Came here to pick up some dim sum in the morning and the service was good and order came fast considering they had to steam it fresh. The siu mai were big and meaty. The ha gao was very juicy and I also like the sticky rice, very good size with decent filling. The tripes were tender and flavorful.
Jordan-Johnson N.
This place is definitely not bad but it's not great either and considering it's in the heart of GG/Westminster there are so many more better casual/to go dim sum places at the same price point but with restaurant quality. Best things were the bao bun which was super soft and warm with an appropriate ratio of sauce and meat. The tea was delicious and the chili oil wontons were tasty. Tables were pretty sticky and unkept considering there was nobody dining at the time.
Ed F.
My anticipation was high when I decided to dine at Crystal Dumpling, having recently explored several Dim Sum spots across Orange County. Despite glowing reviews, my overall impression left much to be desired. Arriving at 3pm, just an hour before closing, I couldn't help but notice the lack of cleanliness throughout the restaurant and its restroom. The front door, slightly ajar due to a poor fit, hinted at neglect, with dirty front windows and sticky tabletops, and overflowing trash bins. As the sole patron, I questioned why such easily remedied issues lingered hours after their usual service hours. Turning to the food, my hopes for the Spicy Wonton were dashed as they were unavailable. Opting instead for Shrimp Shumai, BBQ Pork Buns and Thai Tea. I found the former unusually large but disappointingly rubbery, likely due to overcooking or subpar ingredients. The taste, though unremarkable, was passable. On the other hand, the BBQ Pork Buns were consistent in size and texture, with a delightful balance of sweet and savory flavors in the moist and tender filling. As for the Thai Tea, it failed to stand out, lacking the expected aromas of anise and cardamom, and missing the creamy sweetness of condensed milk. Its flavor lacked the robustness I prefer. Overall, my experience at Crystal Dumpling fell short of expectations. Given the proximity to better options, I won't be returning.
James A.
Interesting concept: fast food serving a small selection of good to excellent dim sum for reasonable prices. Crystal Dumpling is located in one of those ubiquitous strip malls found all over Little Saigon and OC KTown in Garden Grove. It is located in the heart of the latter, and was fairly empty when we stopped by for lunch on a Tuesday. There is parking available in the large central lot, but the spots in the center are meant for tiny cars (not very wide)...small door dings seem to be the price one pays for shopping/dining here. Once you enter, you realize there is a fast food register in front, with the small menu above. The young woman worker was very friendly, and explained to me what type of Boba was in the HK iced tea. We placed our order, and was told that the XLB would take 20 minutes. We paid and then found a place to sit. In about 10 minutes, we got two of our dim sum with drinks, and then the XLB came 10 minutes after that. All were delivered to your table. HK Lemon Iced Tea ($5) - crystal boba is basically a jelly and were too big to suck through the given straw. There's a reason why boba straws were invented. Pork Shrimp Shumai ($5) - 4 big pieces. came with a vinegar dipping sauce. The meat was very coarsely ground. Loved the texture and flavor and would get this again. Shrimp Dumplings ($5) - 4 pieces. It was fine, decent amount of shrimp. A lot smaller in size than the shumai. Pork Soup dumplings ($8 for 5). Got 2 servings of this for a total of 10 dumplings. What was very clever was that each had its own aluminum serving dish, so sharing was easy. Plus if you messed up and tore the skin, the juice would just pool in each dish, which you could immediately finish. It's the same dish that usually houses mini custards. As for the dumpling itself, it was good. The skin at the top was a bit thick and doughy, but there was plenty of soup in the dumpling. Came with a ramekin of soy sauce...would have loved sliced ginger in it. One negative thing was that the table surface was very sticky. Probably could have used a good wipe down, but the stain/glaze was badly worn as well, so not really sure if that would have helped. There is a section where you can pick up chopsticks, napkins. And you bus your empty containers yourself.
Cindy L.
First time here with the kids and they really enjoyed it. Our favs were the pork soup Mai, soup dumplings and the spicy wontons
Diana M.
Shrimp and chive dumplings are so good. The spicy wontons are pork and shrimp and they are also very good. I wish they offered chicken wontons as well as garlic noodles or other items to the menu that other dumpling places also carry. The spicy chili oil is okay i wish they did separate soy sauce and some sort vinegar mix containers or something to kick it up a bit.
Tried this place because the line at Dim Sum Co was too long. Had quite a few peoplesitting at the tables when I arrived. You pick whaty you wan from the steam trays and take to the tables to eat. Selection is very limited but what they had was reasonably good and and reasonably priced. This seems like a good vack up when I get the yen for Dim Sum.
naomi crone
Food was good! drink tastes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Dumplings
andy bui
The food was so good! I really liked the shrimp dumplings!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leon Taing
Cashier was very kind and the food is to die for! Came all the way from San Diego to try them out and it didn’t disappoint.
