Ocean Palace Reviews

Very large place for dim sum where they sometimes use both floors when it gets busy, otherwise on 2nd floor. Typical dim sum offerings, pork buns and shrimp dumplings always are good. They have staff who do speak some English if need be, otherwise wait for the carts and point to what you would like. Sometimes you may have to ask for the egg tarts if you want something sweet for dessert.

The Xiu Mai and the Tofu dessert were good. The service was kind of chaotic. There's no order on what direction and when the food carts go by our table. Half of the time, we had to order the dishes through a wait person. Also, the food came out irregularly, so we didn't get to try all the dishes. But if you want more sweet stuffs for dim sum, this is not a place for you. They didn't have many sweet items.

Had the worst dining experience Christmas Eve tonight. Ordered my family's favorite family dinner set ( the dinner for 8 set that included the Dungeness crabs ). We have had this dinner set for 8-10 times in the past 3 months. Tonight's food quality was terrible. Crab was not live / fresh as evident from its texture; felt cheated as serving size for all dishes were 1/2 of the serving size compared to our past experiences of the same dinner set ( image the serving size of the small order for a 8-ppl dinner set); some dishes were served cold and the wait for long. Requested to speak with the manager to ensure there was not any mixed up with the orders but the manager never showed up. This is extremely disappointing as my family is a regular at Ocean Palace. Will not recommend this restaurant to anyone and won't be returning for dinner any time soon.

The restuarant is huge and has interesting decorations inside the restaurant. The restaurant offers a varierity of food to offer. The prices for dim sum are a little more than other restuarants. I will recommend this restuarant.

I have been eating dim sum since I stumbled upon a restaurant in the galleria area of Houston pushing the carts one Sunday after church in 1979. I have been addicted since. I go for more of the steamed items than fried and I always take an extra tea cup to mix my soy sauce and sriracha sauce in to keep my plate clean. The steamed broccoli if not on the carts they have an area off to the side where they prepare specialties. Saturdays and Sundays are always the most fun yet busy and there is usually a line that moves fast. But they do serve by cart Monday thru Friday 10 - 3pm

I've been here a few times already and the dim sum is really good. I would say the best time to go is Saturday morning before 1PM. Any later and the place gets super crowded and the really good dishes might not get to you. The service is not that great when compared to normal American restaurants but it's decent for a Chinese restaurant. On the lower level of this place is a regular Chinese restaurant where you sit and order form a menu. But it's not a place you would want to go by yourself since the dishes are served family style.

They had very good food and they are fixing the water in from Tod the place and they also fixed the 2nd floor which looks so pretty.

I have not eaten here in many, many years, but this was a trip down memory lane. We were here for a wedding reception, for around ninety people. It isn't easy to placate a large crowd with consistently high quality food, but this restaurant managed to achieve it. The menu was a ten course meal, but which omitted the lobster sadly, but I don't think it was their fault. However what was served, was simply delicious. The menu served consisted of Shrimp & fresh fruit salad, sharks fin & crab meat soup, fried shrimp balls with scallops, in chaw chow style, braised abalone & mushrooms, roasted chicken, fried crab with black pepper sauce, steamed red snapper, sautéed e-fu noodles, and lastly, taro paste. I can honestly say, it was an awesome meal, with tons of flavor, from the first dish to the last. On every table, the plates were totally cleared by all in attendance, and there were many nationalities present. Truly asking myself why I left it so long to return to this restaurant. There is plenty of parking here as well, not to mention the pond well stocked with Koi carp, around the entrance. A great evening was had by all,

We ate here today and enjoyed all the dim sum dishes we ordered. The best was the chicken feet. We arrived fairly early so maybe that was why the varieties on offer were not as wide as we had hoped. Service was very attentive and every effort was made to ensure we had plenty of food. We ordered extra to take home. Plenty of parking and the lily pond is amazing. Go to the Chinese supermarket adjacent for the most incredible range of food - mainly Asian. Go and try. Paul

First time we tried this restaurant, we waited more than 20 Mn but I think you have to avoid week end. The service was good, but as soon as we seated at the table we get some appetizers to choice, no time to see the menu card? The food is average quality and taste but OK, we ordered the lobsters they came spicy and fishpond taste. The atmosphere was nice and prices are reasonable. I think we need a second experience for really valuate this place.

I get takeout from Ocean Palace every week owing to its fresh and delicious dishes, its professional and friendly front desk, and its convenient hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). I lately left my credit card there and the front desk kept it and called me.

