Coming from CA it's difficult to compare but as a 2nd generation Chinese American that can't speak Chinese, this place will do just fine for me and my hopa kids. They do dim sum everyday but only push the carts around on weekends.
(3)
Stephanie M.
From the mixed reviews and overall lack of quality Chinese food in Columbus, I had pretty low expectations for Sunflower's Dim Sum. I was pleasantly surprised! Upon walking in, seeing the bright red wall with golden phoenix and dragon, I knew this was the real deal. Ambiance: Loud, bustling, fun. It's not dim sum unless everyone is yelling at each other across the table (which is also encouraged by the harshness of the Chinese language). The food is pushed around in different carts, the servers are pushy and abrupt, and the overall hustle & bustle is just like home (and Hong Kong). Food: While they don't have huge varieties, the food is definitely solid. HK Pan Fried Noodles $8.99 - delicious, nice crunch on the noodles drowned in noodle sauce-y goodness Dumplings - decent variety - nice and tasty Baked BBQ Pork Bun - weak - the bread was dry and lacked the sweetness of Chinese breads Service: For Dim Sum standards (ie. expect to have your empty dishes cleared and tea filled, other than that, the servers zip by quickly), pretty normal. Nothing to write home about. Overall, the dim sum is decent. I would agree that it's not "Hong Kong, San Francisco, or Toronto" quality, but hey, few places are. Sunflower definitely passes for weekend dim sum cravings, and their specialty dishes are just delicious.
(3)
Chris D.
The food was bland and uninspired. The canned Chinese, La Choy, my parents made when I was a kid is better. Microwaved left over Chinese eaten at work on a terrible Monday is better.
(5)
Amelia S.
My family and I always come here for dim sum on the weekends and the food is good. The food is good but good luck flagging someone to come by with those carts! You must be diligent and loud to get someone's attention! Also, do not expect customer service here. Their sodas at times are from 2 liter bottles from a previous day so they are not always fresh. Regardless if you bring it up to someone 1. they don't understand you or 2. they don't care.
(3)
Moses S.
I came here about 2 weekends ago with some friends and I was pretty disappointed in the lack of variety that they had. There was the staples like shrimp shumai, chicken feet, pork breads, spare ribs, and other items, but they didn't have steamed pork/veggie/red bean buns! I was pretty sad that they didn't have that. Also, there was a lack of protien options. everything was shrimp this, shrimp that. not a lot of pork, chicken, or veggie options. The dessert tray was also underwhelming at least for me. I might come back to give it another shot, but not on my own volition.
(2)
J B.
By far the best Chinese Food in the C-bus area. I have been dying for good Beef Chow Fun since moving here from California 7 yrs ago....finally found some.
(4)
Alexander B.
Stay away from Table 16 on dim sum day. So, I'm a transplant from NYC and have been sorely missing authentic dim sum. So when some colleagues told me about this place, I was super excited, especially with the New Year happening this weekend. The food was decent, I'll admit. The problem was the service - some of the worst I've ever experienced in my life, and this is coming from someone who's willing to put up with a lot for good food. It could've been the fact that our table (table 16) was pushed up against a wall and in between other tables,but there might as well have been a forcefield around us as the carts hardly ever came near us. It took 10 mins before we were able to get one -one! - freaking plate for a table of 6. I had to literally yell at them to bring food over to use and after the one burst of activity we were promptly ignored again as other tables closer to the entrance stripped the carts of options. The worst, though, was when I went to the counter to pay, and I let the cashier know that I've never, ever failed to tip in my life (I've worked in restaurants so I know how it is), the fact that we felt so ignored and were leaving the restaurant hungry compelled me not to tip. She looked me right in the eye and shrugged. She had my money and couldn't care less. It was galling. So, safe to say I'll never go back to get such shoddy, indifferent treatment again.
(1)
Kayre H.
Been here at least twice now... for dinner one evening with my BFF and for Dim Sum one Saturday with another friend. I don't claim to be an expert in authenticity of Chinese food - especially Dim Sum - but I do eat a heck of a lot of it and I think this place is pretty good =). The friend I went to Dim Sum with is Malaysian but of Chinese descent and she thought it was pretty good. (I had to explain Dim Sum to another friend afterwards who had never heard of it. I described it as Chinese tapas. But it sort of reminds me a Brazillian Steakhouse too in that they just keep bringing you food!) I've only been to Dim Sum a few times ever (and always with a guide =)). Some reviewers have said if you're used to Dim Sum in China or California or wherever, you won't be impressed. OK. But I'll go ahead and say if you're a casual Dim Sum-er like me, or a first timer, you'll probably like it. At the end we were both nice and full and spent about $10 each. I'd definitely go back.
(4)
Brittney W.
I go to Sunflower once every few months. They have pretty decent food! They always use fresh vegetables in all of their food which I appreciate. The egg rolls are tasty and come with a fresh citrusy "sweet and sour" dipping sauce. It's not my all around favorite Chinese restaurant but it's the only one around this area that I have found and enjoyed! I am still looking if anyone else has suggestions!
(4)
Jo L.
Worst service ever. The waiters are really rude. And appears to only approach you if you knew Chinese. I went during the Chinese New Year 2014 celebration on a Sunday and yes it is busy, which is to be expected. However, don't expect a friendly service unless it's the owner. We asked one of the waiters if there was any pork buns and she rolled her eyes and shook her head and said no abruptly and rudely. An elder couple sitting next to us didn't get any dim sum service until he approached the manager. That's when the rush of dim sum carts approached the elder Caucasian couple. However, the food is great. Very authentic.
(2)
Sharmeela S.
One of the only places in central ohio for dim sum. the weekend dim sum offers a good variety for the Midwest and has the staples like a variety of dumplings, pork buns, and noodles with xo sauce. First timers may struggle with knowing what to order but after a visit or two you can usual point on the items that you like on the carts. get there by 1130 to avoid waiting in line. it's located in unassuming plaza off of Sawmill Road w ample parking. the decor is simple but the food is unique, especially dim sum.
(4)
Mengran Z.
Thumb down, way down. Waited too long for dimsum on Sunday, and no cart came to my table at all. Have to ask the waiter to bring over the food. The quality of dimsum could only be rated as very low-low. But this is the only place you could get dimsum in Columbus. So if you really want to dimsum, you have to deal with all the dissatisfactions, otherwise you could choose to go newyork or Seattle for more authentic ones.
(1)
Marie G.
We stopped in one day for brunch and what a great decision it was! The restaurant was packed which is always a great sign. The menu offers traditional items - we were extremely satisfied with the service and our entrees. We will be back to explore the rest of the menu!
(5)
Sara C.
Well, it's Chinese New Year season again, so the boy and I grabbed a restaurant.com gift certificate and made the trek out to Sawmill for some good Cantonese dinner fare. Having grown up on family-style Chinese dinners, it always throws me for a loop when people don't understand how to order in that way. This time, we ended up with garlic pea sprouts, beef chow fun, and the roast duck platter. The pea sprouts, though a bit more mature than the ones I am used to, were still tender and wonderfully garlicky. The chow fun was good, with just a hint of the burnt wok taste that makes beef chow fun so good (although having gone with out it for many months may have increased the satisfaction I received from this particular dish). The roast duck was a little on the dry side, but had good flavor, and the leftovers are currently simmering in my crock pot for duck broth. We fell a few cents short of the required $40 check to use the gift certificate, but they were very nice and found a way to compensate so that we could use it after all.
(4)
Gwen S.
I'm giving this place 5 stars for their salt and pepper tofu alone. I have to make a pilgrimage there for this dish regularly. Never had anything like it anywhere else. It's spicy and delish.
(5)
Grant C.
Food is pretty cheap but not very good. You may end up throwing it in the garbage. Lunch special is enticing but still not worth.
(2)
Mike H.
Quick summary: If you want Dim Sum in Columbus, come here. If you want Chinese Chinese food, give this place a try at least once. I've been here at least a dozen times, and I've read a few of the other reviews. First, this is not an Americanized Chinese restaurant. Yes, you can get Americanized items (General Tso's etc.), but they do the best they can to serve actual Chinese dishes. Second, if you've never been to an Asian restaurant in a place with a large Asian population (eg. California, NYC, or any city with a Chinatown) some things won't make sense to your American senses. Fish will come out with the head on, Chicken may have bones in it, and dishes marked spicy are actually spicy. Third, they serve Dim Sum on the weekend. No, it's not as good as California, NYC, or any other place where you have 10 Chinese restaurants looking to put their competition out of business at any given time. However, they have all the staples of Dim Sum I look for: Flower tea, Chicken feet, Pork spare Ribs, Taro Dumpling, Tofu Fa. They are all good enough to keep me coming back for more. Also, everyone here knows what the dish is called in English. That means you don't have to learn the Cantonese, Mandarin, or Vietnamese name when you order it, something I had a minor issue with in the Bay Area. Overall: Sunflower has been in business for a long time. If you want Chinese Chinese food in Columbus, you need to try this place at least once. Go when its busy and try it.
(4)
Mandi D.
If I could eat Asian food for every meal, every day, without weighing 500 lbs, I probably would. Unfortunately I have to limit myself to once a week or less, which means there's limited time to try every Asian restaurant in the Columbus area. My friends and I enjoy Sunflower for dim sum (or Dim Sumday, as I like to call it) in large groups. I've never been to Sunflower for any other reason. And as far as I know, Sunflower is the only dim sum restaurant in Columbus. Like many of the other reviewers, I'll agree that if you were in a city that had, say, at least one more dim sum restaurant, this might not be the best. However, it is what it is. Pros: - Accommodating for large groups (like, 10+) without an extensive wait. Dim sum is also in general good for large groups, since you don't have to wait to eat, you just grab stuff off the carts. They also let you break up the very large bill between everyone. - Restauraunt.com gift certificates--I'm not sure what the stipulations are that others write about, but we have used $100 or $150 certificates with very large groups and pay $10-$15 per person, which is not bad for how much we eat - Hong Kong Pan Fried Noodles. Mmmmm. Cons: - Its probably just mediocre dim sum. But whatever. - You need a sense of adventure. My general rule of dim sum: If you don't know what it is, don't ask. Just try it. Finally, if someone would open a Chinese Hot Pot restaurant in Columbus, I would be willing to split my Dim Sumday business between there and Sunflower. You let me know.
(3)
Rose T.
I went to Sunflower for Dim Sum on a weekend afternoon. They were definitely super busy, but only waited about 15-20 minutes. This being one of the only restaurants if not the only restaurant that serves Dim Sum in Columbus, I had to try it and was looking forward to the experience. However, most of it was not good at all. The sui mai looked like they were bought frozen and tasted like it. The shrimp cheung fun was okay at best, thin noodle with okay soy sauce. The ribs were probably the best thing there. They were out of egg custards. Steamed BBQ pork buns were MEH. Should have tried the baked ones, they looked a lot better but didn't see them until the end of our meal at a neighboring table. Everything else was either bland, too greasy, and just not good. Dim sum is 10X better in Cleveland, Ohio. But I guess I am comparing this Dim Sum to the ones in Hong Kong, California, and Toronto. This place was a total disappointment.
(1)
Katie C.
Horrible! We ordered the generals and the sesame chicken. The generals tasted like fish and the their were bones in a couple pieces of the chicken. For the price that they charge I expected better. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Very disappointed.
(1)
Gavin D.
As Columbus' only dim sum place with carts, yes, "Yay! I'm a fan." If you haven't been to a Chinese dim sum place that has carts, here's the basic gist: people bring carts of small plates of food around you point and say which ones you want and they give them to you. You can get full in 10 minutes if you treat the plethora of options like a sprint, rather than a marathon (as you should, in my opinion, treat all buffet-style dining choices). Honestly, there aren't too many dishes that I've been super excited about, and we've had so many that I don't know what to recommend exactly, but this is one of those things that you should do for the experience. Having just said I wouldn't recommend anything, I would encourage people to try any and all of the things that come in the steam cooker thingamajigs - the shumais and such.
(4)
Adrienne C.
it's cheap and the food is okay, but I feel like it's not very clean, and it's definitely not healthy. the unhealthy part doesn't bother me as much as the unclean part. it's not that i found anything noticeably dirty during any one of my multiple visits...moreso just the overall vibe of the place that my razor sharp intuition picked up on! try not to get seated in the separate room to the back left of the main area - you'll definitely not see the dimsum carts as often or in as much variety as when you're in the main room. i'm not sure where else to get dimsum in columbus - this seems like by far the most popular spot...so if you're really in the mood for dimsum, this is an acceptable place. i like their sticky rice wrapped in grape leaves.
(2)
Sophia L.
It's definitely the best dim sum in Columbus :) Only time I come to Sunflower Chinese Restaurant is for dim sum, actually~ I always start of with a nice pot of chrysanthemum tea which is accompanied with rock sugar... usually, I just dump the whole thing in the pot, but I learned to just drop a piece or two in my own cup ^^;; The dishes are in a-la-cart style and you just pick off the carts as it is rolled by ya; then the person that's rolling the cart will stamp your dim sum card. There are some items that are not on the cart, you can just ask for it they can fix it up for you in the back. They normally have duck, but one day we went they didn't and all we had to do was ask ^__^ I think dim sum is a lot more fun going in a good sized group because you get to try out so much more things!! Happy eating yelpers~
(4)
Nijole T.
I had a really hard time deciding between 3 and four stars, but since I am just not a fan of chinese food I can only give it 3. Also the fact that we had 5! different waiters ask us if we were ready to order within the first 5 minutes of sitting down made us feel extreamly rushed. Since I am all about appetizers I got the egg roll, spring roll, won tons, pot stickers and lettuce wrap chicken. All were pretty good, but not earth shattering, the lettuce wrap chicken my favorite. I like they bring fresh lettuce and the filling to the table and you make it yourself and the sauces served are good as well. My husband had the crispy shrimp which he really enjoyed and the Hung Sue Gai Chicken which he did not like very much. It was your usual corn starch sauce, very little chicken and too many veggies for his taste, so I was stuck eating those. The fried rice is ok, also not worth going back for. In all one of the better chinese restaurants in Columbus, the servers are a little too attentive and don't leave you alone, I would not reccomend going here for a quiet date. Also it is one of the more expensive chinese restaurants, we spent $60 which I felt was way too much considering we only got one entree.
(3)
Michelle S.
I was reluctant coming here with my boyfriend and his family to celebrate his birthday because I figured it was just another Chinese restaurant. Chinese food is pretty good but it's not my favorite, I prefer Thai. Anyways, coming here was a pretty good idea because everything was delicious! No matter what you order I don't think you'd be disappointed. It's definitely not P.F. Chang's which is highly overrated, over priced, and not as good. This place is yummy. There's no desserts although they do give some ice cream for birthday. The customer service sucks though, seems a bit rude but the food is good so I don't care lol.
(3)
Jennifer H.
I really like this place for Chinese.......although, I have not been daring enough to try the Dim Sum since I have no idea what I am doing, and I have no idea how to read Chinese guess one day I will have just try it..... I do, however, really like the stuffed eggplant dish, and this is the only place I have actually found it. Plus, they are really nice to my daughter (which always give a place a big thumbs up in my book). She is only 2 1/2 and can be loud and a pain sometimes, but has decent manners.....and if she gets dirty looks from the wait staff, I don't like it ;) I'm a mom, and that's my deal..... In any case, my hubby and I will continue to go to this place as we get the chance because it is good and pretty authentic.
(4)
Delores J.
Feeling like a lama if you want to just jump then just go with dim sum cause I got some. First thing I notice was this was not a melting pot. The majority of guests were Chinese. Having said that, I now know I do not like authentic and genuine real unpretentious great Chinese food. If I did they would have got all the stars. So it was not them, it was my Americanized taste buds. I feel sorry for myself to be so indoctrinated but knowledge is power... and I understand myself, and mostly in the future will stick to Asian Fusion (take out). They understood me too, the waiters, and would say things like you will not like this dish this is an authentic Chinese dish. That was after I sent back the Curry Shrimp Balls, I almost gagged on that dish and balled it up and put it in the napkin hoping they wouldn't see me. They nicely notice and said you don't like that one do you and they politely took it off the tab. I didn't even have to ask. I think my dining experience would have been better if i had observed the dining carts before we were getting up to leave. The dining carts have two languages on them Chinese and English and name all the dishes. The waiters will explain to you that this dish has turtle, shark, or blood. That is nice of them.
(3)
Lydia W.
Probably the only place you can get dim sum anywhere near Columbus. It's not bad, but definitely not up to par with the dim sum establishments in bigger coastal cities. Be wary of the stipulations involving restaurant.com gift certificates. It's fun to bring big groups of friends who've never had dim sum here to try this very Cantonese experience. Make sure you try the chicken feet :) They're delicious.
(3)
Kazuo O.
If zombies ate Chinese food instead of brains, this place would be the epicenter of a zombie outbreak. Their maopo tofu is excellent. They do have many Szechuwan dishes, so if you are a fan of spicy food you might want to try extra spicy. Basically, if you like good Chinese food, this is a good place to go to. They are very reasonably priced as well. Eat Chinese food instead of brains.
(4)
Luke T.
I've been to Sunflower exactly three times. It's a bit far out for us urbanites. I was first tipped off to it by a former coworker, also coincidentally a former Greek Orthodox Monk. Very stand-up guy, super knowledgeable. We went to eat here and he was absolutely right about the place. It's the nicest Chinese restaurant I've been to in Columbus. The dining area is fairly lavish: all the tables have a white tablecloth and glasses for water already set, and the room is quite large. There is genuine waiter service, and the owner walks around in a suit and tie. The food is still priced about average, and seems way more authentic than most places. At the very least, they are using higher quality ingredients. I can still remember how delicious the string beans were, and that particular trip was four years ago. The crab rangoon is spectacular too. Again, tried that years ago. They still stand out! If I lived closer, I would probably go all the time. But being as far out as it is, it's the kind of thing I do rarely. For now, I'll stick to the cheap options right next door.
(4)
Susan H.
Dim Sum, Dim Sum, Dim Sum. What can I say? Now that Lee Gardens is gone I will say that there is no competition in the Dim Sum Columbus race. This is the place. Get there early (they open at 11am) because the place will be packed with Chinese families, always a good sign in a Dim Sum place. Be open to everything and ready to explore new foods, flavors, and textures. Not very vegetarian friendly, but ok for pescatarians. There are some vegan dishes- a delicious bok choy, a taro jelly square, some greens, an eggplant/tofu dish, but not very many. Some stand outs- the eggplant/tofu dish (I have no idea what it is called), the egg tart, the taro jelly square, and an amazing macaroon cupcake. There were 10 of us and it was about $18 a person, a little pricey but we had a ton of food. So worth it.
(4)
Alex T.
For columbus standards the dim sum is good. Obviously you can not compare to San Francisco or Hong Kong. Also try the Jindoo Pork ribs, by far my favorite dish ever. My favorite Chinese restaurant
(4)
Wuyi L.
I brought restaurant.com gift certificate and the food there was very good. Please visit here if you like good Chinese food. They are very reasonably priced as well.
(5)
Dianna W.
I love dim sum!!! It's always great to come here with a large group of people. If you have a group of 8 or more, you'll be seated at a table with a lazy Susan. There is much delight in watching food spin around in front of you! Usually, one of my more knowledgable dim sum friends sits closest to the aisles so s/he can "drive" the cart. This involves flagging down a cart, recognizing the foods, and pointing to the foods that we want to eat. At the end of our feeding frenzy, everyone leaves happy. Get here when it opens on the weekend. It's very busy during the lunch hour. Also, depending on how many people show up and our degree of hunger, the cost for dim sum is $10-$16 before tip.
(4)
Laura S.
Vegan-friendly, and it seems that they followed my request to use no oil. The online ordering process is wonderfully convenient, too. I got the Buddhist Delight dish and vegetable soup, and it was the best take-out I've had in a long time. I'm willing to get food here again!
(4)
Jeremy H.
I have no idea why people eat here or why this place is still in business. When I think of good Chinese food this place doesn't even cross my mind even though I drive past it on my way home every day. The food is horrible, probably the worst chinese food in all of Columbus. The service is great and the atmosphere is better than your typical Chinese buffet, but other restaurants such as Hunan Lion or even Pei Wei Express are better. Really not much to say, I think that most of the people who frequent this grew up in the area eating here like my wife. The food just has little flavor and tastes cheap.
(1)
Tabitha T.
I have been to Sunflower more than enough times for it to have earned a review! My Asian and wannabe-Asian friends love to go here for dim sum on Sundays once every month or two. It's a great brunch option, and the more friends you bring, the better! What is dim sum, you ask? Basically, a wonderful tapas-like brunch that takes place in a large room with many closely-spaced tables at which little Chinese women wheel around carts full of small dishes with 3-4 pieces of food on each one. The Asianest person at your table orders (if you all fail the Asian test, just point to the dish(es) you want and hope for no chicken feet), and each cart-manager stamps a placard corresponding to the number and size you ordered. There are also random waiters that wander around and bring you water and tea (and chopsticks, if and when you drop them on the ground). Every week, you'll see some consistency in what they bring out, and some variation, too. There are always lots of shrimp dumplings, steamed pork buns, baby bok choy, and taro cakes (large flat rectangles made of taro, a root vegetable; they usually don't do much for me but last week they were so tasty!). You can order off the special menu, too, and they'll bring out normal sized dishes of whatever you order (beef chow fun will rock your world). There's a dessert cart that comes around at the end (if it comes too soon, tell them to go away) with sesame balls filled with red bean paste, egg custards, boba tea, and so on. They are even willing to split your check at the end. Your meal will probably come out to $10-15, depending on how stuffed you want to be and how many friends you brought. THE GOOD: Delicious, authentic dim sum every Sunday (and presumably Saturday too?) starting at 11:00am. THE GREAT: Seeing your Asian food snob professor at dim sum two times in a row. THE UGLY: When your professor asks you what your favorite dish is, and you have to say "beef chow fun" as you hang your head in shame at your insufficient fobbiness. Whether you're an Asian food snob, an Asian food lover, or just an Asian wannabe, Sunflower will delight your heart and satisfy your palate.
