh yeah, no free tapioca pudding dessert during "rush hour".
(3)
Air-n L.

Food was good. We went early so it was kinda empty. Prices pretty good too. Just the Seafood roll wasn't as fresh tasting but otherwise the rest of the dimsum we ordered was good. Seems like the waitress always try harassing you to try eat everything-"you like try? You try you try...but I guess they always like that at all the dimsum places....
(5)
Michael C.

Bad service is an understatement here. This is the first time I have ever been to a Chinese restaurant and have had servers not want to stop to take my order. I have been to more packed restaurants and still was served so I don't know what was up with the service here today but with 2 other Yelpers not with the UYE posting 1 star reviews on the same day I know that I am not the only one that received bad service. Let me put it this way, this is the first time I have ever left a Chinese restaurant still hungry.
(1)
Nat N.

Where else can you get dim sum for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Mei Sum! They serve dim sum all day long from 7am: it's hot, fresh, reasonably priced, and delish! The employees are friendly (for Chinese standards) too. In addition to dim sum, their regular menu items are also good. Love their crispy noodles and garlic chinese broccoli! They have customer parking in a lot in the back of the building - enter from Pauahi Street (between Nuuanu and Smith)
(4)
Rex C.

Awesome dim sum. Always satisfied when leaving here
(5)
Joanna L.

I recently came here with a friend for a late lunch and was pleasantly surprised that they had passed my expectations. But then again, I had really low expectations. 1. LATE LUNCH? If you come here past 2, you'll have to wait a little bit for them to freshly make some of the dim sum. While I do like that their steamed items came out piping hot and fantastic, it means the deep fried stuff (according to the staff) takes 45 minutes to cook. ...fer realz?! Other than the fact that their deep fried stuff takes for-evverr, their menu is also limited after 2:00. When my friend asked for a menu to order noodles, they returned with the dim sum menu. The same one that can be found between the table cloth and the plastic that sits ontop. Alright, I guess it's just steamed dim sum for us, then. 2. GARLIC EGGPLANT! Yes, this dish was so delish, it gets its own number. The eggplant is stuffed with fish cake (I think) and deep fried with lots of crispy garlic!! MMMM, how I love garlic... especially when it's crispy! Oh, yeah... vampire, I am definitely not. Other plus: this dish doesn't take 45 minutes! 3. WATER! At first it was a bit difficult to find a refill of water, but then one of the ladies left us a pitcher and it was smooth sailing from there. Granted, I still believe that the lady got distracted and left it on our table by accident. So a little while after the pitcher of water was left, one of the other ladies stopped by to refill our water. We point out that we already have a pitcher of water (literally right under her nose... she was pouring our water around the other pitcher!) and so she refills our pitcher too! Too funny! 4. PARKING. There's street parking and if you can't find any on the streets, there's also the Municipal Parking. Fun fact! Did you know that Mei Sum sits above a Municipal Parking Lot? You enter from Beretania St. Right after Nuuanu Ave, there's an entrance to the left right before the park. Overall, this place is passable, but it's not better than the ones at Cultural Plaza. Personally, I'd only come here for late lunch (because the Cultural Plaza dim sum places are closed) or if I'm craving their garlic eggplant.
(3)
Yuko A.

When going out to Dim Sum in Chinatown, my family and I usually go to Legends. We have been going for years, but today we decided to try out something new. Mei Sum looked like it had gotten some good reviews and it was close to our parking spot, so we decided to check it out. It was packed, which is always a good sign at lunch time on a weekday. Luckily, we got the last open table. One thing I immediately noticed when I walked in was that there was only one lady pushing a cart around. I thought this a bit strange since most restaurants I've been to usually have at least 3-4 ladies pushing the carts. I guess its understandable though since you have to order dishes from the waitresses here. We were able to get some shumai, shrimp dumplings, yuba (bean curd), and spinach and garlic dumplings from the cart. The shumai and shrimp dumplings were good, the yuba wasn't bad except it only had veggies in it. I prefer the ones with meat in them. We ordered turnip cakes which were perfectly crispy on the edges. It was annoying though because when we asked the waitress for some hoisin sauce, she told us that they were out. A chinese kitchen out of a chinese dipping sauce? Doesn't make sense to me. The shrimp look fun was good but I thought the shrimp seemed a little small. Maybe it was just our dish? Overall it was a cheap eat lunch but the service was terrible and they seemed to have less variety than Legends. For now we will probably stick to Legends but I haven't completely crossed Mei-Sum off my list. YELP 365: 051/365
(4)
Tracie F.

I used to LOVE this place. They USED to be good. My last experience was HORRIBLE!!! I will likely NEVER return. Why you ask? Let me count the ways (um reasons)... SERVICE...sucked. We were in there on a busy night (which I hear is every night) and had a pretty short wait. That is where the positives end. We were not even acknowledged for 10 minutes. When we were a grouchy Chinese woman barked at us and told us how busy she was. The big questions...why weren't there more servers (or cooks)? Our dinner last 1 hour and 45 minutes. Too long! By the time our last plate came we were so anxious to get out of there we took it to go. They expect a decent tip and if that is the case then I expect decent service. Period. CLEANLINESS...Honestly? It was ok. No Chinatown street walkers (aka: roaches or any other kind for that matter) and the bathroom was clean. Always a nice bonus. FOOD...it was simply ok. I usually love this place but this time it seriously was mediocre. As usual they were out of things but I have grown to expect that coming here. Food is hot off the wok which is always nice. I just wish it didn't take 45 minutes to get it. Will I come back here? Nah probably not. There are so many other good Dim Sum places so I'll try something different next time. I actually recommend that you do too.
(2)
waiter d.

I can forgive the wait, the disorganization but what I can not forgive is watching them empty the used water glasses and refill them for new customers without washing them. Paid the bill and walked out!
(1)
E. M.

Seems like we should learn our lesson. Each trip to Mei Sum ends up with something going wrong. Today my son and I went to eat dim sum. We ordered the usual....pork shu mai, har gow, shrimp look fun, and a few other selections. The food is tasty for the most part. The first two were brought out quickly and we started eating. Then I noticed my son taking the food out of his mouth. He had bit into something that was crunchy. We thought maybe it was Hawaiian rock salt and tried dissolving it with water. But no, it was a couple of small pieces of glass. I guess a glass broke in the kitchen and flew into the pork/shrimp mixture. Needless to say we both lost our appetite. I tried to explain to the woman in charge, who did not speak much English what had happened and showed her the glass pieces. I told her my son had lost his appetite and we wanted to cancel our order. She took away the little dish with the glass. But brought out the two dim sums that were ready. I again explained to her that the dish she took away contained the glass pieces. She finally understood and replaced the order. I didn't want to ruin the other diners' meals nor did I want to make a scene so I decided to just pay and leave. We will not be going back. We ended up throwing away the rest of the dim sum because we didn't want to take a chance of more glass. I just hope my son didn't swallow any other pieces.
(2)
Rick L.

I have a three strike rule and Mei Sum was on it. I don't go back to restaurants after my palette gets abused. However, Mei Sum has really cleaned up and the food was much better than my three previous taste test. I joined a couple of my marathon friends at the new Mei Sum location after training and was surprised on much better customer service they had, the food was much much better and the restaurant was clean compare to the former location. Parking is still rough as it is normally in Chinatown. I would definitely come back here again.
(2)
Holly C.

My husband and I tried this place after the rent a car staff highly recommended it. The place was easy to find..parking not so much as I found Chinatown to be a mess when driving down there. However once we made our way inside, it wasn't overly crowded which was nice and as soon as we walked in, the staff greeted us warmly and quickly seated us. The menu was just right..not too many items but not too skimpy either. The food was really good and it was really cheap. My husband and I ate till we were filled and the bill came out to be under $25 and we didn't hold back. I wish the prices were on the menu but that would be the only complaint. The chow fun noodles took a long time to get to us but I think it was hand made and it was really good. I would definitely go again.
(4)
Foodie F.

I frequent this restaurant maybe every other month. On the weekends it can be very busy but for the price and quality of dim sum it is worth the wait. I like the seafood bean curd wrap and pork bean curd wrap. My favorite is the turnip cake dim sum but it is something you have to order. It does not come around on the carts. Also my favorite is the string beans with ground pork, if the string beans are fresh. Just FYI they have only one bathroom. There are also little shops around the area you can visit while someone waits in line.
(4)
Al D.

Food kind of inconsistent and mediocre service.
(3)
Chad H.

If it wasn't for the food being good, they would only get 1 star. Service was by far the worst I have ever seen. There were three other tables there as well, that seemed very unhappy with the food service
(2)
Junel S.

Terrible! Came here for dim sum & was unimpressed. The only good item on their dim sum menu was the mochi rice - pretty good. The rest of the items I tried - deep fried taro, and a lot of the dumplings - were not good. It just didn't cut it for me. However, even worse was the customer service. Our waitress could not understand anything I was saying, and vice versa. She forced us to order everything at once (which is opposite of what dim sum should be, you should be able to order as you please) and she took my menu when I asked her if I could keep it. She said there was menus on the table - but a menu on the table next to me, facing the other way and immovable does not count! Then when it was time to pay, I must have been standing at the cashier for 10 minutes until they finally gave me attention. They were just chatting away with each other. DO NOT IGNORE YOUR CUSTOMERS. To sum up, if you don't speak chinese, they will most likely ignore you here & provide bad service. DEFINITELY never coming back!
(1)
David C.

Buh bye, Mei Sum. Found a much better dim sum house that serves xiao long bao that are hot and juicy. So unlike your thick skinned dumplings that are usually dry and the meat inside has fallen apart. Weird. Plus, the service here is so much nicer. They actually bring the red vinegar, ginger, and spoons without a customer having to ask for them. Buh bye, Mei Sum. Unless I happen to see you here at Fook Lam--just a few blocks away with great parking, too.
(1)
Angela M.

Dear Mei Sum, I enjoy dim sum for dinner. You fulfill this. I like you very much indeed. I especially like your sticky rice, black bean spareribs, and garlic stuffed eggplant bomb of fantastic-ness. I REALLY like the free dessert at dinnertime and would like to order a gallon of your magical tapioca please. I don't see you much these days because I am quite certain your food multiplies my fat cell count. Your char siu bao, siu mai, look funn with shrimp, hagao, fried taro, turnip cake, and custard tarts have LOTS of calories. Did you know that? I wish it weren't true. Sure, I could just not order ten different dishes, but then what sort of Chinese person would I be? One with filled with shame, that's what kind. See you eventually. Perhaps I will be by soon to pick up some of your black bean chow funn. Which rocketh. Sincerely, Angela
(5)
Mari K.

I've been here a couple times for dim sum and would definitely recommend it! If you're like me, and you love to go eat dim sum, then you probably have your usual favorites that you order every time you eat dim sum--no matter where you are. So some stand out points to make about this place: It gets really busy, be prepared to wait for a table. The service is not all that great, depending on where you sit in the restaurant the carts somehow come by more often than in other spots. Try the fried eggplant dish. It's sort of like tempura eggplant that has been rolled in deep fried chopped garlic. Crispy on the outside, gooey eggplantness on the inside and crunchy garlic? Ugh, drooling just thinking about it! Also, the look fun noodles with char siu inside are delish. This is usually one of the dishes I love to order whenever I eat dim sum and I have to say this one's probably one of the best. It is perfectly cooked so it's not too mushy and not to firm, and the sauce was the best blend of salty and sweet!
(4)
C Y.

This place has dim sum all day. Beats having to call a restaurant to find that they serve only a small subset for dinner. The prices are reasonable and it tastes great. I love the soft shell crabs.
(4)
Mark S.

Never have I walked out halfway through a meal. My wife said she read on Yelp (boo to you all!) that this place was pretty good for dim sum. We went here. We were thrown a menu with pictures on them. We thought we could use the menu the entire time while eating, but one lady was like "you done?" and grabbed it from us before we could respond. The people pushing around the carts dont even tell you what they have in their carts. You're supposed to magically know what is inside each little bin/tin. We got 2 or 3 dishes.. and then it seems everything we ordered after that was "still being made" and would take "10-15 min".. and no the place didn't just open. the restaurant was full. We waited about 20 min and never got what we ordered. We weren't the only ones upset. Another 2 tables were complaining. We were done with it. I took my bill and paid $8 for the 2 or 3 dishes that we ate and we walked out. no tip. screw this place. I do NOT recommend trying this place.
(1)
Elizabeth G.

I really love the food here and that's probably the only reason why I keep coming back even though I know how horrible the service is. The first couple of times I didn't receive good service was understandable because I chose to come during the rush of lunch. But, when I came back this time the service was just absolutely unacceptable. We were seated and there were maybe two or three other parties in the restaurant. Our server gave us water and hot tea with a couple of menus to look at while she helped other customers. Five minutes passed, then ten, and almost half an hour later of trying to flag down someone l literally had to yell across the room while flailing my arms in the air to get someone's attention. Finally, someone took our order without any apology for making us wait as long as we did. Then the food took forever and our server kept offering us dishes that we did not order and the ones we were waiting on never came... The food is wonderful here especially the garlic eggplant. I'm torn between returning because I don't know how much longer I can stand this horrendous service...when the food is just so amazing.
(2)
Averi S.

Years ago, Mei Sum was the very first dim sum restaurant I had ever been to. I thought it was amazing, but I had nothing to compare it to. I started on a quest to try all of the top recommended dim sum restaurants. Even though the others were good, Mei Sum has always remained the best, and my favorite. They have a wide array of dim sum and other really good items on their menu as well. Aside from their fantastic dim sum, one of the stand out items from Mei Sum is their Garlic Softshell crab. It is DELICIOUS!!! I have never had anything like it before ANYWHERE. The service is always good also, but they already know me there. I am the food porn queen, so they always ask to see my photos and ask if they came out good. Mei Sum dim sum.... I love you!!!
(5)
C D.

Ok, where do I start! Long story short. Me and my other half went here today to try it out. Jan 2, 2013 a little after 2PM.We first ordered dry scallop dumpling and spinach dumpling off the cart. Then we ordered chicken feet & shumai, it came about 5 min later. At the same time we ordered those two dumplings we had ordered dry beef chow fun. It took about 30 min. No exaggeration. 1. Water. We had to ask for the water several times. Then they finnally came with water. We asked them to leave the pithcher of water, which they complied. We were like thank God. You know what they say... Be careful what u ask for! The F@#%ING water pitcher had a dead visitor in it. FYI do not drink the water, the handle connecting to the pitcher had nasty crusted crud on it. The pitcher is plastic about 2quart it may have a yellow top to it. The lady came to fix the problem, but when she returned the yellow top to the pitcher was missing. I would recomend ordering soda in the can which the have & its cold. Incase your wondering what our dead visitor was in our pitcher. It starts with R and ends with an H! 2. Bill. We had to ask for our bill several times. Finnally our bill came. I caculated our bill to the penny. It was over $3+. Then the manager did damage control. By that time it was too late. We payed our corrected bill with a small tip and left right away. Unfotunately we will NOT be comming back. If u want good dim sum go to cultural plaza where u will find legends & tai pan dim sum, which is way better.
(1)
Sparkles S.

Usually I eat dim sum at Happy Day but today (Sunday) there was traffic on the freeway during lunchtime so I detoured off the Pali and found this place. First of all, let's talk parking. Street parking was hard to find, but as soon as your pass this place and turn right there's a small parking lot on the right next to a garden. Walk into the building and there's an entrance into the building that Mei Sum is in. When we arrived, there was a short wait, about 5 minutes for a table for 5. We got our food right away. We got our usuals- Shrimp Har Gau, black bean short ribs, pork hash, fried shrimp, mochi rice wrapped in tea leaves. We also ordered look fun. Each roll of look fun was wrapped with three pieces of fresh shrimp in addition to the dried shrimp served in a sweet shoyu. I'm a fan of Happy Day's look fun being grilled but this was so soft and delish even my 3 year old ate it. Fried eggplant with choke garlic. The eggplant was not soggy at all and was stuffed with some yummy stuff. I don't like eggplant since it's usually soggy but this was so good I ate two pieces. Soft shell crab was really good. Dish comes with 2 crabs and they cut them in half so 4 people can share. I also liked the Shanghai dumplings which reminds me of the little Taiwan dumplings that's usually served with soup. Our server was very nice to us and kept telling us that the 3 year old was a good boy. I guess it helps that we didn't give him his morning snack and he was crazy hungry during lunch which helps when trying new things. He ate a little of everything and was the only one to also eat warm custard for dessert and said "Yummy food."
(4)
Mr B.

