Tai Pan

This review is for their dinner service (not dim sum).We have been here a few times and really enjoy it! The menu has tons of options and the dishes are pretty good. The service is also great, staff are attentive and the food comes out fast. I do think the food is rly pricey (but that's Palo Alto for you). I was a bit disappointed about the portion size for the walnut shrimp, but everything else was fantastic!

Not coming back again because of rude interactions and high prices out of proportion to serving size and quality of food. I have been coming here on and off for 10 years. In that time the dim sum prices have gotten ridiculous. $14 for 6 little spears of boiled Chinese broccoli? (Their online menu prices are not up to date and are significantly higher in person. Yelp quotes $5.80 for some items that are actually $10.80 to $12)At the bottom of their bill they calculate suggested tips, but it is calculated after they've added tax. So if you follow their suggestions, you're not just tipping for service, but tipping for the tax on an already overpriced menu. It's greedy and sketchy, but many places do this and they're no different. Just make your own calculations.Despite all of the above, we love dimsum and live nearby so we would still eat there, tip generously and would be respectful guests each time. Recently, I came in more than 20 mins before their 2:30pm closing. I see the owner/hostess who is always behind the bar but is never friendly and ask her if I can order take-out and she says "We're closed!" in a rude way and gave me a sort of harassed look like I was being a nuisance.There were 2 other people in the restaurant waiting for their takeout orders and several parties in the dining area still eating. I asked "Oh, have you started closing at 2pm?" Because I honestly wanted to know if they were changing their hours. She didn't even answer me and went back to what she was doing at the register. I confirmed elsewhere that they do close at 2:30pm.I don't know why it took so long, but I finally realized I'm the idiot who has been coming so many years, paying exorbitant prices for meager portions of "elevated" dimsum to line the pockets of a rude owner. Never going back.

we just left the restaurant after waiting 35 mins for no food. we did get our tea immediately, but our two cups of corn soup (something they have premade in big pots in the back ) never came out. after 20 mins we asked our waiter what was the delay, and he said there were many take out orders in front of us...i get they are busy, but two bowls of soup seem doable within in 35 mins. at the end, i looked at the waiter and he didn't give us any "sorry, please just wait a little longer"...instead it was more of a blank stare. so we signaled we were leaving and he seemed resigned to this outcome. so disappointing since i love supporting local businesses and the other time we came, the food and service were good (although the prices have gone up quite a bit).

High quality ingredients, quick service and fantastic ambiance. Whenever we want dim sum, the is our go-to place after trying many in the Bay Area. Non dim sum items are also of the best quality we have tried, depth and intensity of flavor. We always have a great time every time we visit.

Good food, good ambiance and excellent service. Highly recommend this place for big and small get-togethers.

This was my first time trying Tai Pan for an event and it was a great dinner. The food was hot when it was served and the food was flavorful. The best item was the lobster which was tender and had a slight mala seasoning taste and garlic flavor. The soup had a rich umami taste yet it was super clear. The mango pudding was refreshing after the warm dishes and had pieces of mango. The service was good and the staff were attentive in clearing plates. The restaurant was clean and put together.

This is an upscale Chinese restaurant, you can tell right away as you are greeted warmly at the front.Full bar. Nicely decorated with nice painting and a large picture box with sculptures and figurines.The dim sum was pretty good. The usual fare of har gow, siu mai, baked bbq pork buns, peasprout dumpling, fried shrimp ball, gai lan, hot & Sour soup, combination Fried Rice, and Beef Chow Fun. For dessert, we had mochi. It was filled with black sesame paste, and crushed peanuts on the outside. Order ahead as these take at least 25-30min.I didn't get a chance to take pics as this was a work luncheon with a new group.

A solid place for an outdoor seating dim sum experience, but pretty overpriced given the portion sizes. If you just crave dim sum in Palo Alto though, it's a good option! Otherwise, I'd stick to Koi Palace or the takeout dim sum places in Sunset.

We recently dined at Tai Pan and had a mixed experience. The service was attentive--waiters regularly checked on our table and followed up on our orders. However, despite their efforts, a few of our dishes never arrived, and we had to follow up multiple times.We ordered the Salt and Pepper Calamari and Pork Ribs, but after several reminders and waiting over 30 minutes, they still didn't come. Meanwhile, other tables that arrived later received all their food promptly. One of the managers assured us the dishes would be ready in a few minutes, but after another 10 minutes of waiting, we decided to cancel the order. Even then, the staff went back to the kitchen to check again.The food we did receive was good, but the delay and mix-ups took away from the overall experience. Hopefully, the restaurant can improve its order management because the service and atmosphere have potential. The food was mediocre except for the salt & pepper chicken wings.

Foods are always good. Services also as usual and atmosphere, interior decorating are good as well.