Went with family and friends, but we haven't been here for about four years, when I had a wonderful experience. The staff were extremely good, friendly and polite. The decor and bathrooms were clean and good. We all started with spring rolls and dim sum, and it pains me to say that they were fairly good, but I have had better about three weeks ago elsewhere. The main meals were lobster in butter and to be frank, it didn't look like they added the butter, but they die, just not enough in my opinion, others may disagree, so hat's fine. The other meal was sauteed beef with Chinese broccoli, plus boiled and fried rice. The beef was very nice and tender, the broccoli was perfect, the fried rice really wasn't so good for me, but we ate a lot of everything. Shame really, I do hope they improve or maybe it really was a case of me being overly picky. It cost a tad under $100 in all.

Very delicious, huge selection. Nice atmosphere. Ladies push carts by constantly so you can eat until you feel like you need to be rolled out on a cart. Please try the chicken feet! Very odd thing to eat but taste good. Usually 3 pieces to a plate. It helps to go with a friend who speaks the language because they have sheets to check off your items ordered. A little hard to interpret.

My husband and I enjoyed our experience of having dim sum at Ocean Palace. It was like having dim sum in NYC. Service friendly and dim sum delicious and well made. Also the jasmine tea was delicious.

High expectations when we drove up and observed a magnificent looking multi story building. No wonder they call it palace. Big koi and turtle ponds with vegetation right out front. Spectacular spiral staircase in the lobby but we took a hidden elevator straight in from the front entrance to get up to the giant sized ballroom on a Sunday. No one was downstairs where the restaurant had a big formal dining restaurant. There must have been seating for a thousand upstairs. Servers cruised table to table with food carts of Dim Sum in covered dishes. I don't know the names of foods we selected but we tried an assortment. The buns with bbq meat were very good. Since I dont eat shellfish we didnt get any shrimp dishes but lots of folks were eating seafood. Dared to try chicken feet in a red sauce and it tasted fine and the feet were mostly all skin. Taro cakes tasted ok, something different,Some other dishes kinda bland. Chinese broccoli was fresh crispy cooked and tasty. A dish of thin noodles, pan fried crisp on the outside with chicken and vegetables was unmemorable. A colored rice with some other garnishments was very sticky like it was overcooked and no flavor. Service was good. The place was packed. We ordered several entrees off the menu. The keep a running tab at your table as you picked dim sum, ordered items. or went up front to a sort of buffet line that has some more dishes. Was expecting to be wowed but unmemorable except for the setting. Others seemed to be enjoying their meals.

The dim sum is okay. But the waiting line is shorter especially during weekend.

Excellent dim sum. They come around with the carts even on a Tuesday. Service is minimal typical for dim sum. The ladies that push the carts have the best English compared others. Only negative is the place not that clean. The pond had trash in it. Inside areas has years of dust. The fish tanks had green funk growing. Management needs to hire an outside cleaning company. All in all delicious dim sum but the dirty front of house makes one worried what the kitchen is like.

Today is the last day of the year. We went to have dim sum with our friends. We have been to this restaurant numerous times. Every time it is good. Delicious! Yummy!

Very disappointed in our experience here. The food was bland and uninteresting. We took most of it to the hotel and left it for the maid. What was really annoying were the employee's children who were running through the restaurant while we were dining. Yes, they were loud!

Oh my goodness! What a treat! We decided to drive thru Chinatown of Houston with no particular agenda of places to eat. We saw Ocean Palace Resturant and decided to give it a try. If they take such great care of the outside then the inside has got to be great right? Well it was! As luck would have it we caught the last hour of Dim Sum and everything we had was great! Like what? I don't know! Tasty morsels of shrimp, pork and shrimp and pork. Delightful! Though the cart ladies knew very little English they tried very hard to explain the items in their cart and very sweet about it too. Loved it!

Was really excited to try this place! Instead of traditional Easter brunch, we thought dim sum would be a fun change. Sadly, it was very disappointing. Arrived and first noticed the dingy, dirty carpet. After a very short wait, our party of 6 was seated. The area where dim sum is served upstairs has the ambiance of a banquet room in a run down Holiday Inn. Cart service was sporadic and they ran out of a few things we wanted to try. Food was mediocre at best. The meat in a few items was fatty and gristly. Honestly, it made my stomach turn. My daughter and husband tried the chicken feet and seemed to enjoy them. We tried a variety of things, but no 'stand outs'. Inexpensive as our family of 6 ate for about $90 including tip. We won't return. Still on the search for a great dim sum place in Houston!

After hearing good things, I was excited to try this for a recent family birthday celebration, and Ocean Palace did not disappoint! From the service and selection to the setting and traditional flavors, it was a wonderful experience. I would also like to add that management was very responsive to a request and gave helpful, timely guidance which is always appreciated. Back to the selection, they have plate sizes and options for every budget and family size - I was very impressed with how much food we received for the price we paid. We will definitely plan a return trip next time we are in the area.