Good simple food in a very basic ambience. Service efficient rather than attentive but that's hardly unusual at this price point is it? Dim sim and main menue both good and good value.
(4)
Terrance Y.

As Dim sum restaurants go there is no better at least from the ones I've tried here (as you can see I'm a regular) I've tried some of the others and they are lacking in taste or the dim sum just isn't that great but Mei Sum is consistently good dim sum I like the soft shell crab as well as the chicken wings and the noodle dishes are pretty good too but their Dim sum is one of the better ones around. Service can sometimes get a bit slow sometimes as they only have two different carts but for the most part a lot faster than some places I've been to. The prices are pretty decent and parking near by is okay for lunch if you don't work in the area.
(4)
Mia G.

OK. Let me first start off with: I have learned to lower my expectations here in Hawaii when it comes to food. However, I am disappointed that a place with such a strong Asian culture could dish up such an awful food experience! I get it, really I do, lunch is busy so I don't expect my server to me up my ass. But at a dim sum place......can I please get more than one cart to serve the whole restaurant?????? And can it come to my table more than one time in 30 minutes????? I'm begging you. Please. Do. Not. Make. Me. Order. From. The. Menu. It defeats your purpose as an establishment and defeats my purpose in being here. That is all. Oh wait. The food here sucks. Now that is all.
(1)
Lillian H.

Went back to Mei Sum on the Saturday after Chinese New Year's in hopes that it would be a better experience. Unfortunately it was pretty awful. I tried to make a reservation but when we got there it didn't seem like they took any reservations down. Luckily there was a table for us (party of 3). However, we were ignored much of the time. We ordered our food (some dim sum, fried rice, and hot and sour soup) and it seriously took at least 20 minutes to start coming out. It was around 8pm and we were hungry, not to mention we wanted to catch some lion dancing at the Chinese Cultural Plaza before it ended at 10pm. It was very difficult getting the waitresses' attention and it was very angering to see them giving much better service to a larger party right next to us. The food is okay, but honestly with the simple types of dim sum I eat (spring rolls, potstickers, etc.) it's more sensible to just go to a cleaner and more professional restaurant (i.e. Mandalay Bay). We won't be back for another let down!
(1)
Rylan C.

Ive tried almost everything on there menu. im a fan of there garlic eggplant hands down. like the price. parking can be a hassle but sundays best bet cuz its free parking on sundays but yes if you like dim sum id recommend mei sum the place to go to
(4)
S.M. K.

Best service and food! A must place to go for excellent, respectful service and tasty dim sum. Easy parking in the bldg enter from Beretania Street.
(5)
Francis B.

If I could rate this restaurant any lower, I would. We arrived at mei sum at around 9:45 am, on a Sunday. It wasn't very busy, when we entered, and we were greeted by a woman who seemed irritated by us coming into the restaurant. We were seated at a table where the utensils were all over the place, missing napkins and chopsticks directly on the table. The waitress left us at the table without saying anything, came back about 10 minutes later to take our order. After we ordered our food, it took 30minutes before our first dish (with 3 dumplings on it) came to the table. After waiting another 10 minutes for each dish to come out, we were fed up, cancelled our order and received terrible service leaving the place. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.
(1)
Min K.

I don't know what the hype is for Mei Sum Dim Sum. The only good things that came out of this experience was free almond float and their name. I love saying it! We went on a First Friday night, and Mei Sum was picked because dim sum was available and my friends didn't want to drink on an empty stomach. The hype was built from the reviews here and from my friends; it's cheap and good. Cheap is right, but good, not so right. The flavors were severely lacking. Flavorless and bland, the hot sauce and mustard combo couldn't lend flavor to the ha gao and shumai. There are no push carts with the bamboo steamers nor the grills where they'll sautÃ© your dumplings. I'm not saying they're spitting in my food, but it would be nice to be able to pick and choose STEAMING dim sum instead of lukewarm dim sum. Service wise, it's really a pick and choose based service. You pick the right gal, you'll get good service. Pick the wrong gal, she'll glare at you and eye you down and take FOREVER with your food. I'd stick to my Legend Seafood or Panda for flavorful dim sum; albeit a bit pricey but it's worth the cost!
(2)
Tia S.

Noms! It's always busy when I go; which is good 'cause that tells you the food is yummy. They offer all the usual dim sum basics (char siu bao, har gau, gau gee, etc.). The servers are aggressive and try to get you to order too much, but that's expected. Just be firm and politely say, "No thanks." Food is affordable. Dim sum starts at $2 and some change. Endless hot tea refills. Custard buns are my fave!
(4)
M C.

This used to be my favorite. But the last couple of times the quality has not been there, specifically last Friday nite for takeout. My regular order of Garlic eggplant tasted like it was heated up from the lunch menu and the roast duck was tough and dry without an accompanying flavor. The 3rd dish of Beef Broccoli Fried Noodle had 2 pieces of broccoli some meat but the plate was dominated by tasteless noodles. In a word that would be it....our takeout was tasteless.
(2)
Diana B.

Mei Sum what a fabulous place for dim sum. Hits the spot in my belly every time! I have been here on a few occasions. There is lots of variety and the food is tasty and completely affordable. I'd love to come a lot more often as a matter of fact. It's too bad I live too far. I recommend the shrimp dumplings and the crispy shrimp dumplings as well. As you can tell, I am a shrimp lover and Mei Sum Dim Sum is a great place to eat them! Parking is a piece of cake. There is street parking and parking lot just across the street.
(4)
Sofie L.

This dim sum place is by far the worst place on this island. I wish I could give them negative stars! The food is not fresh at all and the waitresses are the rudest . A week ago, we came to this restaurant since we had no choices (too early in the morning), I asked the waitress if the food was made and served for the same day, since I had bad diarrhea after I had food in this restaurant last year. The waitress just answered: "Who does that? The food we made yesterday and heat up today is fresh enough!" Th spinach dumpling tasted a little funny as I felt there is some sand/dirt in it. I told the waitress and she just said: "No restaurant will wash the vegetables. You just don't have common sense!" What kind of answer is this??????????????? I guess I was terrified and will never come to this restaurant again.
(1)
Terry K.

Been there twice last week. Okay, it's new, cleaner than the old location. Food, staff, price the same. Be prepared to wait if you go during the noon lunch hour. Deep fried eggplant is my favorite. dried scallop, pork hash, char sui look fun, country style rice noodle, chicken feet was our the meal on my last visit. $20 plus tip
(4)
Lauren K.

This i usually my go to place to dim sum. But after a recent experience, I might have to find another place. I went here for dinner with a few friends and was seated immediately. The place was pretty crowded but I felt really rushed when I was ordering. Anyways, we ordered: sticky rice seafood dumplings deep fried seaweed soft shell crab and some other dim sum. The wait was soooo long. I've been coming to Mei Sum for a while now, and have never experienced this long of a wait. When paying at the register, one of the other workers gives me my change and says, "LEAVE TIP ON THE TABLE, YEAH?" Ugh, obviously.. Other than that, food was good.
(2)
Lance W.

Ok, much better. Water glass is way too small, maybe service might be better if they didn't spend so much time filling the water. On the other hand small water glass was good because the waitress kept coming back to refill my water. this gave me the opportunity to tell them I wanted more stuff. Mind you I was ordering four to six dishes each time.I know she would have preferred that I ordered all my food at one time. But heck, my eyes are usually bigger than my belly, and I didn't want any left overs. Because of this Service was way better than in the past, Along with the great tasting Dim Sum, this was a way more enjoyable visit. In the past I wanted to only tip the cook, and not the waitress because the food was good but the service was so darn slow.. This time I left a 20% tip because it was all good.
(4)
Michelle L.

If Mei Sum is good enough for Kelly Hu, it's good enough for me! Yes, she was dining there this past Monday and my friend was completely starstruck...she couldn't stop talking about it. I walked right past her crossing the street because I was too caught up telling my stupid story to Boy. I'm still mad about it lol. The food is good and prices are fair. I fail for a Chinese because I can't really tell what is good or bad Chinese food but I enjoyed it so it must be good. The fried eggplant was bomb, I highly recommend it. For 8 people, our bill was only $50. The new location is much cleaner and bigger but they need to do something about their bathroom situation. ONE unisex bathroom for the entire restaurant?? Yeah, I don't know about that one.
(4)
Aline T.

This review is for Dim Sum. I came on a Monday at 7pm. Parking I parked at Mark's Garage. Weekdays after 3:30pm, there's a flat rate of $8 if you don't want to find street parking. (There was no street parking and I hate finding parking, so I settled for it.) Location Right across the street from Mark's Garage on Nuuanu. Food Dim Sum was mediocre at best. I was disappointed in their char siu bao. The one at Royal Garden is infinitely better. My gf and I were looking at each other as we chewed. She said it tasted like soap. I said it tasted like flowers. Whatever it was, it didn't taste like a char siu bao. The Look Fun, Shumai, Mochi Rice and chicken feet were decent. The deep fried shrimp didn't come with mayo like at Royal Garden so it was difficult eating it. The batter was too thick and a little too soft for my liking. Royal Garden at Ala Moana Hotel is better for dim sum. Don't order the gau gee. There was just a small piece of meat the size of my fingernail. I kid you not. When I'm not lazy, I will upload pictures. Service The service was decent. They refilled our water and it wasn't difficult getting their attention - then again, there was only 3 other tables. OVERALL If you crave dim sum and you just have to eat it after lunch hours, go here. All day dim sum is limited to Panda and Mei Sum, I believe, and both are actually about the same quality; so, it comes down to parking and price.
(3)
D C.

Good food!!! Hot! Good service. Clean. Shanghai Dumplings are great! They just need a better menu to look at.
(4)
Sharon O.

First of me and the other half would always come here when we had a dim sum craving. We especially love the jelly fish that's on the dim sum menu. Service was always a hit or miss but wasn't too bad to the point it bothered us because we were too busy eating. But one day when decided to go to mei sum it was rather slow 4 tables including us and two waitresses. The waitress Took our order but forgot 1 of the five things we ordered. After we finished it we waited ten minutes to order more. She just ignored us talking really loudly in Chinese to the other waitress complaining or something. Mind you not we're still hungry but other half was pissed already finally we decided to leave. As soon as we got up the waitress magically appears and hurries to clean the table. Wow that's it!! That ruined it for me. No matter how much I want dim sum I will never go back there again.
(1)
Kelly M.

The dim sum was good, but a bit pricey. Most dishes are "medium," so $2.65 per plate. It was odd; all the orientals were sat in the center area, and carts circulated there. We were given a menu with pictures and not a single cart came by us. Hmmm. Almost as if they didn't expect me to know a shu mei from a ha gow from a char sui bao.
(4)
Denise K.

Mei Sum gets 4 stars because it's open late and you can eat dim sum until 845pm! Dim sum for dinner? Awesome! Some of their fried dishes can be too oily. But overall, mei sum hits the spot. Personally, I think Legends has better dim sum, but you're limited to daytime hours.
(4)
Wayne S.

Love the new location, same good food. You don't go there expecting good service, but you do go there expecting good dim sum. They don't disappoint and the prices are definitely reasonable. I am a regular and will say that its an awesome place for dim sum.
(5)
Greg L.

Good food
(5)
Esther Y.

Mei Sum has been touted to me as the BEST dim sum on the island. As such, I had high expectations coming here. I'm Chinese and I grew up in the California Bay Area, which is very well known for its dim sum, so I tried to hold my expectations a tad...but then again, I figured that Hawaii is very Asian-influenced and should also have good seafood right? Well, I'm torn between giving Mei Sum 3 or 4 stars. I actually haven't had amazing dim sum in Hawaii yet (been to Legends and Tai Pan now), but it hasn't been bad either. I always get hargow, siu mai, tripe, chicken feet, rice rolls (look fun, as they're called in Hawaii), and char siu bao (baked or steamed) at every dim sum restaurant to compare. Mei Sum's is comparable to Tai Pan. It's fresh enough, and tasty enough, but not a place I'd be confident in taking my parents to.
(3)
Ketchum H.

...without any doubt, this is superior to any dim sum restaurant we have ever enjoyed in Honolulu...San Francisco has a better one, however, the air fare will kill you...
(5)
Billy K.

Dim sum here was excellent. Had to wait a bit long for it but well worth the wait. I would of given this place 4 or even 5 stars if the waitress didn't piss me off or the service was better. I simply ask for a water refill then the waitress just told me "yea yea" as she was walking away. Not only I didn't get my refill I just watch her go to a table with 4 other waitress and started eating. I don't care how good the food is but if you have just one ignorant and/or not passionate worker like her, it will ruin it for everybody.
(2)
Clara Y.

I am pleased that Mei Sum has relocated. Awesome prices, friendly, very fast service and quality food. I really wanted to give this place five stars,but I feel as though they need to install another bathroom ( not just the
(4)
Alex C.

I wish we had dim sum like this in Denver! I didn't get the haughty dim sum vibe here at all, and we were the only anglo people in here, which is never a bad thing. I have a Chinese uncle who introduced me to dim sum and is a very tough critic of Chinese food overall. I think he would be very pleased with Mei Sum. We ordered 6 dishes, the gyoza and softshell crab were our favorites by far. The moochi rice in lotus leaves we could have missed, but it's my sisters favorite dish since she was 5, so we had to try it. It seemed bland and overfilled. The gyoza had more ginger in them than I'm used to, but it worked perfectly. The softshell crab was served on a bed of cabbage with fried garlic and lots of scallions. It was amazing! The best part about Mei Sum is the price. We (three people) left feeling stuffed for under $25 with tip. And that included a plate with 2 softshell crab! You could spend $25 on just the crab on the mainland. If you're a tourist here in Waikiki/Honolulu, this is one place you HAVE to try.
(5)
Juliet M.

Interesting indeed, mos- def scrumptious . I do not think you can go wrong. A yummy and quick treat at a deal.
(4)
Jamie W.

Holy in your face when u sit down! Bam its game on! I have never had or been to a dim sum place so I really don't have anything to compare it to. Once u sit down be prepared to be swarmed by 2 cart ladies, water lady and the green tea lady all at the same time. I thought it was ok but wish I had a guide with me of how this was suppose to be eaten and what to order
(2)
May L.

Their dim sum is super yummy! They seem to be pretty clean, service is typical. I go there mostly because they serve dim sum till 8pm ish. I normally can't wake up before noon on weekends and won't be able to make it to dim sum :(
(5)
Paul A.

AWFUL SERVICE!!! 3 strikes and you're out!!! Went 3 times and was treated like $#@! 3 times while also watching others walking in the door being treated the same way. They treat the customers bad and each other as well! It's what you call a "SHIT SHOW" AVOID! There are plenty of good dim sum places all over!!!
(1)
Esther F.

I've been to this place once before and I thought the place was okay, but I never reviewed, and so I forgot what I ordered. This time, I know it all! Here's the down low. My friends wanted to go eat dim sum, and we didn't know if there were any places opened at night around six or seven. As we looked online, we see Mei Sum opened until nine at night. I was surprised because I've never experienced dim sum so late since it only keeps you full for about an hour. Since this place is located in Chinatown, we all know parking is quite hard to do, so we take the nice bumpy bus ride, all the way down to avoid the horrible parking. There are some spots, but it's meter parking. What's worse is that I went on First Friday, so you know it'll be packed with people by then. There were tables opened, but the ladies were rushing to get the tables cleaned for people. We got seated for three, and we were given water and then jasmine tea. The lady came by and ask what we wanted and we said: $2.65 per plate: Barbecue Pork Manapua (Cha siu bao)(2 pieces)- It was okay. Meat could taste better. Bread could be a little softer. Shrimp Dumpling (Ha Gow)(3 pieces)- Texture was okay, but taste is off because of the Shrimp. Crunchy texture, but lack of taste. *Deep Fried Taro (3 pieces)- Was fresh and good, I think this was the best thing I've eaten here. Mochi Rice ball (3 pieces)- A little less flavorful. But it's okay. Needs a little more sauce on the rice. Shrimp Pork Hash (Siu Mai)(4 pieces)- Was hard this time around. It was there but not the texture. Last time, it tasted better.. Off day for Siu Mai? Chicken feet (3 pieces)- Texture this time around was hard. Last time was softer where I can pull the bones apart easily, but I'm having a bit trouble doing this... Taste is okay, could be better. Shrimp Churn Fun(3 pieces)(need to double check prices on these)- It's okay.. The shrimp got the crunchy-ness, but not the flavor I was looking for. I drown mine with the sauce. Hahah. Among three people, we were still a bit hungry, but we decided to not get anymore. We split about... 13 dollars? Tips not included in the bill, so you can leave some. The service here.. was okay, could be better. We were hidden in the corner where the restrooms are, so it was hard to get service there unless you flag them down and yell across the room. It's okay. The place was kind of quiet, so you'd most likely take on attention. In my opinion.. don't wait for someone to pick up the check and then wait for them to give it back to you because it'll take forever. Just quickly ask for the check and just walk up to them and pay. Much faster. Summary: Food was mediocre. (love the deep fried taro though). Portion for price was okay (give them credit because food is expensive and they throw in a variety of food into one item, which is why business is hard to handle). Service could be a little better too... And definitely just bus it there if you're not willing to look and pay for parking. Three stars.
(3)
Feng L.

