On Time Seafood Restaurant

We had dinner there during the week. The menu has a variety of authentic and Americanized dishes that we really appreciated. The food took a quite a while to come out and one of our dishes was cold. Our tofu was super oily and we couldn’t eat it, but the other dishes we had were good. I’ll be returning for dim sum for sure.
Food: ³⁄₅
Location: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅

This place is under new ownership and will be called Lucky Lou’s fairly soon. We got there late in the afternoon on a Saturday and they weren’t pushing carts of Dim Sum around anymore, but we were still able to order it. I thought it was as good as what I get in Chicago’s Chinatown for the most part and was happy to find Dim Sum in Indy since Shen Yang closed.
We also ordered a couple of dishes off their regular menu Beef Chow Fun (Ho Fun) and their specials (written in Chinese — Chinese chives with sliced sea whelks (snails — excellent!)) .
Totally authentic Chinese food, the owner was friendly and took the time to translate the Chinese specials for me, but of course it was 4:00 in the afternoon and their slow time too.
I think this place is comparable to Chinatown restaurants but much cleaner than most! 4 stars easily, have to go back a few more times to see if it rates a 5.

I was very relieved to get to the middle of our US and find a place with decent dim sum. My adult son and I caught up here for lunch one day. we are both accustomed to Washington DC dim sum, SF and LA dim sum. We were tickled to find good choices, quality and a pleasant atmosphere. Staff was helpful but not too in our visiting space. I definitely will go back.

The owner has been changed for a few times already and it was getting worst. However, the newest owner who just took over the restaurant on early this year is a very nice Cantonese couple. I just went there today and they said they are still working on the menu, grand opening will be next month and they will change the restaurant’s name. I am Cantonese and I ordered off the menu food that were not from the old menu which was created by the old owner and they were able to make it happen for me and my friends. It is nice to have good Cantonese food when the closest ones are either in Chicago or Columbus OH. I do like this one better than Shanghai Lil up north because that owner is Taiwanese and I prefer Cantonese food better. I hope they will last long and I can go there every week to enjoy my home town food.

Decent variety represented in the dim sum menu, but the results were mediocre at best. Some of the items suffered from a lack of seasoning, and some from just plain incorrect execution. One item in particular (pan fried chive dumpling) was dripping in hot oil (apparently from being deep fried).
Quite pricey relative to other medium market cities.

The food here is positively amazing, a unique cultural experience unlike any other. Try as many different dishes as you can, especially the squirrel fish and cumin lamb. Turns out, I don’t like pork intestines, but it was worth a shot. Good and a nice Japanese microbrew.
A heavy note of caution– the Waiters don’t really speak English. Probably the only way to get the full experience of this place is to go with someone who speaks mandarin. Otherwise, your service will probably suck. Might explain all the bad reviews, but it gave it a nice sense of authenticity that I liked.

My background is Asian and I love dimsum. I was visiting Indy and had a craving; On Time Seafood seemed like the best bet. I can only speak to the weekend dimsum that I had. They had a small cart service and you can also make requests of the servers. The selection was limited to the classics/​basics. Ha gao was very mediocre (skin was thick/​sticky). Overall it was tasty and satisfied my craving, but was not of the highest quality. It seems they only speak Mandarin so there was occasionally a language barrier, and the service seemed enthusiastic yet somehow they couldn’t understand what I wanted (e.g. red vinegar, sweet and sour sauce, small bowls, a classic noodle dish, etc.).

I’m a little puzzled by some of the negative reviews as many contain variations on the phrase, «Not as good as the Chinese restaurants in Chicago.» Really? You think? Using Chicago, the third largest city in the US and the city with the fourth highest economic output in the world (after Tokyo, NYC, and LA) as the standard, how many restaurants (or any entertainmen/​recreation enterprise) in Indianapolis of any kind would stand up?
I give it five stars because the food is fairly authentic, there’s a huge selection, and you would be hard pressed to find something better in *Indianapolis*. The dim sum is also very good — again, probably the best in Indianapolis, especially after Shen Yang closed.
Yes, there are better dim sum places in Chicago, LA, NYC, Toronto, Vancouver, etc. etc. etc., but that’s like telling the parched traveler in the Sahara that the water in the oasis he just found is not as clean as bottled water in North America. Not helpful.
You just can’t compare Indianapolis restaurants with Chicago restaurants, especially ethnic restaurants.