My friend and I came to this restaurant for dim sum. The dim sum was alright. I did not like the congee rice soup with beef because it tasted too plain. The beef tripe was too greasy. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful. The service was nice.

Hands down the best authentic Chinese food in Houston. It's a little out of the way but if you have a car it is worthwhile making the trip if you are looking for the most authentic Chinese food in Houston. Dim Sum has no equal. Make sure you reserve in the weekends. Dim Sum prices are on the higher side but in the evening the traditional Chinese dishes is very affordable and portion sizes are generous. Highly recommend for business meals, family or casual.

Ocean Palace is a good choice for dim sum in Houston‘s Chinatown. The new remodel is nice, spacious and clean. During the weekdays you order from the checklist and they deliver the food to your table. Some items were room temperature others were piping hot. I like that they offer several versions of fresh seafood, lobster, crab, clams, shrimp, etc. Current deal is 2 lobsters for $22. Our server tried her best, she had several large tables so slower service. Overall, could be tastier, but this should satisfy most dim sum cravings. Caution: The floors in the restrooms and surrounding areas are slick tile, watch your step!

I like this Chinese restaurant in Houston. It is definitely a dinner place and not a lunch (or dim sim) place. The food is very fresh there and the chefs cook at a standard that is close to the Hong Kong one. There are a number of dishes I would recommend though. If you have a large group, you must try their Peking duck - three ways. The skin is beautifully sliced and presented on prawn crackers. You sandwich the crispy skin in special buns and seasoned with Hoisin sauce and spring onion. That tastes absolutely sensational and you cannot possibly stop eating. The meat of duck is then diced and mixed with water chestnuts, pine nuts, and vegetables to serve as ingredients for the lettuce wrap. That is very nicely done too. Finally, the bone of the duck is then made into a soup with watercress and tofu. Yum! I also recommend steam live seafood (not frozen but live seafood). Those steam fish and shrimps are fresh and nicely done. Do try their crabs and lobsters as well because they are also nicely done in ginger and shallot. I would recommend this restaurant to large groups because you certain will have a chance to try more dishes and share the costs as well. I have the photos of the Peking duck for readers too.

The staff here was very friendly and helpful. Though I have been to several Din Sum restaurants before it was nice to have someone approachand ask if we needed any assistance. The food was very good, and came out quickly. The Shrimp and Pork dumplings were excellent as were the chicken feet. The hoy t and sour soup could have been spicier. Though overall an excellent expereince.

Ocean Palace is located in the Hong Kong City Mall, on Bellaire Blvd., west of the Sam Houston Tollway. The entire complex looks impressive from the outside. The Modern 2-3 story building is surrounded by an L-shaped reflecting pool, with dozens of turtles and a large Lily pond. Unfortunately, the water is quite cloudy and the turtles are covered with mud, making it difficult to enjoy the view. The main entrance is framed by a traditional Chinese gate. Entering on the ground floor, you face a majestic, double staircase to the second floor and a large opening to a huge dining area, that should seat 600-800 people. The day we visited - a Saturday - we were directed upstairs for our Dim Sum brunch. The place opens at 10:00 am; we arrived around 11:30 and the upstairs was 2/3 empty. Dim Sum was good, but not great. The selection of dishes was limited, much less selection than at other notable Dim Sum places in town. Almost everything included shrimp, a problem for our group, with two people nursing severe shrimp allergies. Table service was gruff and almost non-existent. Only once did someone collect the mountain of empty dishes, shells and nobody ever wiped the remains of spilled sauces, water or tea. Perhaps the most notable part of our visit was to see how, this relatively new and modern building looked and felt tired: there were signs of leaks on the roof, the carpet was quite dirty (my shoes stuck to it at each step) and the restrooms were filthy, especially the women's restroom. We left with concern about how that would reflect on the kitchen and the cleanliness of the food, and overall, felt the place did not deserve another visit, especially considering other, more attractive Dim Sum places in Houston. Prices were significantly lower than those of competing Dim Sum places and the quantity of food served was generous.

An excellent restaurant for authentic Chinese dim sum - har gow shrimp dumplings, shiu mai, bbq pork rice roll, egg tarts, and many more selections. I went on a Thursday midday, so instead of their tea carts (weekends) you simply order from a menu sheet and they prepare the dim sum to order. My items all came hot, freshly-prepared, and very high quality. Whenever I am in Houston I make this a go-to-spot for at least one of my meals.

