Hot Dumpling replaced the former Good Time Cafe in Lake Forest. It's located in a small center at the corner of Bake Parkway and Trabuco Road, so parking can be hard to come by during peak hours. There is also an El Pollo Loco and an AYCE sushi restaurant located in this same plaza. We've had the pleasure of visiting this restaurant twice at the time of this review. I was not too impressed with the presentation of the Juicy Pork Dumpling and Wuhan Siu Mai, but the taste more than made up for the appearance. The pan-fried pork & chive dumplings were fabulous and I also tried their pan-fried pork buns on my follow-up visit, so I can say that their pan-fried dishes are def worth trying. The green onion pancakes, shrimp & pork wonton in chili oil, pan-fried pork dumplings and chongqing spicy chicken were also solid dishes. The biggest surprise for us was their Mapo Tofu dish which ranks up there with the best we've ever tasted. The only miss was the Spicy Beef Tendon appetizer. Service is friendly and attentive too, so I recommend a visit if you enjoy Chinese cuisine!

This place is so great! The food is delicious, the staff is super friendly. I ordered the juicy pork dumplings and beef noodle soup. I would absolutely recommend both. I’m looking forward to coming back and trying more!

Our server Lucy was PHENOMENAL! She is on point with service and is a great asset to Sushi Kushi. My friends loved their dishes, me personally I ordered the Veggie Udon (pictured) and it severely lacked flavor. It took loads and loads of soy sauce to make it edible. But, can’t complain about the price. Exceptional dining experience, just wish I ordered something different.

Our family has been coming here for over a decade; at least a couple of times/month. Every single time the food has been consistently great and the sushi is fresh. The staff know exactly who I am when I am there and always get the “Red Carpet” treatment.

This restaurant serves some of the best BBQ pork and roast duck around, but it doesn’t quite live up to Sam Woo. The food is pricey, and the portions are small, especially when it comes to the amount of meat you get. The service is okay, but the dining area isn’t great, especially considering what you’re paying. The ceiling fans are so strong they can make your napkins fly away. While there are some good points, like certain dishes, the overall experience could be better.

As a Cantonese I really love the food here! Especially with the duck it is very seclusion. Highly recommended!! We come here almost every month.

It’s nice to have this high quality dim sum place in the neighborhood. Green onion pancakes are thin and crispy which is my favorite. Xiao Long Bao and Pan Fried dumpling are soupy just not as good as I had in Shanghai, but still really good. My friend love all of them and his favorite is spicy wonton. At last, We got one bag of frozen dumplings which is good for quick meal at home or camping.

First time visiting since the new owner took over — the quality of the xiaolongbao is surprisingly good, and the prices are much more affordable than Din Tai Fung! I’ll definitely be coming back often! 😃

I was starved on my way home, wanted to eat and I found this place. I’ve got curious with their food. I ordered 3 different food that were good for 3 people. The served time was too long and not all the staff could communicate very well. I requested for spoon and fork, they given me serving silverware instead. But the lady that assisted me was very nice. She offered free dessert and even packed my to go box for me. Overall the food was delicious. Probably, I’m going back to try other meals.

This new restaurant located in a busy plaza near freeway 5. On the first day of the restaurant, the waiters were busy so no one came to change the plates or refill the water, but that's not usually a Chinese restaurant's specialty. We order many dishes as pictures shows and all of us are satisfied with food. The Yunnan noodle soup is the signature dish and must try. Overall the waiters were friendly, the food was served quickly and of good quality, and the owner came by to serve sometimes, so good wish to a new restaurant.

If I could give a 0 star I would. Food super greasy and food server was super stingy. As if she was the business owner. Never had such bad experience with Panda Express. Very disappointed

Not a bad Panda location. We came in today, Saturday around 1:30 pm. It wasn’t too busy, people come and go. We decided to dine-in. Parking can be a little hectic, there are right on one of the entrance to a shopping plaza, and traffic in that area can get real busy. You can eat inside, and also there a few tables and chairs outside, 2 at the front, and 2 more at the back. Staff was ok, could be a bit more friendly, but no, they were not rude. It just didn’t seemed too welcoming. The ladies serving our food were pretty quick. Also, the amount of food was good, no complaints there. At least they were more than enough for us to even take some some leftovers. Food was good, it was flavorful, nothing crazy, but the food was good for a Panda Express. Overall, not a bad place to stop by and get some quick food!

