Hoi Sum in Eastbourne

I popped in one lunchtime for six portions of Singapore noodles to takeaway for my freezer. I also asked for two portions of satay sauce. I was charged £55 and when I asked why it was so much more expensive than the restaurant menu price I was told "bigger portions". The single person portions came in standard takeaway foil containers with cardboard lids and the satay sauce amounted to just a couple of teaspoon measures languishing at the bottom of a styrofoam cup. I've eaten Singapore noodles in this restaurant on several occasions and the portion sizes were no different to those in the foil containers. I have no complaints about the quality of the food, only the lack of transparency when it comes to how much the customer will be charged for it. If you're going to charge takeaway customers more than you charge diners sitting in your restaurant, for whatever reason, at least be upfront about it and have a takeaway menu showing the prices you will charge, instead of asking for what you think you can get away with. I won't be going back.

Lovely food and service. Found this after asking in a pub for a good Chinese. They found us a table, we had satay chicken, peking crispy duck, hoi sin pork, sweet and sour pork, special chow mein and prawn crackers. Very friendly and good service and a reasonable price. There was a bit on condensation dripping from ceiling and owner did offer to move us. Good find.

Very loud inside with people shouting. Constant knocking from the walls. We waiting 40 minutes for a staff member to take our order. While we were eating the very plain food water started dripping into our food from the roof. After talking with the owners they mentioned it was only condensation which we felt was not an acceptable solution, they gave 10% off our bill, we didn’t finish the food… The food especially Kung pao chicken was battered? Never in all my travels have I seen it done this way? Perhaps it could be served in a multipurpose way with other things on the menu? All in all very disappointing food for such a highly rated restaurant

This place is a hidden gem! We discovered it last year when looking for a Chinese takeaway that could cater for a gluten free diet, and I actually had a good choice of dishes. The take out was lovely and we said one day we’d be back for a meal. That day was today and we turned up on the off chance that there would be a table at 5.30 when Hoi Sum opens, and we were lucky. Overhearing conversations with others coming through the door later revealed they were fully booked for the evening, but they didn’t turn people away, and instead looked to see how they could be accommodated. Our food was delicious and being coeliac I don’t usually have much of a choice in Chinese restaurants, so to read the allergen menu and see so many dishes not containing gluten was an unusual treat. We had beef in black bean sauce and tofu and cashew nuts in yellow bean sauce, and Chinese vegetables with garlic, plus egg fried rice. Delicious! And the portion sizes are generous too. The service is excellent, very friendly, attentive and efficient, and we won’t wait so long to go back for another meal! Thank you Hoi Sum!

Best Chinese food around. Tonight we had sizzling fillet steak with spring onions and ginger which is delicious, really tender. And Singapore Vermicelli noodles which has different meats and prawns and veg and is also delicious plus kung po prawns which are superb.

Went with my family. Really nice owners my family have got to known. Always friendly and really really good food all reasonably priced. Thanks guys.

A great restaurant food is beautiful Good service Been a few times and food has always been lovely very nice restaurant And friendly staff Close to town centre and station Would definitely recommend I don't often leave reviews but when somewhere is worth visiting I will

This restaurant doesn't look great on the outside but it is worth going in. The menu is what you would expect and the quality and portion size are very good. Very friendly and efficient staff. It is a bit hard to find but if it wasn't you might find it hard to get a table. It is clearly popular with the locals.

Excellent Chinese food. We had Sizzling fillet steak with ginger and spring onion and Singapore Vermicelli noodles and Kung Po prawns. All food was superb and service outstanding. Advise to book ahead to avoid disappointment because it can be fully booked

Hoi Sum is the best chinese we have been to (we are from London and have tried many around the country) The restaurant is 1 min from Eastbourne Station and intimate enough for couples to enjoy yet has larger tables for groups. Best to book in advance. The staff are professional and attentive, they recognise us when we return and make us feel welcome. The food is superb. We had sizzling steak with ginger and spring onions. And spicy vermicelli and kung po prawns and prawns with ginger and spring onions. All was excellent. Plus all the dishes we see come out the kitchen look superb.

