Tea Modern Chinese Head Chef Stefanus Susanto and Founder Allan Tea cheer the opening of their new restaurant, a new concept replacing Tea’s previous Cali Dumpling storefront.  “The atmosphere of Tea Modern is very mature and elegant,” says Tea.  “It feels like a fully new space and restaurant.”

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Tea Modern Chinese

The end of 2024 marked a turning point for Cali Dumpling’s owners, who transformed the fast-casual spot into Tea Modern Chinese, an elevated Chinese restaurant.  The eatery is in the same spot Cali Dumpling stood on Glassell, but has been completely reimagined into a new offering from husband-and-wife founders Allan and Candace Tea.

Allan grew up working in his family’s restaurant, Capital Seafood, where he developed an extensive knowledge of Cantonese cuisine.  He’s still running Cali Dumpling as a frozen dumpling venture found in markets like 99 Ranch Market and Erewhon, but he rebuilt the storefront to work on a new challenge.

“I wanted to take these classic recipes that many are familiar with and add my own touch and new types of presentation,” he says.  “You’ll taste the authentic flavors of Cantonese cuisine, but with high-quality ingredients that are interpreted in a new way.”

An example of a menu item Allan reimagined is the ting-ling long beans.  Unlike traditional stir-fried garlic long beans, he serves them whole—sometimes braided and stretching out to 20 inches long—with a Szechuan peppercorn sauce.

“I’m really proud of that dish, and it’s a lot of fun to make and to serve,” says Allan.  “We’ve been getting such a great response and want to continue providing delicious Cantonese food in a comfortable, family-friendly environment.”

The restaurant, interior and menu have switched up from Cali Dumpling, but Allan continues to work with Chef Stefanus Susanto to lead the kitchen.

“I present the menu vision to Chef Stefanus, and he takes the time to create a few options,” says Allan.  “We then figure out how it’s going to taste, how it’s going to be plated, and how we want to present it to customers.”

Another new concept the Tea Modern founders have added is an afternoon tea service, run by Candace.

“I like to do a lot of lunch dates with my friends, and we always like to find something new and interesting and that inspired our tea service,” says Candace.  “I’m excited to bring this new type of afternoon tea, with Asian flavors, to Orange County.”

The service is only available on weekends and gets quickly booked out almost two months in advance.  Customers can choose from 14 tea options like an orchid oolong with floral flavoring, a masala chai, or a nutty Dragonwell green tea.  The tea is paired with an elegant pre-fixe menu of nine pastries made in-house, including sweets like the yuzu meringue tart and the black sesame hazelnut choux, and savory choices like a quiche potsticker and an egg salad sando. 

Tea Modern Chinese
149 North Glassell St., Old Towne Orange, CA 92866  /  714-790-4060