(4)
Zhong C.
I took a Guangzhou friend who is a new comer to USA. He said breakfast food in sunflower is very authentic, he felt like coming back home. Authentic food, reasonable price.
(5)
Matt W.
Just went to Sunflower for a Christmas dinner with several friends, and I was really impressed with how well we were taken care of. The cantonese Fried Chicken is a subtly spicy, delicious treat, and dishes like the curry chicken and lamb hot pot were clearly made fresh, nothing pre-made. The only disappointment I had was there was no dim sum service during dinner hours - it's a lunchtime only deal. I was hoping to try some of the excellent Dim Sum everyone was talking about!
(4)
Craig L.
This is one of the best, most consistent Chinese restaurants in all of Columbus. It verges on fine-dining Chinese food. They have all the classics and they are all prepared extremely well. For my most recent visit I had the Peking Rib. While Peking Duck is the delicacy because of the amount of preparation it requires, the sauce that usually accompanies it is fantastic. My Peking Rib was basically Pork Rib meat in this sauce and I loved every minute of it. I would recommend this place to anyone who is in the area. Or even just close. I have driven 15 or 20 minutes just to get it and it was worth every penny.
(5)
Christina C.
First time trying dim sum and although I have nothing to compare it to, I still left happy. In all honesty, I had no idea what dim sum even was, so to educate those reading who like me had no clue until I met up here with fellow yelpers, dim sum (I had to consult Wikipedia on how to best explain) most commonly refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized portions (think dumplings, small plates, and light bites.) You don't really order from a menu, but instead say yay or nay to the waiters running around the restaurant with carts full of all kinds of goodies. So what goodies did I find appetizing? If you're adventurous, just try everything. I did! Including: - chicken foot - pig ear - and blood Jello. ...Yes, I'm for real. The plates just coming (they really get you to try ALL of them, but it's ok to say no.) Talk about variety! Pork dumplings, squid, some chicken thing wrapped in grapeleaves! I didn't know what most of it was, but that didn't stop me from at least giving it a whirl. When in Rome, right? Don't expect to get separate checks, but after we all got our fill it came to about $12-$14 a person with tip. Two lessons I had to learn the hard way: 1.) I don't like blood Jello 2.) Dim sum is not good food to eat before you go on a 10-mile run
(4)
Dia G.
My favorite weekend brunch option is dim sum...so I think Sunflower is great! If you come to Sunflower within the optimal two hour window (11am-1pm) on Sat or Sunday, the options are good. The quality of the food is good. But what I really like is that it is a pleasant place to eat with others---clean, large open space, atmospheric bright red walls, and most importantly, the place offers orderly bustle to entertain my 15 month old from the perch of his clean, high chair. I can't speak to any of their non-dim sum items or hours. However, I gave it 5 stars since this a satisfying place for me to come on the weekend.
(5)
Lisa K.
Awwww sunflower...! I remember well what it used to be. I have gone to sunflower for 30 years and it was always my go to Chinese joint. Our children grew up on their won ton soup, shrimp chips and chicken wing appetizer. Then they grew up and started ordering my favorite, wor su gai... It was yummy!! In the last 4 years the restaurant started a dim sum menu and their regular menu items have suffered. The wor su gai sauce is colorless and flavorless now. A real disappointment! Now when the grown children want to go there we tell them no... Although If you like Mai tai cocktails you won't find a better one ANYWHERE! Sometimes we just go in for a Mai tai and a lettuce wrap appetizer. Beyond that... Save your money.
(2)
Judy C.
Not the best or cheapest dim sum ever (that award goes to LA dim sum) but definitely best in Columbus! Take Diana U.'s advice about getting a gift certificate and go with a large group to save lots of money. Your belly and wallet will both be happy. Hands down, best dish is noodles with XO sauce (a.k.a. crack sauce). Remember those words carefully as you'll want to get it over and over again. They don't always have it on the carts so order it from the kitchen! Other highlights include chicken feet and turnip cake. Avoid the bubble tea (eww)!
(4)
Luyang Y.
They serve the best Hong-Kong style food in Ohio. But it's just OK.
(4)
Jason S.
It takes something special to get me to wake up before noon on a Sunday. Brunch at the right place would do it, and now, so would dim sum. And ten minutes away from my apartment? Brilliant. A few of us arrived just before 11:10, by which time the fairly large restaurant was already more than half full. A blink later, and there were no seats in the house. Sunflower obviously prepares for a legion of attendees at every lunch service; the dim sum were ready and steaming in anticipation before we even sat down. In no time we had a lazy susan packed with plates, only delayed slightly by the fact that the more knowledgeable dim summers were seated away from the fast moving carts. Some dishes I knew, some I can now identify by name with the aid of the hive mind, some I've surely still mislabeled: har gau (shrimp dumplings); shu mai (steamed pork dumplings); hum bao and cha siu bao (two barbecued pork bun types, the former steamed in a fluffy bun, the latter baked with a sweet glaze); chicken feet; thinly sliced, spicy pig's ear; congealed pig's blood; lo mai gai (glutinous rice with egg yolk, meat, etc. wrapped in a lotus leaf); pork ribs/caps; a squid dish with red onion I can't properly identify; clams in a brown sauce; and daikon cake. There were more than a dozen other dishes we didn't try, and perhaps a few more that escape my memory. (At the time, our table's picking method was more a half blind "we'll take that one, that one, no not that one, yeah that one, two of those, what is that?, ooh that looks tasty.") Particular highlights? The cha siu bao's sweet glaze and tasty pork filling made me return for a second (and third, shh), despite some char on the bottom. The squid dish featured some of the fresher tasting squid I've had in the city, and the clam dish's flavor and broth gave Sunflower an impressive one-two punch of surprisingly good seafood. The lo mai gai's lotus leaf added a pleasant earthiness to the glutinous rice and tender meat, making me want a full leaf for myself. Finally, the pig's ear's cartilage crunch and spicy chili sauce made it a surprise favorite. The rest registered anywhere from good down to unexceptional. The beauty of dim sum, and Sunflower's efficient rotation, is that you'll have a pile of food in front of you within five minutes, and can be tapped out within a half hour. By 11:40 we were staring at the remnants of our dishes, wondering who among us still had room to polish each off. The desserts we ordered a few minutes later were decent but didn't light anyone on fire. One we ordered accidentally was a tofu pudding with a sweet syrup that was added when it was served; the second was cubed soft tofu with fruit. Both were served in clear bowls, and many of us used our teacups as impromptu dessert bowls. We had ordered some sesame balls as part of the main meal, which were probably the highlight of the dessert options we tried. Our final tab, after a $25 coupon, came to a bit over $12 per person including tip. Not a bad price for a big meal, but perhaps not the cheapest one can find as far as dim sum is concerned. But in a city with few enough options (Lee Garden is one of the few others I can think of), perhaps you pay some for the exclusivity. Sunflower may not be my favorite Chinese place in Columbus, but their dim sum is some of the best you're going to find. If you want a real Columbus food adventure, you know the address.
(3)
Keith R.
What do I love about Sundays? Let's see there is football, NASCAR, just being a bum and now some dim sum. Sunflower is literally across the street from my apartment which was an added perk because I was able to sleep in until the last possible minute prior to meeting some fellow Yelpers for a UYE Brunch. As a suggestion, get there promptly around 11am, because this place fills up fast. Now keep in mind this was my first dim sum and I wasn't sure what to expect. The only thing I knew about dim sum is that it was pushed around on small carts. Heck, even half the stuff presented I didn't know what it was until a few experienced dim summers told us. I left it up to their expertise to select the food. I call it the curse of growing up in a small town with comfort food diners. Exceeding my caloric intake for the day and sending my body into a true food coma, I tried the following: dumplings, pig ear, squid, and these little rolls tossed in sesame seeds. There was a soy sauce that had been infused with jalepeno peppers which complemented everything perfectly. I have to admit, I have never been a huge fan of calamari. The thought of squid just has always grossed me out. This calamari however came out tossed in a blend of lettuce, onion, herbs and a slight hint of lemon that blend everything together. It made me forget that I was eating a one eyed, sucking sea monster. Sunflower's Dim Sum will be on my list for the next time someone says they are wanting to expand thier cultural interests.
(4)
Sarah H.
I had kind of been bracing myself for disaster since Columbus seems to have a dearth of Chinese food in my neighborhood. I guess I should have known that the ethnic food gems are always in unexpected places. This was some solid dim sum. In fact, I think I got a better variety that I normally do in big cities- more interesting stuff than your standard dumplings. This is full-on cart dim sum with language barriers included just like in the big city. For example: I tried to order custard buns and ended up with baked char siu bao. Nothing like delicious pork for dessert! the bottoms were a little charred (ha-ha) and the bread was actually more chewy than fluffy - not the best quality I've ever had. I never did end up getting my custard buns, which are some of my favorite Chinese foods. bummer. There was also an amusing moment when the first cart arrived and the woman pushing it offered chicken feet whilst saying "you might not want these" and she giggled when I insisted that I actually did. I think that after that we started getting offered more.. "exotic" dishes. The chicken feet, by the way, were really good here. Exotic dishes including pig's ears (not the best I've had), blood "jello" as the man who served us described it (I've had much much better in Boston), and squid salad (AMAZING, super fresh tasting). We got your traditional spread of dumplings and shumai and they were all pretty good. The steamed char siu bao, or "BBQ pork clouds" as I call them, were very good, but not the best I've ever had. I was disappointed to not get any of the slippery rice crepes that I'm accustomed to devouring at dim sum. I feel like I saw them on a cart, but they never made their way to us. Turnip cakes were a-OK, but they didn't come with the hoisin-like sauce I'm used to eating them with. Sesame balls were pretty good but I wish they had some with different fillings. Maybe they did and I just need to work on my dim sum vocabulary.
(4)
Julie M.
Shrimp toast was really good! Crab Rangoon wasn't the best but the menu and atmosphere were great
(4)
Vernon A.
My fist dim sum was in East LA. I think me and my lunch mate were the only Anglos in that giant place. It was inspiring. So much so, so good, so unexpected, that from there anytime anyone said dim sum, I am in. So I was gleeful to learn we had Sunflower in Columbus. Our experience did not disappoint. Why? Because it is this big mess of a place stuffed with people wolfing down plate after plate of their dim sum. It is the back room with Chinese pop karaoke on a big projection screen. It is a wait staff that is either all in black or odd whatever. It is uneven food that went from great to bland to hot to cold. If you are a culinary perfectionist, not for you. If you want elegance, uh, think again. But for a lighthearted person looking for an enjoyable and not the same, this is absolutely great. It can also feature vans full of retired Chinese and mobs of families, so think about the timing and perhaps it is best early or late, although was so busy the day we were there it didn't matter. They serve nice dumplings. That was the highlight for me. They served nice buns, although I've had better. We really liked the turnip cakes. We were too full for dessert, although the desserts looked nice. I want to go back. I don't care about any negatives in other reviews. Too much fun.
(4)
Kent W.
My only experience with Dim Sum. It can be overwhelming for someone who doesn't speak the language. There are many items to choose from, and it isn't always obvious what they are. I go with my roommate, since he speaks Mandarin. Try the phoenix claw, but start with only one serving.
(4)
EL T.
Not sure if this is the only place in Columbus to have "dim sum". The restaurant was packed but I thought the food was below average. I've had much better "dim sum" than this one. I spent $80 with a party of five on a Sunday morning. That didn't make me a happy person. I could have better "dim sum" in New York or Chicago with lower price. So, if you are not craving for "dim sum", I would recommend you to try something else.
(2)
Diana U.
BEST dim sum in Columbus. If you happen upon something better, please let me know because this is all I can find that is good in Columbus...unfortunately. They have the largest selection of dim sum and continue to make more throughout the lunch period. The prices are high, to me, but I compensate for that using restaurant.com gift certificate (they are amazing). The carts come by often enough and the servers can help you pick dishes in English if you don't know much about dim sum. This is 4 stars in my book as dim sum in Columbus goes. As for quality of dim sum overall from what I've experienced...it's more like a 2.5. So if you are from California, New York, Chicago, or some other big city with an awesome Chinatown, this isn't great, but the best you may be able to get in town.
(4)
Jon R.
Sunflower Chinese is a restaurant that has been on my radar, and upon recently accepting a job outside of Columbus (forcing me to move), I wanted to give Sunflower a try before I depart... I had an awesome time at Sunflower with some fellow Yelpers. When I walked in, I felt like this was more like the kind of Chinese restaurant I had been looking for: sit down and nice, not overly Americanized, and seemingly frequented by the Asian community in Columbus. We started with some appetizers: crab rangoon, steamed potstickers, and an egg roll. The crab rangoon was tasty but a little cheesey for my taste, though the sweet and sour sauce was a nice touch. The egg roll was quite tasty. As for the potstickers: I have been trying to figure out for awhile the exact difference between dumplings and potstickers, but most places I've been to where they're referred to as "potstickers" I don't like them as much. The noodle around the meat is a little thinner (almost wonton-like), and the meat has a lighter color, and is often not as saucy or sweet as "steamed dumplings." Our entrees came out the second we finished our appetizers, which was perfect. I ordered the sesame chicken (my staple for a first try at a Chinese restaurant), and my two friends ordered Tong Sum Choi and Wor Sue Gai. I did not try the Tong Sum Choi but it sounded like my friend enjoyed it. The Wor Sue Gai was pretty tasty, I enjoyed the texture and the peanut topping. And for the Sesame Chicken... I was, sad to say, not impressed :(. The sauce was of a good consistency, but it lacked sweetness (it was a little bland). It did coated the chicken well and had lots of sesame seeds though. The chicken was too hard - a pretty strong chomp was required to bite down on it. Personally, I prefer a softer sesame chicken with a darker sweeter sauce. I liked the Sesame Chicken better than Moy's, but not as much as Ying's or Taste of Orient. The dumplings, however, were better than Ying's and Taste of Orient. Overall, the service and decor was good, and the oolong tea was delicious. The portions were large as all of us had to take some leftovers home. If I were staying in Columbus, I would love to try Sunflower's afternoon dim sum, as dim sum is one of my favorite Chinese cuisines. However, the sesame chicken kept me yearning. And as I am leaving Columbus in two weeks, this may be the end of my search! Despite a valiant attempt, I will need to cross Sunflower off my list in my search for Columbus's best.
(3)
Bonachella K.
Best chinese food ever. Huge portions. Usually you will have a doggy bag. Super nice staff.
(5)
Jonathan S.
Having had dimsum in LA, SF, Manhattan Chinatown, and Flushing.... needless to say I came to this place with lower expectations. They had the standard dimsum offerings. The dishes were pretty expensive. We ordered a plate of greens (special item ~6 dollars), shumai, soup dumplings, and shrimp dumplings (medium items, each almost 4 dollars?), and pork ribs (small item). 5 items cost us 20+ dollars. (That meant one meh-ok shumai was almost a dollar each...) They all tasted average, nothing spectacular. I wouldn't say that it hits the spot if you have a craving for dimsum, but it does the job. I was impressed, however, by the real chrysanthemum tea! And so typical of Chinese restaurants, fast service! The ladies pushing the carts are also quite helpful in helping you find dimsum items from other carts or the kitchen. .
(3)
Mike H.
I would call this place slightly above average for a Chinese restaurant in Columbus. We started sharing sizzling rice soup, a spring roll, and spare ribs. The apps were good but not outstanding. The soup was a tad on the bland side for my tastes but was good. Then we ordered War Ba and Phoenix and Dragon. The War Ba was good, but again, a bit bland. I didn't specify the spiciness of the Phoenix and Dragon but it had a good amount spice by default which was nice. I regret not trying something with a brown sauce. The service was good and I did see quite a few Asians eating there. They have large fish tanks with live fish in them. Some of them appear to be on the menu. I wouldn't say the tanks were in bad shape but it looked like they could use a little more tlc. There was a slightly off-putting aquarium algae smell in this area. I would go back to try more stuff if I was in the area but probably wouldn't make a special trip.
(3)
Bob N.
All I can say is what happened? I have been coming here for the past two years. On my last two visits the food quality has gone downhill. The dim sum is not fresh the way it used to be. The dinner entrees are not as fresh as they were in the past. It seems to be a quality control or inventory problem. I sure hope they get a handle on the quality issue or this will bite them down the road. This place use to be on the top of my list for Chinese food and Dim Sum.
(2)
Joy W.
This is not an ideal Cantonese style place. It's too expensive in terms of the food value, and the food are mediocre.
(2)
Sarah T.
I enjoy the option of having dim sum while in Columbus, so I will reluctantly admit that I like to come here. The sesame ball and egg tart portions are extremely small. The crepes were a sad looking plate. This is not a good place for anyone who has been to Cleveland, Chicago, or San Francisco.
(3)
R K.
The best Dim Sum in Columbus. I agree, not everything at Sunflower is exactly like it is in Hong Kong, but they do their best. I don't usually order anything off the regular menu and only frequent this place on the weekends for the Dim Sum carts and hot soup. Sample items from the various carts to see what you like and don't be afraid to ask the waiters for a description. They may look annoyed, but that's just a front. They are all actually quite polite and helpful. Some even go out of their way to order special dishes from the back that may not be on the cart. It gets busy if you go between 12pm-2pm so be prepared for a short wait. Once you select an item from the cart, they stamp a sheet of paper on your table that indicates a price for the item. At the end of your meal, you take your stamped sheet to checkout for the final bill. Get some hot Jasmine tea to start with and once the carts roll by ask for the Shrimp dumplings, Pork Shumai, Fried Taro, Baby Bok Choy, Steamed Pork Buns, BBQ Pork Buns, BBQ Chicken Feet, Steamed pork spare ribs with rice noodle, mussels, etc. etc. and finally a Chinese Donut.
(5)
John Q.
We tried this on a Saturday night and had a pretty forgettable meal. Tea and pot stickers were lovely - warm and crispy (the pot stickers, obviously). Also ordered a chicken-shrimp-snow peas dish and General Tsao's chicken at the server's recommendation. Both entrees were very disappointing. The fried chicken pieces in General Tso were swimming in a sticky sweet puddle and the other dish had very little flavor. The service was very nice and timely - but the food just doesn't merit another return in my view.
(2)
Dan C.
I really had high hopes for this place after reading all the reviews. I have ordered food from them three times and have been sadly disappointed every time. The most recent time I decided to order their sweet and sour chicken with some vegetable spring rolls as take-out. As per usual, the chicken pieces were way too large, the egg batter too thick (resembled scrambled eggs) and not crispy at all. Also, the sauce is packaged separately, which I understand is to prevent the food from becoming soggy. Unfortunately it throws the flavor profile completely off, having a very sweet sauce against bland eggy chicken. The vegetable spring rolls tasted like seafood as I can only guess that they used old oil to fry them in. Mind you, I have been to great Chinese restaurants and trust me they don't include the likes of Panda Express and P.F. Chang's. That said, it hasn't been an entirely awful experience as the staff are quite friendly, but I won't be returning again. For the price, it's not worth it.
(2)
Renee K.
BEST DIM SUM IN THE CITY... amazing food, fantastic selection, and delicious authenticity. Don't be shy...part of the fun is being quick to flag down carts with the best food. DO NOT go if you want a nice, relaxing, quiet brunch. And you tend to smell like dim sum when you leave...ah, i don't really see an issue with it
(5)
Jurgen J.
Best place to have dim sum in Columbus. My favorites are Cha Liong (fried dough covered with rice sheet) and Cheong fan xo sauce (rice sheet sauteed with xo sauce). The others like siumai, ha kau, beef tripe, pork ribs are pretty standard. The egg tart is not my favorite. Dinner on the other hand is very different. I had both good and bad experiences with dinner. Because of the high inconsistencies, i have decided not to try my luck here for dinner. Just go here for the dimsum. Come early (at 11 or 12) so you don't have to wait long.
(3)
Mindy W.
This place gets an extra star based strictly on the fact that they actually offer dim sum in Columbus. I have only had dim sum one other time, but it was in Chinatown in San Francisco. Needless to say, I have had very high expectations for dim sum ever since that experience (never have high expectations for ethnic food in Ohio). Typical service for a Chinese restaurant. I also recognize that dim sum service is a bit hectic. I was perfectly happy with the rate at which they brought by the carts. The hot tea was delicious! The dim sum we had was pretty much all amazing. We did have one questionable shrimp dish, but everything else was really lovely. We stayed away from the more adventurous dishes of tripe, but there were plenty of choices of what looked like "authentic" dim sum that scared us away. Not as good as San Fran Chinatown dim sum, but definitely good enough to go back in the future!
(4)
Monish D.