Absolutely a hidden gem! Took my parents there for their birthdays and what a great place ! The food was lovely and service was with a smile ! These are the places you want to go to again and again! We will be back !

A fabulous restaurant with a wonderful ambience & delicious food. This was our first time to eat here and it was a perfect choice (actually found by our friend on trip advisor!) The restaurant is tucked away along a narrow street, we’ve lived near Eastbourne all our lives and never knew it was there. It’s a great find! We had a lovely evening with our friends ~ and it is not the last! Food was plentiful, fantastic choice and quality was first class. Everything steaming hot, and freshly made. We had starters, then duck, followed by mains. We definitely ordered too much - we may of continued, but King (the owner) told us we’d ordered enough. And he was right! Fortunately, we were able to take the leftovers home….. No complaints about the price ~ it’s very reasonable. Set menus are available as well as choosing items individually. A number 1 place to eat for us! ☺️ Thank you for a great evening King and the lovely lady who served us.

I had lunch here with my husband and two friends. The food was delicious, the staff are lovely and it has a nice cozy atmosphere. Will definitely be back soon.

This was without exception the best Chinese food we have had. The restaurant is down a tiny side street and is absolutely lovely inside. The decor is great with natural brick walls. The seating is really comfortable with ample spaces between tables and a really nice atmosphere. The service from King and the lovely lady (sorry we didn’t get your name) was brilliant and we couldn’t have asked for more. Onto the food. PERFECT. No other words needed. I would recommend this restaurant a million times over and will definitely be returning very soon! Oh, and such good value for money. A meal for four, starters, duck and mains (we totally over ordered and even King said that’s enough, which you never get!) and drinks including a bottle of Prosecco was only £153! Such a lovely night. Thank you so much

Our neighbour suggested this restaurant to us, and two years ago we had our first wonderful dinner there. We've since established a routine. The personnel is warm, friendly and very efficient. Food is always outstanding, tasty and fresh. Good value for the money. This is a great restaurant that I highly recommended.

Amazing service and the friendliest staff. The food is incredible! Our regular Chinese restaurant and takeaway, can’t recommend it enough!

Have loved every visit here, the food is always amazing and the staff are very friendly. The restaurant is small so I would book! Will defiantly be going back again.

Very warm welcome from King. We had a starter for two which was excellent, very hot and very tasty. The chicken chow mein, sweet and sour chicken and lemon chicken were the best we have ever tasted. Good quaity ingredients, very hot and wonderful taste. The atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming. We were on holiday but would come back to Eastbourne just for another meal here. The Langtons B and B, where we were staying, recommended this restaurant and we were very glad they did as it is tucked away but well worth finding. Thanks again for a wonderful meal.

Fantastic food and service. The best Chinese food we have eaten for many years. Great value too. Would definitely recommend.

the best food we have had in ages the ribs were amazing my husband loved the spring roll and sweet n sour chicken . I had the dry ribs and roast pork the rice was so fluffy everything was so good my husband wants to go back again today .the host was so nice and made our night the staff were very efficient and the place was spotless. a hidden gem in a little road behind the Weatherspoon's pub.

Fantastic Chinese restaurant for any occasion. King and his staff are friendly and attentive. The food is consistently excellent and the ambience is great. Highly recommended.

Found the quiet little restaurant today in a little lane. Lovely place to eat, great food and service. Very well priced, we will definitely be returning.

We came here for lunch, amazing value for money!!! Great food, we had the sweet and sour chicken, and Singapore vermicelli were both fantastic!! The ice cream and pineapple fritter desserts were outstanding!! Huge thank you to the staff with great service!!

A real gem, 2nd visit for us and once again the food was fabulous 👌 nothing was too much trouble for the staff who are very attentive.

This is a gem of a side street Chinese restaurant here in sunny Eastbourne . Great food, ,large portions, superb value, very friendly smiley service.... love it love it , thank you and we shall return !!

Really really good food and the owners were really lovely too, a very warm welcome and good service throughout. Will definitely return and saved 25% on the bill with my DINE card so it was great value too!