We stopped for early lunch on Sunday. They had a 30-minute wait at 1030am. There is no waiting area but they have phone paging. Once we were seated they took our drink order and we were off. Since this was our first visit we observed that there were 3 options to each...Dim Sum cart, expanded Dim Sum menu from kitchen, and regular menu. We actually did all 3 to get what we wanted. The food was overall fairly bland especially the kitchen dishes. We did not eat much of the Beef and Broccoli dish. The noodle dish did not seem as fresh as we expected coming straight from the kitchen. The Dim Sum dishes were tasty. Unlike other reviews that talk about the waterscape outside...yes, it is winter but the ponds had a significant amount of trash floating in the water. Overall, we will pass.

We had been wanting to try Ocean Palace for the Dim Sum, and we were not disappointed! Very fresh and tasty. Standouts were the Shu Mai, Har Gow, Chicken Feet, Chinese Broccoli.and Tofu. The service was very efficient and friendly. Definitely have the Coke Bo (Ponay and Chrysanthemum Flower) Tea. A nice experience.

Food, Service, Cost, all are 5 star. Lobster and Dungeness crab out of sight. Has a full Dim Sum Menu from 10 AM to 10 PM every day. Décor is like going to a fine restaurant. have been back 4 times in one month.

This is a restaurant I have visited on many occasions, but mostly for it's dim sum. Ocean Palace is located in Houston's Chinatown. It's an enormous restaurant, two stories, which are like two restaurants in one. The downstairs is very elegant, offering a varied menu. Upstairs is a huge open banquet room, offering dim sum. There is also a counter where you can get noodle dishes, chinese broccoli, and various other items. The food is quite good. They offer many very interesting dim sum items, far more than you could try in one sitting. The service is very good. Unlike many of the other restaurants in the area, the room is so big that even on their busiest days getting a table is not a problem. I highly recommend the dim sum at Ocean Palace.

\when there to eat everything is nice just need better service. We got seated and server came ask what we wanted to drink we told him what. After coming with drinks he ask if we was ready to order I said not yet. He left so as we looked and picked our food, he was helping few customer, after that he stood by the drink station n looking everywhere I looked at him he walked to another table he kept doing that for 20 min never came ,it like he ignore us. Finnaly 1 of the other server was walking by and I stopped him and explain he didn't hesitated at all and took our order right away. Now we are eating and need refill the first server didn't even come to give us refill. So another female server was walking by I asked if we could get refill she helped right away there was no manager on site to even complain if I wasn't with 2 kids I woulve got up and left but they where hungry .

I don't especially like authentic Chinese food; however, on weekends thousands - yes thousands - of people flood into Ocean Palace for Dim Sum. They must be doing something right. You enter the restaurant across a concrete "bridge" spanning two small ponds filled with water plants, Koi and turtles. Lots of turtles. Dim Sum is served in the upstairs ballroom which seats about 400-500. The place is packed from open till closing and seems a little chaotic at first. Servers push small carts around filled with little metal dishes of all types of authentic chinese food. The crowd is mostly asian but over time I have seen more and more variety of patron. Don't pass on the coconut cake which has nothing to do with coconut and is not a cake: but it is tasty. If authentic Chinese doesn't match your tastes you can order from an extensive menu. Overall, I enjoy going just to watch the crowd. The staff is not all that friendly but they are efficient and mostly professional. After Dim Sum do take some time to roam around the Hong Kong City Mall adjacent to the restaurant.

Great dim sum; so far best in Texas. Loved the chicken feet and shrimp har gar and our friends loved the shrimp balls.

We took the drive out to Chinatown based on strong recommendations from several friends, and we were not disappointed!! Ocean Palace is a very large restaurant, so on Sunday we did not have to wait for a table. Bring a jacket if you get cold easily, because the restaurant is very air conditioned. Our waitress was attentive, made good suggestions regarding portion sizes to order, and recommendations about soups & noodle dishes. Given that there were 2 of us, we only ordered 3 items - hot & sour soup, pan fried noodles with mixed sea food, and black bean scallops with rice. All of our dishes were extremely flavorful and satisfying. We had left overs which we took home and enjoyed again the next day. All of the prices seem reasonable. We will certainly return for dinner service.

This used to be one of a handful of large restaurants that served good and fancy food at a decent price. Now it is one of the last remaining wedding banquet sized restaurant in Houstn serving Chinese food. Unlike many restaurants, this is truly full service and well worth the prices charged for its deliciously prepared foods of fresh ingredients. Even their set dinners are good values. I highly recommend this place.

Best Chinese restaurant in Houston. I have been to many in the area but this is by far the best in terms of authenticity, choice and price. And for dim sum, there really is no other choice. Highly recommended.