Give this place a try! I eat here as often as I can! Although the surrounding neighborhood might scare some folks away, I promise the food here is worth the trip out of your comfort zone! Be prepared for a more authentic experience. Sure, there are the typical «Sesame Chicken» etc. offerings on the menu, but, the «real» Chinese dishes are so much better!
The atmosphere of On-​Time is stylish and inviting. I’ve sampled items from the dim sum and regular dinner menu. We always ask for the same server – Zhong Ming Wang. He is very nice and always does a good job. On the dim sum menu, my favorite items are the shrimp crêpe fried crab seaweed roll. For dinner, I LOVE the filet fish in hot chili oil, and Shanghai-​style bok choy. (Be sure to get it Shanghai-​style! It comes in a garlic-​y broth) The dim sum is a bit on the pricey side.
The water-​spinach is also very good. And… I have to fess-​up… I’ve even tried the Sesame Chicken. It’s good, too!

I thought the dim sum was quite good… on par with what I have had in chicago and nyc… not quite the selection in terms of variety that you might find in the bigger cities.
I found the service to quite attentive with very few hiccups… friendly and smiling… and after an initial request. kept our water glasses full.
Servers spoke adequate english and were happy to offer explinations and suggestions with good humor and smiles.
Overall an excellent value… quality food… good service… nice atmosphere

we came here with a large group –They have awesome Crispy salt & pepper tofu and yummy tea! also have a great family style bean curd dish.

I like this place, it’s very good looking, and the food is okay. Never get the bitter melon with black bean sauce. It literally tastes like garbage. The servers are sweet but not usually on the ball as one is accustomed to. ENORMOUS portions.

Walking in for the first time, I was shocked by the style and size of the restaurant, yet nearly empty except for a few tables of the 50 or more available.
Fresh seafood in tanks await the brave soul. And its spectacular.
Make this a ‘must do’ for Asian Restaurant in Indianapolis.

We don’t have a lot of choices when it comes to Dim Sum in Indianapolis so we usually have to settle for this place when we have a sudden crave. Dim Sum is almost like tapas, you eat small portions of steamed and fried goodness. The selection here is not that big, you have the usual suspect like chicken feet, a variety of steamed dumplings, shui mai, spare ribs, shrimp balls, and some other items. This place offer some of their Dim Sum items from a cart which you can attain right away. You can also order items off the menu which they will bring you when they are ready.
The taste is not amazing like what you would find in Chicago but this is Indianapolis so don’t expect so much. Sometimes the food does come out cold and the hot chili oil is not at all hot. The roasted duck is very good and I also enjoy the beef tripe stew. The wait staff is not at all attentive, don’t be looking for your original waiter just pull over whoever you see pass by.

our virgin tour Dim Sum, first time for most things on the table, chicken feet, several different shrimp wraps & rolls, fried squid, Lovely Sweet Rolls with Pork or Beef Paste, Duck
Dim Sum is like tapas small plates selection, here brought around to your table, so the waters weren’t full, they were Super Busy since Sunday is Dim Sum Day here 11A-​230P

I have mixed feelings about this place. There are not many places in Indy to get dim sum and this place offers an authentic Chinese meal. But a dining experience is more than just about the food. The general vibe I got from this place was sub par.
For the food —
Nothing was amazing here but they were out of the two things I wanted the most. They did have some pretty awsome chicken feet that had a strong star anise flavor. The stuffed eggplant is always a favorite of mine and theirs was decent. The seaweed roll was interesting. It was like a Chinese hotdog — seaweed casing stuffed with fishcake.
For the vibe —
The service I got was pretty bad. They overcharged, forgot items, and pretty much neglected the fact that we were there. I went with two other people and we all got tea. When the bill came we all got charged 2.25 for it so we ended up paying close to $ 7 for the small pot that normally comes free at any Chinese place. I know my Chinese friends would have made a scene if this happened to them. I suspect they would have charged extra for rice too.
I will probably revisit to give it one last chance since it was the most authentic Dim Sum I have had in Indy.