Warm welcome and great service from friendly staff on a busy night. Food was excellent, just wish we'd had starters and puddings as well.

Hoi Sum is a wonderful place for dining with family groups, friends or an intimate nite out with your partner. You are always made very welcome by the owner and his team, the food is consistently great and because of its snug size, there is...

Not once were we asked if the food was ok (it wasn't) or even if we needed drinks (we did). I left hungry and sober. It took an hour to even get the bill. Very disappointing.

The food is served piping hot, fresh and oh so tasty. The price is very reasonable. The couple running this pleasant little restaurant are wonderful, warm, friendly and helpful, The restaurant is very clean, quiet,relaxing atmosphere. We are older folks and now we have discovered...

The staff were so welcoming and the service was great, lovely meal on our 50th wedding anniversary ...felt special

Very good service and food 🥘.very clean food was fabulous we’ll definitely coming back soon. Thank you so much..👍👍👍👍👍👍

Absolutely fantastic food as always at a great price. Great environment to enjoy a superb Chinese meal. Thanks to all who work there👍

Even though it is tucked away down a narrow road, it has a strong band of customers who appreciate its excellent value and outstanding service. We have never been disappointed.

Service was good. Very busy but we didnt have to wait long for our meals and they were attentive even though busy. Tasty food.

Possibly the most tasteless Chinese I’ve ever had. The reviews stating this Chinese is worth a visit are untrue in my opinion. Avoid if you don’t want to waste your money.

Excellent set lunch menu. A huge choice of main dishes. Service was friendly and good. Will definitely come back again.

Exerlent food staff also not expensive could not do enough for us. Don't be put off with its location or facade lovely inside.

Friendly service. Delicious meal. Very good prices. Can’t wait to go again. Definitely recommend the chilli squid and crispy duck.

Absolutely fantastic food as always, staff amazing and work very hard, atmosphere just right and very clean!! Always make a point of one meal there every time we visit Eastbourne.

Very atmospheric on a Friday evening. Friendly service, extensive menu and very affordable prices. It is a win win

First time for me. Great cosy restaurant with excellent customer service. Food was plentiful, well timed and delicious. Price was very reasonable too.

Absolutely brilliant, especially for me being coeliac, bloody lovely Green Thai Curry 🍛. Friendly, never have to wait for takeaway.

As good as ever. A great place to eat a stones throw from the station. Great service, food and prices. Lunch is an incredible price for the set meals. Just right portion size and big for the price. Have been coming here for years and...

Hoi Sum is a lovely friendly intimate Oriental restaurant nestled away near the train station in Eastbourne. My partner and I have tried lots of chinese throughout UK including many in London but Hoi Sum in Eastbourne we both feel is the best of them...

Always a friendly welcome here.Food and service of a high quality.Well worth seeking out as it is off the beaten track.

We’ve been coming to this little gem of a restaurant for a little while now, we even travel 20 miles to get here as nothing else is as good. Food is always superb and the staff are always accommodating and friendly! Looking forward to our...

Well hidden restaurant. Great food and service. Thank you for a fantastic experience. The aromatic crispy duck was especially good

Absolutely fantastic. Had a great meal. Lovely friendly staff and exceptional value. What a gem. So glad we came across it. Will deffo be back.

It was to celebrate my mum's birthday, place was spotlessly clean, food was fantastic, service was excellent, staff were very friendly and welcoming, will definately be going there again.

Our second time at this lovely restaurant and again it did not disappoint. went here last year when we came to Eastbourne. The food is excellent and the staff are very friendly and helpful. looking forward to our next visit.

Been going to this superb restaurant for many years its consistency at serving 1st class chinese food is 2nd to none . Went back last night after this last lockdown great to see the standards here are still as good as ever. Thanks King &...

Had an excellent dinner at Hoi Sum . Service was very good and the food amazing . Would highly recommend if you are in Eastbourne

Thank you sooo much King for being so warm and welcoming the food amd service was absolutely fantastic

We booked on line and didn't know what to expect and wow we wasn't disappointed. On arriving we was greeted by the owner with a smile on his face, there was a lady wiping the menus down because of covid.The menu has plenty to choose...

