The acclaimed dim sum restaurant will fill September with mooncakes, milk tea, special dishes and a ticketed Mid-Autumn celebration at Diamond Jamboree. Steam rising from bamboo baskets, cups of strong Hong Kong milk tea and a mooncake waiting at the end—September is shaping up nicely at Tim Ho Wan in Irvine.
The acclaimed Hong Kong dim sum restaurant will host Taste of Hong Kong: Mid-Autumn Celebration on Tuesday, Sept. 22, bringing food, lanterns and one of Hong Kong’s most cherished cultural traditions to Orange County. The ticketed evening runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the restaurant’s already-open location inside Diamond Jamboree.
Mid-Autumn Festival traditionally brings families and friends together over shared meals, glowing lanterns and mooncakes. At Tim Ho Wan, that spirit will take over the dining room through handcrafted dim sum, premium Chinese teas, Hong Kong-style milk tea, specialty drinks and desserts.
Guests can move through a restaurant “marketplace” featuring tastings and activations from familiar Hong Kong brands, including Lee Kum Kee, Kee Wah Bakery, Black & White and HK Tea Gallery. The evening will also include a wishing wall, Mid-Autumn-themed photo opportunities, games, a raffle and curated gifts.
The format is built for both longtime dim sum regulars and newcomers who may still be learning the difference between har gow and siu mai. Tim Ho Wan’s culinary team will guide guests through the food and stories behind Hong Kong’s dining culture, turning dinner into a compact trip across the Pacific—no passport or 13-hour flight required.
Tickets are $38 per person and are available through Eventbrite.
A Month of Hong Kong Flavors
The Sept. 22 celebration anchors a month-long series of weekly promotions. Each week spotlights a different part of Hong Kong’s food culture, from its famously smooth milk tea to roasted barbecue pork and salted-lemon soda.
From Sept. 8-11, dine-in guests will receive a complimentary hot or iced Hong Kong milk tea with their order. Tim Ho Wan’s Milk Tea Ambassadors will also share some of the history and cultural significance behind the drink, which has become an essential part of Hong Kong’s cha chaan teng café culture.
From Sept. 14-18, the restaurant will offer a $19 roasted barbecue pork special served with cucumber and black fungus in garlic dressing and rice. The combination will be available for dine-in and takeout.
Mooncakes take center stage from Sept. 21-25. Guests who spend at least $60 while ordering directly through Tim Ho Wan’s website will receive a complimentary Kee Wah mini mooncake. Additional mooncakes will be included as the order total increases.
The series closes from Sept. 28 through Oct. 2 with a buy-one-get-one-free offer on Sprite with salted lemon, a fizzy, citrusy Hong Kong favorite available for dine-in and takeout.
Tim Ho Wan began in Hong Kong in 2009 when chefs Mak Kwai Pui and Leung Fai Keung opened a small, 20-seat restaurant with the idea that carefully prepared dim sum should remain accessible. The original restaurant earned a Michelin star within its first year, helping turn the once-tiny operation into an internationally recognized name.
For more information about the brand visit timhowanusa.com
Address: 2700 Alton Parkway, Suite 127-131, Irvine
Phone: 949.703.0770
Regular hours: Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Photo credits: Photo courtesy of Tim Ho Wan