Be here on a Saturday afternoon 6pm, not crowd, waitress(guy) is not quite into service. Ordered Clam with black bean sauce, totally mistake! Both quality and quantity are no good at all! For dim sum, just ok! seafood Kim-chi is not too bad Will not recommend and will not be back.
(2)
Jenel O.

I love dim sum. Arrived here the other day around 11:45 with coworkers in tow - 4 of us total. Were seated promptly and it was a good thing we arrived when we did because a line began to form right after we arrived. The new location seems to offer less seats than the last location. The cart came by once and never again - it got stalled on the other end of the restaurant. We had to flag the lady down for more food. The second "order" came piecemeal and although content, I could've eaten more but wasn't willing to wait. I love the steammed dim sum so that I don't walk out feeling gross (from oil). My all time favorite is always the har gau (shrimp dumplings) but I also enjoy the spinach & scallop, bean curd roll, stick rice balls and others. I think we paid $28+tax and tip and it would've been higher if they came around quicker and had food ready when we were ready to order and eat it rather than waiting for it to steam in the back. The plus is that when it did come, it was nice and hot!
(4)
Crissy K.

Delicious dim sum at very reasonable prices. Everything we had was great, but my favorite -- which I tried at the suggestion of a friend, who had originally tried it at the suggestion of HIS friend -- was the garlic eggplant. Tender (but, very importantly, not soggy) eggplant wedges dipped in some kind of magic, then fried and topped with crunchy garlic bits: YUM. The service here is so-so. It IS a Chinese place, so I wasn't expecting stellar, but still, when you ask what a dim sum lady has on her cart, you'd think she could tell you what she has on her cart; instead, one of the ladies grabbed the laminated menu off our table and told us to look it over. (My friend later pointed out that the eggplant -- the best thing about this place -- was not even ON said menu!) That said, it still gets four stars because of the eggplant. Seriously, even if you're not normally an eggplant person or a garlic person, TRY THIS. You won't be sorry! Parking is readily available at the municipal lot on Beretania, just past Nuuanu; the stairs/elevator let you right out on Pauahi near the intersection with Smith, which is exactly where you want to be!
(4)
Zhen L.

Not a big fan of dim sum, so whenever I go to a Chinese (if not with family), I usually order either a rice plate or a noodle dish. So one evening when I was hungry and everything was closing in downtown, I found myself here. After looking through the menu, I decided to order the roast duck rice plate to go (I'm a big fan of roast duck nom nom nom). As I was opening my take-out box with my mouth watering from its smell and my hunger, I was a bit disappointed. The vegetables looked way overcooked, and the roast duck was... well... didn't have much meat on them. Made me wish that I went to Nam Fong earlier and cooked my own rice. However, it did satisfy me, but again not worth the $9-10 that I paid for it. 2/5 Service, although a bit slow, was friendly. Since I speak Chinese, I was just making small chat with the waitresses and asking them for other recommendations for future references. Overall, 3/5... it was "A-OK!" Perhaps their other dishes won't disappoint me, if I decide to return anyway.
(3)
Josh D.

Every First Friday or even during events in Chinatown, hands down, we have to go eat at Mei Sum Dim Sum! The prices are so reasonable and the food never fails! I recommend eating their szechuan style eggplant, their cake noodles, and their Meisum fried rice. One thing though is that I wish that their tapioca was less watery and more thick.
(4)
Chloe M.

Mei Sum used to be my go to spot for when I craved dim sum and was low on time and cash. After my Wednesday lunch, I'm not sure if I will return. Food: -Har Gau: This was one of the only okay tasting things that I ordered, but maybe because it's my favorite dim sum item? It wasn't dry and gross like the other items, but it wasn't yummy. -Gin Doi: Too much mochi, too little red bean! -Dan Tart (Egg custard tart): Another one of my favorites. It was edible, but not sweet enough. -Pot stickers: This tasted okay, but after the meal I was burping garlic for the entire afternoon -Look Fun: Not enough shrimp, and the sauce wasn't yummy like the other dim sum restaurants. I had to wait FOREVER for it to come, and was low on time. -Baked Char Siu Bun: BLECH. Dry and tasteless. Tasted like it was made the day before. Prices range from $2.35, $2.65, and up. I noticed that they have soft shell crab and jellyfish for $6.50 a plate. The food is not as cheap as before and the quality went way down. Service: I'm having bad luck with bad service this week. When I was ordering I asked for 2 items that were in another waitress' cart. The waitress brought one of the items and I asked for the other item. She then said "UGH, ORDER EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE OKAY?!" Sheesh, someone was grumpy. Overall: Next time I want dim sum, I'm going to save up for Mandalay. At least they're nice and their food actually tastes good. Boo you Mei Sum.
(2)
Lisa K.

In true dim sum style, they'll bark at you for special requests (like refilling your water glass) berate you for ordering wrong, order *for* you based on what they deem appropriate at any given time, and ignore you if they darn well feel like it, but the key is not to take it personally. I can't even count the number of visits I've made to Mei Sum, only because the food is always fantastic. The new location took me a little bit of walking back and forth to find, because you enter from the plaza area, not directly off Nuuanu Ave. Just look for the sign. Try just about anything on the menu - you can't go wrong. I even felt bold enough to try chicken feet once... ok, because I was there with my Chinese in-laws who were curiously eyeing me for a reaction... but even that was pretty tasty. It's kind of disappointing that they don't stay open later on special event nights like First Friday, but if the worst I can say is that they aren't open late enough, then it's really not so bad.
(5)
Shandis C.

Went to Mei Sum's new location yesterday for the first time, and it's really clean, spacious and aesthetically pleasant! I actually kind of miss the old location and it's "Chinatown" feel, but it's also really nice to be sitting on brand new chairs, on clean floors surrounded by clean walls. Other than the usual dim sum such as pork has, char siu bun, shrimp dumplings, I really have no idea what the others are called and I just point to the ones that look good. I've been happy with everything I've ever ordered here, and I'm not sure if it's just me, but it doesn't seem as "greasy" here. This last time though, I ordered some kind of taro ball coated with a crispy batter, and it lacked flavor. This visit also, perhaps because the space is bigger and we were in the corner, the cart came by only once, and other than that, we had to tell the waitress to bring us more ________. That was a little disappointing, but at least they brought the food quickly. Overall, this has been and continues to be my #1 choice for dim sum. What else is there to say, low prices, good food, and now a nice clean space. There's not much more to it!
(4)
Nicole G.

I had eaten at Mei Sum several times over the past couple of years, but after my most recent experience, I'm not sure if I ever want to return. My friend and I sat down for dim sum and it wasn't too busy. We ordered four dishes from the waitress and expected to get more later. But for only those four, simple dishes (shrimp dumplings, mochi rice, etc...) we waited...and waited...and waited. There was about a 10 minute wait between each of the dishes.. it was kind of ridiculous. And then, after finishing those and waiting there to order more, the waitress throws our bill on the table, along with two small bowls of a sweet, white boba drink "on the house". My friend and I were like, "...okay...I guess we're leaving". One of the most unsatisfying dim sum experiences I've had in a while. But, other than that, the food was pretty up to par.
(2)
Amina M.

Went here with a local friend who speaks Mandarin. I don't think I would've been able to get by here otherwise, because it doesn't seem the waitstaff speak much English. Like most dim sum places, this restaurant has a lot of ladies pushing around carts of unidentifiable (but delicious) dumplings, fried delicacies, and much more. If you have dietary restrictions like me, don't go here unless you are going with someone who speaks Mandarin. I don't eat pork and 90% of the stuff they plopped down in front of me (despite repeated reminders from my fellow diner that I can't eat pork) was indeed pork. Their turnip cakes are excellent, as is the steamed bok choy and many of the shrimp options. I can't comment on the other stuff, but I would definitely go back with someone who could be my guide! I'm nicking 1 star for lack of English and another for the awkward timing of our dishes.. A whole bunch of stuff came out at once and then the first item we requested didn't come out until after we paid the check (wtf?). Parking also sucks. We wound up just paying to park in a garage nearby for $5.
(3)
Rebecca C.

hit or miss... but today was mediocre food with bad service... as always!
(3)
Cecile M.

I have not had dim sum in a while and this place made me feel like I have missed out on good chicken feet, cha su bao, and siu mai. This place was open early and stays open late. This place is also a good bang for your buck, especially when everything on the island tends to be more expensive in comparison to the mainland. Service was pretty good considering that it is an Asian restaurant, they were friendly and fast. Next time I'm in Honolulu, this place is a must to dine in.
(4)
Diane Y.

Not edible. That this place has such a high star rating is a total joke and a complete embarrassment to anyone who knows good dim sum. The dishes are served soppy and lukewarm, like someone made a sorry attempt at microwaving last week's leftovers. Mei Sum can't even manage the very basics of dim sum - such as the shrimp dumpling. The skin was actually dried out and hardened at the top, and the ingredients were clearly not fresh. The rest of the things I tried were unnecessarily greasy and also not served above room temperature. I've gotten better far better dim sum from take-out only places in San Francisco. Save yourself some money - even Costco's frozen food's aisle has better dim sum than this. I kid you not, buy a bag of pot stickers and some spring rolls, heat them up and at the very least you'll get hot food that has a bit of flavor. I'd say this is the McDonalds of dim sum places, but I wouldn't want to insult McDonalds.
(1)
miya y.

Terrible service. I'd give them ZERO stars if that was an option. To sum it up -- Long wait time. Refusal to give money back until I threatened to call the cops. Long story -- Waited almost an hour for my order, which they - I'm sure - forgot about. Ordered common dim sum items = shumai, steamed charsiu bao, mochi rice A large party of 10 walked in 2 minutes after me & were getting served multiple dishes & dim sum. A father & daughter came in shortly after and were eating right away. A single lady who walked in 15 minutes before me leaving got her food and offered a free dessert. 2 phone orders were taken & picked up before mine was done -- when one of the orders were ready, the waitress (who took my order by the way) asked if the phone number on the ticket was mine & then realized which order was mine. Instead of owning up to forgetting, she says that they are working on my order now (I've been there 30 minutes)... I gave them another 15 minutes until I decided to ask for my money back. The waitress said "sorry, one minute" & walked away. She was back at the counter & I asked again for my money back & she just ignored me, walked back to the kitchen. I asked for my money back again, and just says "sorry, one minute". I asked for a manager. Ignored. I said that I didn't want the food, just my money and the waitress claimed she didn't know how to work the "machine". I paid cash. My order arrives. Ignoring my request for my money back, she just kept trying to make me take the food claiming my order was so special & made fresh, when I ordered dim sum like everyone else in there, who were getting their orders before me. I ordered common items, which I noticed people eating, and didn't have a big order. Then she tells me I should make a phone order next time; regardless of your method of order, be it phone orders or walk-in orders -- they all take the same amount of time. They pretend like they don't understand what you're saying until you threaten to call the cops. It's sad that it has to come to that point for them to give me my money back.
(1)
Lester L.

Great place. Not sure if it was: 1 - I was really hungry 2 - The novelty of dim sum at night, or 3 - The food was genuinely good but I really like the food here. The service is good. The servers, unlike most good Chinese restaurants, were very nice and very responsive. They brought and refilled water without being asked!!! We'll likely head back again this week and everytime we're back on Oahu. BTW, there's convenient parking right across the street in a structure, but it's $10.
(4)
Robin S.

This used to be my favorite dim sum restaurant. We were regulars. The service and food started going downhill in the last few years. On our last visit the service was the worst we ever experienced. We arrived late in the afternoon well past their prime lunch hour. They began by trying to push the leftover cart food on us. Since it was 3 PM, the food in the cart was a couple of hours old and looked it. They were not very nice after we insisted on ordering from the menu. When we went to pay the bill, the woman informed us that tip was not included. There was not going to be a tip for the grumpy service. I rely on Yelp reviews a lot for restaurant selection so thought I should warn people.
(1)
Mawie T.

Best fried rice of my life. The dim sum is great when you order it for dinner from the kitchen instead of at lunch with the cart. It's so delicious. The atmosphere is pretty chill, but the food makes it worth searching for parking in Chinatown. My favorite place to get dim sum so far.
(5)
Kaiulani K.

Everyone knows the way to get the Dim Sum ladies to like you is just say "yes" to everything, avoid asking questions, and when in doubt just smile and nod while they pile your table full of un-wanted dumplings. HOWEVER, I am breaking the mold and saying "no". The first cart they pushed by had nothing that appealed to my party (baked manapua, custard, taro dumplings) , so I declined all of it. Then the Dim Sum Ladies decided "oh, that's the table that doesn't want to eat," and it took a ridiculous amount of time to get another server's attention despite the carts and tray flying right past us. Finally, we got a cart with the -capital G- Goods: siu mai, har gao, spring rolls, look fun, seafood and chive dumpling, half moon, etc. We wanted it all, in multiples even! We ate like kings and queens and when we were full, we ordered more. Now we were riding high on the Dim Sum Ladies' lists. We were the third table they offered the really good stuff (fried soft shell crab, fried shrimp, fried nori rolls- noticing a trend?) to, and yes, there IS a hierarchy. In the end, we were a bit anxious for p.o.'ing the Dim Sum Ladies, but our gamble paid off and we got everything we wanted and nothing we didn't- probably a first in my dim sum experience. Now that we are prepared to handle the environment, we will back. Oh, and by the way, they were EXCELLENT about refilling water and all the entrees I've ordered here are great, my favorite being the bittermelon and beef in black bean sauce.
(3)
Susan S.

Ate here for lunch today. Found hair in the fried seafood with nori. I like this place but the waitress totally ignored me when I Oriented out there was hair in the food. I had to flag down another person who brought over another serving.
(2)
Edward K.

Dim sum. Really the breakfast of champions. Most people don't know that dim sum is actually a breakfast food, which is why most dim sum place aren't open pass lunch time. But the curiously attractive draw of this place is that the Dim sum is just good not GREAT but it serves that "good" dim sum all day long. It's also pretty cheap for dim sum. I've been here so many times that I've pretty much tried every sort of dim sum they have so I won't go over each one. Mostly because each one is worth it. The taro puff Dim sum is delicious and a local favorite. The spare ribs are flavorful and spiced just right. The meat balls are... meaty, just the way I like my balls. There really isn't anything I don't like. Now I haven't tried their lunch or dinner menu so I can't say much about that but if we're talking about dim sum, this is my first pick. The staff is Chinese so it a bit hard to get your order across but that's the standard for any Dim sum place. They do have a picture menu that you can just point to and they'll bring it over right away. It's really the standard affair, carts go around and serve whatever they contain. You pick what you want and they write it down on this slip of paper that rates the dim sum by price. If there's something the cart doesn't have, you just let the waitress know and the chef in back will make that item to order. So what makes this place better than others? I think it's mostly the fact that they serve it all day long. But don't let that distract you from how awesome the food is. Now if you compare it to others out there like Legends, Mandalay, or Fook Lam, the dim sum isn't the best taste wise, but it's the best bang for the buck and that keeps me coming back over and over again.
(5)
S D.

Photo class lunch. 1st time here, people say it's good... we'll see. :-) Was disappointed. I guess I'm used to Legends.
(2)
Phil J.

READ ALL REVIEWS BEFORE YOU GO TO THIS POO POO HOLE!!!Kind of upset that most good reviews are at the top and you have to dig for the truth. This place sucks. IT IS THE WORST SERVICE AND FOOD I HAVE EVER HAD. Do not waste time or money. They need to close the doors. There needs to be a NO GO category.
(1)
Randy L.