The Chinese broccoli is so delicious! They also have the largest boiled shrimp I have ever seen. The wait staff, though a little difficult to comprehend and understand caters to your party pretty well, even when it's a large group. As long as your patient with them, they seem to be patient with you.

I had chicken feets, dry shrimp rice noodle, pan fried chives dumplings. All of them were excellent. I will come again. Only thing could be better was to have more cart on the floor. I have to go the cooking area to get what I want. Although waiter offer to carry my tray.

If you like to try an authentic Dim Sum place in Houston, this is the place. There's a huge variety of dishes and flavors, kind service and great value.

This restaurant has an authentic Chinese/Hong Kong setting. Staff are mostly Chinese or Cantonese. The food we had was like what one would get in China or Hong Kong. We had butter Boston lobster which was the highlight of the dishes.

We ate in this restaurant with the whole family and to be honest it was such a good experience that I can recommend it to anybody, the prices are good and the customer service is average but the food is delicious.

Too many choices in the Bellaire chinatown area and so little time, so we return to Ocean Palace to get our dim sum fix every 3-4 months. It's like the McDonald's of dim sum, predictable but you know what you're going to get (Fung's Kitchen more intimate and authentic Cantonese). We do like the loud boisterous atmosphere, especially when we bring guests new to the dim sum experience. They bring you to table and give you a small clipboard. When the ladies with the carts come by and you select a dish, they stamp the clipboard. There are 5 price levels, ranging from about $2.20 for a small dish, $2.95 for med, $3.95 for large, $5.15 for Supreme (tripes, pork blood, chicken and mushroom rice wrapped in lotus leaf, Chinese broccoli) and $6.25 for Specialty dishes (usually the dishes you order from station at back or specialty meats like duck or crab claws). Of course, for the uninitiated they have no idea which dish is which, so just choose what looks and sounds good. We are a family of 5 with a bottomless pit teenage son, and we usually order 2-3 dishes to go too, and we never get out for under $60-$70, which is a little over $12 per person, so not bad for Sunday brunch. However, we were there this past Sunday, very disappointed with "fun gor" dumpling, the dough was waayy too thick (should be translucent, almost see through) and we got there late at 12:45 and they were sold out of the golden baked, not doughy white steamed, pork buns :( . We order extras to freeze for the kids to grab quick breakfast or snack (microwave about 30 secs). All in all, have not had bad experience. Service is actually polite as far as waitstaff serving to mostly Asian patrons (usually much more blunt and rude), and they could go much lighter on the MSG (waayy too much MSG!!). We are usually comatose on the ride home, so if you are allergic to MSG, beware.

They roll carts here, for some premium plates, like clams, you have to pick it up. Come early Sunday, as seats fill up really quickly! Must try are the shrimp Banh cuon, bqq chicken feet:), Chinese broccoli, and custard bread; yum!

Huge restaurant, good price and big variety of dim sum. Many locals have brunch in this restaurant where you choose directly from carts pushed by Chinese employees. There is also a great variety of hot teas to accompany the dim sum.

Big Restaurant.. really really good food and service ... well worth the trip down to the area ... definitely will go back

Travel to Houston and try to venture for some authentic foods. This restaurant is in the heart of the Vietnamese town (HongKong IV market). Very crowded, must wait for a table. Come early if you would like to have a parking space or table quickly. Dim Sum are great the foods are very authentic. There are 3 way to get foods to your table: 1. wait for the dim sum cart to roll around to your table .... this might be something you must plan (sit in the deep inside table on the right where the kitchen door is so that you can get the first choice of the foods when it just come out. The worse area is the left front of the restaurant where the cart has to pass through every one before get to you ...... therefore most of the good plate has been gone before you). 2. Get your ticket and walk to the end of the restaurant where the bar is and get some of the items there, caution: when you go, your table would not be able to get any new item from the rolling cart because the ticket is with you. 3. Ask the waiter/waitress to bring the item to your table (you must know what you are asking for if you decided to use this method ... plus may be a little more tips at the end ..... you ask them to do extra for you ... just to be fair). Prices are a little more expensive than other dim sum restaurants in the area but the portion is good for each item. I really like the shrimp xiu mai

Dim sum is traditionally served with fresh options. Though some of the ladies pushing the carts don't speak English, they are polite and try to explain to you what's the food item is. From chicken feet to steamed buns, it's sure to fill your up, but if you don't eat it all-after paying, you can request to-go boxes! Also, if you like hotpot, it's served at Ocean Palace, but in a different location. It's surely filling and pleasing! :)

We went for a late (~2 pm) lunch and it wasn't crowded. Lots of excellent dim sum wheeled by on carts and we must of sampled 10 different items; all were delicious. They had a great assortment on the carts, and when we asked about a particular favorite, they went back to the kitchen to get some for us. Great place.