I found this place by accident, after stumbling down a side road, and decided to try it. The food was wonderful- fresh, piping hot, and a huge portion of beef and rice. I also had prawn crackers, which was a very big portion, and lovely....

Food bland and concerned about social distancing, the restaurant was full and tables seemed close to each other compared to other restaurants.

Lovely little Chinese restaurant! The staff were attentive and friendly. The food was divine and so fresh, the portion sizes were amazing! Highly recommend! They did not have chicken balls on the menu but cooked them to order for me! Cannot wait to come back!

The food was really nice, lovely little restaurant and very good value for money! Highly recommended.

We just had takeaway from Hoi Sum and it was sooo good! Fresh and delicious as always. We were patiently waiting for them to reopen after lockdown but it was well worth the wait! Wouldn't go anywhere else! Superb food and lovely staff!

opening hour changed to Tuesday 17:00 to 2200 only Wednesday 17:00 to 2200 only Thursday 17:00 to 2200 only Friday 17:00 to 2200 only Saturday 17:00 to 2200 only this was a notice on the door

A bit difficult to find this but is close to the new Beacon shopping centre. Very good and reasonably priced lunch menu so well worth the effort. Also open in the evenings and the full menu is fairly standard but very good.

Read reviews so thought we would try.I had crispy beef with chilli sauce we’re the sauce went I do not know.Hubby has chicken with pekingsause it was a bit chicken with some sauces but not peking.The meal was okay but not as expected

Service good, food excellent. Staff attentive without being over the top. Friendly staff. Good value for money.

I'm generally very difficult to please with Chinese food restaurants, but this place served very delicious food at a good prices. Miles ahead of the low quality buffet-style Chinese restaurants nearby. Highly recommended.

It is simply the best chineese in Eastbourne. Friendly and good service especially the male staff. Find it and you will enjoy a nice meal but reserve a table!

Always been in a group so have shared lots of dishes. Quick service food piping hot and delicious and close to bars.

This is the review I promised the owner KingWe stumbled on this restaurant by chance.A lucky stumble They do a special 3 course lunch for an unbelievably low price.Lovely tasty food, lot's of choices on the menu,large portion and important to me,it arrive piping hot. The owner is very friendly and the place is very clean My main course of Hoisum special Chow Mein was the best Chinese food I have had in the UK We definitely be returning and will recommend to our friends and family.Off the beaten track but worth the effort to find. Thanks Keith and Dax

The food was excellent the service was great and the atmosphere was good . Would definitely recommend this restaurant and if we return to Eastbourne we would definitely go back

We stumbled across this almost by mistake but were very glad we did. Packed to the rafters we were lucky to get a table. The ambience was great, as was the food and staff. Would happily return if we’re back in Eastbourne.

This is tucked away but worth looking for. Service was friendly and efficient and food was very nice. As others have said do not be put off by the outside as inside it is modern, clean and a lovely environment.

Really lovely staff and warm atmosphere and the lunch menu is very cheap but I was a bit disappointed with all off the food, it was a bit greasy and a bit bland.

Visited this restaurant looks terrible From outside the road is a mess with large bins. But when you get inside the welcome is good and we usually have lunch which is very good value don’t be put off from outside and do visit

Fantastic chinese restaurant. Needed google maps to find it as it was down a side street but was well worth it. Food was great and the service was even better, fairly quick and the staff were very friendly, happy to chat if you wanted a conversation. Overall great value for money. Would highly recommend.

Mi hijo fue aquí para llevarme el sábado 22 de junio.

My wife and I have eaten here many times and took some friends there on Saturday , 1st June, even though we told them it was superb they were still amazed at the high quality of every course and the brilliant service. Hoisum may be slightly more expensive but it is worth every penny. Without doubt this is our favourite in the Eastbourne area and the food is exceptional.

I’ve only been here once cause my normal restaurant was closed. Was very nice and would be happy to go again.

Fabulous evening with great food, especially good vegetarian dishes. Excellent service and lively ambience

Went here for a birthday meal, very friendly and chatty waiter . The food was very good, the salt and pepper beef ribs were excellent. Will certainly return here .