This has to be by far the best chinese restaurant I have tried in Columbus. Went here on a Monday night, place wasn't packed but had a decent crowd in. I knew we were in for something good when we were the only non-Chinese people there and the waitress had a hard time trying to understand us!! I tried a couple of type of dim sums (Shrimp and pork) and they were both delicious. Also got the chicken fried rice, which was pretty good too. The dimsums were $3.5 for 4 of them, which I think is a really good price. Can't wait to go back and try out more menu options!
(4)
Sher Y.
Decent place for Dim Sum
(4)
Jenny H.
For someone who grew up on Chinatown in Chicago, this is as good as it gets for authentic eats in the Columbus area. They offer the usual fare- sauteed asian veggies (that I can probably buy at the asian mart but can never achieve the just-cooked-in-a-flaming-hot-wok taste), fresh steamed fish, cantonese style lobster, and claypot tofu. I usually go for dinner but a group of friends and I went for sunday dim sum. The place was packed and I'd grown accustomed to the lack of tactful service in these locales. However, there are two cardinal rules when dining at a chinese restaurant- rice is a must and always keep the tea coming. In addition to dim sum, a couple of us ordered some dishes to share. We were told that there'd be rice, but none came. We felt neglected as different waitresses shuffled to and fro. We know you're busy but it crosses the line when we have to scream and wave you down. In general, I wasn't too impressed by their dim sum. Their xiao long baos tasted like they were sitting out for too long-- as with almost everything that we selected from their carts. I probably won't be coming back for dim sum, but if I must, I will be ordering my own dishes. Otherwise, this is definitely my go-to spot for some satisfying chinese food.
(3)
Rich S.
I had hoped for better. I totally dig the design. The red walls, gold artwork, it was something out of Chinese cinema. The menu looked promising. Let me start with the positives. The entrees were sweet and sour tofu and garlic green beans. The tofu was the highlight of the evening. It was nice and soft in the middle, and crispy on the outside. The sauce was delicious, not your normal Americanized raspberry kool aid infused sickly sweet red sauce. The green beans, while not the best garlic green beans I've had, were tasty, but could have used more salt and garlic. OK, the appetizers were awful. The vegetarian spring roll had mushy cabbage inside, and there was no flavor. Even an abundance of sweet and sour sauce with hot mustard could not save these poor things. The vegetarian pot stickers were just as terrible. They had that "in the freezer too long" feel to them. You know, when you buy some already made Chinese dumplings from the Asian market, go home and eat half of them, then give them a try a few months later after finding them behind the giant bag of frozen blueberries in your freezer. Like that. I might return just for the decor and the tofu. A couple more of the entrees looked pretty good, but as I already tried the only two vegan appetizers and was disappointed, I will not be trying any more. If I return and have a better experience I will re-review this place. Until then, I stick by my two stars.
(2)
Jay Q.
I went with some friends for Dim Sum as our weekend brunch once, probably will not go back. The carts for Dim Sum got around okay, and the food ... some tasted fairly good, but the other tasted like your Asian market frozen food reheated. Also, I totally understand the hectic workload of the staff there but maybe - just maybe - the cashier did not have to be that rude when talking to us, when we took two minutes to figure out how to split our bill.
(2)
Peter L.
The best dim sum in Columbus. And also the only dim sum in Columbus that I've tried, but whatever it's pretty good. The glazed BBQ pork buns (cha shao bao) are awesome. I also recommend the sticky rice with chicken wrapped in tea leaves (zhong zi) and the fried sweet taro balls. I wouldn't mind more variety and more carts, and sometimes there's a wait, but I'll definitely be back. Check it out.
(4)
viv l.
After having lived in Columbus for a whole 24 months, I'm going to have to begrudgingly raise the number of stars for Sunflower's dim sum service. After about a year long hiatus from my first visit, I go almost every month now and it really helps with the homesickness. I'm really happy that I can specify the type of tea I have (non sweetened chrysanthemum) and that the push-cart ladies will use english, cantonese, or even mandarin to satisfy whatever craving I have. Even better, the manager who always wears suspenders is always quick to bring out any special requests I've made. I really enjoy the shrimp he fun, the egg tarts, the choy sum, the radish cake, and the har gaw is pretty good too. And the chicken feet are a must for every visit. Sunflower, I've changed my ways, forgive me for my high expectations and accept my gratitude? BFF always? Promise?
(4)
Kevin M.
I love there Chicken, Wor Su Gai, and even the Sweet and Sour Chicken And there Wonton soup is The best I ever had. Thank You Danny we LOVE YOU IN COLUMBUS
(5)
Jasmine M.
Sunflower's dim sum is the best in Columbus! Not only is it authentic like what I am used to in Hong Kong & Malaysia, it is also made fresh. Every weekend, waitresses will push carts around and offer a huge variety of dim sum. Prices are very reasonable as well. This is the place I come to get my Cantonese fix. A la carte dishes can be improved although it is already one of the top few places that offer Cantonese food. I usually just come here for dim sum as the entrees still do not meet my personal standards. Keep on eating, diners!
(4)
Roderick C.
Best dim sum in central Ohio! Okay, it's not Hong Kong quality, but what is? However, it's actually on a par with the best dim sum I've found in San Francisco (maybe I've been unlucky on my many tries there to find a wonderful dim sum place?) If you have any doubt, check out the throngs of satisfied Chinese dim sum diners on weekends (always the best indicator of the quality of Chinese food restaurants in America). Service varies from indifferent to outstanding. I have my captain, who takes royal care of me and my guests, despite the sometimes frenetic pace when it's busy.
(5)
Joshua B.
This is the Gold Standard that I compare all other Chinese food against. Not many come anywhere close, but I have hope that I might find something good in a town that I live in. EVERY time I go home to Ohio, I go to places I miss, but if I have to pick only one place, this would be the place. Just a few of my favorite dishes: Sunflower Beef, General's Chicken, Wor Su Gai, and even the Sweet and Sour Chicken is better than anywhere else I've found. And the little things make the food even better. The sweet and sour sauce for egg rolls is made from citrus and compliments the egg roll instead of overpowering it. the hot mustard is the perfect heat (actually hot). We've been going here since I was in high school and the owner still manages to put up with my dad's small talk. The sister restaurant, Ming Flower, has food that's just as good (same recipes).
(5)
Jenny B.
The food here is decent and the service is really fast at lunch. It hits the spot when you are in a little bit of a hurry, but still want a place to sit down and be waited on at lunch. A big plus is the Alive and Other papers for your reading pleasure.
(3)
Brandon K.
when u walk in, there is a huge fishtank with a few oscar fish...if nothing else it makes for something to look at to pass time. while your order is made...(wich wont be that long most of the time) sunflower offers a large menu.. and a huge variety of plates.. from your typical chicken wings and rice. to vancouver crab , with spicy salt. I usually get me order to go. but the dining area is amazing.. has the feel of a "asian palace" with gold tones everywhere.. its usually not to packed inside...and apprearance is always immaculate . would make a great place for a large group. price range isnt the greatest... but in my opinion is well worth it.. for authentic flavor
(4)
Kim D.
I went here for Dim Sum. Not comparable to the dim sum I am used to eating in Canada. The price is high. My husband and I and our little boy left with a $80 bill (my son doesn't like Chinese food). We tried most of their dim sum. Quality is poor. I doubt if I will come back. So sad...now I have to drive so far away for a good dim sum! This can't not be the only one in Columbus!
(1)
Michael M.
To all those people who thought the dim sum was pedestrian -- what are you expecting, gold leaf and white truffle pot stickers? We were in Columbus for a family wedding and had the morning before the wedding free. Dim sum called. There was a wide selection of both common (turnip cakes, vegetable dumplings, shu mai, etc) and exotics (chicken feet and duck's blood). We had a couple of items which weren't so great (the roasted pork was kind of fatty, and the water chestnut cake was oddly textured), but that's the fun of dim sum. Trying new things, some of which don't thrill you. Among the hits were the barbaqued pork bao and lobster dumplings. There was also a cashew chicken dish served in a fried taro shell.
(4)
Collin M.
My default for takeout in the area. The standards are all good, and my favorite is the Hong Kong noodles. I hear amazing things about the dim sum, which I look forward to trying.
(4)
Felix L.
Sunflower has the best Dimsum in Columbus bar none. Having been a patron of Sunflower for the past 11 years, I can vouch that Sunflower has some of the best chinese foods in town, and the food only gets better the more times I go there, and now that they serve Honglong-Style dimsums (where chinese ladies go around your table with little carts full of dimsum goodies, and you get to pick what you want) I have more reasons to go there more often. Danny, the proprietor is always there to help out with whatever you need, special request for your order? no problem!! want some dimsum that's not available in the carts? he makes your wish come true... ok nuff talking about Sunflower..just go there and see for yourself..you won't be dissapointed..
(5)
Stephen Y.
The best food they offer are the dim sum dishes on the weekend. Even then, the food is greasy and fatty. I'm just not impressed with their service or lack thereof. Where is the water when you sit down? The food is alright, but one rude manager and service could be improved.
(3)
D P.
Food was great. Service was fine. A little pricey. Overall, a good place to have traditional Chinese food and recommended.
(4)
Jose C.
If I was comparing their dim sum to china, nyc, chicago, then it would get 2 stars. Since this is columbus, they might have the best dim sum here but it's still average. What I don't recommend here are sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves (they put chicken, waterchesnut, and carrots) and their shrimp/beef/pork crepes. Dumplings are delicious here but they're kindda small and expensive. I highly recommend the spicy chicken feet because I usually put down 3 orders of it by myself. If you don't have the balls to try chicken feet, grow sum.
(4)
Jennifer Z.
What happened to Sunflower? I used to eat here all the time it was great. I went tonight and should have left when just walking through the 2 lobby areas the smell nearly turned my stomach, however I went ahead and got a table. The dining room is massive and empty except us and 2 other tables, we received water in glasses with stuff floating in them, the egg drop soup was overly thick with a funny salty taste. The main dishes were decent but the overall stinky dirty vibe from the place will def remove it from my list of fav places.
(1)
Leena V.
Living in Dayton, you either need to go to Cincinnati for dim sum or Columbus. Sunflower is the second dim sum place I have tried in Columbus and it definitely beat the little dim sum offering I received at a chinese restaurant one Kenny road a few years back which my husband referred to as warm mucus. Yum. We loved the atmosphere, although it was a bit crowded and this one table kept staring at our little family; maybe my kids were too loud and obnoxious? The walls were painted a nice modern red color and there were fish in the front room that the kids could look at. I think there were even ones for sale. Sunflower offered quite a bit of variety. I was a bit perplexed with their soy sauce because it contained jalapenos instead of thai or just hot red chilis, so it was different. The food was about the same as everywhere else, and it had most of my favorites, but no "footballs" - sorry, I still do not know the real name of those fried football-looking morsels. My daughters of course loved the desserts, egg custard and white steamed bun with custard inside. My husband was partial to the shumai and barbeque pork buns; he is pretty conservative. I enjoyed the scallion potstickers, just because I like my veggies. The only complaint I have is that they never did bring out the chinese broccoli with oyster sauce that I ordered. Perhaps I am not aggressive enough. The price was reasonable, but generally the same as every other dim sum restaurant I have been to. All in all, the food was alright, the price was about right, and the scenery was nice. Nothing spectacular, but if you are craving dim sum, and are in southwest/central Ohio, I guess you cannot really do much better.
(3)
Tom D.
3.5 stars I wasn't expecting to have great Chinese food in Columbus -- but actually this was quite good and pretty authentic as well. The pan fried noodles were the highlight -- and had all of the dishes been as good this would have easily hit 4 stars, but the stuffed tofu was not very good and the black pepper scallops were quite salty. Perhaps the strangest thing I have seen on a menu at a Chinese restaurant, fortune cookies are listed under desserts -- at 50 cents a pop. I would frequent this place if I lived in the area -- and probably would do so if it happened to be in the DC area as well.
(3)
John L.
Everything's relative, and when I'm away from the Bay area, i realize that good Chinese food is a little harder to come by. To my surprise, Sunflower in Ohio was a great choice with good food and good service. The restaurant itself is spacious and partitioned to accommodate multiple groups. Service was great, and the food was excellent as well. I only wish I could have tried this place for dim sum. The lobster was great, as was the flounder. I want to rate it higher, but I'm too spoiled by San Francisco/Los Angeles Chinese food. Make no mistake, this is good food, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for Chinese.
(3)
Jason H.
We had such high hopes driving to the restaurant. We pulled into the shopping center and the plaza was run down and we hoped it wasn't indicative to sunflower. But we were wrong! The whole place looks like it hasn't been properly maintained in years! The servers were rude saying "what you want!". Food was over cooked and bland. I really didn't think you could screw up Mongolian chicken. I will never set foot into this establishment again! And I will make sure to tell everyone I know about this place. BEWARE!!!!
(1)
Joseph H.
I am a Chinesee-American and grew up in LA. To me, Sunflower is definitely one of the best "authentic" Chinese restaurants in Columbus! They also offer dim-sum (on carts!!!) during lunch time as well, which is something you don't get to see very often here in the Midwest. Their dim-sum is so good that when I took my parents there, they thought it tasted just like those restaurants in LA. Dim-sum is best eaten with a group of friends, because you can order different dishes. Sunflower offers excellent dim-sum at an unbeatable value (approx $10 / person). This is definitely the place I would go when I long for real Chinese food. I am glad that I made the discovery. If you are looking for real Chinese food (not P.F. Chang or Panda Express), then try Sunflower. Btw, get there early on weekends, or be ready to wait for 30 minutes.
(5)
Wai W.
Sunflower is a bit pricey on their food. Not just Dim Sum. The quality of the food is average. A family of four can easily spend over $75 on seafood dishes. If compare to other HK Style Dim Sum in LA, NY, Toronto or Cleveland, Sun Flower is just so so. Too bad, there's not a lot of good Chinese Restaurant in Columbus. And people wonder why I drive all the way to NY, Cleveland or Toronto to eat good Chinese food? =P
(2)
MJ L.
Finally, after hearing about Sunflower restaurant and their dim sum for at least a year or so, we finally got a chance to try them on the new year's day. We got there shortly after they opened up and the place was about half full already. The decor in there was pretty nice... although the entry way was a bit confusing... or maybe I was just confused because I was starving. Anyway, we were so happy to see the carts weaving around tables! I haven't seen dim sum carts since I was in Chicago about 2 years ago! We started grabbing and saying yes to many of those plates. They were even carting around bubble teas. The variety was pretty good the short time we were there, my favorite was shrimp wrapped in semi transparent rice pancake served with a variation of soy sauce poured over the top... YUM! Texture of the wrapping may not be for everyone, cause it kind of got slippery from the sauce (think tapioca pearls), but it's kind of fun to eat for me. Another type of dumpling I liked had a mixture of shrimp pieces and fragrant herbs- very delicious. I didn't like their egg tarts... the egg custard part was too runny and had very little flavor or sweetness.... too bad. Another let down was their scallop dumplings... scallops were not fresh, so the dumplings had not so pleasant fishy smell and rubbery texture of the scallop was a bit off putting. For desert, we picked a bowl of mango jello type of thing to share... it was just right in sweetness and texture and had a lot of mango pieces which were also just ripe! A wonderful end to an overall great dim sum brunch! I really wish we weren't in a time crunch to make it to another engagement that afternoon, but we were.... Had we stayed there longer than an hour, I think we might have been able to sample more variety of dim sum. We must have sampled about 6-7 plates and our bill came to about $35, not bad at all! By the time we were leaving, there was a crowd of people waiting out in the entry way. I can not wait to go back!
(4)
Keith W.
I liked the place, food seemed to be a better quality, but it seemed everything had a fish taste to it.
(2)
Tiffany E.
My first Dim Sum...and I loved it. Everything was wonderful!!!
(5)
Theresa H.
This is the best Dim Sum in Columbus in my opinion. Whenever family comes in to town we do lunch here. We regularly arrange our family banquet for Chinese New Years and always have an excellent and authentic meal. We have found recently that they have a nice selection of noodle wonton soups and Jook(congee) on their lunch menu for those of us craving some street food.
(4)
Tony M.
Columbus is so very fortunate to have the Sunflower, a fine Chinese restaurant with authentic Cantonese Dim Sum meals. I have gone numerous times as a American guest of different groups of Chinese to eat here. I have eaten in fine Dim Sum restaurant in New York City Chinatown, Chicago and Vancouver and from my experience... the Sunflower provides authentic Dim Sum food and, particularly on weekends, the same atmosphere of a big city Chinese restaurant filled with many large Chinese families enjoying a traditional Dim Sum served by waiters using push carts loaded with mouth watering Dim Sum dishes in steamer baskets. Somehow its isn't real Dim Sum if isn't wheeled around the tables on a good old fashioned stainless steel wheeled cart, the Southern Chinese version of a smorgasboard on wheels. The big round tables with the lazy Susan "turn table" platform ...its is all there. I am very happy now to recommend Sunflower to three of my Meetup.com groups. We'll be reserving tables and coming as a group. For those of you who don't have the opportunity to get to New York City or Vancouver..just head north on Sawmill and enjoy the convenience of authentic Chinese atmosphere and food right here in Central Ohio!
(5)
LR T.
Mom and I went for Dim Sum this morning. It's probably the better of the restaurants offering Dim Sum in the Columbus area. I've gone to all of the ones that have offered Dim Sum on their menus at one time or another. Of course it's not the same as in Hong Kong but it will do for a fix in the midwest.
(3)
Johaun C.
there are those rare times when you experience something so mind-blowing you can explicitly remember the first time. this is the case with Sunflower. i was a freshman at OSU and a definite rookie when it came to Columbus eateries. i was invited by a friend to tag along to some sort of rally for a City Council member... all i remember is the food. the chicken with black bean sauce here will give you a genuine foodgasm. other favorites include the shredded duck with bean sprouts and beef pepper steak hong kong style. they also now do dim sum--don't expect San Fran or NYC caliber dim sum here, but probably close to if not the best in Columbus.
(5)
Shey J.
My experience at Sunflower started off above average, but ended on a very sour note. The food was good- not great. For columbus, this is as good as dim sum gets, but this restaurant wouldn't stay afloat in Chicago or New York. Everything for the most part was bland and the steamed pork buns were dry. It doesn't seem like most of this stuff is made in house. Everything has the texture of a bulk frozen product. When we were ready to pay, I gave the waitress my credit card. In the next 2 minutes, my card was gone. She denies having it- the owner even made me open up MY purse and show him that I didn't have MY OWN card. In the meantime, the waitress wouldn't even look me in the eye or approach our table. I demanded that if I had to have my own bag checked, then the waitress should empty her pockets out. No one would oblige- so I left and called the bank. Not going back.
(1)
Tiffany C.
Scenario: It's Christmas... you're looking around your local area with a shred of hope that there might be some decent Chinese Restaurant around that is open so you can celebrate your Christmas tradition. You drive by this place in a strip mall off of Sawmill and realize 'Wow they are packed!' Perhaps it is worth a stop. Walking into Sunflower you will be insanely confused... to your right there is a door to the bar. Does one enter through this door risking scowls from patrons? To your left it is black as night... a miasma of dark magic.. I'm guessing this is where they keep the dragon.Finally, groups of people exit from a door further ahead on the right. We fight the ruthless group of zombies with eyes glazed over in gluttony. They put up no fight. We enter and are seated promptly by a nice gentleman in a tie after a brief rest. The room is large, red, with sculptures of golden zodiac figures on the wall. A small young buddha sits on a pedestal cheerfully looking amongst the crowds of people feasting, laughing and some scowling. We order a plethora of food based upon the previous reviews I am reading on my wireless telephone device. Dim sum was not an option. Crab Rangoon: The wontons were doughy and good, but the innards were bland and boring. General Tso's: Again.. boring... unremarkable. I believe I have had better at carryout places down the road. The service was prompt, quick, overall professional with slight hints of friendliness. After a few goods laughs and stories amongst the party and some doggie bags full of food, though no Dog would be ingesting our left over pickings... we left. Fighting poor souls and scowling girlfriends awaiting entrance into Sunflower out in the place in which our journey began we found a door and left...out into the cold existence from whence we came on a bitter Christmas evening.
(2)
Johnny N.
I was excited to come here as there aren't many options for authentic asian food in town. My expectations weren't particularly high, but I expected, at a minimum, to have food to eat. What I got instead was frustration. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for what paths the food carts took, because very few came near us. We would catch an outlier here and there and have something to eat for a good 5 minutes, followed by a 10 minute wait...rinse and repeat until exasperated. We never got exactly what we wanted. Eventually we just gave up and left. The service was atrocious. Two stars because the food was okay.
(2)
J. Jack C.
A 4-star Chinese restaurant in mid Ohio Chinese food standard. Compare to So, Cal., maybe a 3-star. The quality is not consistent, some days the Dim Sum can be duds. On the whole, it mostly and adequately satisfy my periodic craving for Cantonese cuisine. It is a little pricey.
(4)
Peijean T.
Outstanding service, especially for a Chinese restaurant. The dim sum is authentic, close if not very similar to what you would find in Southern California. Portions are huge and generous. I was stunned by the size and quality of their golden Hong Kong-style crispy egg noodles. I order this dish at every Chinese restaurant I go to, and this easily ranks in my top three of all time. The noodles were crispy but not greasy; the sauce was bold and addictively flavorful; and there was a whole heaping bounty of meats and veggies atop. TIP: even though the duck noodle soup is only on the lunch menu, you can still order it at night!