First time I've been to their new location. Place looks about the same. I just ordered dim sum for takeout, so that's all I can review. I phoned in an order while I was on the other side of the island for an 8:30 pick up. This can be tricky, as English is not their strong suit. Well, traffic was better than anticipated, and we arrived at 8. I went in apologetically, anticipating waiting a half hour. They were very accommodating, and had the order ready in about 10 minutes. The order was accurate. Took the dim sum to my sister's on Kauai the next day, steamed it, or microwaved it, and it was still pretty good. I'd go back. We particularly liked the fried taro with scallop. Of course, that's if you like taro.
(4)
Cyn C.

I've gone to the old location a few times in the past. Each time, the service always sucked. The food cart, logically you would think should go in a circle around the room, yet the cart would always stop short and turn the other way. It was always very difficult to get food. Recently, decided to try their new location. OMG, same problem. Then the lady was going to push her cart right pass us and only stopped b/c we called her back. While we were ordering, I had asked for something to be cut, she rudely reply just wait, I was going to do it. I would pass on going here again. It's so close to Cultural Plaza, I would recommend Legend or Tai Pan instead.
(1)
Dominic C.

This is a chaotic, confusing, poorly run restaurant. The manager was very arrogant and rude to both his employees and patrons. We asked for dishes for the condiments three times, and they were never brought. Dim sum carts were left unattended, and when asking waitstaff for food, we were barked at to wait for the cart. The table next to us waited over a half an hour for food that never arrived and finally left hungry and disappointed. A dim sum meal should be, by nature, a casual and relaxing meal. But in this establishment it was almost a battle to get fed and you leave stressed and disappointed.
(1)
Avery C.

Absolutely loved this place. In fact, this is the only place I've reviewed since I've moved to Hawaii that I've given 5 stars. I love Chinese food and in particular I love Dim Sum, and this place was spectacular. I got pot stickers, shrimp with shallots, and chicken with mushrooms (which was the best, came with the most savory gravy). I got there after 2:00 so everything was made to order. It came hot with three pieces per order. Only cost about $10.00 with tip. Now if only I can improve my chopstick skills it would be perfect. Positives - 1. Great food. I did not have a bad item. I would say the chicken and mushroom dish is absolutely the thing to get. 2. Good service. They are very busy, but you get a lot attention too. 3. Very affordable. $10 to fill me up on high quality food is a first. Negatives - 1. Parking is a little rough in Chinatown, but you can't really hold that against any individual restaurant.
(5)
Mai T.

My sister and I were looking for a place to eat breakfast so we headed towards chinatown and landed at Mei Sum. Compare to the other dimsum places, Mei Sum was on the cleaner side, which is always a plus and at around 9:30am, there were many tables open! My sister is the expert when it comes to Dim sum, she is trained by her bf and family on how and what to order.. so i just grabbed my chopstick and waited for the steaming hot baskets to come. We had about 7 different types, i like the ones with chives and shrimp. The half moon was also very good and you shouldnt leave without trying the yuba ( this is Japanese) on the menu i think it said, bean curd.. I absolutely dont like it when you order something and when it comes it is luke warm, Its supposed to be steaming hot, and that is exactly how it was! For about a little over 25.00 dollars for the both of us, we had a happy full meal! They also do take out, and going to any Chinese place in the morning can get crazy, but you are looking for a late breakfast and in the chinatown area, you should try Mei Sum!
(3)
Mali T.

4.6 Love this place! All I can say is that their selections of Dim Sum are amazing! It gets pretty busy here during lunch hours! The place is very clean and the taste is authentic! Their Shrimp dumplings, Pork Hash, Scallop dumplings, Soft shell crab, spare ribs, Cheung Fun and chicken feet are my favorite! Yummy in my Tummy! Next visit Home I'll sure pay Mei Sum a visit =)
(4)
Ji-hye Y.

My favorite dim sum place. My Chinese Friends recommended me other places but for me this place was way better. I think I might not used to super authentic Chinese food. Interesting thing was my Japanese friends also Loved here. My point is Korean or Japanese or who doesn't really into heavy Chinese dim sum , must try this place. garlic eggplant, shrimp, shrimp chive, look fun, sesame mochiball was to die for. Reasonable price too.
(4)
Jeff L.

Mei Sum's regular chef may be out today...or forever. In any case, all of the dishes were sub-par today...
(2)
Bad News S.

Good dim sum, good hours, clean restaurant We came by on a Sunday afternoon after a long day of sightseeing. For a Sunday afternoon, finding Mei Sum open at 3 was a blessing. Even for a late afternoon, it was still half full. At this hour we ordered from the menu with 4 dim sum dishes (hai gow, siu Mei, hai gow with chives, shanghai dumplings). Also ordered a beef chow fun All the food seemed freshly prepared and was hot, tasty and not too greasy. We were delighted by the great tasting for, pleasant and clean surroundings, and fairly attentive service.
(4)
Jera G.

Mei Sum has great dim sum and great prices! The only thing that sucks is that after a certain time of the day, the dim sum is made to order and it takes a SERIOUSLY LONG time for the order to come out...but it does not overshadow the flavor of everything! I LOVE the garlic chicken and garlic soft shell crab! Yum!
(5)
Beata S.

Good dim sum variety, and good prices. Actually, by Hawaiian standards this place is down right free. Definitely try pork with vegetable bun, it's light fluffy, sweet and sour all at the same time. The garlic eggplant is crispy on the outside soft gooey and flowery on the inside, a definite must try! The chicken with mushroom dumpling has the most interesting flavor, both my wife and I said, "oh wow" as soon as it hit our taste buds. Chicken feet were pretty good, as were the shrimp with chives dumplings. Overall every dim sum dish we tried was good. However, word of caution, stay away from the wonton soup! The broth is made from one of those artificial chicken soup packets/cubes that taste like chemicals. That's a first and a big no no for a Chinese place, especially since Chinese broths are usually so complex and wonderful.
(3)
David P.

Yelp 365: 022/365 When I moved into the Chinatown neighborhood when I went to high school, my family and I were searching for a place to eat here that had great tasting food. We stumbled onto a nearby restaurant called Mei Sum Dim Sum (when it was located on it's old spot on Pauahi). It was so delicious and we saw a line starting to form outside to get a seat in here. Amazing dim sum, great Chinese food, and awesome service. Now it has moved to its current location on Nu'uanu in the Smith-Beretania Apartments. The service has gone down a bit, but two from the old wait staff still works there so it went from great to a little above so/so. The water doesn't get filled anymore unless you ask, but they are great when knowing when you need a teapot refill. Their dim sum and menu items are just as good as when they were at the old location and they have daily specials posted up. Bigger space also and instead of just street parking, they have a lot and a garage where you can park, if you can not find street parking right outside the restaurant. I would have given this place five stars, but a few months ago, the misses found a maggot in her garlic ong choy. Ever since then she is very suspicious of that dish and gets kind of queezy when thinking about that place. I guess the reason could be that it was so busy, they did not wash the vegetables good? I don't know what the reason could be, but I ate a lot from that dish and got no stomach problems or ever did from this place. So I'm still one happy customer. Give this place a try if you want good dim sum (served all day) AND great tasting Chinese food (not Chinatown Express or Panda Express style but real Chinese food). May the YELP POWER be with you.....
(4)
Hsiao-Ting C.

We were exploring Chinatown when we became hungry. We wanted dim sum so we yelped for a place. Mei Sum had one of the higher rating so we decided on this place. I don't know how people gave this place such high ratings since we had a horrible experience. They gave us a table but nobody came to help us until 10 minutes later. No menu, no silverware, nothing. We ended up going to the refrigerator to get a drink since we were thirsty. One of the waitress came and while we were talking to her, she would just walk away. How rude! Another waitress finally came to give us our silverware and water. She then would just randomly pick stuff up from the dim sum cart and put it on our table without asking. Excuse me but I didn't request for that dish. I had to tell her no and that I would like to order from the menu. We ordered a couple of dishes and they were ok. Overprice mediocre food. The Shanghai dumplings had no juice in them. Just a big rip off. I would not recommend this to anyone Horrible service for mediocre food.
(2)
Kelly G.

Morning brunch with a small group of friends. We had a full day ahead of us and it was great that Mei Sum was open so early, 8am on a Saturday. They advertise that they open at 7am! Most dishes were ok. It was early enough that most dishes were made fresh. Siu mai (Asian pork hash), gai lan (Chinese broccli) with oyster sauce, daikon radish cake, char siu pastries, chicken feet, shrimp dumpling, spinach and shrimp dumpling, half moon, sticky rice with stuffing, shrimp chung fun (rice roll) and more. Too bad they didn't come out on push carts though. Total came out to about $13 a person with tip. Not bad, but had a better experience at Fook Lam.
(3)
Sam N.

If you're new to dim sum-style dining, then I highly advise that you go with a friend who is experienced. Otherwise, the ordering process (as well as the pronunciation of most menu items) might intimidate you. Mei Sum is an excellent choice for dim sum. Please don't expect the cleanest atmosphere or the most attentive servers - in fact, when it gets busy, don't be surprised if you need to make repeated attempts to flag down a server. Again, the food is excellent here. Try the shrimp w/ chive dumplings or even the pork hash!.
(4)
Consuela P.

One of my favorite dim sum restaurants in Honolulu. Couldn't be happier with the quality & value of the food found here! And it reasonably priced as well but caution that the service is slow and bad, especially when it's busy. They have just moved from Pauahi to Nuuanu Avenue and are now in a short strip mall.
(4)
Tammy T.

This was my first time ever eating dim sum. A friend of mine took me there because she said it was the best...it was *thinking* OK. The service was your typical Chinese place where everyone and their mother is bustling around yelling stuff in Chinese. We got (pics): prices range from 2.50-4.00 a dish Shrimp Pork Hash Shanghai Dumplings Fried Mochi Shrimp Dumpling Chives I thought the shrimp dumpling chives were yummy, the Fried Mochi was good too. I don't like mochi, but deep fry that bad boy. Hellz Yeah! I was bit turned off when I grab the Shanghai dumping and it's water broke on the table *shiver* just the though of an inanimate thing releasing a load of water at one time creeps me out. But, that's just me, this could be the staple of what makes a dumpling a dumpling, Idk. Like I said first time eating dim sum.
(3)
Rolette G.

Love the dim sum. Really good but really busy. So the wait is long. If you're in the area, I recommend you to call in then take out.
(4)
jeannine s.

I have always been a fan of Mei Sum and love it more in its new location. After trying out a few dim sum places in Chinatown, I rank Mei Sum among the best. Dim sum is prepared fresh, always hot, steamy and yummy no matter what time of the day -- which is not always what you get when you visit other Chinatown dim sum restaurants during off hours. An added bonus is the great service you get. Servers are always curteous and efficient, something sometimes unexpected in a chinese restaurant.
(4)
Raych D.

A good friend of mine raves about this spot whenever I see him. And although I don't eat to much Chinese food because of that oily feeling after wards I made it a point to try this place out and the other day I did just that! We came a little after 1pm so the lunch rush hour has passed and we walked right in with a lot of vacant tables. I liked that the place was huge and clean considering it's in Chinatown, I also liked that the restaurant didn't have that Chinese restaurant smell to it. Everyone there was from different ethnicity from the Chinese straight out of China, Filipinos, locals, Japanese and Caucasians. We sat down, made our hot mustard sauce and looked at their wide selection of dim sum menu. Since my friend was more familiar with the placed he began ordering a bunch of items and I just picked and choose. I did tell him I wanted my taro ball but he suggested that we get the taro ball with scallop and I agreed and that was just unbelievably good! I love the taro ball by itself and I do love scallop so even better with two things I love combined! Everything we ordered where all very fresh and delicious. Only thing that I hated was majority of it was made with pork and I don't like pork unless on rare occasions. One dish I loved that contained pork was the fried mochi. It was freshly made for us, I like the crispy texture with the semi sweet taste it gives which was the only thing I ate since I took all the pork filling out. I tried the look fun with pork and it wasn't my favorite I guess because it was filled with pork and look fun is the same noodle used for chow fun which I also don't care for. Everything else I did try was very fresh, filled with meat or shrimp and very flavorful! Everyone there are nice and fast in getting your food. Not sure on the price since my friend was treating but I don't think dim sum is to pricey. My advice is to go after the lunch hour rush and try to order things fresh (fried mochi w/pork, fried mochi w/red beans) because it taste so much better! A few of my favorites are: -Fried mochi -Mochi rice wrapped in lotus leaves -Shrimp dumplings -Chicken hash -Chicken hash
(4)
Gloria S.

Okay if you like good Chinese Dim Sum at affordable prices and so so services this is a decent place to go. I like the pan-fried turnip cake, seafood dumpling roll, shrimp dumpling with chives and their fried rice... If you like it spicy then just add some chili sauce and hot mustard with soy sauce! Yummy! Just don't expect the greatest ambiance, and if your in luck you may get a smile from the waitress! Don't tip them in coins! I saw a guy tip a waitress in coins and she was muttering something in Chinese and did not look happy at all! In any case I think you will like the food and prices! You can always take it to go! One more note! If your taking it to go and need extra sauce, and you get a look from the hostess/waitress just ignore it and ask for the extra sauce, smile and move on! :-) Enjoy!
(3)
Nikki S.

I love this restaurants DIM SUM... it's always fresh and so YUMMY!! the only complaint I have is that sometimes the waitresses are always standing around gossiping.. Even my 10 year old daughter stated they didn't seem to want to let us get more dim sum cause they were busy standing around talking... but... other then that we will return cause I can't stay away from the DIM SUM!!! :)
(3)
Adrian K.

Good food fast service! !
(4)
David J.

Mei Sum Dim Sum is one of many Dim Sum restaurants on the island strategically located near China Town. Coincidence? I heard lots of great things about this place and it was good to finally try. I went with a large group of people on a reservation and we had no problems getting seated. The place was really busy on a Saturday lunch hour and there was plenty of people waiting in line to sit. The venue is ok - there's really nothing spectacular with their decor. Being in down town/ china town, parking is a little tough. The dim sum itself is pretty good and in par with most of the dim sums on the island. I did notice that there were fewer selections than others Dim Sum places. However, the price is on the cheaper side averaging about $2.00 per plate. The pork hash was exceptionally good and so was their mini custard pie. We also ordered the Singapore Noodles and I ended up eating more than half the dish! I was disappointed with the service. It seemed like there were running out of all their dim sum dishes and the cart didn't come around often enough. Maybe it was just that day. Overall, a fairly good place to eat dim sum if you're in the down town area with good prices. Not the best Dim Sum place I've been to, but good enough I'll definitely try again.
(3)
Pinky F.

One word. Bad. Should of guessed on a Sat 1030 with 5 other people that this place has gone downhill. A good joint is usually full. What made it extra bad was we had to wait 40 min. The waitress said sorry "you must wait but we make food good so you don't get sick". Now if that dont scare you..... But its been a couple hours and I'm not sick. The food tasted ok BUT it was not fresh. So I can't say for sure but I don't recomend this one. Scary. Risky.
(1)
Chris L.

The food was good but the service sucks. Bad attitude, no smiles, and try to rush you.
(1)
Bo W.

Friendly staff, delicous food, and quick service. One of my favorites.
(5)
robyn t.

i do not claim to be an expert on dim sum but can differentiate between good and not so good...although the prices here are fairly inexpensive, there are other options that ARE good AND cheap. this is just not one of them. note to self: if it's a chinese restaurant and the only chinese in there are the servers, LEAVE!
(2)
Claudia M.

Since Panda Cuisine stopped serving dim sum, i decided to try another dim sum place. This place has awesome dim sum. Their service was so so, after they spilled hot tea by our feet. Their food was pretty good. And their pricing was reasonable as well. I will come here for my dim sum from now on.
(4)
Kylie K.

My boyfriend and I just went for dinner today and the dim sum was very good. We go there about once a month, our favorite dishes are shrimp w/chives, char siu mamapua, pot stickers, deep fried shrimp. Today we got complimentary tofu almond desert. yeye we love free things. The price is very resonable. Although it maybe croweded at times, your wait time is relatively short. Check this place out, I think you will enjoy your meal and easy on the wallet
(4)
Ash R.

I've been here about a dozen times. Needless to say, I like it here. I've only eaten at the old location. A few days ago my Mom and I went here for lunch, but didnt see any sign that said they've moved, so we drove away sad. BUT, I'm glad they've only moved and havent gone away for good. I'm excited to try the new place! Dim sum here has consistently been good, not amazing, but for Hawaii, this is pretty good! I've gone to Happy Day's in Kaimuki several times for dim sum and it has always been way too oily to the point that I cannot go there anymore, despite the discount (see my review on Happy Days) But I will say, I do enjoy consistently seeing friends and family at this dim sum joint, you know its good if you see people with the same standards in taste.
(3)
Shannon T.