My wife and I visited on a Sunday and we got in just before the crowd formed. This restaurant seats 1,000 diners. We haven't eaten here as a couple since we moved from Houston ten years ago but my wife recognized a few of the women who push the carts from ten years ago. The food is always fresh and hot and very tasty. Talking to a friend yesterday, I mentioned we had eaten here and he remembers the time we went there 20 years ago and remarked that he has never had better dim sum. My wife and I have eaten dim sum all over the country and Ocean Palace still ranks #1 for taste and affordability.

My Chinese fiancee' and I along with her friend who owns a Chinese restaurant up north visited Ocean Palace on a Sunday evening. We all loved the food, and the service was great. They were very impressed with the food and happy that it was not "Americanized." We had lobster, jumbo shrimp, chicken and some veggie dish (can't remember what it was called). Our friend (the one who owns a Chinese restaurant in Michigan) kept talking about how fresh the seafood was and how much she loved the way it was prepared. It is true that the place looks well worn, and at first that made me a bit concerned about how the food and service would be; but everything was just fine. I think the place is well worn because of a high level of traffic. Good food attracts a high volume of customers. We will be going back for sure.

I was taken to this restaurant with large group of family having never had the food before. I was fortunate to have someone who could speak the language of most of the serving staff (though they seemed very polite and willing to help someone without experience in the type of food) and right away the serving carts were wheeled down the aisle. Each cart had different types of food, all of which I have never eaten before. Everything was delicious, hot, and unique to me. I really hope to return to this restaurant to experience new dishes that I had to pass up because of being so full. I highly recommend stopping by!

I have been a fan of dim sum for many years ... and I have searched Houston for the best dim sum for as many years. While there are other good places, I think Ocean Palace serves the best dim sum brunch. There are many, many choices ... all excellently prepared. Don't arrive too early; more types of dim sum become available later in the morning or early afternoon.

We haven't been able to get Dim Sum since our last travels to San Francisco and it's Chinatown. The Ocean Palace has a wonderful storefront with a lake-like pool in front. Very pleasing as you enter. We were quickly seated at lunch and the servers came by almost immediately. So many choices! We ordered 7 different dishes and the total bill came to a very reasonable $19. What fantastic eating at such an excellent price. We wish the servers could speak English as we would have loved to know what the dessert was that we absolutely loved. The best description we can muster was a sesame type roll filled with a sweet lotus filling (if that makes any sense). Just the best! We highly recommend this establishment.

We visited on a Sunday just before noon, expecting a long wait (20 to 30 mins) but within 10 mins we got table. The mix of cart and a la carte caused us to order the roast duck and then saw the Peking ducks in the cart and of course we went for it! Tried to cancel the ordered roast duck but couldn't! No flexibility was shown!. Food was average in taste and prices reasonable. Will visit again.

Have been to Ocean Palace a number of times (Three) in the last two years and have been disappointed each and every time. Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me; Fool me three times, I'm a fool. All three visits were with large groups, most of Chinese descent, including my wife. Service is below par and most dishes were bland and some dishes were down right bad (spare ribs in particular). Was in Houston for another family get together, and finally voiced my opinion. There are many better Dim Sum restaurants in Houston (i.e. Hong Kong). While most reviews for Ocean Palace are positive, I am amazed how bad my experiences have been there. The management must pay their relatives for positive reviews and also give them a good discount.

Definitely a family place or lunch with a group of people. My favorite is the Shu Mai (a type of pork dumpling), but there is so much more.

I have been here many times through out the decade for dim sum. The dim sum room is large ballroom with tables that can fit 8 or ten people. The tables are round so that the food can be shared. In addition to the carts of various items there is an area that you can get chinese brocoli grilled turnip loaf, and various other things I can not recall the name off. It is genuine chinese. I have only been to the dim sum.

This Dim Sum restaurant is really special. The entrance is gorgeous! A beautiful waterscape with lily pads, etc. I go here whenever I'm visiting Houston. The last time I was at Ocean Palace was two years ago, and the inside was worn out and rather unkempt. The food was still great though. This time I went back just as everything was reopening after Covid in June of 2020. They had completely overhauled and updated the interior. The main dining room on the main level is new and gorgeous! New bathrooms too. Huge selection of dim sum, all excellent. I could rave and rave about how great this place is, and I've been to many dim sum places. This is at the top of my list. Wish I lived in town. I was there with my son and niece. Anyone that says dim sum is inexpensive though has clearly not ordered more than one or two items. Our bill was over $100. But it is always well worth it. Highly recommend Ocean Palace, especially since it's been renovated.