(5)
Michelle J.
There so-called dim sim are not worth to try! So disappointed ! Won't be there again!
(1)
Mike G.
Let's make this an easy to read review: Walking in: Not impressive. Dark. Looks like a storage area. Dining Room: Very open. Nice but not intimate in any way. Tables only, no booths. Service: Fast and efficient in that no bullshit, let's keep things moving Chinese way Drink: Tsingtao was cold and good. Sino-German beer is hard to beat. Soup: Hot and Sour was not thick, had a lot of white pepper, good but not great. Entree: Kung Pao Shrimp, decent but lacked Wok Hei. My senses were not tantalized by the initial aromas. Was warm on arrival but not hot, temperature wise. Also, I asked for it spicy, I got it medium. Not too bad, not great. I would like to try this dim sum everyone else keeps talking about..... Worth another try sometime.
(3)
Elisa N.
Best dim sum in the city. Service is sometimes spotty, but you can't beat Sunflower for instant food gratification. Pork shumai, shrimp and scallop dumplings are delicious. Steamed BBQ pork buns are consistently fresh and delicious. We're fans of the buttery Chinese spinach and garlic. Yum! And we like to top off lunch with sweet tofu or sesame balls. If you've never had dim sum, and love Chinese food, you owe it to yourself to get to Sunflower on the weekend.
(4)
Andrew L.
The food here is good. Come with a group, order a few dishes (never something like general tsos) and share the cost. dishes can be a bit pricy otherwise. There are lots of good dishes, but don't get the conch. If you want conch, go to a place like Little Dragon and order the conch salad. Dim sum here is decent but a bit pricy. I suggest trying the chicken feet. Fried taro is great too.
(5)
Evalyn C.
I'll be honest with you, I've never once been to Sunflower for any reason besides dim sum. I can't tell you a darn thing about the rest of the menu - I've never even seen it. But, you know what, I don't care. That's how good it is. Dim sum is kinda like the Chinese version of tapas. Small plates and bite-sized portions of all kinds of delicious, flavor-packed Chinese traditional foods. Want to try some spicy chicken feet? You can and you'll be surprised how tasty they actually are. Those wonderful barbecue pork buns? Oh yeah, they've got them too. The wait gets long and the restaurant packed on dim sum days, so get there early. You won't regret it. The food is always moving so the service is pretty fast. Try most everything on your first visit so you know what you do and don't like for the next time. Be prepared for the price tag to get high because you're going to want to eat until you have to be rolled out in a wheelbarrow.
(4)
Marie H.
I've been kind of avoiding this place because I haven't heard great things about it but I finally tried it out with my parents and it was better than expected! We got a bunch of dim sum dishes plus a noodle soup - the dim sum carts come around fairly often but the dishes are both smaller and more expensive (small starts out around $3.50) than dim sum should be. In terms of specific dishes, here is what we tried: - Liked: turnip cake (crispy and flavorful), chicken feet (seasoned well), sesame balls (although kind of small) - Okay: taro balls (small again), Xiao long bao (not real soup dumplings but decent as dumplings) - Disliked: seafood shu mai (tiny and not much better than the frozen kind) - Beef stew and wonton noodle soup: so delicious and the only reason I'm giving this place 4 stars instead of 3. Broth was amazing and it had tons of noodles and veggies plus some giant wontons. More than enough to split 3 ways Tldr: would probably skip the dim sum (unless you are desperately craving some, then get the chicken feet and turnip cake) and get some of noodle soups instead!
(4)
Gem X.
One of the best resteraunts I like most. Normally, I will get bored with the food in one resteraunt very quickly. As I am a very picky person. If I rate something 4 or 5, it really means I like it a lot. Seldom, something really makes me love it for a long time. But based in my criteria, those I like very much, people around me would also have high recommendation. Not so expensive, more choices.....
(4)
Wynne W.
I only ordered from the Dim Sum menu on a Tuesday so my review is based on this only. If this dim sum restaurant were in Chicago or New York, no Chinese person would walk in. Given that this is the only place in Columbus where dim sum is served, I suppose it's tolerable. The dim sum menu has a good variety but the quality is below average to average. It tasted like many things were purchased frozen in advance. For someone who has never had quality dim sum before, it's probably ok but it was hard for me to not to say to myself "so this is the Columbus version of X" with everything I ate. I personally would not go back unless I had friends who wanted to try dim sum and we were stuck in Columbus. Service was not great but not bad. I did not order anything from the regular menu. Maybe those items are better.
(2)
SaRea S.
I have to say despite all of the other reviews, I enjoyed my time at Sunflower. If you are in the mood for Dim Sum this is your place, just don't get upset when they don't take the time to explain things to you. If you are feeling adventurous try whatever comes around. Ok word of caution this can get expensive as I swiped $40 for Dim Sum. The restaurant reminds me a little bit like a bingo hall, actually a lot like a bingo hall: white lights, crowded tables and lots of laughter. I didn't get a chance to try anything else on the regular Chinese menu but based on other reviews I will just go to other places in the city.
(4)
Anna M.
Awful. Completely inedible. Half my meal ended up spit out in my napkin. I abandoned the rest. My husband's orange chicken was rubbery. I'm going home to make a sandwich.
(1)
Sarah P.
Marginal at best. The sweet and sour chicken my son got was rubbery and lukewarm. My dish included what was clearly pre-frozen squash, which was also rubbery. I was very disappointed.
(2)
Shuo F.
Although their regular menu items are not too bad, they're not spectacular either. What really draws a huge crowd here is the weekend dim sum, since they are the only dim sum place in Columbus. Their dim sum does not have a very large selection (where are my lion head meatballs?!), and some doesn't taste very fresh.
(3)
Sofia C.
We went for dim sum and it was excellent. Big variety, carts always coming around, and friendly service! Haven't had any dim sum in Columbus, but this is definitely the place to get it. I really loved the bean curd with mushroom rolls (I can't remember what they are called..) and am always a fan of turnip cakes.
(5)
Will T.
Please note: I grew up eating at this place when I was little and had some good experiences here. I ordered take out today and it was literally THE worst Chinese food I've ever eaten. Stopped eating it after 3 bites. They should be banned to serve food this bad. Everything about the food was blah. Do yourself a favor and stay away from here.
(1)
Ray R.
Went here for lunch with a group of our friends. We had never been to Dim Sum before (though we had experienced Tapas and didn't enjoy it), so we were a little nervous. Exterior: the restaurant is located in a little strip mall. There is adequate parking, but right now there is a lot of construction in the parking lot area. Use some caution entering or exiting as this is a busy part of Sawmill. Interior: I was able to identify two dining areas (the main and a side room) as well as a bar. It had an Asian feel to the decor which was very comfortable. There are a large number of different sized tables for all sorts of groups. We had nine in our group and were vary comfortable in the side room. Staff: the staff was very friendly and attentive. They were very polite. Food: we weren't sure what to expect since we had never been there before, so thank goodness for having friends familiar with the process. Little carts are brought out with metal canisters containing all sorts of food items. Each canister had about 4 pieces of the particular item. We had to rely on our friends to make many of the selections, but the staff was able to tell us what they were as well. There were several different courses wheeled out so we were able to select a wide variety of items. Overall, the food was good. There was nothing I did not like and through ordering enough canisters, we were full when we left there. Price: I have to say that I was super impressed at how inexpensive this experience was. After we divided the total cost amongst us, it was only $13 per person. For the amount of food, that was definitely a good cost. Overall, this is a nice experience with friends and fun trying out different foods together. It is not expensive compared to many other restaurants. We would be willing to do it again, but probably not make a habit of it.
(3)
Carla D.
I come here often for dim sum on Saturdays. I enjoy the experience so much. And the offerings are plentiful and delicious. I always get har gow, shiu mai, steamed bean curd skins filled with assorted goodness, and occasionally the steamed baby clams in spicy black bean sauce....and those are just to start the meal. :) The chicken feet are ok, I wasn't a fan of the sauce they were cooked with. So many amazing dumplings, buns, and curiosities to try! You can order dim sum off the menu during the week too, but I highly recommend going when the full-service Saturday version is happening. It's enjoyable, fun (especially when you bring good friends or family to share with!), and I love the anticipation of watching the dim sum carts approach my table, anxiously awaiting my favorite dishes. Off the regular menu, I enjoy the spicy crispy squid with fresh jalapeño peppers. Yum!
(4)
Sonia S.
Love the dim sum. I can't get enough. When I'm leaving, I'm already planning my next trip back. It's seriously good dim sum. I've only gone for lunch...both weekdays and weekends. The weekend they wheel out the dim sum carts but during the week it's ordered menu style. Doesn't matter to me...like I said...good food.
(5)
Joyce X.
This is really just a review for Sunflower's weekend Dim Sum (although it would probably receive a similar 3-star rating for their normal food from my past experiences). Sunflower has pretty much a monopoly on the Dim Sum business in Columbus because it's the only one now (Lee Garden, which is now closed, also used to have cart-service Dim Sum on weekends), so I feel they can pretty much get away with mediocrity at a high price. Although this IS Columbus, so maybe mediocre Dim Sum is good enough (hence the "A-OK" 3-star rating). The atmosphere is fine; it looks like a "Chinese" restaurant, and there's always a lot of people on the weekends because, as I said, it's really the only place for Dim Sum The food is just... meh. It's very likely that most of the options are frozen, and are just heated up for the occasion (unless you're ordering from the side menu, which features a variety of noodle dishes and congee). Also, the servers are good at giving you the plates that have kind of been sitting around for a while that they need to get rid of before they re-stock from the kitchen (which I guess is their job, so can't really blame them for that). I think the service is really what I'm most disappointed in. The man in the front could really work on being more welcoming, and it wouldn't hurt to smile a little! Our server got our drinks once and never came back to re-fill our water. The cart pushers just go by the same tables all the time! When I asked a manager if he could send a different cart our way, he just sent the same cart back. Again. There was, however, one really nice waitress who finally took matters into her own hands to push a different cart over after she found out that the original guy that was supposed to be rotating the carts, left his cart by the wall and was texting in the back. Seriously, dude? Do you even want to keep your job? Bottom line is, come only if you're craving Dim Sum and want to experience the novelty of the cart-service. Otherwise, you could probably buy some frozen shu mai, egg tarts, and Chinese buns at CAM and have a DIY Dim Sum at home for a lot cheaper.
(3)
Srous P.
I've been living in Ohio for 5 months. I was excited to find an authentic dim sum place. I went on a Sunday and it was packed, but it didn't take long to get a table. I moved from Seattle and there are a lot of great Dim Sum places there. Sunflower is the first dim sum place I went to in Columbus, Ohio. The food was okay. It satisfies my dim sum cravings. The best two dishes are the shu mai and the siew mai. The pork buns were alright; they were kind of small. The har gai is alright. The rice rolls with shrimp tasted weird, mainly because of the quality of the shrimp wasn't that great. The didn't have a wide variety of options. There was a dessert cart. The dessert cart had bubbletea. I didn't get a chance to try any of the desserts. The price for each dishes are decent. I was sharing with my boyfriend and we got about 6-8 plates for under $40.
(3)
Van S.
A late lunch on Christmas Day and dim sum was being served until 3 pm. We didn't come for dim sum, but it seemed like a nice surprise. They asked if we wanted to sit on the side of the restaurant with dim sum carts or the lunch side. I knew a couple of us wanted regular menu items and a couple wanted dim sum, so I asked if we can be set on the dim sum side of the restaurant, but also have a couple menus. The hostess assured me that it wouldn't be a problem, but it really was. Either that, or the service is just really really crappy. A cart came to us immediately after putting in our drink order. My mom asked for coffee which didn't come out with the rest of our drinks. No one really came back after that to check on us. We waited and waited for someone to stop by and take the orders from the regular menu. Finally, I waived down a waitress. We put in an order for a spring roll and chicken lettuce wraps for the wife, wor sue gai and green beans for everyone to share family style. The spring roll came out pretty quickly, followed by the wor sue gai with one small bowl of fried rice when we requested steamed. Not a big deal on the rice type so I let it be, but we can't do family style sharing with one small bowl of fried rice so I asked for a few more bowls of steamed rice. Several minutes later and the rest of the food hadn't arrived. I finally flagged down the waitress who apologized and went back to follow up on the remainder of the orders. Extra rice never came out. We received one refill on drinks the entire time and that's only because I, again, had to flag down a waitress. Finally, I just gave up and asked someone for my check. The food itself was pretty good. The dim sum options are a little limited, but pretty well executed. The menu items weren't amazing, but above average. The food quality is keeping me from going one star. Also, maybe the terrible service miscues wouldn't have been there if we committed to either dim sum or the lunch menu side of the restaurant, but I'll never know as I don't see myself ever going back.
(2)
Bryant M.
Yes yes, it's the only dim sum in Columbus. This still wasn't enough to get me to Sunflower over my past 9 years of being a Columbusite. I'd love to say it was worth the wait... but it wasn't. ^Atmosphere It's very typical Chinese, which I like. The space is big and open, and there's a party room to have events! ^Service This... leaves a little to be desired. I am used to traditional Chinese service, so I'm not comparing them to Jeni's or Northstar. I think indifferent is probably about as good as it gets at Sunflower. It most definitely wasn't bad... just not super helpful. Side note: Sunflower is very authentic Chinese, and that means not everyone speaks tons of English. This is absolutely fine - just making a note of it so you can better prepare for your experience. ^Food I have this awful wheat thing, so going out to eat with me has gotten a little annoying. The thing is, the menu at Sunflower says to tell your server if you have a food allergy. I thought since they mentioned it that eating here might be easier than I first expected. Yeah, not so much. Things ended with me awkwardly handing our server my iPhone that had allergy instructions written in Mandarin... and she spoke Cantonese. Ugh, I felt like a complete douche. We had a few items off the dim sum cart, and everything was fine. Maybe I'm just not a dim sum guy? We also ordered main meals: wonton soup, sweet and sour chicken, and beef with broccoli. Again, everything was just okay. ^In the end Unless you're just dying for dim sum, there are so many better options for Chinese in Cbus. Might I suggest you go to Helen's Asian Kitchen, order the xio long bao, and call it dim sum?
(3)
Yvonne L.
Overall, it was a pretty good experience. The ha gow and shumai were my favorites and had a few orders of them. I've never had taro cake before so I tried it but it wasn't anything spectacular. It seemed a bit burnt at the bottom and left a weird taste. As for the servers, they were attentive to anything we needed. I will most likely come back again for dim sum.
(4)
Becky S.
Been going back here for over 20 years!! Still same great service and delicious food!! And the staff treats you like family... Will continue coming here for years to come...
(5)
Richard P.
If you are jonesing for dim sum, and reading this review, you are likely stuck in the Midwest as I am. So the question you should be asking yourself is not "Is the dim sum at Sunflower as good as in NYC or California?" but rather "Is it good enough?" And the answer is yes, the dim sum at Sunflower is A-OK. You will find the usual standards (shu mai, har gow, chow fun, turnip cakes, etc.); they are generally well-prepared and true to form. And they have my personal favorite, rice porridge with thousand-year egg, so who's complaining? It should be noted that service is at best indifferent, and at worst, rude, but that typifies every dim sum place in the United States, NYC and California included. It frankly does not matter whether you are Chinese or non-Chinese, Chinese-speaking or non-Chinese speaking. Your mistake, if you are troubled by the service, is in assuming it will actually be polite. You should be like the rest of us and ignore the rudeness and do everything necessary to get the attention of the old surly women pushing the dim sum carts, short of tackling them. Besides, the food tastes better when you have to fight for it.
(3)
Vin R.
I don't have a ton of Dim Sum experience, but I'd rate Sunflower as pretty good for Columbus given the lack of competition. We had the Turnip Cake (!), Steamed pork buns, steamed spare ribs and a few other things that I'm not too sure about. My wife and I were not (and will probably never be) adventurous enough to try the pig trotters or chicken feet. I'm not a big fan of feet of any kind, no matter the origin. We also had Moo Goo Gai Pan, forgoing our usual Round Eye Special (General Tso's Chicken). All in all, pretty tasty. We'll definitely have to try the full on Dim Sum Brunch on the weekend.
(3)
Jenny K.
4 stars for the sticky rice in bamboo leaves. It is so good - glutinous rice, chicken, mushroom, water chestnuts, and the quail egg really gives a variety to the wrap. The service was fast and the portions were big. The main dishes such as fried rice, sesame/sweet and sour/lemon chicken, noodles, etc. were average. The dim sum menu was decent and fairly priced. My favorites: zongzi, chive dumpling, rice cake, fried squid. Good for big groups! (We were a group of 20.)
(4)
Michele W.
Finally I've been able to find a good restaurant that matches its ratings in the Columbus metro area!!! My nephew and I went there yesterday at lunch time. We were the only people there at least til right before we left and then two small groups came. Service was excellent, food was very good. Very fresh shrimp fried rice that wasn't made solely of soy sauce. Excellent Wor Su Gai. I would go back anytime and recommend it to anyone. I saw many authentic Chinese dishes on the menu too. Very impressive.
(4)
Teri D.
My first time having Dim Sum the traditional way (carts go by you ask for what you want) and what I have learned is this: If you know what you like make sure you get enough of it and if you try something new and like it - grab it again ASAP because those carts often run out or take a bit of time to come back. I made the mistake of grabbing some ribs and not grabbing them again when they came past while trying out other stuff because when I was ready for some more they were gone. Insert sad face. The food is very good and most of the servers are nice - some were here's your food now let me get going. Just keep in mind that those little bits of this and that can and will add up quickly if you aren't careful. This is a great place to go if there is a group but still tasty if it's just two of you. Good stuff!
(4)
Priya P.
I hate leaving bad reviews..I'm turning into the bad review Nazi. The service was non existent! Not only did we not get the drinks we had ordered, despite asking for them several times, but no one even bothered bringing us our bill or checking us out when we carried ours to the register. The food is a whole different pile....
(2)
Mailyne N.
Dim sum was what I was after and after I left, I found myself not getting what I wanted. The shrimp rice noodles looked like a mess, and on top of that was not as fresh as it should've been. They are supposed to be neatly folded with shrimps in between but this was not what we got. The noodles were just piled on top of a plate with a few shrimp somewhere in there. I am aware that this is probably the only place to get dim sum in the columbus Ohio area, but I wish they made things with a little better quality. The shu mai was small and tasted ..once again.. ok. I did not leave the place thinking I had a great meal. If you are from California, expect to be dissapointed and if you aren't from there, consider going to try amazing dim sum places, however pretentious that sounds I didn't even bother with the dessert. The prices are relatively cheap and decent. i went with a friend and got about 30 dollars worth of food and that was a good amount of plates and even had a bowl of wonton noodle soup as well. (the soup was also just ok) The service is good at least and they have a nice, clean place.
(3)
Benjamin B.
Dim sum on a Sunday morning. The carts are moving quickly, the place is bustling and there isn't a seat left. The food is delicious, though not as good as places in major cities... but it's good enough for Columbus Ohio. Service was... indifferent and a bit curt. That's pretty standard for dim sum. I liked the atmosphere here better than some other places I've found in Cincinnati (I live in Dayton, so it's a choice for dim sum: Cinci or Columbus), but the food has been better other places. My understanding is that this is "Hong Kong Style", and my friend from Hong Kong was impressed given that we were in the midwest and she's used to San Francisco or Hong Kong. I'll take that as a pretty solid recommendation.
(4)
Berta J.
I love the Dim Sum at Sunflower especially during brunch on Sundays. I would say that the food rivals some of the places where I have had it in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and even Hong Kong. Maybe there is not as much variety here as in Dim Sum shops in the bigger cities, but the quality of the food is just as good, I especially enjoy the sticky rice, turnip cakes, egg custard cups and pot stickers. I have eaten here probably ten times (8 or so being Dim Sum Brunch) and have never had bad service. The older gentleman in the tie (owner? GM?) always remembers me and talks me into trying something new which I end up enjoying (even the deep fried tripe)! He makes jokes and often sees us out the door and invites us back. The old ladies with the carts have never been rude and stop over often. A couple of them don't speak English very well, but I smile and point and they are happy to give me lots of food. It's not 5 star service, but I have definitely had much worse service in other Dim Sum restaurants. The atmosphere is loud and bright and typical American Chinese restaurant. It's by no means fancy or romantic but I loved that yesterday they were playing Korean Karaoke videos on the TVs. As for the prices, 5 of us ate there yesterday and could barely walk out we were so full and our bill was only $100.00. I have never been disappointed with the food or the service or the prices at Sunflower. Since I live downtown and only have a few friends who enjoy Dim Sum I only get to come here a couple times a year so I consider it a real treat.
(4)
Paul Y.
I got food here because the others in the group wanted it. I don't regret it. We got the lunch specials and mine was the pepper steak. You got a lot of food for $7. A LOT. The rice was delicious and the steak was fantastic as well. It was not at all salty. We've actually gone here twice now and both times it was good, so I know it isn't just a onetime thing with good food.
(5)
Emily K.
I ordered the black pepper scallops and they weren't even scallops. I took off the breading and it looked like a chicken nugget. The food was bland and doesn't hold par to other Chinese restaurants in the area. We won't be back.
(1)
Pai-Wei L.