Great restaurant! Food was delicious. The restaurant is a really nice setting also (not obvious from the outside, but it’s nice inside).
I went with my parents and grandmother; everyone enjoyed it. We ate the kung pao chicken, spicy shrimp, beef with broccoli, crispy boneless duck, and eggplant with garlic… every dish was fantastic.

This is the real deal for dim sum and authentic Chinese cuisine from various regions! (Local foodies don’t have to travel to Chicago anymore every few weeks to get their fix!!!) There are even exotic specials listed on a chalkboard in the foyer listed in English and in Chinese characters (very common in big city Chinatowns). You simply have to ask about these. The dim sum is fresh, authentic tasting, and the menu has a big variety. (I’ve only had it made-​to-​order during the week.) The dim sum menu has pictures, and the system during the week is check off what you want (This is becoming the norm now in dim sum places in Chinatowns.) The décor is very upscale and sleek for a dim sum house. The prices are on point.

Authentic Chinese food. Some dishes from the northern regions, & a few from the southern regions of China. Went there tonight with some people who have spent a year in China. My husband was charged $ 4 more than what the clams were listed for on the menu, & the water spinach was not as good as when i cook it at home, but I definitely recommend the crispy salt & pepper tofu. Delicious, & so was their veggie mei fun. The service was absolutely terrible as far as having plates, cups, chopsticks available. Forget it if you needed drinks refilled. The people were friendly as hell-​just really inattentive. The people I went with thinks we overwhelmed them with our party of 10, as they had excellent service last time with 4, but I wouldn’t know. It may be better if you eat the seafood (which you can pick from tanks in the restaurant.) & I’m willing to try it one more time, but it’s only winning me because of their tofu, which, even as a vegetarian, is not something I eat a lot of. Edit: Yes, Shawna’s right. We were not overcharged; I forgot to add in our drinks. Also, for interesting food available: sea whelks.

I’ve lived in China for a year and the food was spot on. This isn’t a Chinese takeout its a sit-​down place with a great atmosphere.
You definitely need to eat the salt and pepper crispy tofu. Even the non vegetarians/​vegans loved it. The Garlic eggplant. OMG was that good. This restaurant is vegan/​vegetarian friendly. Just watch the menu and ask em whats in the dish and there are tons of options. If you feel like being a bit Man vs. Food the meat eaters ordered Jellyfish but apparently it was gross because they each only had one bite.
This restaurant is traditional Chinese. Meaning the portions are huge and meant to be shared. Come hungry and with friends or expect to have a ton of leftovers. (Not that that is a bad thing) We did it with each person ordering a dish and then we all shared off them and we had to leave half a plate of clams behind. Most of the rest got eaten tho.
Went there last night with a party of 11 (6 of us Vegetarian or Vegan 5 not). It was supposed to be 8 but they accommodated us pretty well considering. They actually had a round table big enough for all of us. No Pulling tables together!
That said they didn’t get us enough plates/​tea cups until we asked and were super lax on drink orders/​refills we had to get their attention and ask for it. I’d been there once before when it was two of us and they were super attentive I’m guessing its because we didn’t make a reservation or order like traditional Chinese folks do and this place definitely is aimed at serving traditional Chinese celebrations. So we probably threw them off and I imagine if we’d had a reservation we would of had a dedicated waitress like they do in China for big parties.
FYI based on how it was in china, when you go out with a big party like that the party talks about what dishes they want the host decides what to get and communicates this to the server and all the dishes are served to the host who puts them on the lazy Susan in the middle. We ordered western style and they tried to serve the dishes to each person who ordered them. Which i think really threw them off. They did get our checks right tho!
Most of the vegetarian dishes are under 10 bucks a person but the duck clams and the like can get pretty pricey so i clicked moderate. And Draco forgot the price of their sodas I don’t think she got overcharged.