J. Zhou Oriental Cuisine

J. Zhou in Tustin, Orange County, California is an upscale Chinese Cantonese restaurant in The District Mall. After a meal you can hit Whole Foods or the mall next door! The restaurant has been here since 2014.

Check out our review of Sichuan Impression, also in Tustin.

A really nice looking interior without being gaudy, and very good dim sum make this a no brainer for food fans. Private rooms for bigger groups. The waiters speak English and there are lots of pictures on the menu.

With only 3 stars on Yelp, most folks would steer clear of this place, but a friend recommended it and we were thankful. Many regard it as the go to place for dim sum in the OC, especially for the well heeled.
Drive 90-120 minutes to the San Gabriel Valley and you will find cheaper and better Chinese food at places like Sea Harbour. For locals in this area, this is as good as it gets.

Service:
Very good with more than the normal amount of servers constantly looking around. Not exactly warm and inviting, but better than drop and go. No worries about ordering or refills here. No drop and go.

J Zhou Menu:
J Zhou has a pretty extensive dim sum menu. You check off the list and they make it fresh, the way it should be done. The menu has lots of pictures, so do not if you are a novice. They have a nice selection of more modern dishes as well as the classics. Yes the prices are higher than many places, hence the fancy décor.

Food Picks:

Deep Fried Pork Dumplings ($3.98, Small) 4 large hot out of the fryer dumplings. Nice balanced filling. A little greasy, but not terrible.

House Shrimp Dumplings ($5.18, Medium) had 4 big balls of goodness filled with lots of shrimp. Very good quality.

Sticky Rice Wrapped with Lotus Leaf ($5.18, Medium) 3 medium sized pieces with a small egg and chopped up meat in each. Cooked just right.

Durian Mochi ($6.98, Large) was fragrant and full of smelly durian. Sure to satisfy without the greasiness of a deep friend durian puff.

Golden Sweet Ball ($5.18, Medium) or sesame balls. 3 medium sized ones with just the right amount of sweet filling.

Steam Rice Paper with Shrimp ($6.98, Large) or rice noodle rolls were nicely made. One large shrimp per cut piece. Could have used more soy sauce.

Pea shoots with Dried Tofu with Bean Seedling Leaf ($10.68) is sure to satisfy your veggie needs. Pretty pure and pristine.

OK:
BBQ Pork Buns in Oyster Sauce ($5.18, Medium) were just average. Not very red in the middle, indicating their oyster sauce spin was in force. Nothing special.

Tea ($1.68 per person) was pretty average. Note that you can get different types of each for each person, without additional charge.

Pans:

Double Boiled Superior Bird’s Nest ($18.80) was on sale from $50+. It is clear they cut corners to get the price down. We could taste the egg substitute for birds nest.

Any OC restaurant recommendations?

J. Zhou Oriental Cuisine Overall Rating: (Very Good 2.5)

Come Back?

Food Rating:	(Very Good)
Service Rating:	(Good)
Atmosphere Rating:	(Excellent)
Value Rating:	(Average)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:	Beer, Wine
Attire:	Casual
Parking:	Street
Reservations:	Yes