Although this is the only dim sum place in Columbus, their food is pretty good. Sunday noon will be crowded because that is the time they push dim sum carts around in the restaurant. After that, you can still order dim sum by menu. I love their XO rice roll and fried shrimp pancake. If the price is a little lower I will give it a 5 star.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Mailin Y.
Coming from CA it's difficult to compare but as a 2nd generation Chinese American that can't speak Chinese, this place will do just fine for me and my hopa kids. They do dim sum everyday but only push the carts around on weekends.
(3)Stephanie M.
From the mixed reviews and overall lack of quality Chinese food in Columbus, I had pretty low expectations for Sunflower's Dim Sum. I was pleasantly surprised! Upon walking in, seeing the bright red wall with golden phoenix and dragon, I knew this was the real deal. Ambiance: Loud, bustling, fun. It's not dim sum unless everyone is yelling at each other across the table (which is also encouraged by the harshness of the Chinese language). The food is pushed around in different carts, the servers are pushy and abrupt, and the overall hustle & bustle is just like home (and Hong Kong). Food: While they don't have huge varieties, the food is definitely solid. HK Pan Fried Noodles $8.99 - delicious, nice crunch on the noodles drowned in noodle sauce-y goodness Dumplings - decent variety - nice and tasty Baked BBQ Pork Bun - weak - the bread was dry and lacked the sweetness of Chinese breads Service: For Dim Sum standards (ie. expect to have your empty dishes cleared and tea filled, other than that, the servers zip by quickly), pretty normal. Nothing to write home about. Overall, the dim sum is decent. I would agree that it's not "Hong Kong, San Francisco, or Toronto" quality, but hey, few places are. Sunflower definitely passes for weekend dim sum cravings, and their specialty dishes are just delicious.
(3)Chris D.
The food was bland and uninspired. The canned Chinese, La Choy, my parents made when I was a kid is better. Microwaved left over Chinese eaten at work on a terrible Monday is better.
(5)Amelia S.
My family and I always come here for dim sum on the weekends and the food is good. The food is good but good luck flagging someone to come by with those carts! You must be diligent and loud to get someone's attention! Also, do not expect customer service here. Their sodas at times are from 2 liter bottles from a previous day so they are not always fresh. Regardless if you bring it up to someone 1. they don't understand you or 2. they don't care.
(3)Moses S.
I came here about 2 weekends ago with some friends and I was pretty disappointed in the lack of variety that they had. There was the staples like shrimp shumai, chicken feet, pork breads, spare ribs, and other items, but they didn't have steamed pork/veggie/red bean buns! I was pretty sad that they didn't have that. Also, there was a lack of protien options. everything was shrimp this, shrimp that. not a lot of pork, chicken, or veggie options. The dessert tray was also underwhelming at least for me. I might come back to give it another shot, but not on my own volition.
(2)J B.
By far the best Chinese Food in the C-bus area. I have been dying for good Beef Chow Fun since moving here from California 7 yrs ago....finally found some.
(4)Alexander B.
Stay away from Table 16 on dim sum day. So, I'm a transplant from NYC and have been sorely missing authentic dim sum. So when some colleagues told me about this place, I was super excited, especially with the New Year happening this weekend. The food was decent, I'll admit. The problem was the service - some of the worst I've ever experienced in my life, and this is coming from someone who's willing to put up with a lot for good food. It could've been the fact that our table (table 16) was pushed up against a wall and in between other tables,but there might as well have been a forcefield around us as the carts hardly ever came near us. It took 10 mins before we were able to get one -one! - freaking plate for a table of 6. I had to literally yell at them to bring food over to use and after the one burst of activity we were promptly ignored again as other tables closer to the entrance stripped the carts of options. The worst, though, was when I went to the counter to pay, and I let the cashier know that I've never, ever failed to tip in my life (I've worked in restaurants so I know how it is), the fact that we felt so ignored and were leaving the restaurant hungry compelled me not to tip. She looked me right in the eye and shrugged. She had my money and couldn't care less. It was galling. So, safe to say I'll never go back to get such shoddy, indifferent treatment again.
(1)Kayre H.
Been here at least twice now... for dinner one evening with my BFF and for Dim Sum one Saturday with another friend. I don't claim to be an expert in authenticity of Chinese food - especially Dim Sum - but I do eat a heck of a lot of it and I think this place is pretty good =). The friend I went to Dim Sum with is Malaysian but of Chinese descent and she thought it was pretty good. (I had to explain Dim Sum to another friend afterwards who had never heard of it. I described it as Chinese tapas. But it sort of reminds me a Brazillian Steakhouse too in that they just keep bringing you food!) I've only been to Dim Sum a few times ever (and always with a guide =)). Some reviewers have said if you're used to Dim Sum in China or California or wherever, you won't be impressed. OK. But I'll go ahead and say if you're a casual Dim Sum-er like me, or a first timer, you'll probably like it. At the end we were both nice and full and spent about $10 each. I'd definitely go back.
(4)Brittney W.
I go to Sunflower once every few months. They have pretty decent food! They always use fresh vegetables in all of their food which I appreciate. The egg rolls are tasty and come with a fresh citrusy "sweet and sour" dipping sauce. It's not my all around favorite Chinese restaurant but it's the only one around this area that I have found and enjoyed! I am still looking if anyone else has suggestions!
(4)Jo L.
Worst service ever. The waiters are really rude. And appears to only approach you if you knew Chinese. I went during the Chinese New Year 2014 celebration on a Sunday and yes it is busy, which is to be expected. However, don't expect a friendly service unless it's the owner. We asked one of the waiters if there was any pork buns and she rolled her eyes and shook her head and said no abruptly and rudely. An elder couple sitting next to us didn't get any dim sum service until he approached the manager. That's when the rush of dim sum carts approached the elder Caucasian couple. However, the food is great. Very authentic.
(2)Sharmeela S.
One of the only places in central ohio for dim sum. the weekend dim sum offers a good variety for the Midwest and has the staples like a variety of dumplings, pork buns, and noodles with xo sauce. First timers may struggle with knowing what to order but after a visit or two you can usual point on the items that you like on the carts. get there by 1130 to avoid waiting in line. it's located in unassuming plaza off of Sawmill Road w ample parking. the decor is simple but the food is unique, especially dim sum.
(4)Mengran Z.
Thumb down, way down. Waited too long for dimsum on Sunday, and no cart came to my table at all. Have to ask the waiter to bring over the food. The quality of dimsum could only be rated as very low-low. But this is the only place you could get dimsum in Columbus. So if you really want to dimsum, you have to deal with all the dissatisfactions, otherwise you could choose to go newyork or Seattle for more authentic ones.
(1)Marie G.
We stopped in one day for brunch and what a great decision it was! The restaurant was packed which is always a great sign. The menu offers traditional items - we were extremely satisfied with the service and our entrees. We will be back to explore the rest of the menu!
(5)Sara C.
Well, it's Chinese New Year season again, so the boy and I grabbed a restaurant.com gift certificate and made the trek out to Sawmill for some good Cantonese dinner fare. Having grown up on family-style Chinese dinners, it always throws me for a loop when people don't understand how to order in that way. This time, we ended up with garlic pea sprouts, beef chow fun, and the roast duck platter. The pea sprouts, though a bit more mature than the ones I am used to, were still tender and wonderfully garlicky. The chow fun was good, with just a hint of the burnt wok taste that makes beef chow fun so good (although having gone with out it for many months may have increased the satisfaction I received from this particular dish). The roast duck was a little on the dry side, but had good flavor, and the leftovers are currently simmering in my crock pot for duck broth. We fell a few cents short of the required $40 check to use the gift certificate, but they were very nice and found a way to compensate so that we could use it after all.
(4)Gwen S.
I'm giving this place 5 stars for their salt and pepper tofu alone. I have to make a pilgrimage there for this dish regularly. Never had anything like it anywhere else. It's spicy and delish.
(5)Grant C.
Food is pretty cheap but not very good. You may end up throwing it in the garbage. Lunch special is enticing but still not worth.
(2)Mike H.
Quick summary: If you want Dim Sum in Columbus, come here. If you want Chinese Chinese food, give this place a try at least once. I've been here at least a dozen times, and I've read a few of the other reviews. First, this is not an Americanized Chinese restaurant. Yes, you can get Americanized items (General Tso's etc.), but they do the best they can to serve actual Chinese dishes. Second, if you've never been to an Asian restaurant in a place with a large Asian population (eg. California, NYC, or any city with a Chinatown) some things won't make sense to your American senses. Fish will come out with the head on, Chicken may have bones in it, and dishes marked spicy are actually spicy. Third, they serve Dim Sum on the weekend. No, it's not as good as California, NYC, or any other place where you have 10 Chinese restaurants looking to put their competition out of business at any given time. However, they have all the staples of Dim Sum I look for: Flower tea, Chicken feet, Pork spare Ribs, Taro Dumpling, Tofu Fa. They are all good enough to keep me coming back for more. Also, everyone here knows what the dish is called in English. That means you don't have to learn the Cantonese, Mandarin, or Vietnamese name when you order it, something I had a minor issue with in the Bay Area. Overall: Sunflower has been in business for a long time. If you want Chinese Chinese food in Columbus, you need to try this place at least once. Go when its busy and try it.
(4)Mandi D.
If I could eat Asian food for every meal, every day, without weighing 500 lbs, I probably would. Unfortunately I have to limit myself to once a week or less, which means there's limited time to try every Asian restaurant in the Columbus area. My friends and I enjoy Sunflower for dim sum (or Dim Sumday, as I like to call it) in large groups. I've never been to Sunflower for any other reason. And as far as I know, Sunflower is the only dim sum restaurant in Columbus. Like many of the other reviewers, I'll agree that if you were in a city that had, say, at least one more dim sum restaurant, this might not be the best. However, it is what it is. Pros: - Accommodating for large groups (like, 10+) without an extensive wait. Dim sum is also in general good for large groups, since you don't have to wait to eat, you just grab stuff off the carts. They also let you break up the very large bill between everyone. - Restauraunt.com gift certificates--I'm not sure what the stipulations are that others write about, but we have used $100 or $150 certificates with very large groups and pay $10-$15 per person, which is not bad for how much we eat - Hong Kong Pan Fried Noodles. Mmmmm. Cons: - Its probably just mediocre dim sum. But whatever. - You need a sense of adventure. My general rule of dim sum: If you don't know what it is, don't ask. Just try it. Finally, if someone would open a Chinese Hot Pot restaurant in Columbus, I would be willing to split my Dim Sumday business between there and Sunflower. You let me know.
(3)Rose T.
I went to Sunflower for Dim Sum on a weekend afternoon. They were definitely super busy, but only waited about 15-20 minutes. This being one of the only restaurants if not the only restaurant that serves Dim Sum in Columbus, I had to try it and was looking forward to the experience. However, most of it was not good at all. The sui mai looked like they were bought frozen and tasted like it. The shrimp cheung fun was okay at best, thin noodle with okay soy sauce. The ribs were probably the best thing there. They were out of egg custards. Steamed BBQ pork buns were MEH. Should have tried the baked ones, they looked a lot better but didn't see them until the end of our meal at a neighboring table. Everything else was either bland, too greasy, and just not good. Dim sum is 10X better in Cleveland, Ohio. But I guess I am comparing this Dim Sum to the ones in Hong Kong, California, and Toronto. This place was a total disappointment.
(1)Katie C.
Horrible! We ordered the generals and the sesame chicken. The generals tasted like fish and the their were bones in a couple pieces of the chicken. For the price that they charge I expected better. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Very disappointed.
(1)Gavin D.
As Columbus' only dim sum place with carts, yes, "Yay! I'm a fan." If you haven't been to a Chinese dim sum place that has carts, here's the basic gist: people bring carts of small plates of food around you point and say which ones you want and they give them to you. You can get full in 10 minutes if you treat the plethora of options like a sprint, rather than a marathon (as you should, in my opinion, treat all buffet-style dining choices). Honestly, there aren't too many dishes that I've been super excited about, and we've had so many that I don't know what to recommend exactly, but this is one of those things that you should do for the experience. Having just said I wouldn't recommend anything, I would encourage people to try any and all of the things that come in the steam cooker thingamajigs - the shumais and such.
(4)Adrienne C.
it's cheap and the food is okay, but I feel like it's not very clean, and it's definitely not healthy. the unhealthy part doesn't bother me as much as the unclean part. it's not that i found anything noticeably dirty during any one of my multiple visits...moreso just the overall vibe of the place that my razor sharp intuition picked up on! try not to get seated in the separate room to the back left of the main area - you'll definitely not see the dimsum carts as often or in as much variety as when you're in the main room. i'm not sure where else to get dimsum in columbus - this seems like by far the most popular spot...so if you're really in the mood for dimsum, this is an acceptable place. i like their sticky rice wrapped in grape leaves.
(2)Sophia L.
It's definitely the best dim sum in Columbus :) Only time I come to Sunflower Chinese Restaurant is for dim sum, actually~ I always start of with a nice pot of chrysanthemum tea which is accompanied with rock sugar... usually, I just dump the whole thing in the pot, but I learned to just drop a piece or two in my own cup ^^;; The dishes are in a-la-cart style and you just pick off the carts as it is rolled by ya; then the person that's rolling the cart will stamp your dim sum card. There are some items that are not on the cart, you can just ask for it they can fix it up for you in the back. They normally have duck, but one day we went they didn't and all we had to do was ask ^__^ I think dim sum is a lot more fun going in a good sized group because you get to try out so much more things!! Happy eating yelpers~
(4)Nijole T.
I had a really hard time deciding between 3 and four stars, but since I am just not a fan of chinese food I can only give it 3. Also the fact that we had 5! different waiters ask us if we were ready to order within the first 5 minutes of sitting down made us feel extreamly rushed. Since I am all about appetizers I got the egg roll, spring roll, won tons, pot stickers and lettuce wrap chicken. All were pretty good, but not earth shattering, the lettuce wrap chicken my favorite. I like they bring fresh lettuce and the filling to the table and you make it yourself and the sauces served are good as well. My husband had the crispy shrimp which he really enjoyed and the Hung Sue Gai Chicken which he did not like very much. It was your usual corn starch sauce, very little chicken and too many veggies for his taste, so I was stuck eating those. The fried rice is ok, also not worth going back for. In all one of the better chinese restaurants in Columbus, the servers are a little too attentive and don't leave you alone, I would not reccomend going here for a quiet date. Also it is one of the more expensive chinese restaurants, we spent $60 which I felt was way too much considering we only got one entree.
(3)Michelle S.
I was reluctant coming here with my boyfriend and his family to celebrate his birthday because I figured it was just another Chinese restaurant. Chinese food is pretty good but it's not my favorite, I prefer Thai. Anyways, coming here was a pretty good idea because everything was delicious! No matter what you order I don't think you'd be disappointed. It's definitely not P.F. Chang's which is highly overrated, over priced, and not as good. This place is yummy. There's no desserts although they do give some ice cream for birthday. The customer service sucks though, seems a bit rude but the food is good so I don't care lol.
(3)Jennifer H.
I really like this place for Chinese.......although, I have not been daring enough to try the Dim Sum since I have no idea what I am doing, and I have no idea how to read Chinese guess one day I will have just try it..... I do, however, really like the stuffed eggplant dish, and this is the only place I have actually found it. Plus, they are really nice to my daughter (which always give a place a big thumbs up in my book). She is only 2 1/2 and can be loud and a pain sometimes, but has decent manners.....and if she gets dirty looks from the wait staff, I don't like it ;) I'm a mom, and that's my deal..... In any case, my hubby and I will continue to go to this place as we get the chance because it is good and pretty authentic.
(4)Delores J.
Feeling like a lama if you want to just jump then just go with dim sum cause I got some. First thing I notice was this was not a melting pot. The majority of guests were Chinese. Having said that, I now know I do not like authentic and genuine real unpretentious great Chinese food. If I did they would have got all the stars. So it was not them, it was my Americanized taste buds. I feel sorry for myself to be so indoctrinated but knowledge is power... and I understand myself, and mostly in the future will stick to Asian Fusion (take out). They understood me too, the waiters, and would say things like you will not like this dish this is an authentic Chinese dish. That was after I sent back the Curry Shrimp Balls, I almost gagged on that dish and balled it up and put it in the napkin hoping they wouldn't see me. They nicely notice and said you don't like that one do you and they politely took it off the tab. I didn't even have to ask. I think my dining experience would have been better if i had observed the dining carts before we were getting up to leave. The dining carts have two languages on them Chinese and English and name all the dishes. The waiters will explain to you that this dish has turtle, shark, or blood. That is nice of them.
(3)Lydia W.
Probably the only place you can get dim sum anywhere near Columbus. It's not bad, but definitely not up to par with the dim sum establishments in bigger coastal cities. Be wary of the stipulations involving restaurant.com gift certificates. It's fun to bring big groups of friends who've never had dim sum here to try this very Cantonese experience. Make sure you try the chicken feet :) They're delicious.
(3)Kazuo O.
If zombies ate Chinese food instead of brains, this place would be the epicenter of a zombie outbreak. Their maopo tofu is excellent. They do have many Szechuwan dishes, so if you are a fan of spicy food you might want to try extra spicy. Basically, if you like good Chinese food, this is a good place to go to. They are very reasonably priced as well. Eat Chinese food instead of brains.
(4)Luke T.
I've been to Sunflower exactly three times. It's a bit far out for us urbanites. I was first tipped off to it by a former coworker, also coincidentally a former Greek Orthodox Monk. Very stand-up guy, super knowledgeable. We went to eat here and he was absolutely right about the place. It's the nicest Chinese restaurant I've been to in Columbus. The dining area is fairly lavish: all the tables have a white tablecloth and glasses for water already set, and the room is quite large. There is genuine waiter service, and the owner walks around in a suit and tie. The food is still priced about average, and seems way more authentic than most places. At the very least, they are using higher quality ingredients. I can still remember how delicious the string beans were, and that particular trip was four years ago. The crab rangoon is spectacular too. Again, tried that years ago. They still stand out! If I lived closer, I would probably go all the time. But being as far out as it is, it's the kind of thing I do rarely. For now, I'll stick to the cheap options right next door.
(4)Susan H.
Dim Sum, Dim Sum, Dim Sum. What can I say? Now that Lee Gardens is gone I will say that there is no competition in the Dim Sum Columbus race. This is the place. Get there early (they open at 11am) because the place will be packed with Chinese families, always a good sign in a Dim Sum place. Be open to everything and ready to explore new foods, flavors, and textures. Not very vegetarian friendly, but ok for pescatarians. There are some vegan dishes- a delicious bok choy, a taro jelly square, some greens, an eggplant/tofu dish, but not very many. Some stand outs- the eggplant/tofu dish (I have no idea what it is called), the egg tart, the taro jelly square, and an amazing macaroon cupcake. There were 10 of us and it was about $18 a person, a little pricey but we had a ton of food. So worth it.
(4)Alex T.
For columbus standards the dim sum is good. Obviously you can not compare to San Francisco or Hong Kong. Also try the Jindoo Pork ribs, by far my favorite dish ever. My favorite Chinese restaurant
(4)Wuyi L.
I brought restaurant.com gift certificate and the food there was very good. Please visit here if you like good Chinese food. They are very reasonably priced as well.
(5)Dianna W.
I love dim sum!!! It's always great to come here with a large group of people. If you have a group of 8 or more, you'll be seated at a table with a lazy Susan. There is much delight in watching food spin around in front of you! Usually, one of my more knowledgable dim sum friends sits closest to the aisles so s/he can "drive" the cart. This involves flagging down a cart, recognizing the foods, and pointing to the foods that we want to eat. At the end of our feeding frenzy, everyone leaves happy. Get here when it opens on the weekend. It's very busy during the lunch hour. Also, depending on how many people show up and our degree of hunger, the cost for dim sum is $10-$16 before tip.
(4)Laura S.
Vegan-friendly, and it seems that they followed my request to use no oil. The online ordering process is wonderfully convenient, too. I got the Buddhist Delight dish and vegetable soup, and it was the best take-out I've had in a long time. I'm willing to get food here again!
(4)Jeremy H.
I have no idea why people eat here or why this place is still in business. When I think of good Chinese food this place doesn't even cross my mind even though I drive past it on my way home every day. The food is horrible, probably the worst chinese food in all of Columbus. The service is great and the atmosphere is better than your typical Chinese buffet, but other restaurants such as Hunan Lion or even Pei Wei Express are better. Really not much to say, I think that most of the people who frequent this grew up in the area eating here like my wife. The food just has little flavor and tastes cheap.
(1)Tabitha T.
I have been to Sunflower more than enough times for it to have earned a review! My Asian and wannabe-Asian friends love to go here for dim sum on Sundays once every month or two. It's a great brunch option, and the more friends you bring, the better! What is dim sum, you ask? Basically, a wonderful tapas-like brunch that takes place in a large room with many closely-spaced tables at which little Chinese women wheel around carts full of small dishes with 3-4 pieces of food on each one. The Asianest person at your table orders (if you all fail the Asian test, just point to the dish(es) you want and hope for no chicken feet), and each cart-manager stamps a placard corresponding to the number and size you ordered. There are also random waiters that wander around and bring you water and tea (and chopsticks, if and when you drop them on the ground). Every week, you'll see some consistency in what they bring out, and some variation, too. There are always lots of shrimp dumplings, steamed pork buns, baby bok choy, and taro cakes (large flat rectangles made of taro, a root vegetable; they usually don't do much for me but last week they were so tasty!). You can order off the special menu, too, and they'll bring out normal sized dishes of whatever you order (beef chow fun will rock your world). There's a dessert cart that comes around at the end (if it comes too soon, tell them to go away) with sesame balls filled with red bean paste, egg custards, boba tea, and so on. They are even willing to split your check at the end. Your meal will probably come out to $10-15, depending on how stuffed you want to be and how many friends you brought. THE GOOD: Delicious, authentic dim sum every Sunday (and presumably Saturday too?) starting at 11:00am. THE GREAT: Seeing your Asian food snob professor at dim sum two times in a row. THE UGLY: When your professor asks you what your favorite dish is, and you have to say "beef chow fun" as you hang your head in shame at your insufficient fobbiness. Whether you're an Asian food snob, an Asian food lover, or just an Asian wannabe, Sunflower will delight your heart and satisfy your palate.