Ocean Palace is a colossus of a restaurant. It probably seats 500 in the upstairs hall. But don't be overwhelmed. The little push carts of goodness will make you feel right at home. We had several dim sum dishes and two were great and one was mediocre. No problems though, just try the next wave of dim sum being carted about! We thoroughly enjoyed the food, the atmosphere, and people watching.

We went there to celebrate my birthday and upon entering we were greeted immediatly by a friendly receptionalist who got us seated in no time. The area is much brighter with the recent renovation and stylish. Service is really good and fast.There was an item on the menu that we wanted but was told by the waiter they ran out so he went to ask the manager who went to see if there was any left. It turn out th e re was one left and offered it at a substantial discount since I did mention it was my bday. This manager and the rest of the staff and of course the excellent food made our day in this dining experience, Thank You!! By the way as we were leaving I ask the receptionalist to take our picture using my dslr.I was lucky again that this lady was taking photography classes and she took some really good and memorable pictures like a pro! Thanks again!

Just ok dim sum, not worth a repeat visit. Either bland or salty, and the deep fried eggplant was leeching oil, a result of being poorly fried. Also surprisingly pricey for dim sum like this.

staying in Houston for a couple days, wanted to have dum sum and saw a lot of good reviews on Ocean Palace so we went there to try; there's not a lot of variety of sim sum, not sure if it is late 1:30pm and they don't made any more. Based on the few plates we tried, the taste is alright, service is OK. I might go back again to try other dishes

Im sorry to see the outside of this beautiful restaurant in such poor shape. The sidewalks are not cleaned. The plants in the ponds have all died and the water is quite polluted. Such a beautiful place inside. Service is good. Sunday’s are very busy. Expect a half hour to 45 minute wait midday.

I owe it to Ocean Palace to review their great restaurant, and I also am giving them 5 stars. BUT, the title of my review might be misleading. “Excellent Inexpensive Chinese” doesn’t mean that all their food is both excellent and inexpensive. I am using that phrase to say that the Ocean Palace’s inexpensive food is excellent! Not all their food is inexpensive; I’ll discuss that at the end of the review. Last week a friend and I went there twice, and each time had great food for a very reasonable cost. The first go-round, we ordered a “small” bowl of Hot & Sour Soup, and two small entrees: pork ribs in Peking sauce, and Kung Pao Beef. The tab before tax and tip was under $20, and although we were both hungry and ate till we could eat no more, Mike still wound up taking a small carton of the remaining soup back to his hotel for breakfast. The only reason to order a large bowl is if you’ve got eight folks around the table. A few days later, the night before he returned to Southern California, we shared a small bowl of wonton noodle soup with barbeque pork, and a large Singapore noodle dish with pork and shrimp entree: total cost $17.50, prior to tax and tip. A “small” soup and regular entree is just the right amount for two hungry men. Mike insisted on returning here because he thought it was a lot better than any Chinese restaurant in Orange County, California. That’s surprising, but it does reflect just how good this restaurant is. The Singapore dish, incidentally is a Chinese stir-fry with a Malay-Indonesian curry flavour. Singaporeans would call it Peranakan (or Baba-Nyonya) and it refers to Chinese traders for centuries marrying locals and having children who blended the two cultures. Having spent a fair bit of time in that part of the world, I was delighted to find a Peranakan dish in Houston. It might not be 100% as good as back where those dishes were invented, but it’s nice to encounter them halfway across the planet. Here’s the $$$$ caveat: almost all of the beef, pork and noodle dishes are reasonably priced and great bargains. But some items are pricier: particularly the live seafood—geoduck clams, surf clams, razor clams, Manila clams, scallops. Not to mention the considerably more expensive gourmet items: sea cucumbers, abalone, and shark fin are definitely out of my price range, but I don’t really have a problem with that. If money’s no object, come on in and knock yourselves out. If you want really good, inexpensive Chinese food, where you get a lot for what you pay, this is still a great place to go.

Not a big fan of dimsum but my niece insisted we give the place a try. I'm glad we did. That was quite an experience for me. Place was crowded on a Sunday, but the staff seems battle ready lol. Most of the ladies that rolls the carts spoke only Chinese so that was a challenge but I try to pick either pork or beef or shrimp only since there are other kinds like Peking ducks 😬. They offer desserts also . Over all. I would go back when I'm in Houston 👍👍. One more thing don't expect old Chinese ladies to smile at you, guess that's just the way they are. ( nothing against them, just saying)

This place is very spacious and clean. It serves seafood, regular dinner items, and dim sum, all at reasonable prices. The wait staff works hard and is quite friendly. Still this restaurant doesn’t attract big crowds. Food tastes ok, but it could be so much better in terms of preparation and plating. When the lobster arrived at our table, I was genuinely surprised to see such a lousy plate.