My family owns a bakery, which is ridiculously crazy during the holidays. Every Christmas Eve, we have lunch at Mei Sum after the bakery has closed for the holidays. It's become a family tradition for us. Of course, it's not like we don't go there during other times of the year - in fact, we probably go there about once every two weeks or so. It's most definitely one the regularly places we eat at! The custard buns are addicting, the garlic stuffed eggplant, mochi rice, and shanghai noodles are delish too! Oh, and my bf and I adore the bean curd dim sum they have. It's soooooo yummy!
(5)
Joshua B.

Great fried rice and noodle places with excellent services! A little pushy with the roving tray with appetizers, but good nontheless. You must try the coconut tapioca for dessert. It's absolutely delicious!!
(4)
S T.

I love dim sum here! It's tiny and a mom and pop kind of restaurant, but I like the dim sum.
(4)
Laura S.

Maybe I came during a bad time considering it was chinese new year, but really, the service could of been better. So, I found this place on yelp when looking for late night dim sum and found that they were still open and relatively cheap for dim sum being between 3-5 per dim sum plate. This place had good reviews on yelp, so we decided to give it a try. The location of this place is very easy to find, so I give them at least a star for that, but the rest of the experience, unfortunately it was very poor. There was a wait for a table but that wasn't bad, just figured since its busy, must be good, so must be worth the wait. When we sat at the table, the server gave us our plate and chopsticks, but didn't return with any menus or water for a good 15 minutes. Didn't think too much of this since they were busy for the night, but after they gave us the menu and waters, they didn't come to take our order for another 15 minutes. We ordered 5 different orders of dim sum only and we got our first dish relatively fast but after that we had to wait almost 45 minutes to get another. By this time, I was getting hungry and growing very impatient. Our last order never came and we were sick of waiting after being there for an hour and half, so we got up and left to pay, when we got to the register, the server then asked if we still wanted our last dish. I didn't want to stay there any longer, so we just got it to go. I have never experienced such bad customer service anywhere and to make matters worst, she insisted we leave her a tip. Are you kidding me!?!! I will not be returning here as I'm pretty sure I can find a better place with better customer service to feed my dim sum craving.
(1)
Jamie T.

As a fairly new resident of downtown honolulu, I like Mei Sum for its walking convenience, speedy takeout & tasty food. I've never eaten in & had the dim sum, only dinner takeout. We always get the same thing, and its always good. - beef chow fun (dry), salt & pepper porkchop, sweet & sour pork, shrimp canton, walnut shrimp & oyster sauce choy sum- PLUS! even though they've got thick chinese accents when taking my order on the phone, they've never gotten it wrong...believe me, I'm impressed everytime AND! they're not rude, even more impressive! My takeout is ready in 15 minutes & everything is packed, chopsticks, napkins, chili pepper sauce & mustard. That is why they are my go to take-out chinese place :o)
(4)
Jamie L.

So fine, it might not be the swankiest joint in town, but it is good and it is cheap! I ordered pickup tonight (shrimp dumplings, pork hash and look fun) all for the low-low price of $11 and it was amazing. Don't expect heart-warming service, but expect good food and cheap prices. BYOB!
(4)
O G.

(This review is for the new location on Nuuanu.) Whenever one forays into the realm of dim sum, you have to consider multiple factors: 1) Freshness and quality 2) Price 3) Whether there are any uninvited guests present at the table (And by uninvited guests, I'm not talking about your psycho ex-girlfriend with the kung fu grip and hemlock lips...I'm talking about insects!) You also should compare it to its competitors, namely, the Cultural Plaza denizens of Legend, Tai Pan and Good Luck. As far as freshness and quality, this place is better than Good Luck but not as good as Tai Pan and Legend. As far as price, this place is more expensive than Tai Pan and cheaper than Legend, with medium dishes costing about $2.65. (Good Luck is ~$1.80, Tai Pan ~$2.35, Legend is more.) As far as uninvited guests, Mei Sum (found a mosquito in the vinegar bottle) is better than Good Luck (where, on occasion, I've had to dine with cucarachas running across the table) and worse than Tai Pan and Legend, where the only bottom feeder roaches are the downtown lawyers on their lunch breaks. (Sorry, I couldn't help it.) Ergo...save your time and money and go to Tai Pan, where the food is better AND cheaper (a Chinese person's fantasy come true!). For unimpressive dim sum that's more expensive than a better neighbor, this place gets 2 stars!
(2)
QuodE D.

Let me start by advising that you should not get the table in the middle of the room. If it's offered to you, kindly reject it and invite the customers who would be next on the sign-in sheet to sit before you. It's the desert isle of tables! Since it's surrounded by other tables, the servers can't make it to the middle. Thus you just watch as others customers peer into the carts and pick out wonderful dim sum morsels all the while you just hope the server notices your frantic hand waving and desperate expression. I sympathize since that was me earlier today. I was sure they'd only see us at the end of the day, shriveled and emaciated. But a server did see us--occasionally--to drop a couple of items. And they were good. The garlic eggplant is tasty and the char siu bau is fine. The scallop taro puff was a surprise for me since I haven't had it before. The look fun is supposed to be good (we had it with char siu), but I've had better at a number of other places. Sadly, that was all we were able to get to wash ashore our desert isle table. Perhaps I'll try again later.
(3)
Ash G.

I like Mei Sum for what it is worth. Good diim sum and cheap prices, you really can't go wrong here. I have been several times to the old location and can say that the only issue I have had here is waiting for my dim sum to arrive on my table (and then immediately into my mouth to be devoured!) Yea, like most of the times I have gone they have brought one thing out and then like it takes quite some time (12 min) for the rest of the order to come to your table. When I go I generally always seem to get these staples; the deep friend taro, charsu look fun, beef shumai, and mochi rice. One time I went there with my friend, we got 4 items and it was $12 (not including tip). I am not at all a picky eater but I do know good food apart from not so good food. Check this place out, it's worth your while and money.
(4)
Betty S.

We did not like the dim sum here. Every time I go somewhere new, I always want to try dim sum from other places. We came here rather late for lunch @ 2pm and was seated right away. We were given our menu's and was told to order from them. Most of the dim sum was very bland and/or not made correctly. Now I'm no connoisseur of dim sum but I had just come back from Hong Kong 3 weeks prior to my visit in Hawaii (and I'm from SF where there is dim sum in all parts of the city), so I had some pretty damn good dim sum before and this was no comparison at all. In fact, I was surprised that they were trying to sell the luke warm dim sum leftover on their cart, that was sitting in the middle of the restaurant. What was pretty decent was the beef rice rolls, and the pork dumplings (sui mai). Our shrimp dumplings we ordered never came, and we were waiting so long we decided to tell them to cancel it. Meh, I won't be coming back here.
(2)
J Z.

Their dim sum is really not that great. You get the same at pretty much any other Chinese dim sum place. So this is where service comes into play. But obviously, the owners don't care about how their customers are being treated. While most of the ladies were doing their job when we were there, there is one server I would not keep around (if I ran the place). They have two carts, one that serves steamed items and another for the fried stuff. This person hogs the cart with the steamed items. Having been here more than once, we always see her standing around, gossiping. You really have to get up or tell other servers to get her come to your table. You ask her what she has. She doesn't respond. Her face is so grumpy-looking. You order hai gow (shrimp), she places something else on your table. We asked for fun gow, she put another order of hai gow and tells you that here it is. This lady needs to be fired!!!
(1)
Scott M.

I am a regular customer at Mei Sum. I've been to almost all the dimsum places in town and this one hast the best food and best prices on the island. I would have given them a 5 star rating however the lack of service and the fact that you have to chase down the carts is really irritating. There seems to be a major language barrier with most of the wait staff. I hope they can get the service issue handled soon.
(4)
Sharon O.

I love this place! It's a little more upscale looking since they moved to the Nuuanu location this year, but the food is still delicious! My friends and I ordered the usual shrimp, siu mai, turnip cake and taro puffs, and we decided to also try something different...the deep fried soft shell crab. This was the winner! It came out nicely seasoned with green onions, chili peppers and fried garlic on a bed of cabbage. And it was deep fried to a golden perfect. They had actually cut the crab for us, but the shell was so soft, it practically melted in your mouth. The breading on the outside just added another layer of crunchy texture that was not greasy surprisingly. My only regret is that we didn't order another one. Would definitely go back there for that again!
(5)
Che L.

After all these years, the beef chow fun is still the best. The waitresses always assume that I don't speak the language?
(4)
Traci J.

Having arrived in the 808 the day before, we made our annual early morning dim sum run to Mei Sum. Found street parking near their new location and found the same set up as before. Deep fried shrimp purse goodness with a mayo dippy sauce, pork hash - better texture than places in Seattle, baked hum bow (so-so), shrimp chive dumpling (better flavor than regular har gow) and a new fish vegetable patty (kind of like fish paste stuff with vegetables then pan fried), sticky rice in a won ton wrapper (way better than Seattle - more goodies, and less densely packed). I can never wait till we get to Ala Moana beach to bust in to the cartons and start picking at the stuff when we hit the part of Nimitz with the car dealerships.
(4)
David N.

Their new location is so much cleaner and offers plenty of seating. No more waiting (which is often the case during peak lunch hours in their previous, limited seating location). The most common dishes are readily available (e.g., ha gow, shu-mai), but the other dishes (e.g., shrimp look-fun) are made to order and comes out fresh and steaming hot! You have to try the garlic-fried chicken wings, but order 10 minutes in advance as this is also made to order.
(4)
Jennifer S.

In the spirit of Chinese New Year, I was in search for a good dim sum restaurant. What better place is there than getting the 411 from Yelpers? I found a place in Chinatown...Mei Sum. My must haves for dim sum is turnip cake and mochi rice. Both were good and not oily which scores high in my book. I also tried the baked char siu bao. I really wanted to try the egg custard but they ran out. I do recommend when you eat here, look over the menu and order the dishes you'd like. The carts don't come around too often when they're busy. Also, finding street parking can take a while but when its free on Sunday, one can't really complain.
(3)
J A.

Always consistent. Really good cold Ginger chicken. Order the custard dimsum early. Rice in lotus leaf, winner. Bring a long sleeved shirt or jacket, this location is chilly at night.
(5)
Brent S.

Hands down one of the best places for dim sum in Hawaii. Everything is pretty much good. It's relatively cheap. But it gets pretty crowded during the weekdays. So be prepared to wait a little. But since it's dim sum, it's usually pretty fast.
(4)
Natalie K.

Agree with a lot of other reviews. Staff isn't friendly, food is okay but not stellar.
(3)
Travis K.

A pretty good dim sum place, located in Chinatown. Affordable as dim sum goes, but more importantly the food is good. Try the garlic eggplant with fish cake, it's delicious if you love garlic. The taro puff is good, and so is the mochi rice in lotus leaf. We normally only order dim sum, but have order noodles and some seafood dishes off the regular menu, they've been tasty. We mainly go for the dim sum though. The waitstaff is pretty friendly, but it seems to be forced, like its not normal for them to be all welcoming and helpful.....it is a Chinese restaurant though. The ladies often "suggest" dim sum dishes you should "try"....which means buy. Sometimes we get a little carried away with ordering and are left with leftovers to take home. Dim sum, especially the fried stuff, doesn't taste so good when its not fresh out of the steamer or fryer, so I suggest, order dishes slowly, as to avoid having lots of leftovers.
(4)
dean t.

Last lunch in downtown before heading back to the Mainland...sister-in-law suggested Mei Sum and were my wife, son and I happy! Garlic eggplant (two orders, was so good), pork hash, half moon, baked char siu bao, shanghai mai fun noodles w/ shrimp, look fun - they were all excellent. Was 1:30 PM, but the place was packed with Asians and haoles. The ladies with the dim sum carts were generally helpful. No room for dessert, so we'll need to come back to try the coconut tapioca and custard. Reasonably priced, parking a hassle, service okay, but the food is terrific...and you can stop by the flower vendors on Beretania, by Maunakea St., after your meal to pick up a freshly-strung lei.
(4)
Liz C.

Shrimp Porkhash, Garlic Fried Rice, Mini Charsiu bao, and Honey Walnut Shrimp. May you feel like a buddha at the end of that feast!
(5)
Doris D.

Really cheap and local place. Trust me, they treat you better if you speak Cantonese! The dim sum tends to be on the lukewarm side but I can deal, given the price!
(4)
Avy R.

This is my favorite place to get dim sum at. Well, I have only been in a few dimsum places in Chinatown, maybe there are better ones I havent tried. You should let me know if you have a better dimsum spot! ;-] They recently moved though, about a few blocks down, a bit away from Chinatown. Looks cleaner, nicer bathroom. Still quite small though. Yeah, you kinda have to wait outside when it's busy... but it's worth it, cuz dimsum is the cure to everything! :P
(4)
Aldora K.

I love dimsum. Mei sum is one of the few places that has mai lai go ( sponge cake ) that is good. You just have to order once you get a table because it takes about 10 minutes to be ready from the kitchen. In all, I think the Mei sum is a good place to bring family and friends for some dim sum.
(4)
Manako E.

My friend and I used to have this as our Friday lunch spot. Their dim-sum isnt SUPER amazing, but it's good. One of my favorite dim-sum places next to Legend's. My favorite is the fried eggplant. I give it three stars cause their waitresses are always reallllly mean. But they're kinda fun to watch too...
(3)
Janine S.

Mei Sum has been my only dim sum restaurant for years. They are the only restaurant that makes a char siu bao so fluffy and sweet and perfect that I order more than one. The chicken maunapua is yummy, and my order always includes chicken dumplings (they taste like gingery chicken noodle soup), sweet corn fish cakes (put the chili sauce on them), and mochi rice in lotus leaves (OMG YUM). I usually go on a weekday if possible or as early as I can on a weekend. I actually don't like the cart. I prefer the dim sum to come out of the kitchen. Flagging down the cart lady is not my thing. Speaking of which, the only reason I gave this place four stars is because of the service. Consistently so-so and sometimes the water isn't filled, but there's always hot tea in front of you. FYI, prior to their new location the reviews might not be the best. It was cramped and dirty and I think this made the service worse. I wouldn't have wanted to work there. The new place seems to have rejuvenated the employees of Mei Sum and I've been having better and better experiences since. Plus, when my boyfiend and I can both get super stuffed for less than $20 I really can't say no. Bottom line: It's cheap and pretty good. What do you have to lose?
(4)
Gina B.

I'm a weekend Mei Sum Dim Sum regular. Not because its the best Dim Sum I've ever tasted. So, why then? Because, nothing cures a hangover like walking in the hot sun (same intensity whether its 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.) to the corner of Pauahi and Smith streets to be seated in the midst of this bustling, loud restaurant. I start feeling like a normal person once I take my seat. That's almost all it takes. Then comes the dim sum and hot tea! My selection of favorites include mochi rice, fried taro, look fun with shrimp, pork hash, char siu manapua, garlic eggplant, custard tart... A party of two can spend as little as $13 total (that's tax and tip included - but a dim sum order of about 4 items). I'd quit drinking if it were costing me much more to recover from my hangovers. So as long as I'm drinking, then I'll be coming back to Mei Sum Dim Sum!
(3)
Aris F.

The dim sum is decent and the prices very reasonable -- four dishes a mere $11 with tax. Service could be smoother, even for a dim sum restaurant -- I'd have ordered more, but I felt like I was being rushed. (And please don't try to dump lukewarm turnip cakes on me next time. I like my turnip cakes hot from the kitchen!) Bathroom could be kept cleaner....
(3)
Trang T.

BEST DIM SUM EVER!!.. Try the lock fun and the shrimp dumplings. The noodles taste super fresh as well as the shrimp.. Nom Nom Nom Nom. !
(5)
theresa s.

good to great dim sum. the chicken buns and steamed scallop dumplings are my favorite. food is made fresh. new location is clean but lighting is too bright-- think florescent bulbs.... it can also get very warm in the restaurant. some of the wait staff are very nice, while the others just are racing around-- i think they need more help on the floor. nice that it is BYOB. bring your own glasses, or they will give you water glasses.
(3)
David K.

Good dim sum at fair prices. My nephew is a foodie and I have to take him out. New location but same dependable quality dim sum.
(4)
Sasha Y.

my husband and i just had lunch here today,we ordered 6 dishes totally: mochi rice,shrimp pork hash,chicken feet,garlic eggplant and half moon,we tried to order almond tofu for dessert but was told sold out, so we ordered a tapioca,and they gave us one for free,the dim sum was good,price was reasonable,the total cost was $16.5 plus tip.i could see that they've really got good business,the restaurant was full,if we were here 1 minute later,we would definitely join in the waiting line!
(4)
Katrina F.