(4)Zhong C.
I took a Guangzhou friend who is a new comer to USA. He said breakfast food in sunflower is very authentic, he felt like coming back home. Authentic food, reasonable price.
(5)Matt W.
Just went to Sunflower for a Christmas dinner with several friends, and I was really impressed with how well we were taken care of. The cantonese Fried Chicken is a subtly spicy, delicious treat, and dishes like the curry chicken and lamb hot pot were clearly made fresh, nothing pre-made. The only disappointment I had was there was no dim sum service during dinner hours - it's a lunchtime only deal. I was hoping to try some of the excellent Dim Sum everyone was talking about!
(4)Craig L.
This is one of the best, most consistent Chinese restaurants in all of Columbus. It verges on fine-dining Chinese food. They have all the classics and they are all prepared extremely well. For my most recent visit I had the Peking Rib. While Peking Duck is the delicacy because of the amount of preparation it requires, the sauce that usually accompanies it is fantastic. My Peking Rib was basically Pork Rib meat in this sauce and I loved every minute of it. I would recommend this place to anyone who is in the area. Or even just close. I have driven 15 or 20 minutes just to get it and it was worth every penny.
(5)Christina C.
First time trying dim sum and although I have nothing to compare it to, I still left happy. In all honesty, I had no idea what dim sum even was, so to educate those reading who like me had no clue until I met up here with fellow yelpers, dim sum (I had to consult Wikipedia on how to best explain) most commonly refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized portions (think dumplings, small plates, and light bites.) You don't really order from a menu, but instead say yay or nay to the waiters running around the restaurant with carts full of all kinds of goodies. So what goodies did I find appetizing? If you're adventurous, just try everything. I did! Including: - chicken foot - pig ear - and blood Jello. ...Yes, I'm for real. The plates just coming (they really get you to try ALL of them, but it's ok to say no.) Talk about variety! Pork dumplings, squid, some chicken thing wrapped in grapeleaves! I didn't know what most of it was, but that didn't stop me from at least giving it a whirl. When in Rome, right? Don't expect to get separate checks, but after we all got our fill it came to about $12-$14 a person with tip. Two lessons I had to learn the hard way: 1.) I don't like blood Jello 2.) Dim sum is not good food to eat before you go on a 10-mile run
(4)Dia G.
My favorite weekend brunch option is dim sum...so I think Sunflower is great! If you come to Sunflower within the optimal two hour window (11am-1pm) on Sat or Sunday, the options are good. The quality of the food is good. But what I really like is that it is a pleasant place to eat with others---clean, large open space, atmospheric bright red walls, and most importantly, the place offers orderly bustle to entertain my 15 month old from the perch of his clean, high chair. I can't speak to any of their non-dim sum items or hours. However, I gave it 5 stars since this a satisfying place for me to come on the weekend.
(5)Lisa K.
Awwww sunflower...! I remember well what it used to be. I have gone to sunflower for 30 years and it was always my go to Chinese joint. Our children grew up on their won ton soup, shrimp chips and chicken wing appetizer. Then they grew up and started ordering my favorite, wor su gai... It was yummy!! In the last 4 years the restaurant started a dim sum menu and their regular menu items have suffered. The wor su gai sauce is colorless and flavorless now. A real disappointment! Now when the grown children want to go there we tell them no... Although If you like Mai tai cocktails you won't find a better one ANYWHERE! Sometimes we just go in for a Mai tai and a lettuce wrap appetizer. Beyond that... Save your money.
(2)Judy C.
Not the best or cheapest dim sum ever (that award goes to LA dim sum) but definitely best in Columbus! Take Diana U.'s advice about getting a gift certificate and go with a large group to save lots of money. Your belly and wallet will both be happy. Hands down, best dish is noodles with XO sauce (a.k.a. crack sauce). Remember those words carefully as you'll want to get it over and over again. They don't always have it on the carts so order it from the kitchen! Other highlights include chicken feet and turnip cake. Avoid the bubble tea (eww)!
(4)Luyang Y.
They serve the best Hong-Kong style food in Ohio. But it's just OK.
(4)Jason S.
It takes something special to get me to wake up before noon on a Sunday. Brunch at the right place would do it, and now, so would dim sum. And ten minutes away from my apartment? Brilliant. A few of us arrived just before 11:10, by which time the fairly large restaurant was already more than half full. A blink later, and there were no seats in the house. Sunflower obviously prepares for a legion of attendees at every lunch service; the dim sum were ready and steaming in anticipation before we even sat down. In no time we had a lazy susan packed with plates, only delayed slightly by the fact that the more knowledgeable dim summers were seated away from the fast moving carts. Some dishes I knew, some I can now identify by name with the aid of the hive mind, some I've surely still mislabeled: har gau (shrimp dumplings); shu mai (steamed pork dumplings); hum bao and cha siu bao (two barbecued pork bun types, the former steamed in a fluffy bun, the latter baked with a sweet glaze); chicken feet; thinly sliced, spicy pig's ear; congealed pig's blood; lo mai gai (glutinous rice with egg yolk, meat, etc. wrapped in a lotus leaf); pork ribs/caps; a squid dish with red onion I can't properly identify; clams in a brown sauce; and daikon cake. There were more than a dozen other dishes we didn't try, and perhaps a few more that escape my memory. (At the time, our table's picking method was more a half blind "we'll take that one, that one, no not that one, yeah that one, two of those, what is that?, ooh that looks tasty.") Particular highlights? The cha siu bao's sweet glaze and tasty pork filling made me return for a second (and third, shh), despite some char on the bottom. The squid dish featured some of the fresher tasting squid I've had in the city, and the clam dish's flavor and broth gave Sunflower an impressive one-two punch of surprisingly good seafood. The lo mai gai's lotus leaf added a pleasant earthiness to the glutinous rice and tender meat, making me want a full leaf for myself. Finally, the pig's ear's cartilage crunch and spicy chili sauce made it a surprise favorite. The rest registered anywhere from good down to unexceptional. The beauty of dim sum, and Sunflower's efficient rotation, is that you'll have a pile of food in front of you within five minutes, and can be tapped out within a half hour. By 11:40 we were staring at the remnants of our dishes, wondering who among us still had room to polish each off. The desserts we ordered a few minutes later were decent but didn't light anyone on fire. One we ordered accidentally was a tofu pudding with a sweet syrup that was added when it was served; the second was cubed soft tofu with fruit. Both were served in clear bowls, and many of us used our teacups as impromptu dessert bowls. We had ordered some sesame balls as part of the main meal, which were probably the highlight of the dessert options we tried. Our final tab, after a $25 coupon, came to a bit over $12 per person including tip. Not a bad price for a big meal, but perhaps not the cheapest one can find as far as dim sum is concerned. But in a city with few enough options (Lee Garden is one of the few others I can think of), perhaps you pay some for the exclusivity. Sunflower may not be my favorite Chinese place in Columbus, but their dim sum is some of the best you're going to find. If you want a real Columbus food adventure, you know the address.
(3)Keith R.
What do I love about Sundays? Let's see there is football, NASCAR, just being a bum and now some dim sum. Sunflower is literally across the street from my apartment which was an added perk because I was able to sleep in until the last possible minute prior to meeting some fellow Yelpers for a UYE Brunch. As a suggestion, get there promptly around 11am, because this place fills up fast. Now keep in mind this was my first dim sum and I wasn't sure what to expect. The only thing I knew about dim sum is that it was pushed around on small carts. Heck, even half the stuff presented I didn't know what it was until a few experienced dim summers told us. I left it up to their expertise to select the food. I call it the curse of growing up in a small town with comfort food diners. Exceeding my caloric intake for the day and sending my body into a true food coma, I tried the following: dumplings, pig ear, squid, and these little rolls tossed in sesame seeds. There was a soy sauce that had been infused with jalepeno peppers which complemented everything perfectly. I have to admit, I have never been a huge fan of calamari. The thought of squid just has always grossed me out. This calamari however came out tossed in a blend of lettuce, onion, herbs and a slight hint of lemon that blend everything together. It made me forget that I was eating a one eyed, sucking sea monster. Sunflower's Dim Sum will be on my list for the next time someone says they are wanting to expand thier cultural interests.
(4)Sarah H.
I had kind of been bracing myself for disaster since Columbus seems to have a dearth of Chinese food in my neighborhood. I guess I should have known that the ethnic food gems are always in unexpected places. This was some solid dim sum. In fact, I think I got a better variety that I normally do in big cities- more interesting stuff than your standard dumplings. This is full-on cart dim sum with language barriers included just like in the big city. For example: I tried to order custard buns and ended up with baked char siu bao. Nothing like delicious pork for dessert! the bottoms were a little charred (ha-ha) and the bread was actually more chewy than fluffy - not the best quality I've ever had. I never did end up getting my custard buns, which are some of my favorite Chinese foods. bummer. There was also an amusing moment when the first cart arrived and the woman pushing it offered chicken feet whilst saying "you might not want these" and she giggled when I insisted that I actually did. I think that after that we started getting offered more.. "exotic" dishes. The chicken feet, by the way, were really good here. Exotic dishes including pig's ears (not the best I've had), blood "jello" as the man who served us described it (I've had much much better in Boston), and squid salad (AMAZING, super fresh tasting). We got your traditional spread of dumplings and shumai and they were all pretty good. The steamed char siu bao, or "BBQ pork clouds" as I call them, were very good, but not the best I've ever had. I was disappointed to not get any of the slippery rice crepes that I'm accustomed to devouring at dim sum. I feel like I saw them on a cart, but they never made their way to us. Turnip cakes were a-OK, but they didn't come with the hoisin-like sauce I'm used to eating them with. Sesame balls were pretty good but I wish they had some with different fillings. Maybe they did and I just need to work on my dim sum vocabulary.
(4)Julie M.
Shrimp toast was really good! Crab Rangoon wasn't the best but the menu and atmosphere were great
(4)Vernon A.
My fist dim sum was in East LA. I think me and my lunch mate were the only Anglos in that giant place. It was inspiring. So much so, so good, so unexpected, that from there anytime anyone said dim sum, I am in. So I was gleeful to learn we had Sunflower in Columbus. Our experience did not disappoint. Why? Because it is this big mess of a place stuffed with people wolfing down plate after plate of their dim sum. It is the back room with Chinese pop karaoke on a big projection screen. It is a wait staff that is either all in black or odd whatever. It is uneven food that went from great to bland to hot to cold. If you are a culinary perfectionist, not for you. If you want elegance, uh, think again. But for a lighthearted person looking for an enjoyable and not the same, this is absolutely great. It can also feature vans full of retired Chinese and mobs of families, so think about the timing and perhaps it is best early or late, although was so busy the day we were there it didn't matter. They serve nice dumplings. That was the highlight for me. They served nice buns, although I've had better. We really liked the turnip cakes. We were too full for dessert, although the desserts looked nice. I want to go back. I don't care about any negatives in other reviews. Too much fun.
(4)Kent W.
My only experience with Dim Sum. It can be overwhelming for someone who doesn't speak the language. There are many items to choose from, and it isn't always obvious what they are. I go with my roommate, since he speaks Mandarin. Try the phoenix claw, but start with only one serving.
(4)EL T.
Not sure if this is the only place in Columbus to have "dim sum". The restaurant was packed but I thought the food was below average. I've had much better "dim sum" than this one. I spent $80 with a party of five on a Sunday morning. That didn't make me a happy person. I could have better "dim sum" in New York or Chicago with lower price. So, if you are not craving for "dim sum", I would recommend you to try something else.
(2)Diana U.
BEST dim sum in Columbus. If you happen upon something better, please let me know because this is all I can find that is good in Columbus...unfortunately. They have the largest selection of dim sum and continue to make more throughout the lunch period. The prices are high, to me, but I compensate for that using restaurant.com gift certificate (they are amazing). The carts come by often enough and the servers can help you pick dishes in English if you don't know much about dim sum. This is 4 stars in my book as dim sum in Columbus goes. As for quality of dim sum overall from what I've experienced...it's more like a 2.5. So if you are from California, New York, Chicago, or some other big city with an awesome Chinatown, this isn't great, but the best you may be able to get in town.
(4)Jon R.
Sunflower Chinese is a restaurant that has been on my radar, and upon recently accepting a job outside of Columbus (forcing me to move), I wanted to give Sunflower a try before I depart... I had an awesome time at Sunflower with some fellow Yelpers. When I walked in, I felt like this was more like the kind of Chinese restaurant I had been looking for: sit down and nice, not overly Americanized, and seemingly frequented by the Asian community in Columbus. We started with some appetizers: crab rangoon, steamed potstickers, and an egg roll. The crab rangoon was tasty but a little cheesey for my taste, though the sweet and sour sauce was a nice touch. The egg roll was quite tasty. As for the potstickers: I have been trying to figure out for awhile the exact difference between dumplings and potstickers, but most places I've been to where they're referred to as "potstickers" I don't like them as much. The noodle around the meat is a little thinner (almost wonton-like), and the meat has a lighter color, and is often not as saucy or sweet as "steamed dumplings." Our entrees came out the second we finished our appetizers, which was perfect. I ordered the sesame chicken (my staple for a first try at a Chinese restaurant), and my two friends ordered Tong Sum Choi and Wor Sue Gai. I did not try the Tong Sum Choi but it sounded like my friend enjoyed it. The Wor Sue Gai was pretty tasty, I enjoyed the texture and the peanut topping. And for the Sesame Chicken... I was, sad to say, not impressed :(. The sauce was of a good consistency, but it lacked sweetness (it was a little bland). It did coated the chicken well and had lots of sesame seeds though. The chicken was too hard - a pretty strong chomp was required to bite down on it. Personally, I prefer a softer sesame chicken with a darker sweeter sauce. I liked the Sesame Chicken better than Moy's, but not as much as Ying's or Taste of Orient. The dumplings, however, were better than Ying's and Taste of Orient. Overall, the service and decor was good, and the oolong tea was delicious. The portions were large as all of us had to take some leftovers home. If I were staying in Columbus, I would love to try Sunflower's afternoon dim sum, as dim sum is one of my favorite Chinese cuisines. However, the sesame chicken kept me yearning. And as I am leaving Columbus in two weeks, this may be the end of my search! Despite a valiant attempt, I will need to cross Sunflower off my list in my search for Columbus's best.
(3)Bonachella K.
Best chinese food ever. Huge portions. Usually you will have a doggy bag. Super nice staff.
(5)Jonathan S.
Having had dimsum in LA, SF, Manhattan Chinatown, and Flushing.... needless to say I came to this place with lower expectations. They had the standard dimsum offerings. The dishes were pretty expensive. We ordered a plate of greens (special item ~6 dollars), shumai, soup dumplings, and shrimp dumplings (medium items, each almost 4 dollars?), and pork ribs (small item). 5 items cost us 20+ dollars. (That meant one meh-ok shumai was almost a dollar each...) They all tasted average, nothing spectacular. I wouldn't say that it hits the spot if you have a craving for dimsum, but it does the job. I was impressed, however, by the real chrysanthemum tea! And so typical of Chinese restaurants, fast service! The ladies pushing the carts are also quite helpful in helping you find dimsum items from other carts or the kitchen. .
(3)Mike H.
I would call this place slightly above average for a Chinese restaurant in Columbus. We started sharing sizzling rice soup, a spring roll, and spare ribs. The apps were good but not outstanding. The soup was a tad on the bland side for my tastes but was good. Then we ordered War Ba and Phoenix and Dragon. The War Ba was good, but again, a bit bland. I didn't specify the spiciness of the Phoenix and Dragon but it had a good amount spice by default which was nice. I regret not trying something with a brown sauce. The service was good and I did see quite a few Asians eating there. They have large fish tanks with live fish in them. Some of them appear to be on the menu. I wouldn't say the tanks were in bad shape but it looked like they could use a little more tlc. There was a slightly off-putting aquarium algae smell in this area. I would go back to try more stuff if I was in the area but probably wouldn't make a special trip.
(3)Bob N.
All I can say is what happened? I have been coming here for the past two years. On my last two visits the food quality has gone downhill. The dim sum is not fresh the way it used to be. The dinner entrees are not as fresh as they were in the past. It seems to be a quality control or inventory problem. I sure hope they get a handle on the quality issue or this will bite them down the road. This place use to be on the top of my list for Chinese food and Dim Sum.
(2)Joy W.
This is not an ideal Cantonese style place. It's too expensive in terms of the food value, and the food are mediocre.
(2)Sarah T.
I enjoy the option of having dim sum while in Columbus, so I will reluctantly admit that I like to come here. The sesame ball and egg tart portions are extremely small. The crepes were a sad looking plate. This is not a good place for anyone who has been to Cleveland, Chicago, or San Francisco.
(3)R K.
The best Dim Sum in Columbus. I agree, not everything at Sunflower is exactly like it is in Hong Kong, but they do their best. I don't usually order anything off the regular menu and only frequent this place on the weekends for the Dim Sum carts and hot soup. Sample items from the various carts to see what you like and don't be afraid to ask the waiters for a description. They may look annoyed, but that's just a front. They are all actually quite polite and helpful. Some even go out of their way to order special dishes from the back that may not be on the cart. It gets busy if you go between 12pm-2pm so be prepared for a short wait. Once you select an item from the cart, they stamp a sheet of paper on your table that indicates a price for the item. At the end of your meal, you take your stamped sheet to checkout for the final bill. Get some hot Jasmine tea to start with and once the carts roll by ask for the Shrimp dumplings, Pork Shumai, Fried Taro, Baby Bok Choy, Steamed Pork Buns, BBQ Pork Buns, BBQ Chicken Feet, Steamed pork spare ribs with rice noodle, mussels, etc. etc. and finally a Chinese Donut.
(5)John Q.
We tried this on a Saturday night and had a pretty forgettable meal. Tea and pot stickers were lovely - warm and crispy (the pot stickers, obviously). Also ordered a chicken-shrimp-snow peas dish and General Tsao's chicken at the server's recommendation. Both entrees were very disappointing. The fried chicken pieces in General Tso were swimming in a sticky sweet puddle and the other dish had very little flavor. The service was very nice and timely - but the food just doesn't merit another return in my view.
(2)Dan C.
I really had high hopes for this place after reading all the reviews. I have ordered food from them three times and have been sadly disappointed every time. The most recent time I decided to order their sweet and sour chicken with some vegetable spring rolls as take-out. As per usual, the chicken pieces were way too large, the egg batter too thick (resembled scrambled eggs) and not crispy at all. Also, the sauce is packaged separately, which I understand is to prevent the food from becoming soggy. Unfortunately it throws the flavor profile completely off, having a very sweet sauce against bland eggy chicken. The vegetable spring rolls tasted like seafood as I can only guess that they used old oil to fry them in. Mind you, I have been to great Chinese restaurants and trust me they don't include the likes of Panda Express and P.F. Chang's. That said, it hasn't been an entirely awful experience as the staff are quite friendly, but I won't be returning again. For the price, it's not worth it.
(2)Renee K.
BEST DIM SUM IN THE CITY... amazing food, fantastic selection, and delicious authenticity. Don't be shy...part of the fun is being quick to flag down carts with the best food. DO NOT go if you want a nice, relaxing, quiet brunch. And you tend to smell like dim sum when you leave...ah, i don't really see an issue with it
(5)Jurgen J.
Best place to have dim sum in Columbus. My favorites are Cha Liong (fried dough covered with rice sheet) and Cheong fan xo sauce (rice sheet sauteed with xo sauce). The others like siumai, ha kau, beef tripe, pork ribs are pretty standard. The egg tart is not my favorite. Dinner on the other hand is very different. I had both good and bad experiences with dinner. Because of the high inconsistencies, i have decided not to try my luck here for dinner. Just go here for the dimsum. Come early (at 11 or 12) so you don't have to wait long.
(3)Mindy W.
This place gets an extra star based strictly on the fact that they actually offer dim sum in Columbus. I have only had dim sum one other time, but it was in Chinatown in San Francisco. Needless to say, I have had very high expectations for dim sum ever since that experience (never have high expectations for ethnic food in Ohio). Typical service for a Chinese restaurant. I also recognize that dim sum service is a bit hectic. I was perfectly happy with the rate at which they brought by the carts. The hot tea was delicious! The dim sum we had was pretty much all amazing. We did have one questionable shrimp dish, but everything else was really lovely. We stayed away from the more adventurous dishes of tripe, but there were plenty of choices of what looked like "authentic" dim sum that scared us away. Not as good as San Fran Chinatown dim sum, but definitely good enough to go back in the future!
(4)Monish D.