Found this place as it's in same shipping center as my Littles orthodontist. I needed a place to have supper while my little was at a pre-thanksgiving party with school friends. From the outside it's a very unassuming location that if you were not looking your eye would just pass over. Upon entering, there were several customers obviously waiting for take-out orders. The rest of the restaurant was about half full and we didn't have to wait at all to be seated. The maitre d took no time at all getting us a table and then immediately taking out drink orders. The atmosphere is nicely done and the authentic Chinese music playing subtlety in the background created a very cool and relax atmosphere. The booth we were seated at, which align the walls, were comfortable without being cramped or to hard. There are four-chair tables in the center of the restaurant with real linen napkins. The art work and colors also lend to a pleasant and comfortable experience. After a good 10 min was back, having provided ample time to review the menu for what we wanted. No sooner had he left with our order and the soup, sweet & mustard and Chinese dipping crackers arrived. As we grazed through the appetizers at a leisurely pace, our entries arrived. The two dishes we ordered were Sweet & Sour Pork and the House Special Beef. The first thing you notice is that these are not small portions by any means. One entrée could easily feed two people with some left over. Since it was just me and my dinning companion, we decided a family style would allow both of us to try everything. This ended up being an excellent idea as both dishes were superior. The flavor for both was exactly what the doctor ordered. Savory and delicious just the way you expect excellent Chinese food to be. A bit from each had my eyes closed and my saliva glands working overtime. We took our time and enjoyed the ambiance and the fabulous meal. It was an excellent dining experience and at the end the price blew us both away. I was expecting a bill that was far less than one should expect for the atmosphere and food we had just enjoyed, and in looking at my companion, we started to laugh, as if some small miracle had just happened. Add all this to the fact that the staff were friendly, pleasant and efficient and I would say that if you have not eaten at Din Ho, then your are doing yourself a disservice. This is a great place!

It was a great restaurant! I would recommend this place. The place clean, organized, and the atmosphere was quite. We ate there on a Thursday around 4:30 pm. Place was not busy at all. Our waiter was very honey, friendly, professional, and funny. He made us laugh quite a few times. He made us feel very welcome. The food was also really good. Even though they gave us some soup on the house (Don’t remember what kind) but I couldn’t eat, I did not like. But it was just a personal preference, my wife and her friend loved it. The other plates were awesome. My deluxe fried rice came with chicken, shrimp, and beef. It was delicious. We enjoyed our time there, the waiter was very attentive. The restaurant it’s located in a plaza on Trabuco Rd and Lake Forest Dr. Very convenient. And you get fortune cookies and regular delicious cookies at the end.

Have had food from here at least 3 times already. Will never go anywhere else for our Chinese food. The food is amazing, the service is very fast and friendly, the atmosphere is great you can dine in or take out, the portions are plentiful and the price point is amazing. 12$ for a 3 item combo with amazing portions. It is 100% worth it. The food is also amazing. 👌 There are a number of options to choose from. Fast service.

This is the BEST spot for Chinese food. I love the BBQ pork, orange chicken, and fried noodles. For the price, they give a large amount of food and quality is amazing 10/10

Just what I was expecting and more, Tasty food, good ambiance, good service they were very attentive. Definitely I’ll come back here. Big portions perfect whenever you are really hungry for Chinese food! Easy Parking access

Like many startup restaurants, you can tell they are getting on their feet with their seating area and atmosphere. However, if you were looking for great Chinese food in the Lake Forest, foothill Ranch area this place is where it’s at. You can call ahead and get your order ready for takeout or eat in. The service is great and the people are very friendly.

Delicious mix of authentic and american chinese food! My favorite was the duck, spicy Szechuan fish, and braised pork belly. Better to eat here family style so you can try more things.

This Shanghai restaurant is amazing! The braised pork belly is tender and flavorful, perfectly balanced without being too greasy. The beef noodle soup is also great—the broth is rich and savory, the beef is tender, and the noodles have a nice chew. The restaurant is clean and cozy, and the staff is warm and friendly. Everything they recommended was spot on. I’ll definitely come back!

The food was just like home, with the best quality of oil, fresh chicken, and all the ingredients. We ordered online and enjoyed it as if they were preparing it right in front of us. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Relatively fresh and tasty, and much better than the typical Panda Express in the area. Entrees are made fresh to order. Their lunch specials available from 11 to 3 pm are the best if you are on your own. Dinner entrees are available but a little more pricey but with a lot more food (bring a friend or partner to dine). I especially like their take on Orange chicken served with Chow Mein. Doordash and to-go available.

I travel CHI to MKE several times a week, and can say this location CONSISTENTLY is understaffed, very slow (ie workers aren’t hustling), sometimes isn’t even open when they say they are, and quality is entirely hit or miss. Clearly has a management issue. It’s lunch rush right now with one person at the register and one slowly making orders, that’s it.

Terrible service from the two women who are there, as if they were giving away the food. I do not recommend that you eat at this place.