I love this place! The food here is never disappointing. My only complaint is that the service is kind of bad. I am white, and they dont exactly treat me with much respect...but I am used to that walking into Asian restaurants. They sure are nice to me when I am with my Chinese father in law!! Haha. But the food is so good that I still give this place five stars. If you want excellent dim sum, this is the place to go! Im not sure if this has changed since they moved locations, but I know they closed EXACTLY at 8:45 on the dot...so dont get there late! I remember we were having a small dinner party there one night and a friend came a little before 9, but they wouldnt let her in! We had to beeegg for a few minutes and finally they caved. Funny ladys that work there...so strict!!
(5)
Ronni S.

Decent dim sum but horrible service. There was a lot of wait staff but they all seemed to be congregated by the register and not serving food. I'll look elsewhere next time.
(3)
Janet K.

This is my friend's favorite dim sum spot. I thought the dim sum was just alright. The service was great, but we were there when it was slow. The restaurant is fairly clean but they have only one bathroom for men/women to share.
(3)
REBEKAH H.

My mom started me on going early in the morning, about breakfast time. Because we are the only ones in there the service is great and fast. Some of the dishes are cooked to order so they don't get any fresher, and best of all, no wait for a table! The taro is my favorite, it is always crispy and fresh, no matter what time of the day you go. At some places they have so much taro that there is not much filling. Not so here! I also like the shrimp with chives, eggplant with garlic and their look fun has a lot more meat in it than other places. This is my far one of my favorites on the island! When you go during the day you sometimes have to fight for service and beg for food. So go in the morning! What better brunch than dim sum!
(5)
Russel M.

New location is just as good if not better than the old. The prices and service are unbeatable. I don't agree with the poster who likes Legends and Tai Pan better. We go there too and don't think they measure up lately. Our favorite is still Panda Cuisine across from Wal Mart but if your downtown you definitely should check out Mei Sum.
(4)
Mina T.

I like going to Mei Sum late at night, since they are open and serving their dim sum pretty late. They are reasonably priced and their service is pretty good. I like their mochi rice and their chives and shrimp dumplings!
(4)
Stuart C.

Really good Dim Sum, nothing like you may get on the mainland. Mei Sum opens early at 7:00 am, they have Dim Sum to go for the people looking for a cheap lunch. We went there on the first day of our family vacation. The staff is really nice and helpful to tell me that there is parking around back of the restaurant just before I had the rental car towed by HPD. Don't park in front before 8:30 am it's a tow away zone. Overall the Dim Sum was very good and would have gone back to the restaurant, but Hawaii has so many good restaurant and types of food.
(4)
Victoria C.

So finally tried their dim sum and it is pretty good. The dumpling type dishes seem to have more filling inside compared to some other places. But I still prefer Tai Pan over Mei Sum any day.
(4)
Sita L.

Just started back in the new location. The dim sum was always good here, but I found it to be even better the last two times now. Very fresh, the seafood was excellent. I don't eat pork anymore or beef so I can't comment on those, I am big on seafood and every seafood dumpling was full of seafood, not fillers. The service, hahaha, yeah, well temperamental at times. I wish I spoke Chinese, I would love to have known what the two servers where having a very heated conversation about. !! But it is not fine dining. So it is all part of the experience. Take out is fast and efficient also.
(5)
NIKKI F.

I've eaten yum cha (dim sum) all over the world and Mei Sum wasn't the best I've ever had but it was decent and the overall experience (noisy, busy Sunday brunch) was pretty good. The steamed prawn dumplings and the soft-shell crabs were delicious. Being able to order off the a la carte menu was good for fresh and tasty stir-fry vegetables. The service was fast and friendly, the food was hot and tasty. The price was very reasonable, I'd recommend giving it a try.
(4)
Max K.

Sum Ting Wong? Ah? Nah...just kidding... I love their dim sum here. I've ordered a few items on the menu too but we're usually here for the dim sum. I enjoy the Deep Fried Eggplant with Garlic....(ooh..boy...ah...you gonna love this one...ah!)...sorry, had to throw that one in. We always get the Siu Mai (pork hash), Bean Curd Roll (my favorite), Black Bean Spareribs (my gf's favorite), Deep Fried Seaweed Roll, and the Bean Curd Roll (whoops, already said that one...but it's my favorite...hahaha!) Off the menu we've tried the Dry Style Chow Fun with Black Bean and some other noodle dishes. They were all good. We already know we'll be back and enjoy the Bean Curd Roll (oops, I did it again)... ...and the new location looks larger than the older space. It looks cleaner too. Definitely a must try!
(4)
V M.

Not the best dim sum I've had but my cousin suggested this place since I wanted some dim sum. The dim sum was greasy/oily but it hit the spot. The waitresses were nice and suggested types of food that my sister might enjoy since she's a vegan. I'd come back to eat here. Parking can be a pain. Prices are decent.
(3)
Derrick N.

Good Dim sum, they moved from their previous location, to a bigger place. On par with legend. They don't have the cart for the fried dim sum, but you can order from kitchen. Another great place for dim sum.
(4)
Zoe B.

We have been to this restaurant for many times and observed many bad things during our visits. And we finally made our decision of not going back regardless how tasty some dim sum items can be, because we had our last straw today! My husband ordered a take out Char Siu Bao (Steamed BBQ Pork Bun) for me after work, then took the bus back home so I could eat it. It was for me so he wouldn't know if there was anything wrong in the bun until I ate it. So he came home and I immediately ate it. There were 2 Char Siu Bao in 1 order. I finished the first Char Siu Bao, and then started on the second one, once I pulled the second one apart, I found a body hair inside! It was very GROSS! I almost vomitted. I don't even know if I had eaten anything gross in the first bun coz I didn't really look into the first one when I was eating the first one. According to the thickness of the hair, it looked more like some sort of facial hair (from the eye or nose) instead of the hair from the head. So it grossed me out even more!!!!! I asked my husband to take it back right away and asked them to change it out. So my husband drove back to the restaurant right away, and told the server (who took his order earlier) about the hair. The server's initial response was not nice, she wanted to blame the hair on us instead because it "has been a while" since the Char Siu Bao left the restaurant. That's so lame!!! It's a take out, no one is gonna know if there is anything wrong until the order got home and be eaten. And it takes time to travel from the restaurant to home. So my husband got upset with that initial response. But he showed her that it's inside the bun so it can't be our own hair. Then she took it back reluctantly and only gave my husband 1 Char Siu Bao back cause only 1 hasn't been eaten. They don't do refund, and did not replace the whole order. The server said it's the owner's decision of only giving us 1 coz the other had been eaten already. Well, I am more upset at their attitude instead of the number of Char Siu Bao they replaced. They just don't have manners and don't know how to be polite, and don't even admit their own faults and try to blame it on others....... It's very unsophisticated to do so for an adult! In the past, we already observed that the owner micro-managed the staff at the dining area. He would boss people around and making the staff spinning their head. I feel sorry for the staff. I think they constantly get worried about the boss. That's the vibe I got at least. And I guess the boss isn't good, so he is not able to train the staff to be a nice one, so the staff probably absorbed the bad attitude through the owner's bossing around and reflect the bad attitude back on the customers. Some can be mean, not just rude. And I figured that there are only 2 staff members at the dining area for morning and night shifts, while there can be many tables to be served at those times. Maybe the owner doesn't want to hire/pay enough staff and overworked the staff, making the staff unhappy and then the staff got bad attitudes from that. Since we have observed that everyone isn't serving with good attitude and the owner is very irritating, they don't deserve any business from us anymore. I would rather pay somewhere else that provides a healthier work atmosphere to the staff and more sane experience to customers. We are not going back because of that irritating cheap owner and the attitudes that he had trained his staff. I can't really blame the staff, I only blame the owner, as he isn't a nice one to start with, making the staff following his bad attitude. Very irritating and annoying to see that happening.
(1)
Love S.

So I bookmarked this place to try at a later time. I drove to chinatown looking for Pauahi street and my new found dim sum place on yelp. I saw a line coming out of this restaurant and I said to myself, " they have pretty good dim sum there". Then I looked at the sign and it said Mei Sum. Sh*t, I drove all the way to chinatown to check out a place I've eaten at 4 or 5 times. derrrr....sharpest tool? Shed? I parked in the Maunakea parking garage and went to Happy Garden around the corner instead.
(4)
Jolly R.

This is your typical Dim Sum place. Food is pretty good for the price. I ordered shrimp dumplings and vegetarian eggplant.
(4)
TH N.

Decent dim sum for very resonable price. It is not the best dim sum place in HI, I admit, but their price is unbeatable.
(5)
Tania P.

I went to their new location last night... The new location is bigger... That's about it. All the dim sum was incredibly bland or fishy/old tasting. The dim sum is not as good as it used to be. Next time I want late night dim sum I'm going to Mandalay or Panda!!! What sucks is that I passed up Bangkok Chef to go here. Grrr!
(2)
Mia F.

Delicious dumplings, friendly servers, much cleaner than other Chinatown establishments...a must try!
(4)
Amy H.

First dim sum back on the island and it sure didn't disappoint! We ordered the tried and true favorites - steamed char siu bau, siu mai, har gau, and taro gow. They probably have one of the best taro gow I've tried (it was actually hot!). The cart service was quick, which probably was helped by the small size of the restaurant. We got in around noon, so the restaurant was mostly full and had a good turn-over of dishes. All-in-all, a good little dim sum place in Chinatown.
(4)
Eric X.

This was my go to spot for dim sum until I realized I could get equal caliber for less around the corner. In fact I can think of two places where you will save .80 to a dollar per plate and suffer no loss of quality. That adds up. This place has great stuff when it's cart time, but don't come when they are about over, because you'll end up with plates that have been sitting around. I enjoy the traditional serving style, but I also like fresh.
(3)
uilani c.

The dim sum was decent but nothing much more than most other places I've had the pleasure of dining. The service was typical of many dim sum/Chinese restaurants, I will leave it at that. :) What I did find outstanding is the vegetarian dry emein. Whoa, babycakes! The noodles were soft enough to have absorbed just the right amount of liquid and it was perfectly flavored. The texture of the noodle was still apparent because of the perfect absorption. Most def the best emein I have tasted in Hawaii. Brief run down on the parking: the lot with the posted map of Mei Sum is NOT their parking lot. It's street parking or the municipal parking lot. And both are heinously full for most of the day.
(3)
K K.

Mei Sum is a good place to get your dim sum fix without the MSG twitch that you get from most places. We had an early lunch (10:45am) this weekend and was surprised to see this place already packed. We were lucky that when we walked in there was an empty table available. We quickly got our plates, tea cup and a pot of hot tea. Because the restaurant is crowded and not ideal for those carts they normally don't move it around to all the tables. Instead you have to just ask a waitress for what you want. You'll quickly find that if you want steamed items it can only come from the lady with the steamed cart and fried items only from the lady with the fried cart. The fried cart was almost empty and most items I asked for had a "10 minute" wait. Even after 10 minutes we never got it. Instead we were lucky to have a table close to the kitchen so whenever a fresh batch of dim sum came out one of the staff would walk around with a tray asking "you want pot stickers?, you want fried turnip?, etc". Be sure to make eye contact with this lady if not she'll past you by. If you're table is on the opposite side of the room you probally won't get a shot at these fresh offerings. The dim sum are tasty without the MSG additive and prices are reasonable. My wife and I spent about $26 for the following items. Spare ribs with black bean sauce - tender and tasty! Chicken with mushroom dumpling - juicy and stuffed with filling Pork with crab dumpling - okay Items we got fresh from the kitchen: Fried fish cake with corn - the corn gave it a nice sweet taste and blended well with the fish. Good! Potstickers - my favorite! filled with yummy goodness. Really good! Garlic chicken wings - one word.... ONO! Garlic stuffed eggplant - another one word description... ONO! Char siu look fun - wife's favorite dish. Perfect with the garlic dishes.. If you haven't eaten here and like dim sum you're missing out!
(4)
Dev C.

The only saving grace of this place is the scallop taro puff with a little mayonnaise on the side. That being said, I gave this place a 1 star because I was drinking tea here and I thought some of the tea leaves in my cup looked funny. When I looked closer I noticed the a couple of "leaves" had legs. CAVEAT EMPTOR.
(1)
Mailani W.

My dim sum experience always lands on extreme ends of the spectrum. I either get the feisty Chinese auntie who uses her tongs like a weapon selling me items off her cart like Billy Mays. If you take too long (in her terms) to decide she will often use her tongs like a jabbing instrument. OR, the other side being the dim sum cart will stop by every table in your vicinity but not yo damn table! I swear they see me waving and give me eye contact and then it's heading my waay..... and then SYKE! she rolls away. Be that as it may, the chicken and char siu hum bao is solid alongside the gyoza. Dig the mochi balls w/pork inside! Tastes like the food was just made and not sitting on the cart for half a day. Hong Kong style noodles are popular and the garlic fried rice is mad garlicky (warning). Although I didn't think it was all that. If you don't see something on the cart, order through the ladies and it will soon be on your table. They also have an extensive regular dining menu as well if dim sum isn't on your agenda.
(4)
n p.

Went here for lunch today and walked out full and happy. It was crowded but we got seated in under five minutes and from there it was just me and all the food that was spread over the table. It was really good and I ate so much that I can't even remember what the names of the dishes were but everything was delicious. Definitely going back.
(5)
Christine S.

Tasty dim sum and noodle dishes. Be in the mood for grease.
(3)
Omar E.

Mei Sum is far and away my favorite dim sum on in Honolulu, and therefore Oahu/Hawaii in general! I've tried a bunch of the other famous places in Honolulu, esp. Fook Lam and Tai Pan Dim Sum, and I'd take Mei Sum over them any day. Especially awesome here is the 'Mochi Puff', probably the greatest dim sum item of all time (a deep fried mochi ball, filled w/ minced pork). Give it a shot sometime, the staff is relatively friendly for a dim sum place, and the owners are very welcoming!
(5)
JC C.

Always good dim sum. For better service and fresh dim sum, go at night.
(4)
Edwina K.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Mandarin) Had a great time walking the streets of Chinatown this afternoon. This was my first time (in Honolulu) and it was buzzing with food vendors, kid activities, etc. We made our way for some Dim Sum and Mei Sum was crowded! The food was fresh and piping hot - so delicious!!! We got the usual and since it was New Year's, we also ordered the Singapore street noodles - made with curry and it had a kick to it! We left Chinatown with full bellies, two goldfish, a narcissus plant, and 5 GIGANTIC sunkist oranges. They each weighed a little more than a pound!!
(4)
Jonathan D.

In the early 2000 year their dimsum was genius. I've been here more then twenty times since the new millenium started. Idk what went wrong. The food seems more greasy. Or maybe it's because they changed locations that they decided to bacome more lazy with the service. Either way I know I'm never going back because of the greasy food and lousy service that forgot my charsu bou (manapua) and didn't refill my tea or water even if I asked. And there was no one else in the place besides me and a friend. So disappointed :(
(1)
Cindy G.

5/18 - $25.80 (for 2) - Out foodspotting and had lunch at Mei Sum's new location at 1170 Nuuanu Ave. This small restuarant seats about 80 max and usually has a waiting line...for good reason!! Luckily, we arrived for lunch just before the crowd. Service was quick and the food was super yummy!! We had the recommended PORK HASH but we also had SHRIMP DUMPLINGS, SEAWEED CRAB ROLLS, and the SPRING ROLLS...yummy yummy!! Plus, took the BUTTER & GARLIC SHRIMP to go with the intention of having for dinner but didn't last an hour. I asked around and they are open from 7:30am-8:30pm and serve dim sum from the rolly carts all day long...we'll definately be back.
(4)
Irene C.

Christ Almighty hallelujanh. I would like to thank God for this blessed place. I am Chinese, I love dim sum. It's like I have an innate Dim Sum-dar (that's my dim sum radar), and this one is totally on it! (Does that make sense?) Anyway, LOOOOOVE that it's close to my crib, LAAAAAAMMMEE that parking is a bastard, but it is well worth it. It tends to get uber crowded, so try and go on an off night. . .say, Wednesday at 6:48pm. If you go, you have GOT to try their deep friend shrimp dumplings (I can't spell anything in Chinese or else I look ignorant). I seriously order two of those for myself whenever I go there. Sharing them makes me really angry inside. It's also SUPER affordable. Unfortunately, there's also a lot of tourists. I'm not too fond of tourists, but I'm sure I looked and acted like one at some point. To the Dole Plantation! Just kidding. Oh, and for some reason, I always feel itchy there. But the food is good. Always good.
(5)
Devon S.