This has to be by far the best chinese restaurant I have tried in Columbus. Went here on a Monday night, place wasn't packed but had a decent crowd in. I knew we were in for something good when we were the only non-Chinese people there and the waitress had a hard time trying to understand us!! I tried a couple of type of dim sums (Shrimp and pork) and they were both delicious. Also got the chicken fried rice, which was pretty good too. The dimsums were $3.5 for 4 of them, which I think is a really good price. Can't wait to go back and try out more menu options!
(4)Sher Y.
Decent place for Dim Sum
(4)Jenny H.
For someone who grew up on Chinatown in Chicago, this is as good as it gets for authentic eats in the Columbus area. They offer the usual fare- sauteed asian veggies (that I can probably buy at the asian mart but can never achieve the just-cooked-in-a-flaming-hot-wok taste), fresh steamed fish, cantonese style lobster, and claypot tofu. I usually go for dinner but a group of friends and I went for sunday dim sum. The place was packed and I'd grown accustomed to the lack of tactful service in these locales. However, there are two cardinal rules when dining at a chinese restaurant- rice is a must and always keep the tea coming. In addition to dim sum, a couple of us ordered some dishes to share. We were told that there'd be rice, but none came. We felt neglected as different waitresses shuffled to and fro. We know you're busy but it crosses the line when we have to scream and wave you down. In general, I wasn't too impressed by their dim sum. Their xiao long baos tasted like they were sitting out for too long-- as with almost everything that we selected from their carts. I probably won't be coming back for dim sum, but if I must, I will be ordering my own dishes. Otherwise, this is definitely my go-to spot for some satisfying chinese food.
(3)Rich S.
I had hoped for better. I totally dig the design. The red walls, gold artwork, it was something out of Chinese cinema. The menu looked promising. Let me start with the positives. The entrees were sweet and sour tofu and garlic green beans. The tofu was the highlight of the evening. It was nice and soft in the middle, and crispy on the outside. The sauce was delicious, not your normal Americanized raspberry kool aid infused sickly sweet red sauce. The green beans, while not the best garlic green beans I've had, were tasty, but could have used more salt and garlic. OK, the appetizers were awful. The vegetarian spring roll had mushy cabbage inside, and there was no flavor. Even an abundance of sweet and sour sauce with hot mustard could not save these poor things. The vegetarian pot stickers were just as terrible. They had that "in the freezer too long" feel to them. You know, when you buy some already made Chinese dumplings from the Asian market, go home and eat half of them, then give them a try a few months later after finding them behind the giant bag of frozen blueberries in your freezer. Like that. I might return just for the decor and the tofu. A couple more of the entrees looked pretty good, but as I already tried the only two vegan appetizers and was disappointed, I will not be trying any more. If I return and have a better experience I will re-review this place. Until then, I stick by my two stars.
(2)Jay Q.
I went with some friends for Dim Sum as our weekend brunch once, probably will not go back. The carts for Dim Sum got around okay, and the food ... some tasted fairly good, but the other tasted like your Asian market frozen food reheated. Also, I totally understand the hectic workload of the staff there but maybe - just maybe - the cashier did not have to be that rude when talking to us, when we took two minutes to figure out how to split our bill.
(2)Peter L.
The best dim sum in Columbus. And also the only dim sum in Columbus that I've tried, but whatever it's pretty good. The glazed BBQ pork buns (cha shao bao) are awesome. I also recommend the sticky rice with chicken wrapped in tea leaves (zhong zi) and the fried sweet taro balls. I wouldn't mind more variety and more carts, and sometimes there's a wait, but I'll definitely be back. Check it out.
(4)viv l.
After having lived in Columbus for a whole 24 months, I'm going to have to begrudgingly raise the number of stars for Sunflower's dim sum service. After about a year long hiatus from my first visit, I go almost every month now and it really helps with the homesickness. I'm really happy that I can specify the type of tea I have (non sweetened chrysanthemum) and that the push-cart ladies will use english, cantonese, or even mandarin to satisfy whatever craving I have. Even better, the manager who always wears suspenders is always quick to bring out any special requests I've made. I really enjoy the shrimp he fun, the egg tarts, the choy sum, the radish cake, and the har gaw is pretty good too. And the chicken feet are a must for every visit. Sunflower, I've changed my ways, forgive me for my high expectations and accept my gratitude? BFF always? Promise?
(4)Kevin M.
I love there Chicken, Wor Su Gai, and even the Sweet and Sour Chicken And there Wonton soup is The best I ever had. Thank You Danny we LOVE YOU IN COLUMBUS
(5)Jasmine M.
Sunflower's dim sum is the best in Columbus! Not only is it authentic like what I am used to in Hong Kong & Malaysia, it is also made fresh. Every weekend, waitresses will push carts around and offer a huge variety of dim sum. Prices are very reasonable as well. This is the place I come to get my Cantonese fix. A la carte dishes can be improved although it is already one of the top few places that offer Cantonese food. I usually just come here for dim sum as the entrees still do not meet my personal standards. Keep on eating, diners!
(4)Roderick C.
Best dim sum in central Ohio! Okay, it's not Hong Kong quality, but what is? However, it's actually on a par with the best dim sum I've found in San Francisco (maybe I've been unlucky on my many tries there to find a wonderful dim sum place?) If you have any doubt, check out the throngs of satisfied Chinese dim sum diners on weekends (always the best indicator of the quality of Chinese food restaurants in America). Service varies from indifferent to outstanding. I have my captain, who takes royal care of me and my guests, despite the sometimes frenetic pace when it's busy.
(5)Joshua B.
This is the Gold Standard that I compare all other Chinese food against. Not many come anywhere close, but I have hope that I might find something good in a town that I live in. EVERY time I go home to Ohio, I go to places I miss, but if I have to pick only one place, this would be the place. Just a few of my favorite dishes: Sunflower Beef, General's Chicken, Wor Su Gai, and even the Sweet and Sour Chicken is better than anywhere else I've found. And the little things make the food even better. The sweet and sour sauce for egg rolls is made from citrus and compliments the egg roll instead of overpowering it. the hot mustard is the perfect heat (actually hot). We've been going here since I was in high school and the owner still manages to put up with my dad's small talk. The sister restaurant, Ming Flower, has food that's just as good (same recipes).
(5)Jenny B.
The food here is decent and the service is really fast at lunch. It hits the spot when you are in a little bit of a hurry, but still want a place to sit down and be waited on at lunch. A big plus is the Alive and Other papers for your reading pleasure.
(3)Brandon K.
when u walk in, there is a huge fishtank with a few oscar fish...if nothing else it makes for something to look at to pass time. while your order is made...(wich wont be that long most of the time) sunflower offers a large menu.. and a huge variety of plates.. from your typical chicken wings and rice. to vancouver crab , with spicy salt. I usually get me order to go. but the dining area is amazing.. has the feel of a "asian palace" with gold tones everywhere.. its usually not to packed inside...and apprearance is always immaculate . would make a great place for a large group. price range isnt the greatest... but in my opinion is well worth it.. for authentic flavor
(4)Kim D.
I went here for Dim Sum. Not comparable to the dim sum I am used to eating in Canada. The price is high. My husband and I and our little boy left with a $80 bill (my son doesn't like Chinese food). We tried most of their dim sum. Quality is poor. I doubt if I will come back. So sad...now I have to drive so far away for a good dim sum! This can't not be the only one in Columbus!
(1)Michael M.
To all those people who thought the dim sum was pedestrian -- what are you expecting, gold leaf and white truffle pot stickers? We were in Columbus for a family wedding and had the morning before the wedding free. Dim sum called. There was a wide selection of both common (turnip cakes, vegetable dumplings, shu mai, etc) and exotics (chicken feet and duck's blood). We had a couple of items which weren't so great (the roasted pork was kind of fatty, and the water chestnut cake was oddly textured), but that's the fun of dim sum. Trying new things, some of which don't thrill you. Among the hits were the barbaqued pork bao and lobster dumplings. There was also a cashew chicken dish served in a fried taro shell.
(4)Collin M.
My default for takeout in the area. The standards are all good, and my favorite is the Hong Kong noodles. I hear amazing things about the dim sum, which I look forward to trying.
(4)Felix L.
Sunflower has the best Dimsum in Columbus bar none. Having been a patron of Sunflower for the past 11 years, I can vouch that Sunflower has some of the best chinese foods in town, and the food only gets better the more times I go there, and now that they serve Honglong-Style dimsums (where chinese ladies go around your table with little carts full of dimsum goodies, and you get to pick what you want) I have more reasons to go there more often. Danny, the proprietor is always there to help out with whatever you need, special request for your order? no problem!! want some dimsum that's not available in the carts? he makes your wish come true... ok nuff talking about Sunflower..just go there and see for yourself..you won't be dissapointed..
(5)Stephen Y.
The best food they offer are the dim sum dishes on the weekend. Even then, the food is greasy and fatty. I'm just not impressed with their service or lack thereof. Where is the water when you sit down? The food is alright, but one rude manager and service could be improved.
(3)D P.
Food was great. Service was fine. A little pricey. Overall, a good place to have traditional Chinese food and recommended.
(4)Jose C.
If I was comparing their dim sum to china, nyc, chicago, then it would get 2 stars. Since this is columbus, they might have the best dim sum here but it's still average. What I don't recommend here are sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves (they put chicken, waterchesnut, and carrots) and their shrimp/beef/pork crepes. Dumplings are delicious here but they're kindda small and expensive. I highly recommend the spicy chicken feet because I usually put down 3 orders of it by myself. If you don't have the balls to try chicken feet, grow sum.
(4)Jennifer Z.
What happened to Sunflower? I used to eat here all the time it was great. I went tonight and should have left when just walking through the 2 lobby areas the smell nearly turned my stomach, however I went ahead and got a table. The dining room is massive and empty except us and 2 other tables, we received water in glasses with stuff floating in them, the egg drop soup was overly thick with a funny salty taste. The main dishes were decent but the overall stinky dirty vibe from the place will def remove it from my list of fav places.
(1)Leena V.
Living in Dayton, you either need to go to Cincinnati for dim sum or Columbus. Sunflower is the second dim sum place I have tried in Columbus and it definitely beat the little dim sum offering I received at a chinese restaurant one Kenny road a few years back which my husband referred to as warm mucus. Yum. We loved the atmosphere, although it was a bit crowded and this one table kept staring at our little family; maybe my kids were too loud and obnoxious? The walls were painted a nice modern red color and there were fish in the front room that the kids could look at. I think there were even ones for sale. Sunflower offered quite a bit of variety. I was a bit perplexed with their soy sauce because it contained jalapenos instead of thai or just hot red chilis, so it was different. The food was about the same as everywhere else, and it had most of my favorites, but no "footballs" - sorry, I still do not know the real name of those fried football-looking morsels. My daughters of course loved the desserts, egg custard and white steamed bun with custard inside. My husband was partial to the shumai and barbeque pork buns; he is pretty conservative. I enjoyed the scallion potstickers, just because I like my veggies. The only complaint I have is that they never did bring out the chinese broccoli with oyster sauce that I ordered. Perhaps I am not aggressive enough. The price was reasonable, but generally the same as every other dim sum restaurant I have been to. All in all, the food was alright, the price was about right, and the scenery was nice. Nothing spectacular, but if you are craving dim sum, and are in southwest/central Ohio, I guess you cannot really do much better.
(3)Tom D.
3.5 stars I wasn't expecting to have great Chinese food in Columbus -- but actually this was quite good and pretty authentic as well. The pan fried noodles were the highlight -- and had all of the dishes been as good this would have easily hit 4 stars, but the stuffed tofu was not very good and the black pepper scallops were quite salty. Perhaps the strangest thing I have seen on a menu at a Chinese restaurant, fortune cookies are listed under desserts -- at 50 cents a pop. I would frequent this place if I lived in the area -- and probably would do so if it happened to be in the DC area as well.
(3)John L.
Everything's relative, and when I'm away from the Bay area, i realize that good Chinese food is a little harder to come by. To my surprise, Sunflower in Ohio was a great choice with good food and good service. The restaurant itself is spacious and partitioned to accommodate multiple groups. Service was great, and the food was excellent as well. I only wish I could have tried this place for dim sum. The lobster was great, as was the flounder. I want to rate it higher, but I'm too spoiled by San Francisco/Los Angeles Chinese food. Make no mistake, this is good food, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for Chinese.
(3)Jason H.
We had such high hopes driving to the restaurant. We pulled into the shopping center and the plaza was run down and we hoped it wasn't indicative to sunflower. But we were wrong! The whole place looks like it hasn't been properly maintained in years! The servers were rude saying "what you want!". Food was over cooked and bland. I really didn't think you could screw up Mongolian chicken. I will never set foot into this establishment again! And I will make sure to tell everyone I know about this place. BEWARE!!!!
(1)Joseph H.
I am a Chinesee-American and grew up in LA. To me, Sunflower is definitely one of the best "authentic" Chinese restaurants in Columbus! They also offer dim-sum (on carts!!!) during lunch time as well, which is something you don't get to see very often here in the Midwest. Their dim-sum is so good that when I took my parents there, they thought it tasted just like those restaurants in LA. Dim-sum is best eaten with a group of friends, because you can order different dishes. Sunflower offers excellent dim-sum at an unbeatable value (approx $10 / person). This is definitely the place I would go when I long for real Chinese food. I am glad that I made the discovery. If you are looking for real Chinese food (not P.F. Chang or Panda Express), then try Sunflower. Btw, get there early on weekends, or be ready to wait for 30 minutes.
(5)Wai W.
Sunflower is a bit pricey on their food. Not just Dim Sum. The quality of the food is average. A family of four can easily spend over $75 on seafood dishes. If compare to other HK Style Dim Sum in LA, NY, Toronto or Cleveland, Sun Flower is just so so. Too bad, there's not a lot of good Chinese Restaurant in Columbus. And people wonder why I drive all the way to NY, Cleveland or Toronto to eat good Chinese food? =P
(2)MJ L.
Finally, after hearing about Sunflower restaurant and their dim sum for at least a year or so, we finally got a chance to try them on the new year's day. We got there shortly after they opened up and the place was about half full already. The decor in there was pretty nice... although the entry way was a bit confusing... or maybe I was just confused because I was starving. Anyway, we were so happy to see the carts weaving around tables! I haven't seen dim sum carts since I was in Chicago about 2 years ago! We started grabbing and saying yes to many of those plates. They were even carting around bubble teas. The variety was pretty good the short time we were there, my favorite was shrimp wrapped in semi transparent rice pancake served with a variation of soy sauce poured over the top... YUM! Texture of the wrapping may not be for everyone, cause it kind of got slippery from the sauce (think tapioca pearls), but it's kind of fun to eat for me. Another type of dumpling I liked had a mixture of shrimp pieces and fragrant herbs- very delicious. I didn't like their egg tarts... the egg custard part was too runny and had very little flavor or sweetness.... too bad. Another let down was their scallop dumplings... scallops were not fresh, so the dumplings had not so pleasant fishy smell and rubbery texture of the scallop was a bit off putting. For desert, we picked a bowl of mango jello type of thing to share... it was just right in sweetness and texture and had a lot of mango pieces which were also just ripe! A wonderful end to an overall great dim sum brunch! I really wish we weren't in a time crunch to make it to another engagement that afternoon, but we were.... Had we stayed there longer than an hour, I think we might have been able to sample more variety of dim sum. We must have sampled about 6-7 plates and our bill came to about $35, not bad at all! By the time we were leaving, there was a crowd of people waiting out in the entry way. I can not wait to go back!
(4)Keith W.
I liked the place, food seemed to be a better quality, but it seemed everything had a fish taste to it.
(2)Tiffany E.
My first Dim Sum...and I loved it. Everything was wonderful!!!
(5)Theresa H.
This is the best Dim Sum in Columbus in my opinion. Whenever family comes in to town we do lunch here. We regularly arrange our family banquet for Chinese New Years and always have an excellent and authentic meal. We have found recently that they have a nice selection of noodle wonton soups and Jook(congee) on their lunch menu for those of us craving some street food.
(4)Tony M.
Columbus is so very fortunate to have the Sunflower, a fine Chinese restaurant with authentic Cantonese Dim Sum meals. I have gone numerous times as a American guest of different groups of Chinese to eat here. I have eaten in fine Dim Sum restaurant in New York City Chinatown, Chicago and Vancouver and from my experience... the Sunflower provides authentic Dim Sum food and, particularly on weekends, the same atmosphere of a big city Chinese restaurant filled with many large Chinese families enjoying a traditional Dim Sum served by waiters using push carts loaded with mouth watering Dim Sum dishes in steamer baskets. Somehow its isn't real Dim Sum if isn't wheeled around the tables on a good old fashioned stainless steel wheeled cart, the Southern Chinese version of a smorgasboard on wheels. The big round tables with the lazy Susan "turn table" platform ...its is all there. I am very happy now to recommend Sunflower to three of my Meetup.com groups. We'll be reserving tables and coming as a group. For those of you who don't have the opportunity to get to New York City or Vancouver..just head north on Sawmill and enjoy the convenience of authentic Chinese atmosphere and food right here in Central Ohio!
(5)LR T.
Mom and I went for Dim Sum this morning. It's probably the better of the restaurants offering Dim Sum in the Columbus area. I've gone to all of the ones that have offered Dim Sum on their menus at one time or another. Of course it's not the same as in Hong Kong but it will do for a fix in the midwest.
(3)Johaun C.
there are those rare times when you experience something so mind-blowing you can explicitly remember the first time. this is the case with Sunflower. i was a freshman at OSU and a definite rookie when it came to Columbus eateries. i was invited by a friend to tag along to some sort of rally for a City Council member... all i remember is the food. the chicken with black bean sauce here will give you a genuine foodgasm. other favorites include the shredded duck with bean sprouts and beef pepper steak hong kong style. they also now do dim sum--don't expect San Fran or NYC caliber dim sum here, but probably close to if not the best in Columbus.
(5)Shey J.
My experience at Sunflower started off above average, but ended on a very sour note. The food was good- not great. For columbus, this is as good as dim sum gets, but this restaurant wouldn't stay afloat in Chicago or New York. Everything for the most part was bland and the steamed pork buns were dry. It doesn't seem like most of this stuff is made in house. Everything has the texture of a bulk frozen product. When we were ready to pay, I gave the waitress my credit card. In the next 2 minutes, my card was gone. She denies having it- the owner even made me open up MY purse and show him that I didn't have MY OWN card. In the meantime, the waitress wouldn't even look me in the eye or approach our table. I demanded that if I had to have my own bag checked, then the waitress should empty her pockets out. No one would oblige- so I left and called the bank. Not going back.
(1)Tiffany C.
Scenario: It's Christmas... you're looking around your local area with a shred of hope that there might be some decent Chinese Restaurant around that is open so you can celebrate your Christmas tradition. You drive by this place in a strip mall off of Sawmill and realize 'Wow they are packed!' Perhaps it is worth a stop. Walking into Sunflower you will be insanely confused... to your right there is a door to the bar. Does one enter through this door risking scowls from patrons? To your left it is black as night... a miasma of dark magic.. I'm guessing this is where they keep the dragon.Finally, groups of people exit from a door further ahead on the right. We fight the ruthless group of zombies with eyes glazed over in gluttony. They put up no fight. We enter and are seated promptly by a nice gentleman in a tie after a brief rest. The room is large, red, with sculptures of golden zodiac figures on the wall. A small young buddha sits on a pedestal cheerfully looking amongst the crowds of people feasting, laughing and some scowling. We order a plethora of food based upon the previous reviews I am reading on my wireless telephone device. Dim sum was not an option. Crab Rangoon: The wontons were doughy and good, but the innards were bland and boring. General Tso's: Again.. boring... unremarkable. I believe I have had better at carryout places down the road. The service was prompt, quick, overall professional with slight hints of friendliness. After a few goods laughs and stories amongst the party and some doggie bags full of food, though no Dog would be ingesting our left over pickings... we left. Fighting poor souls and scowling girlfriends awaiting entrance into Sunflower out in the place in which our journey began we found a door and left...out into the cold existence from whence we came on a bitter Christmas evening.
(2)Johnny N.
I was excited to come here as there aren't many options for authentic asian food in town. My expectations weren't particularly high, but I expected, at a minimum, to have food to eat. What I got instead was frustration. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for what paths the food carts took, because very few came near us. We would catch an outlier here and there and have something to eat for a good 5 minutes, followed by a 10 minute wait...rinse and repeat until exasperated. We never got exactly what we wanted. Eventually we just gave up and left. The service was atrocious. Two stars because the food was okay.
(2)J. Jack C.
A 4-star Chinese restaurant in mid Ohio Chinese food standard. Compare to So, Cal., maybe a 3-star. The quality is not consistent, some days the Dim Sum can be duds. On the whole, it mostly and adequately satisfy my periodic craving for Cantonese cuisine. It is a little pricey.
(4)Peijean T.
Outstanding service, especially for a Chinese restaurant. The dim sum is authentic, close if not very similar to what you would find in Southern California. Portions are huge and generous. I was stunned by the size and quality of their golden Hong Kong-style crispy egg noodles. I order this dish at every Chinese restaurant I go to, and this easily ranks in my top three of all time. The noodles were crispy but not greasy; the sauce was bold and addictively flavorful; and there was a whole heaping bounty of meats and veggies atop. TIP: even though the duck noodle soup is only on the lunch menu, you can still order it at night!