A hidden gem for good scallop and shrimp dumplings, siu mai, har gao, spicy wontons, shrimps rice noodle rolls and Thai Green Milk Tea.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Shumai, Scallop and Shrimp Dumpling, Pork Shrimp Shumai, House Fried Rice, Shrimp Dumplings, Spicy Wontons, Dim Sum
Went here for lunch. Not busy. The food was good! Great place to go to hang
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Shumai, BBQ Pork Buns, BBQ, Shrimp Dumplings, BBQ Pork, Dim Sum
It is a small little restaurant but with great food! I would recommend to come here any day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Shumai, BBQ Pork Buns, Shrimp Dumplings
Came here to pick up some dim sum in the morning and the service was good and order came fast considering they had to steam it fresh. The siu mai were big and meaty. The ha gao was very juicy and I also like the sticky rice, very good size with decent filling. The tripes were tender and flavorful.
This place is definitely not bad but it's not great either and considering it's in the heart of GG/Westminster there are so many more better casual/to go dim sum places at the same price point but with restaurant quality. Best things were the bao bun which was super soft and warm with an appropriate ratio of sauce and meat. The tea was delicious and the chili oil wontons were tasty. Tables were pretty sticky and unkept considering there was nobody dining at the time.
My anticipation was high when I decided to dine at Crystal Dumpling, having recently explored several Dim Sum spots across Orange County. Despite glowing reviews, my overall impression left much to be desired. Arriving at 3pm, just an hour before closing, I couldn't help but notice the lack of cleanliness throughout the restaurant and its restroom. The front door, slightly ajar due to a poor fit, hinted at neglect, with dirty front windows and sticky tabletops, and overflowing trash bins. As the sole patron, I questioned why such easily remedied issues lingered hours after their usual service hours. Turning to the food, my hopes for the Spicy Wonton were dashed as they were unavailable. Opting instead for Shrimp Shumai, BBQ Pork Buns and Thai Tea. I found the former unusually large but disappointingly rubbery, likely due to overcooking or subpar ingredients. The taste, though unremarkable, was passable. On the other hand, the BBQ Pork Buns were consistent in size and texture, with a delightful balance of sweet and savory flavors in the moist and tender filling. As for the Thai Tea, it failed to stand out, lacking the expected aromas of anise and cardamom, and missing the creamy sweetness of condensed milk. Its flavor lacked the robustness I prefer. Overall, my experience at Crystal Dumpling fell short of expectations. Given the proximity to better options, I won't be returning.
Interesting concept: fast food serving a small selection of good to excellent dim sum for reasonable prices. Crystal Dumpling is located in one of those ubiquitous strip malls found all over Little Saigon and OC KTown in Garden Grove. It is located in the heart of the latter, and was fairly empty when we stopped by for lunch on a Tuesday. There is parking available in the large central lot, but the spots in the center are meant for tiny cars (not very wide)...small door dings seem to be the price one pays for shopping/dining here. Once you enter, you realize there is a fast food register in front, with the small menu above. The young woman worker was very friendly, and explained to me what type of Boba was in the HK iced tea. We placed our order, and was told that the XLB would take 20 minutes. We paid and then found a place to sit. In about 10 minutes, we got two of our dim sum with drinks, and then the XLB came 10 minutes after that. All were delivered to your table. HK Lemon Iced Tea ($5) - crystal boba is basically a jelly and were too big to suck through the given straw. There's a reason why boba straws were invented. Pork Shrimp Shumai ($5) - 4 big pieces. came with a vinegar dipping sauce. The meat was very coarsely ground. Loved the texture and flavor and would get this again. Shrimp Dumplings ($5) - 4 pieces. It was fine, decent amount of shrimp. A lot smaller in size than the shumai. Pork Soup dumplings ($8 for 5). Got 2 servings of this for a total of 10 dumplings. What was very clever was that each had its own aluminum serving dish, so sharing was easy. Plus if you messed up and tore the skin, the juice would just pool in each dish, which you could immediately finish. It's the same dish that usually houses mini custards. As for the dumpling itself, it was good. The skin at the top was a bit thick and doughy, but there was plenty of soup in the dumpling. Came with a ramekin of soy sauce...would have loved sliced ginger in it. One negative thing was that the table surface was very sticky. Probably could have used a good wipe down, but the stain/glaze was badly worn as well, so not really sure if that would have helped. There is a section where you can pick up chopsticks, napkins. And you bus your empty containers yourself.
First time here with the kids and they really enjoyed it. Our favs were the pork soup Mai, soup dumplings and the spicy wontons
Shrimp and chive dumplings are so good. The spicy wontons are pork and shrimp and they are also very good. I wish they offered chicken wontons as well as garlic noodles or other items to the menu that other dumpling places also carry. The spicy chili oil is okay i wish they did separate soy sauce and some sort vinegar mix containers or something to kick it up a bit.
Great dimsum spot. Def
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Tried this place because the line at Dim Sum Co was too long. Had quite a few peoplesitting at the tables when I arrived. You pick whaty you wan from the steam trays and take to the tables to eat. Selection is very limited but what they had was reasonably good and and reasonably priced. This seems like a good vack up when I get the yen for Dim Sum.
Food was good! drink tastes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Dumplings
The food was so good! I really liked the shrimp dumplings!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cashier was very kind and the food is to die for! Came all the way from San Diego to try them out and it didn’t disappoint.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Shumai, Salted Egg, House Fried Rice, BBQ Pork Buns, Salted Egg Bun, Shrimp Dumplings, Fried, Spicy Wontons
It was so good! But I'm so sad that they ran out of bbq pork bun. I will definitely visit again next time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5