Pretty good dim sum. They had all the typical delicacies you get at any local dim sum eatery. But one main difference. In a word? Garlic...i mean GAAAAAAARLIC! Dont get me wrong, i love the stuff, but geeze! Ok, like, helped a friend of mine move into a new place so she took me here for lunch. I love dim sum so i was SO game. We ate and the food was good. Really it was. It wasnt until later that i realized how seasoned it was. After eating so much, i was too sleepy to just go home from her place so i crashed on her couch while she napped in her bedroom. About a hour into my slumber, i turn over in my sleep and im like "man, whats that smell?". Oh well, no big deal. Another hour goes by and i wake up from my nap altogether. Damn, whats that smell? I know we didnt bring any food home with us. Hmm, oh well, so i get up to go put her computer together and whatnot and i am haunted by the smell of dim-sum, Wth is going on? It was then that i sniffed my arm and realized that it was ME! I smelled like straight up garlic cloves! Insane. Whats worse, when my friend woke up from her nap, i hear her say to herself in her bedroom "whats that smell?" I just started laughing. Didnt have the heart to tell her it was her. 3.5 stars all things considered.
(3)
David M.

Worst service in Honolulu. Not only are they rude but very unattentive. Went in the early afternoon one day. They sat us on one of the center tables and brought us water. That was pretty much it! We were one of four tables, two of which were sat after us. We sat there for 15 minutes watching the other tables get tea and their orders taken. We didn't even get menus yet! Their reply to this inconvenience was that they did not see us?!?! We were sat in the center of the room and were already given water! They get 1 star for the water! 0 stars for service. All the people that will hear of this unacceptable experience......priceless!
(1)
Maile F.

This place is consistently good. I like having the choice to eat dim sum all day and night. The service is hit or miss. Sometimes really good. Other times not. We just keep reminding the waitress's what we are lacking. Sometimes we get the attitude but oh well. We had Helen the other night. She was awesome. But then we found out that there is more than one Helen. Beware! I like the garlic eggplant, seafood roll, taro puff, mochi goh, and the house special fried rice. Beef lookfun not so good. Capital pork chop was just okay.
(4)
A K.

Mei Sum has the best dim sum hands down. But this will be my LAST TIME going there. We got there around 12p. The lunch rush was just ending. We sat down and the three of us were really hungry. The waitress took our order as she walked to and from our table to help someone else... half paying attention (Strike 1) I asked for dim sum and she said I needed to wait for the cart. (The dim sum cart sat unattended for 10 min without moving!) I asked the waitress again for dim sum. She tells me I have to wait for the cart. :/ then she takes our menu. We didn't even order dim sum yet! She talks to another waitress and 5 min later the cart finally comes. I could barely understand what she was saying and couldn't point to anything since I didn't have a menu! She gives me a menu and starts walking away! She talks to the table next to us then comes back and finishes my order. (Strike 2) BUT I had to wait for another 15min for a different server to bring garlic eggplant! (Strike 3) When we were done eating I asked for a box. By this time the lunch crowd had dissipated. She tells me rudely that I need to wait a moment. I watched as she did everything else except grab me a box! We paid the bill and 10 min later I'm still waiting for a box! (STRIKE 4) I was so pissed and extremely disappointed by then. I finally grabbed my own box on there shelf and we left. There are no excuses for BAD customer service... Including good food.
(1)
Jennifer D.

Although it's not your cheapest option in the neighborhood for Dim Sum, the food is tasty and the rude service makes it totally authentic! Reminds me of home sweet Honkers!
(3)
Nick Y.

"You down with MSG? Yeah you know me." I'm not certain if Mei Sum actually uses MSG, but they don't make any claims to the contrary. Also, the boxes of anti-hypertensive tea for sale behind the cash register seem to be their tacit admission of "flavor enhancement." Anyway, circling Chinatown for parking, the long wait on the sidewalk, the gruff service, and the dingy dining room add charm to the overall Mei Sum experience. Even if you disagree, it all becomes worth it when that cart rolls around.
(4)
Kit T.

Brusque service, reknowned dim sum, consistent flavor. Meatarian focus, vegetarians are not well accommodated. Have eaten here dozens of times. Love the mochi pouch in lotus leaf (these are big, servers can snip them in half to make 4 pieces), scallop and spinach dumpling, shrimp dumpling, and char siu bao. The cake noodle is also a winner, with minute chicken, rivals the old Lee Hou Fook on River St, or Mini Garden...my favorite thing from tonight was a sign in the bathroom that said "if you squat, please wipe up stray spots." Now I feel like I am in a developing country! Heh. It's not rocket science, it's good dim sum.
(4)
Eileen S.

Thanks to fellow yelpers, we decided to give this place a try to satiate our dim sum craving while we were in Honolulu last week. This place is was pretty good and we left content. The dim sum cart pushing ladies speak Cantonese, so that was perfect for me. Otherwise I would have had to rely more on the laminated photo description cards under the glass top on the table... CheungFun (as we call it in the east coast) is called LookFun here!
(3)
Stacey L.

While my husband and I were in Waikiki, I needed some dim sum! We got a late start on a Thursday and didn't get over to Chinatown until 2pm, and were doubtful that places would still be serving. But then we found Mei Sum! After quickly being seated and served hot tea, we perused the menu. The pictures of each offering were very helpful, as we have only had dim sum in Chicago and St. Louis and some items were different. We ordered about six different things - potstickers, bbq pork buns, dried scallop dumplings, scallop and spinach dumplings, coconut buns, and shrimp dumplings. So delicious! It took a good 20 minutes to get our food, since after 2pm they cook dim sum to order, but that meant that everything was piping hot. The scallop and spinach dumplings were my favorite, with fresh spinach and good-size scallops in a steamed dumpling. The coconut buns were a great ending (we have had red bean paste buns before, but it being Hawaii, decided to try something different) to the meal. We were pretty stuffed by the end, and the bill came to $16! Can't do better than that in Honolulu! I would definitely suggest Mei Sum to anyone interested in dim sum - cheap prices, good service, and delicious food!
(4)
Kuli O.

Mei Sum has solid basic dim sum. I go there at least once every two weeks and the staff is responsive and kind. I enjoy the spinach and scallop dumplings and the deep fried eggplant. Sometimes they try to pass over not-so-hot dumplings, but every time I ask they get fresh ones. The atmosphere reminds me of CHina town in NY in the 1970s but a lot cleaner. ;)
(4)
Kacy L.

Favorite dimsum spot. Service is hit or miss sometimes but the food is worth it. make sure to order the mei sum fried noodles with your dim sum!
(5)
Hiro S.

We went there for lunch today. I was actually surprised to get good service at a Chinese dim sum place. :p They welcomed us with big smile! We ordered a couple of dim sum dishes ( shrimp dumplings, shu mai, beancurd rolls, soup dumplings, etc.) along with some noodle soup (saimin and won ton noodles). They were all good and so reasonablly priced (aka cheap!). We all liked and, sure we would be back here again!
(4)
John A.

It's surprisingly hard to find Dim Sum on Oahu, as a lot of the asian places don't advertise it... and then some only serve it during certain hours. I actually ended up finding this place when I was on my way to Hana'uma Bay (again) and decided to venture in. The inside is decorated just like any small business in Hawaii, so nothing fancy. The price is relatively inexpensive, however it tasted like some of the food suffered because of this. I don't want to write a severely scathing review as I only went there once (I usually give a place 2-3 strikes) but I will definitely venture back there again when I go back. Oh yeah, the sticky rice was a little dry. Was it left out too long/not enough moisture?
(2)
Christopher C.

Visit: 7/24/09 - Lunch. Dim Sum. The food was good. They had this chicken dumpling that was okay. The mochi rice was good. Deep fried shrimp was not so good. I think they left it out too long. Service was better today. Price was good. $18 for 2 of us. I will come back.
(3)
Robyn T.

Dim Sum is sooooo great and the price is very reasonable! You can get your food really fast. Its great to order but I always get so full from just ordering from the carts. I order siu mai or pork hash, har gau or shrimp dumpling, jing char siu boa (steamed) go char siu boa (baked) or manapua, jung or lo mai gai which is the mochi rice with filling steamed in lotus leaf, and fried taro or woo kwok. Yummy... all great! The garlic eggplant is great too but you have to order it. For dessert... Coconut jin doi or custard pie (dan tat).
(4)
beth c.

I have been here several times. The first two times i ordered dim sum and it was fine. However, recently i decided to venture out a little. I ordered the won ton noodles. Horrible! As I was eating, I found pieces of metal, like the pieces you would find from your chore boy scrubber, (the ones you used to scrub your dishes with) it was in my bowl entangled in the noodles. Disgusting. I called the waitress over to tell her and she looked at me, nonchalantly and said, " You no like?" And appeared irritated like I was being a pain. Ugh, i did not want another bowl. I left.
(1)
Jocelyn L.

"Love the dim sum there...fave in Honolulu"
(3)
hanako y.

clean and good food.
(5)
Charley C.

I had dim sum there with my awesome sister the second day I visited Hawaii. Didn't expected much from the decor as we arrived but the dim sum turned out to be pretty delicious. Of course it wasnt great by Hong Kong standard, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. (We had barbecue pork buns, shrimp fun cheong, ma lai go(malaysian cake), ha-gau, etc) It was very inexpensive too. Would definitely go back if I had the money to visit HI again. :)
(3)
Angry K.

I have to say that there is nothing completely outstanding about this place. The dim sum is okay - there are better and worse places in Chinatown. And the service, well, just like any other Chinese restaurant, it's hit or miss. Depends on the person, I suppose, but don't expect them to be exceptionally friendly or go out of their way. The one great thing about this place? They serve dim sum after 2pm, which you will not find anywhere else! They serve dim sum all the way to 9pm, and it's guaranteed to be fresh. But that also means that you have to wait a bit. Parking for Mei Sum does suck, too. If you find street parking nearby, that's your best bet, or you can park at the municipal parking lot underground a little ways away. Otherwise, you can park at the stupid lot right across the street that charges $5. Ouch.
(3)
Ryan Y.

Had dim sum over here yesterday, fast service, nice dim sum portions and cheap. Most of the dishes we ordered were the meduim size ones at $2.65/plate. Dining partner had the chicken feet which I don't eat, but from other places noticed that the feet are plumper over here, good if you're into chicken feet I guess.
(4)
Niki F.

The two stars are primarily for the service which was TERRIBLE. My boyfriend and I walked in at 1230pm on a Tuesday and the place was packed (which we saw as a good sign). We waited and waited and waited for a server to stop at the door. Seeing that there were no open tables she had us put our name on a list, which was fine. A couple of guys came in a couple of minutes after us. Because there is no waiting area and we were in the door way we told the hostess we'd wait right outside. We had been waiting about 7 mins outside when I noticed a party leaving, so I figured they'd come call us as soon as they wiped down the table. I was wrong, as the walls are made of glass, I watched as the hostess sat the two people who came in after us! What's up with that? I walked in to see what was going on and the employees just ignored us or asked us how many in our party, said ok, ok and walked away. The only reason I stayed was because I was really craving dim sum. About 10 mins later we were finally seated. Service through out the meal was just as poor. I mean come on, if you're going to be rude and grouchy at least be efficient. They only let you order a few selected items and apart from that you have to wait for the cart to crawl over to you. When it finally did come not all of the items on the menu were even available. The dishes we did try were alright. My favorite was the seaweed roll which is stuffed with seafood, lightly battered and deep fried. The mochi rice in lotus leaves were pretty good too. Sadly, I do not think the poor service is worth putting up with for alright food. Will not be returning.
(2)
Nicole M.

I have a love hate relationship with this place. I sometimes love the dimsum and then there are days when it is terrible. Some days the waitresses remember they are in the service industry and are somewhat friendly and helpful. Then there are the other days, and most days are the other days, when the waitresses are rude, lie about what's available, shoo you out of the restaurant and demand a tip. Mu last romance ended when we had a TERRIBLE experience. Sorry Mei Sum. I'm done.
(2)
Deanthony N.

Went here a couple of times for dimsum. Like many places in chinatown, it's a bit hole in the wall, but the food is pretty good and makes me happy. In my experience, dinner time was much more pleasant than lunch. Dinner time, all of the dishes (even dim sum) are made to order and are pretty cheap cosidering what you get. Lunch time was hella busy and a lot of the dishes run out or you gotta wait. Also it's crowded with the people, and the carts moving within the limited space. Me I get the usual stuff (shumai, char siu bao both baked and steamed, other things that I don't know the names of haha). One thing I really like is the egg cream bao, THAT is really good in my opinion. Most dim sum places only have those custard tarts, but the bao at mei sum is gooooood. Service can be kinda hmmmm, but I have had nicer experiences at mei sum compared to legends and fook yuen.
(3)
Leslie T.

MId-afternoon on a weekday, Mei Sum, was quiet, two or three tables filled. The advantage? made to order dim sum was hot, fresh and delicious. Garlic eggplant, various things in fried taro, everything was good, reasonable, and made us want more. This place is a long time fav of my family and friends and did not disappoint.
(4)
Hazel T.

Service takes forever for the food to come out. The workers are not that friendly, well some are. I think they need more workers. The place is clean tho. They have parking in back of the restaurant and meter parking in the front. Baked manapua are the bomb! The price is legit , but food takes foreverrrr. Next time I'll just make a phone order
(3)
Emily G.

I would give five stars, but this was the first time I've eaten dim sum at a restaurant, so I have no comparison. My husband and I showed up at about 5:30 on a Saturday and stuffed ourselves for ~$25. We were served immediately, and each dish was freshly prepared and tasty! I ordered the garlic fried eggplant, and it was crispy and not too heavy. Nothing stood out as greasy or soggy, and we both left with a smile. We plan on returning before our vacation is over.
(4)
David G.

The dim sum here is pretty much middle of the road when compared to other dim sum eateries in the chinatown/downtown area (I have sampled close a dozen in the last several years). Bonus for a relatively roomy and clean dining area and above average service (though the few times I have dropped in were off peak hours). One peeve: The noodle wrapping was occasionally too sticky, making it difficult to separate the individual dim sum from each other. The biggest disappointment was the deep fried softshell crab--I expected it to be oily but it was on the super duper greasy side. Otherwise, again, pretty typical fare and quality for the area.
(3)
Brandon S.

Taste was ok but everything was soggy. I was very disappointed .
(2)
Jennifer H.

I can't believe I didnt write a review of this place yet! This place makes decent and very yummy dim-sum. They just relocated to Nuuanu and Beritania so some of the old pictures are out-dated. Definately try the chicken feet and the Sticky-rice wrapped in lotus leaves!!! Best damn chicken feet ever here! Love the steamed cake too ( Ha-Kau). I come here every month. This is DA SPOT!!! So nice and clean and very good service and so homey! Maybe cause i speak chinese that they service me better...=p
(4)
Jesse C.

I'm a weekend dim sum warrior! Don't get it twisted this isnt the best place to dim sum or the worse for that fact. But I loathe the larger restuarant because if you arent a vocal person, you will never get serviced. This smaller-sized establishment offers the same quality of dim sum you crave and deserve but without the need to use your hunger growls to call out a server. Come hungry and get your fill of a hawaii staple breakfast!
(3)
Ingrid S.

This is the second year of visiting this place and I don't think anyone can wrench me away from it. The food is wonderful, mostly locals come here and newbies need not worry because the menus have pictures. The food is fresh and unbelievably affordable. They do not serve alcohol but you can bring your own. The wait-staff are friendly and eager for you to take part in their restaurant. This place is open from 7am until 8:45pm (really!). Parking can be a problem if you can't find any on the street but there is a lot right across the street ($5 last I checked).
(4)
Mica M.