(5)Michelle J.
There so-called dim sim are not worth to try! So disappointed ! Won't be there again!
(1)Mike G.
Let's make this an easy to read review: Walking in: Not impressive. Dark. Looks like a storage area. Dining Room: Very open. Nice but not intimate in any way. Tables only, no booths. Service: Fast and efficient in that no bullshit, let's keep things moving Chinese way Drink: Tsingtao was cold and good. Sino-German beer is hard to beat. Soup: Hot and Sour was not thick, had a lot of white pepper, good but not great. Entree: Kung Pao Shrimp, decent but lacked Wok Hei. My senses were not tantalized by the initial aromas. Was warm on arrival but not hot, temperature wise. Also, I asked for it spicy, I got it medium. Not too bad, not great. I would like to try this dim sum everyone else keeps talking about..... Worth another try sometime.
(3)Elisa N.
Best dim sum in the city. Service is sometimes spotty, but you can't beat Sunflower for instant food gratification. Pork shumai, shrimp and scallop dumplings are delicious. Steamed BBQ pork buns are consistently fresh and delicious. We're fans of the buttery Chinese spinach and garlic. Yum! And we like to top off lunch with sweet tofu or sesame balls. If you've never had dim sum, and love Chinese food, you owe it to yourself to get to Sunflower on the weekend.
(4)Andrew L.
The food here is good. Come with a group, order a few dishes (never something like general tsos) and share the cost. dishes can be a bit pricy otherwise. There are lots of good dishes, but don't get the conch. If you want conch, go to a place like Little Dragon and order the conch salad. Dim sum here is decent but a bit pricy. I suggest trying the chicken feet. Fried taro is great too.
(5)Evalyn C.
I'll be honest with you, I've never once been to Sunflower for any reason besides dim sum. I can't tell you a darn thing about the rest of the menu - I've never even seen it. But, you know what, I don't care. That's how good it is. Dim sum is kinda like the Chinese version of tapas. Small plates and bite-sized portions of all kinds of delicious, flavor-packed Chinese traditional foods. Want to try some spicy chicken feet? You can and you'll be surprised how tasty they actually are. Those wonderful barbecue pork buns? Oh yeah, they've got them too. The wait gets long and the restaurant packed on dim sum days, so get there early. You won't regret it. The food is always moving so the service is pretty fast. Try most everything on your first visit so you know what you do and don't like for the next time. Be prepared for the price tag to get high because you're going to want to eat until you have to be rolled out in a wheelbarrow.
(4)Marie H.
I've been kind of avoiding this place because I haven't heard great things about it but I finally tried it out with my parents and it was better than expected! We got a bunch of dim sum dishes plus a noodle soup - the dim sum carts come around fairly often but the dishes are both smaller and more expensive (small starts out around $3.50) than dim sum should be. In terms of specific dishes, here is what we tried: - Liked: turnip cake (crispy and flavorful), chicken feet (seasoned well), sesame balls (although kind of small) - Okay: taro balls (small again), Xiao long bao (not real soup dumplings but decent as dumplings) - Disliked: seafood shu mai (tiny and not much better than the frozen kind) - Beef stew and wonton noodle soup: so delicious and the only reason I'm giving this place 4 stars instead of 3. Broth was amazing and it had tons of noodles and veggies plus some giant wontons. More than enough to split 3 ways Tldr: would probably skip the dim sum (unless you are desperately craving some, then get the chicken feet and turnip cake) and get some of noodle soups instead!
(4)Gem X.
One of the best resteraunts I like most. Normally, I will get bored with the food in one resteraunt very quickly. As I am a very picky person. If I rate something 4 or 5, it really means I like it a lot. Seldom, something really makes me love it for a long time. But based in my criteria, those I like very much, people around me would also have high recommendation. Not so expensive, more choices.....
(4)Wynne W.
I only ordered from the Dim Sum menu on a Tuesday so my review is based on this only. If this dim sum restaurant were in Chicago or New York, no Chinese person would walk in. Given that this is the only place in Columbus where dim sum is served, I suppose it's tolerable. The dim sum menu has a good variety but the quality is below average to average. It tasted like many things were purchased frozen in advance. For someone who has never had quality dim sum before, it's probably ok but it was hard for me to not to say to myself "so this is the Columbus version of X" with everything I ate. I personally would not go back unless I had friends who wanted to try dim sum and we were stuck in Columbus. Service was not great but not bad. I did not order anything from the regular menu. Maybe those items are better.
(2)SaRea S.
I have to say despite all of the other reviews, I enjoyed my time at Sunflower. If you are in the mood for Dim Sum this is your place, just don't get upset when they don't take the time to explain things to you. If you are feeling adventurous try whatever comes around. Ok word of caution this can get expensive as I swiped $40 for Dim Sum. The restaurant reminds me a little bit like a bingo hall, actually a lot like a bingo hall: white lights, crowded tables and lots of laughter. I didn't get a chance to try anything else on the regular Chinese menu but based on other reviews I will just go to other places in the city.
(4)Anna M.
Awful. Completely inedible. Half my meal ended up spit out in my napkin. I abandoned the rest. My husband's orange chicken was rubbery. I'm going home to make a sandwich.
(1)Sarah P.
Marginal at best. The sweet and sour chicken my son got was rubbery and lukewarm. My dish included what was clearly pre-frozen squash, which was also rubbery. I was very disappointed.
(2)Shuo F.
Although their regular menu items are not too bad, they're not spectacular either. What really draws a huge crowd here is the weekend dim sum, since they are the only dim sum place in Columbus. Their dim sum does not have a very large selection (where are my lion head meatballs?!), and some doesn't taste very fresh.
(3)Sofia C.
We went for dim sum and it was excellent. Big variety, carts always coming around, and friendly service! Haven't had any dim sum in Columbus, but this is definitely the place to get it. I really loved the bean curd with mushroom rolls (I can't remember what they are called..) and am always a fan of turnip cakes.
(5)Will T.
Please note: I grew up eating at this place when I was little and had some good experiences here. I ordered take out today and it was literally THE worst Chinese food I've ever eaten. Stopped eating it after 3 bites. They should be banned to serve food this bad. Everything about the food was blah. Do yourself a favor and stay away from here.
(1)Ray R.
Went here for lunch with a group of our friends. We had never been to Dim Sum before (though we had experienced Tapas and didn't enjoy it), so we were a little nervous. Exterior: the restaurant is located in a little strip mall. There is adequate parking, but right now there is a lot of construction in the parking lot area. Use some caution entering or exiting as this is a busy part of Sawmill. Interior: I was able to identify two dining areas (the main and a side room) as well as a bar. It had an Asian feel to the decor which was very comfortable. There are a large number of different sized tables for all sorts of groups. We had nine in our group and were vary comfortable in the side room. Staff: the staff was very friendly and attentive. They were very polite. Food: we weren't sure what to expect since we had never been there before, so thank goodness for having friends familiar with the process. Little carts are brought out with metal canisters containing all sorts of food items. Each canister had about 4 pieces of the particular item. We had to rely on our friends to make many of the selections, but the staff was able to tell us what they were as well. There were several different courses wheeled out so we were able to select a wide variety of items. Overall, the food was good. There was nothing I did not like and through ordering enough canisters, we were full when we left there. Price: I have to say that I was super impressed at how inexpensive this experience was. After we divided the total cost amongst us, it was only $13 per person. For the amount of food, that was definitely a good cost. Overall, this is a nice experience with friends and fun trying out different foods together. It is not expensive compared to many other restaurants. We would be willing to do it again, but probably not make a habit of it.
(3)Carla D.
I come here often for dim sum on Saturdays. I enjoy the experience so much. And the offerings are plentiful and delicious. I always get har gow, shiu mai, steamed bean curd skins filled with assorted goodness, and occasionally the steamed baby clams in spicy black bean sauce....and those are just to start the meal. :) The chicken feet are ok, I wasn't a fan of the sauce they were cooked with. So many amazing dumplings, buns, and curiosities to try! You can order dim sum off the menu during the week too, but I highly recommend going when the full-service Saturday version is happening. It's enjoyable, fun (especially when you bring good friends or family to share with!), and I love the anticipation of watching the dim sum carts approach my table, anxiously awaiting my favorite dishes. Off the regular menu, I enjoy the spicy crispy squid with fresh jalapeño peppers. Yum!
(4)Sonia S.
Love the dim sum. I can't get enough. When I'm leaving, I'm already planning my next trip back. It's seriously good dim sum. I've only gone for lunch...both weekdays and weekends. The weekend they wheel out the dim sum carts but during the week it's ordered menu style. Doesn't matter to me...like I said...good food.
(5)Joyce X.
This is really just a review for Sunflower's weekend Dim Sum (although it would probably receive a similar 3-star rating for their normal food from my past experiences). Sunflower has pretty much a monopoly on the Dim Sum business in Columbus because it's the only one now (Lee Garden, which is now closed, also used to have cart-service Dim Sum on weekends), so I feel they can pretty much get away with mediocrity at a high price. Although this IS Columbus, so maybe mediocre Dim Sum is good enough (hence the "A-OK" 3-star rating). The atmosphere is fine; it looks like a "Chinese" restaurant, and there's always a lot of people on the weekends because, as I said, it's really the only place for Dim Sum The food is just... meh. It's very likely that most of the options are frozen, and are just heated up for the occasion (unless you're ordering from the side menu, which features a variety of noodle dishes and congee). Also, the servers are good at giving you the plates that have kind of been sitting around for a while that they need to get rid of before they re-stock from the kitchen (which I guess is their job, so can't really blame them for that). I think the service is really what I'm most disappointed in. The man in the front could really work on being more welcoming, and it wouldn't hurt to smile a little! Our server got our drinks once and never came back to re-fill our water. The cart pushers just go by the same tables all the time! When I asked a manager if he could send a different cart our way, he just sent the same cart back. Again. There was, however, one really nice waitress who finally took matters into her own hands to push a different cart over after she found out that the original guy that was supposed to be rotating the carts, left his cart by the wall and was texting in the back. Seriously, dude? Do you even want to keep your job? Bottom line is, come only if you're craving Dim Sum and want to experience the novelty of the cart-service. Otherwise, you could probably buy some frozen shu mai, egg tarts, and Chinese buns at CAM and have a DIY Dim Sum at home for a lot cheaper.
(3)Srous P.
I've been living in Ohio for 5 months. I was excited to find an authentic dim sum place. I went on a Sunday and it was packed, but it didn't take long to get a table. I moved from Seattle and there are a lot of great Dim Sum places there. Sunflower is the first dim sum place I went to in Columbus, Ohio. The food was okay. It satisfies my dim sum cravings. The best two dishes are the shu mai and the siew mai. The pork buns were alright; they were kind of small. The har gai is alright. The rice rolls with shrimp tasted weird, mainly because of the quality of the shrimp wasn't that great. The didn't have a wide variety of options. There was a dessert cart. The dessert cart had bubbletea. I didn't get a chance to try any of the desserts. The price for each dishes are decent. I was sharing with my boyfriend and we got about 6-8 plates for under $40.
(3)Van S.
A late lunch on Christmas Day and dim sum was being served until 3 pm. We didn't come for dim sum, but it seemed like a nice surprise. They asked if we wanted to sit on the side of the restaurant with dim sum carts or the lunch side. I knew a couple of us wanted regular menu items and a couple wanted dim sum, so I asked if we can be set on the dim sum side of the restaurant, but also have a couple menus. The hostess assured me that it wouldn't be a problem, but it really was. Either that, or the service is just really really crappy. A cart came to us immediately after putting in our drink order. My mom asked for coffee which didn't come out with the rest of our drinks. No one really came back after that to check on us. We waited and waited for someone to stop by and take the orders from the regular menu. Finally, I waived down a waitress. We put in an order for a spring roll and chicken lettuce wraps for the wife, wor sue gai and green beans for everyone to share family style. The spring roll came out pretty quickly, followed by the wor sue gai with one small bowl of fried rice when we requested steamed. Not a big deal on the rice type so I let it be, but we can't do family style sharing with one small bowl of fried rice so I asked for a few more bowls of steamed rice. Several minutes later and the rest of the food hadn't arrived. I finally flagged down the waitress who apologized and went back to follow up on the remainder of the orders. Extra rice never came out. We received one refill on drinks the entire time and that's only because I, again, had to flag down a waitress. Finally, I just gave up and asked someone for my check. The food itself was pretty good. The dim sum options are a little limited, but pretty well executed. The menu items weren't amazing, but above average. The food quality is keeping me from going one star. Also, maybe the terrible service miscues wouldn't have been there if we committed to either dim sum or the lunch menu side of the restaurant, but I'll never know as I don't see myself ever going back.
(2)Bryant M.
Yes yes, it's the only dim sum in Columbus. This still wasn't enough to get me to Sunflower over my past 9 years of being a Columbusite. I'd love to say it was worth the wait... but it wasn't. ^Atmosphere It's very typical Chinese, which I like. The space is big and open, and there's a party room to have events! ^Service This... leaves a little to be desired. I am used to traditional Chinese service, so I'm not comparing them to Jeni's or Northstar. I think indifferent is probably about as good as it gets at Sunflower. It most definitely wasn't bad... just not super helpful. Side note: Sunflower is very authentic Chinese, and that means not everyone speaks tons of English. This is absolutely fine - just making a note of it so you can better prepare for your experience. ^Food I have this awful wheat thing, so going out to eat with me has gotten a little annoying. The thing is, the menu at Sunflower says to tell your server if you have a food allergy. I thought since they mentioned it that eating here might be easier than I first expected. Yeah, not so much. Things ended with me awkwardly handing our server my iPhone that had allergy instructions written in Mandarin... and she spoke Cantonese. Ugh, I felt like a complete douche. We had a few items off the dim sum cart, and everything was fine. Maybe I'm just not a dim sum guy? We also ordered main meals: wonton soup, sweet and sour chicken, and beef with broccoli. Again, everything was just okay. ^In the end Unless you're just dying for dim sum, there are so many better options for Chinese in Cbus. Might I suggest you go to Helen's Asian Kitchen, order the xio long bao, and call it dim sum?
(3)Yvonne L.
Overall, it was a pretty good experience. The ha gow and shumai were my favorites and had a few orders of them. I've never had taro cake before so I tried it but it wasn't anything spectacular. It seemed a bit burnt at the bottom and left a weird taste. As for the servers, they were attentive to anything we needed. I will most likely come back again for dim sum.
(4)Becky S.
Been going back here for over 20 years!! Still same great service and delicious food!! And the staff treats you like family... Will continue coming here for years to come...
(5)Richard P.
If you are jonesing for dim sum, and reading this review, you are likely stuck in the Midwest as I am. So the question you should be asking yourself is not "Is the dim sum at Sunflower as good as in NYC or California?" but rather "Is it good enough?" And the answer is yes, the dim sum at Sunflower is A-OK. You will find the usual standards (shu mai, har gow, chow fun, turnip cakes, etc.); they are generally well-prepared and true to form. And they have my personal favorite, rice porridge with thousand-year egg, so who's complaining? It should be noted that service is at best indifferent, and at worst, rude, but that typifies every dim sum place in the United States, NYC and California included. It frankly does not matter whether you are Chinese or non-Chinese, Chinese-speaking or non-Chinese speaking. Your mistake, if you are troubled by the service, is in assuming it will actually be polite. You should be like the rest of us and ignore the rudeness and do everything necessary to get the attention of the old surly women pushing the dim sum carts, short of tackling them. Besides, the food tastes better when you have to fight for it.
(3)Vin R.
I don't have a ton of Dim Sum experience, but I'd rate Sunflower as pretty good for Columbus given the lack of competition. We had the Turnip Cake (!), Steamed pork buns, steamed spare ribs and a few other things that I'm not too sure about. My wife and I were not (and will probably never be) adventurous enough to try the pig trotters or chicken feet. I'm not a big fan of feet of any kind, no matter the origin. We also had Moo Goo Gai Pan, forgoing our usual Round Eye Special (General Tso's Chicken). All in all, pretty tasty. We'll definitely have to try the full on Dim Sum Brunch on the weekend.
(3)Jenny K.
4 stars for the sticky rice in bamboo leaves. It is so good - glutinous rice, chicken, mushroom, water chestnuts, and the quail egg really gives a variety to the wrap. The service was fast and the portions were big. The main dishes such as fried rice, sesame/sweet and sour/lemon chicken, noodles, etc. were average. The dim sum menu was decent and fairly priced. My favorites: zongzi, chive dumpling, rice cake, fried squid. Good for big groups! (We were a group of 20.)
(4)Michele W.
Finally I've been able to find a good restaurant that matches its ratings in the Columbus metro area!!! My nephew and I went there yesterday at lunch time. We were the only people there at least til right before we left and then two small groups came. Service was excellent, food was very good. Very fresh shrimp fried rice that wasn't made solely of soy sauce. Excellent Wor Su Gai. I would go back anytime and recommend it to anyone. I saw many authentic Chinese dishes on the menu too. Very impressive.
(4)Teri D.
My first time having Dim Sum the traditional way (carts go by you ask for what you want) and what I have learned is this: If you know what you like make sure you get enough of it and if you try something new and like it - grab it again ASAP because those carts often run out or take a bit of time to come back. I made the mistake of grabbing some ribs and not grabbing them again when they came past while trying out other stuff because when I was ready for some more they were gone. Insert sad face. The food is very good and most of the servers are nice - some were here's your food now let me get going. Just keep in mind that those little bits of this and that can and will add up quickly if you aren't careful. This is a great place to go if there is a group but still tasty if it's just two of you. Good stuff!
(4)Priya P.
I hate leaving bad reviews..I'm turning into the bad review Nazi. The service was non existent! Not only did we not get the drinks we had ordered, despite asking for them several times, but no one even bothered bringing us our bill or checking us out when we carried ours to the register. The food is a whole different pile....
(2)Mailyne N.
Dim sum was what I was after and after I left, I found myself not getting what I wanted. The shrimp rice noodles looked like a mess, and on top of that was not as fresh as it should've been. They are supposed to be neatly folded with shrimps in between but this was not what we got. The noodles were just piled on top of a plate with a few shrimp somewhere in there. I am aware that this is probably the only place to get dim sum in the columbus Ohio area, but I wish they made things with a little better quality. The shu mai was small and tasted ..once again.. ok. I did not leave the place thinking I had a great meal. If you are from California, expect to be dissapointed and if you aren't from there, consider going to try amazing dim sum places, however pretentious that sounds I didn't even bother with the dessert. The prices are relatively cheap and decent. i went with a friend and got about 30 dollars worth of food and that was a good amount of plates and even had a bowl of wonton noodle soup as well. (the soup was also just ok) The service is good at least and they have a nice, clean place.
(3)Benjamin B.
Dim sum on a Sunday morning. The carts are moving quickly, the place is bustling and there isn't a seat left. The food is delicious, though not as good as places in major cities... but it's good enough for Columbus Ohio. Service was... indifferent and a bit curt. That's pretty standard for dim sum. I liked the atmosphere here better than some other places I've found in Cincinnati (I live in Dayton, so it's a choice for dim sum: Cinci or Columbus), but the food has been better other places. My understanding is that this is "Hong Kong Style", and my friend from Hong Kong was impressed given that we were in the midwest and she's used to San Francisco or Hong Kong. I'll take that as a pretty solid recommendation.
(4)Berta J.
I love the Dim Sum at Sunflower especially during brunch on Sundays. I would say that the food rivals some of the places where I have had it in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and even Hong Kong. Maybe there is not as much variety here as in Dim Sum shops in the bigger cities, but the quality of the food is just as good, I especially enjoy the sticky rice, turnip cakes, egg custard cups and pot stickers. I have eaten here probably ten times (8 or so being Dim Sum Brunch) and have never had bad service. The older gentleman in the tie (owner? GM?) always remembers me and talks me into trying something new which I end up enjoying (even the deep fried tripe)! He makes jokes and often sees us out the door and invites us back. The old ladies with the carts have never been rude and stop over often. A couple of them don't speak English very well, but I smile and point and they are happy to give me lots of food. It's not 5 star service, but I have definitely had much worse service in other Dim Sum restaurants. The atmosphere is loud and bright and typical American Chinese restaurant. It's by no means fancy or romantic but I loved that yesterday they were playing Korean Karaoke videos on the TVs. As for the prices, 5 of us ate there yesterday and could barely walk out we were so full and our bill was only $100.00. I have never been disappointed with the food or the service or the prices at Sunflower. Since I live downtown and only have a few friends who enjoy Dim Sum I only get to come here a couple times a year so I consider it a real treat.
(4)Paul Y.
I got food here because the others in the group wanted it. I don't regret it. We got the lunch specials and mine was the pepper steak. You got a lot of food for $7. A LOT. The rice was delicious and the steak was fantastic as well. It was not at all salty. We've actually gone here twice now and both times it was good, so I know it isn't just a onetime thing with good food.
(5)Emily K.
I ordered the black pepper scallops and they weren't even scallops. I took off the breading and it looked like a chicken nugget. The food was bland and doesn't hold par to other Chinese restaurants in the area. We won't be back.
(1)Pai-Wei L.
Although this is the only dim sum place in Columbus, their food is pretty good. Sunday noon will be crowded because that is the time they push dim sum carts around in the restaurant. After that, you can still order dim sum by menu. I love their XO rice roll and fried shrimp pancake. If the price is a little lower I will give it a 5 star.
(4)