We've been coming to this restaurant ever since we moved to Houston from Chicago 12 years ago. We usually come for Sunday lunch because we like the experience of choosing our dim sum from the rolling trays. They have remodeled recently, and the place now has a more upscale Chinese restaurant feel. The food has been consistently excellent (at least our dim sum favorites). We especially appreciate the no-fuss, no-frill, speedy dining experience everytime. It can get crowded, so make sure you come early!

i don't like to leave bad reviews but i feel people need to be warned. asked for teriyaki chicken told no! then she said the lemon pepper which was fine by me. after 2 minutes was asked to come back later. note this was lunch time around 12pm. it opens at 10am. i can't rate the food because i never got any. needless to say i won't be back EVER! read the reviews! service is poor. walk across the parking lot to the other side of hong kong market you'll get good clean healthy food and good service and you won't be asked TO COME BACK LATER!

Never having tried dim sum, I wasn't sure what to expect. Luckily, I was with eleven people who did know what they were doing, so they did the ordering. I am glad I had the chance to try it, although I wouldn't do it again. The filled buns which were quite popular were way too much bun for me. I ended up eating the filling, which wasn't generous, and I had a plateful of empty buns. One pork dish contained small bones, gristle, and fat--ugh! One of the guests ordered fried tofu with chilies which was not a dim sum item, and that was the only thing I really liked. It might be fun to go back and order off the regular menu.

Feeling adventurous? Give this place a try! Make sure to go with friends (and make sure one or two of them are asian ;) ) This was my first authentic Dim Sum experience. I sat down and my jaw dropped as plate after plate after plate was laid on our table. From sesame tapioca balls, to dumplings, to squid, to chickens feet, I tried it all. Some of it was better than expected and some of it was as horrifying as it looked (namely the chickens feet, but hey, you've gotta try everything at least once in life). As a whole it was a really exciting and entertaining experience.

We visited Ocean Palace two weeks ago for lunch for my daughter's birthday. We were the only non-Asian people in the restaurant. As many of the servers did not speak much English and we do not speak Chinese, we pointed at dishes that appealed to us as the carts stopped by. We were very pleased with our choices. My daughter wished she had tried the barbecued chicken feet but thought her Dad and I wouldn't join in! maybe next time.

I have not been to this restaurant in over 15 years, my husband and I attended a wedding banquet for a cousin of mine. The food was out of this world, just as I remembered as a young adult we had everything from their cold meat platter, crab soup, walnut shrimp, steamed fish, asparagus w/beef, roasted duck and many other dishes I can't remember them all. All the dishes arrived hot and were received at all table almost at the same time, the service and servers were absolutely the best you could not want for anything because there were right there with whatever you were going to ask for. There had to be 2 or 3 other large parties happening at the same time, but you would never know with all the attention given to our group. I look forward to visiting Houston again and dining at Ocean Palace once again for yet another trip down food memory lane!

We love this place and drive clear across Houston to eat there. We decided to have dinner out on New Year's day and headed for Ocean Palace. They close at 10 and we got there at 9:50. Service and attitude was great as always. We had the Fried Lobster which is always awesome in any of the 10 or so ways they serve it. The Watercress Soup is a permanent favorite as well as the Mince meat Fried Rice and the French Beef. We have been eating at this restaurant for year and have never been disappointed.

Stale dim sum. Everything tasted old n just reheated. It was a slow time anyway- not a lot of people eating so service could have been a little better! Poor service. Bathrooms need tending to.

It’s been many years since I visited this restaurant and, when a friend invited me for a dinner, I was pleasantly surprised. The interior was nicely renovated with white table cloth, bathroom was also tastefully done. Peking duck was good but the lettuce wrap with the left over peace was more delicious. Fish fillet was excellent. But the wait staff are so polite and friendly which is my favorite part.

We were driving by bellaire and decided to try a restaurant in the area when we saw this spectacular pagoda looking building and just had to stop and try. To our surprise it was not a chinese buffet but a dim sum type restaurant, which we had never tried, and were we ever wowed. The food does a spectacular dance of tastes in your mouth and it does not stop there. The staff outdoes itself with it's amazing customer service. Our waiter guided us from beginning to end in food selection, from dumplings, noodles, and bread with pork (which was a type of dessert). Oh my god I could not stop eating.

The egg rolls were magnificent. Fried rice great. I really like the round balls covered with sesame seeds (Sorry, I don't know what they are called, my bad).. Basically the food was very good. However the place could definitely used with some sprucing up and cleaning up. We found out the hard way that the dim sum is only served from 10a to 3p. Their website does not inform visitors of this fact.