Just ate here after not having done for probably 5-6 years and since they've moved to their new location...mostly good reviews. We ordered: Minute chicken cake noodle (family style platter) Choy sum w/ oyster sauce (dim sum portion for approx. 4) Pork hash (3 pcs) Har gow (steamed shrimp ball) (3 pcs) Turnip cake J Mochi rice (3 pcs) Taro gok (deep fried taro puff) (3 pcs) Eggplant garlic (4-5 pcs) First, let me start by saying all the food was tasty and done really well. The cake noodle was fried perfectly and not overdone and accompanied by the perfect amount of sauce, chicken and choy sum. It was a healthy portion for several people to enjoy. The har gow -shrimp balls- were freshly steamed and generously filled. I like the strips of thin bamboo shoot they put inside w/ the shrimp. The pork hash was tasty but very small in size. Each hash could've probably sat exactly within the area of a quarter...much smaller portion than I recall but again, a great flavor. The turnip cake was freshly griddle seared and was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside but the cakes were cut barely a half inch thick and used to be more substantial in size. The choy sum with oyster sauce was standard and good. The taro gok (fried taro puff) was fresh, light, tasty and not greasy with a yummy pork, mushroom and mashed taro filling. The mochi rice was flavorful and sticky with a filling of pork, mushrooms, shrimp and maybe some chesnut - all very good. I'd read a quick yelp review prior to heading there today and I'd seen someone mention the eggplant garlic so I had to try it and am glad I did. The eggplant is cut thick, stuffed with a super fresh homemade fishcake, lightly battered and fried and served with a sprinkle of fried minced garlic. The eggplant was cooked perfectly and was tender all the way through and the fishcake was light tasting and perfectly complimentary to the garlicky bits...a repeat dish for sure. All in all a great experience and Mei Sum still has some of the tastiest dim sum in my humble opinion. Would like to go back and try the whole fried softshell crabs they were peddling...they looked amazing! Check them out if you're in the Nuuanu/Downtown area if you have a craving for dim sum! Their new location is right next to the post office at the top of Nuuanu and Beretania. Parking available under their building, street or in the municipal lot across the street by Marks Garage.
(4)
Amit B.

Wonderful service and absolutely delicious food. I went with a local guy who was my "guide" who spoke to the waitstaff in Mandrin Chinese. I think I'd be a little out of my element if I tried it solo, but if you are adventurous, I say, go for it. The food is certainly worth it.
(5)
Shelley K.

I love dim some & my fav place is Legends in the Chinese Cultural Plaza...but when I was cheap & good dim sum I go to Mei Sum :) this place has good dim sum that's served all day for less than the high end places. If you are craving dim sum & are on a tight budget then this place is for you.
(3)
Augusto D.

Reasonably priced for good dim sum! It's just a little weird for me that they serve the dim sums using hand carried trays instead of the push carts.
(5)
Albert F.

Mei Sum is a fairly decent dim sum joint. Usually crowded, its a safe bet for dim sum. The restaurant is on the smaller side, but its kept clean and alot of people like it.
(3)
Arthur R.

If you enjoy rudeness and mediocrity you will have a good time here. Waited 1 3/4 hour for food listed as specials and was finally told, "It is not cooked yet." We were seated in the patio area and two tables next to us were served and turned over twice. A large band of yellow-shirted Asians arrived after we'd been there for an hour arrived and were served immediately. Don't know if they were fascists (e.g. like Italian black shirts and German brown shirts, but they were treated as if royalty). We explained food was needed quickly when we arrived (just taken insulin) but made no difference. Getting close to the two-hour mark we headed to Indigo's for good service and better food. Gosh, these people are rude. We were at the old location same time last year and then it was delightful. Don't know why, we were dressed up nicely and everything. No star.
(1)
wesley t.

Nothing special, but the service is terrible. The Mei Sum special cake noodle was horrible. The noodles were served gummy and the sauce was very bland. The waitresses tried to convince us that the dish was good. I rate the service as a big zero.
(1)
Anita L.

We really liked this little place because they were so nice to us. The dim sum selection is average, but it tasted good. The staff were just so kind and accommodating perhaps because they usually get a regular crowd and had never seen us before. They had the traditional Hong Kong style noodles, rice plates etc here as well as dim sum. Everything was very reasonable.
(3)
Dale C.

I could have given this place more stars, but the service is horrid! Even fast food restaurants have better service than this place, but the food is good to above average. As long as one overlooks the poor service, the food is very satisfying. Customers are treated like another pig in the farm. Keep in mind that tips are deserved instead of expected, so when the service was just bad, we left a small tip. They looked at us like they deserved more. But why? Food quality makes up for the poor service.
(2)
gregory g. b.

I am a dim sum lover, and have dined at some fine establishments in the L.A. area (Triple 8 Seafood, Empress Pavilion). So I consulted the waitress at "Zippy's" while visiting Honolulu and she steered me to "Mei Sum." We went early Monday morning. Parking is poor in the downtown area but we found a pretty cheap lot close by. "Mei Sum" is a typical "china town" joint. Simple tables and chairs in a fairly small room looking out on Nu'uannu Street. The dim sum was among the best I've enjoyed. We loved the har gow, shiu mie, and fun gor. The baked buns were also delicious. The real treat was the eggplant fried in garlic, a new taste sensation for us that we thouroughly enjoyed. The beef noodle and red bean cake was also tasty. The waitresses were very attentive and pleasant. This place is too small for the tiny carts that typify "Triple 8" or "Empress Pavilion" but the steam table service was very good. We felt lucky to find "Mei Sum" and will be back one day for sure!
(4)
Andrew S.

Great dim sum! Came when it was empty and the service was great, friendly and the food was delicious! My new favorite dim sum in Honolulu! I recommend highly and can't wait to go back!
(5)
Trvlr W.

Mmmmm dim sum! Haven't had dim sum in a while - this was really great food. Of course, I went with a group of people and we totally pigged out to our hearts content. All of the dim sum was fantastic as with the jelly fish and desserts. If I can remember how to get here, I'd definately return! It's a bit crowded and a a wait line but it's worth the wait.
(4)
Rhea T.

3.5 stars. My FIL is an avid dim sum fanatic so whenever we're in Hawaii, he loves to take us out for dim sum. While I am no dim sum connoisseur by any means, I would like to think that I know "good" dim sum from the "bad". And trust me, I've had some pretty bad dim sum in my lifetime. I didn't know what to expect here, but I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, their service sort of lacks (and this is pretty common at most dim sum places that I've eaten at), but their dim sum makes up for that. They do, however; lose points for lack of parking space and service.
(3)
bimi a.

I used to love their dim sum, and always did take out. The order takers are very impatient and pushy. I only wanted 2 pieces of manapua, and they gave me 4. They took it as 2 orders. I was disappointed in their dim sum using ground pork. There were some chewy undistinguishable pork parts in there. I'll probably go back, but try to stay away from ground pork.
(3)
Christina W.

The food/quality is very good. The service is average and sometimes border poor. I wish it were a little cleaner but hey, it's Chinatown - sort of expected eh? The taro puffs are my fav! And their har gao is delic.
(3)
Satoru Y.

After having crappy dim sum since I've been back, it's good to finally get some that's decent. The service is really attentive and personable; better than most dim sum places. When we came in, it was pretty packed, but they made sure to seat us as soon as possible. They were pretty quick with the tea refills. The dim sum carts passed by pretty frequently. Luckily, the noise level inside the place wasn't as bad as some other dim sum places; such like the sometimes deafening environment at Legends from the very "vocal" staff and patrons. The food was good, but the selection was not too expansive. They did have some great items on the menu, but it seemed to be missing some items. I was looking forward to having some Intestine. They did, however, have some good Jellyfish that wasn't on the menu. I was able to order some of my other favorites such as Rice in Lotus Leaf, Look Fun, and Half Moon. Everything was of consistent quality, something that is definitely not present in most dim sum places. A good neighborhood place to get some good dim sum with a great staff.
(3)
Becky T.

Props to this place for being one of the few places downtown to be open on Sunday. I also love that you can get dim sum even in the evenings, albeit without the push cart experience instant gratification experience I love about dim sum. However, even ordering off the menu, the food came out pretty fast and piping hot, so I can't really complain. The actual food itself is pretty average dim sum offerings, but prices were reasonable and service was courteous and the waitress always kept our water glasses and teapot full.
(4)
Lauren W.

If you're about to go to a potluck party and want to bring a dish with some WOW factor try this. Place a "To go" Order for Peking Duck and a double order of rice buns from Mei Sum. Let them know that you will be steaming the buns at home. Pick up a large bamboo steamer from one of the markets on Mauna Kea Street. Put the duck on a platter at home and prep the steamer with the rice buns inside. A few minutes of steaming and voila! Instant WOW factor.
(4)
Kimberly L.

I've only come here once, and it was for dinner, and it was with the son of the family who owns it. It was interesting to eat dim sum at night for the first time ever in my life, but the food was pretty good and the setting was cleaner than most dim sum places I'm used to. I can't say I've been back, but I also can't say it would be an unpleasant experience if I did go back. I just like Legends better.
(4)
Jas A.

My favorite dim sum to eat. Flavor is always right on, but not too oily. I enjoy introducing people to eating dim sum here first. Parking is not too bad...only if you know when to come. Never have to wait in line. No one can match the price and amount of time the have dim sum service(until 8:45 PM!).
(5)
Atherfagalagi N.

Mei sum runs their dim sum service later than other places, but they don't have 20 carts zooming all over the place. Usually just one or two carts and ordering from the kitchen. The house special garlic fried rice is ono but if you don't like ham ni then you might want to skip it. They also have a slightly different and broader selection than some other places. Park on the street if you can and you usually can. After lunch head over to Otto Cake right up the street
(4)
Jeff B.

Very good. Fulfilled all my expectations. Never disappointed. I still haven't been super-wowed by anything in particular, so not five stars. But everhthing was very good. Very clean inside. And remember that alot of restaurants in Honolulu could disappoint you, so perhaps factor that in to your decision.
(4)
Leslie G.

Dim sum is good, it's usually quite crowded and noisy. Service could be improved.
(3)
Uli K.

I go here once in a while. It's not my favorite, but it's not bad either. The chicken feet and the ong choi were actually very good, but other dishes were a bit on the oily side. Service was slightly better than usual.
(3)
Tommy B.

Food is delicious, but the service is abrupt and pretty bad.
(2)
R R.

I've eaten here once and had a GREAT time. The service wasn't bad for how crowded the place was on a weekend morning. I went with about 5 or 6 other friends and we all shared family style. Everything we had was excellent and I would definitely love to eat here again.
(5)
Y C.

Food is good but service sucks. I don't hope they go out of business or anything, but I sincerely hope the servers and the lady at the cash register (owner? manager?) improves her attitude. There are too many good dim sum places for them to be that way.
(1)
nic f.

because everyone in honolulu knows or is related to e/o, we first went here with the tutor of one of the waitresses "kids" (that kid is probably 40 now). now, a few years later, we're like family even though we only make it home to the land of hula a few times a year. the dim sum here is reliably fresh, delicious and reasonable. they always let hulamom order choy sum off the menu. delicious!
(4)
Kristen C.

Came here for some dim sum with my family because my dad wanted dim sum and I read some pretty good reviews thanks to yelp so I thought we'd give it a try. We came around 1:30p on a sunday so there was no line but it was pretty packed inside with most tables filled up. We were automatically served and tried to be persuaded by the push cart people with what to ordered. Since I wasnt that hungry I only tried a few things, such as the steamed chicken bao, pork hash, , and the baked bbq pork bao. I also sampled the charsiu look fun and mochi rice wrapped in banana leaves from my dad. We also got the sweet sesame ball and garlic fried chicken wing, which looked good but I didnt try. Overall the total was $29 something for the 4 of us so not bad. The food just tasted ordinary so nothing special but i'll def have to try that egg cream bun and maybe if I try the other main dishes my rating will be higher. Until next time...
(3)
Sara H.

my fave dim sum place in hawaii. gets crowded esp on weekends so go early-ish. i got there at 11ish on a sunday and got a table for 4 no problem but it filled up and there were people waiting outside when we left. my faves are the hagao and the deep fried seaweed rolls. yum yum :)
(5)
Jaymes H.

solid, very cheap, greasy (I was disappointed by a couple of the plates, eg pork buns and redbean sesame balls) ... meh, did i mention how cheap it was, tho.
(2)
Grimeater A.

Decent Dim Sum but due to it's location I'd rather go to the far superior Legend Seafood. The dim sum is cheaper but the pastries don't seem to be as fresh as Legend Seafood.
(3)
Tracey U.

I took a friend's opinion that this place was going to be super but it turned out to be just OK. I did check out some reviews here before going and it seemed to look delicious especially the soft shell crab. So I took my nieces and daughter to lunch on a Tuesday around noonish. We got a table immediately but was bombarded with servers trying to push everything in front of us. I felt rushed into making a decision on food based on the name and a brief description which I did not like. Once I put the servers in place with my not so nice facial expression they stopped pushing food on me. However, then my service turned into no service. They completely stayed away from my table which was upsetting because I had to flag someone down every time I wanted to order something else. The one saving grace is that they did refill our water glasses numerous times without asking. I'm not sure if I would go back.
(3)
Daisy S.

Ah.. good and cheap dim sum! It's my only favorite dim sum place in Honolulu! Lived in Mililani, but whenever I wanted dim sum, didn't hesitate to drive down to Chinatown just to enjoy the cheap and good dim sum although the waiters are rude.. it's Chinatown! what do you expect!
(4)
Demur E.

Mmmmmei Summmmm! Is it obvious how much I enjoy this place? It is a great place to satisfy your dim sum fix. There is a municipal parking lot about half a block away (on Pauahi St.), so even parking is not much of an obstacle. Food: Yummy! Perhaps it is because they offer a surfeit of fried dishes, but I just really like the food here. It is nothing fancy or amazing, but tasty, consistent and affordable. There are dishes you can order off the menu...choi sum, noodles, fried rice, etc. which are very good. But I like coming here for the dim sum. One of the great things about Mei Sum is that if you have that dim sum monkey on your back, but the dim sum service is over (with the array of carted delicacies put to bed), there is no need to despair. They will make your dim sum to order! They have a laminated sheet of their dim sum and you can just point and grunt (well, perhaps that's just me) and they will have the kitchen make what you like. It comes to your table hot and freshly made. One of my favorites is the scallop taro basket (lacy and crispy on the outside with a soft, plump scallop nestled inside). The seaweed wrapped shrimp is lightly battered and deep fried. It is rectangular goodness. There is also a shrimp won ton that has huge chunks of shrimp inside of the crispy pouch. They serve this with some mayo sauce on the side, if you really want to be decadent. Their bao (steamed buns) are also very good and they have that sticky rice steamed with bits of meat wrapped in banana leaf. When I go with my Idiot friends, we have to get several orders of the same dishes, or else we'll fight. Mei Sum also offers almond float, layered rice cake and those amazing mini custard tarts. The fillings are (an almost unnaturally) bright yellow, I am not sure why, but I guess mine is not to wonder why...especially when it tastes so good! Ambiance: A big, well-lit and open room, it sports the customary round tables for groups of 10 as well as a few square tables for smaller parties. Service: Very good. Along with Happy Day (on Waialae Ave.) they are the nicest Chinese restaurant staff I've come across. One note: it can be extremely busy during the lunch hour and it may be more difficult to get the attention of the wait staff (and they are obviously more harried). Overall: One of my favorite dim sum places. If you want to avoid the lunch crowd, Mei Sum also allows you to order dim sum at the counter for take-out. You don't get the cart-action experience, but you still get the awesome food. But my suggestion is to go during a non-peak times and get your dim sum made to order!
(4)
Jenn G.

Food is good....if you could get service! The service there is ridiculous. I've never been to a restaurant with such rude customer service. My bf and I sat there for 15 mins staring at the lady with the cart and when I walked up to her to ask her if she would come by she got really upset and served everyone around us but us! The table next to us told her that we were first to order and all she did was dismiss us and continued to serve everyone else. I walked out and banned that place for 6 months. I came back again hoping it'll be different because the dimsum is actually good. Same service. We special ordered stuff and it never came out so we asked them to cancel it because we were full and ready for the check. She refused to take it off our check! She said it was on it's way so Instead she boxed it up and said to take it home and reheat it! I don't care how good the dimsum is I'll never go back!!!
(1)
Jesse W.

7/5/08: solid dim sum meal. no question one of the better places in town. long wait, we just beat the lunch rush. parked in the adjacent city/county parking garage (don't bother looking for street spaces, you'll waste alot of time looking around).
(4)
Nida O.

finally a place i can get decent dim sum! the service we got was actually pretty good. i would go back. they forgot one of my dim sum dishes, but that's okay i had two teapots of tea.
(4)

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Address : 1170 Nuuanu Ave,Ste 102
Honolulu, HI, 96817
Phone (808) 531-3268
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :8:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Garage, Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No

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Mei Sum

1170 Nuuanu Ave,Ste 102, Honolulu, HI, 96817

Mei Sum Menu

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