Este encantador restaurante está escondido en una calle secundaria y vale la pena cazar. La decoración es agradable, el anfitrión es encantador y la comida es deliciosa. Normalmente necesito salsa de soja para darle un poco de sabor al plato principal, pero nunca necesité usarla. Los sabores eran excelentes. Sirven suficientes algas crujientes en el plato de inicio, que es lo más inusual para nosotros. ¡Muy recomendable!

Have been coming here for a few years now and just thought I'd leave a review. Have always been excellent with my whole family and wife who is gluten intolerant, always preparing fresh tasty and hot food to suit her diet. Fantastic staff and great prices for what you get.

I absolutely love this place the food is always delicious and the staff are all very friendly! Good size portions Will return and recommend always

Came for lunch and found a notice on the door saying it is shut until the 25th March, very disappointing but will come back when it re-opens to try it then. Hopefully will be worth coming here twice!

Had a set menu and for the amount of people it was very good, though had some issues with the fact that there was not one each of everything of the starter so had to share a prawn toast chicken satay etc, felt the rice was a little flavourless. The waitress almost threw the plates on the table and cleared the table before we had even left wondered if she was hinting we should leave!!.

It simply is the best in town, from the warm friendly welcome to the amazing array of choices of dishes , just can’t fault it, tried the rest but this by far is the best. Always top service and food is the best in town, try it , you won’t be dissapointed.

Checked out on trip advisor saw it had good reviews. It was Friday night had to wait till 18:00 to ring to book a table for 2 the owner said he was fully booked but should be able to have a table at 21:00 trouble finding the restaurant due to the road works arrived at 20:45 and got the table we could see it was still very busy.

6 of us went for grandparents birthday. Restaurant filled up quickly with lots of different generations of people. Service was attentive and helpful, the food was just the right amount for the table and all of it tasty.

We sat down and knew we had come to a good place. Staff friendly and welcoming and knowledgeable. We had duck and pancakes. Ribs and chow mein. Lovely food.

First class service, the excellent food was prepared to perfection, This restaurant comes highly recommended, the staff are very attentive and the menu is certainly very good. Such a warm and friendly atmosphere to me is a most important part of the dining experience. Everything was perfect and the prices represent good value.

While not in the most pleasant of surroundings, once inside it is was welcoming and cosy. The food was extremely good and could not be faulted and always a good sign it, the restaurant was full , the was service fine. Will be going back

We were recommended this wonderful Chinese restaurant, and are so glad we tried it.

Food is very good value for money . Staff of 2 in front-of-the-house but excellent service .Advisable to book and ask for a table away from the door .Customers buying takeaways seem to leave the door open !

Fantastic food and great value for money. The owner (King) was so nice and provided great service. Will definitely return when next in Eastbourne!

No hemos estado en Hoi Sum por unos años, pero la última vez que vinimos fue fantástico. Es preocupante porque nunca se sabe si el restaurante sigue siendo tan bueno.

A great place with amazing food.I would recommend to anyone who likes chinease food! For larger groups i would advise to call and book.

Found this hidden treasure through Trip Advisor as we had never eaten chinese in Eastbourne. Superb half of duck with pancakes and all trimmings and a very good beef in black bean sauce. Lasted us two meals. Best chinese we've had in ages. Highly recommended.

Found this little place on trip advisor while looking for somewhere to eat on a girls weekend. Hidden away down a back street it was quite a find. Friendly staff and great food at reasonable prices. Will definitely visit again.

Recommended & what a result nice staff , gorgeous good & very reasonable what more could you ask for

My wife and I visited the Hoi Sum ("Happy") Chinese Restaurant on 15 September 2018. We had previously been in October 2016 and thought it so good we had to return. The restaurant is located in a narrow back street but this does not detract from its cosy and welcoming atmosphere. The manager "King* is very friendly and the food we had was simply excellent in every way. We highly recommend this restaurant and will certainly visit again the next time we are in Eastbourne.

Found on a whim having arrived in Eastbourne hungry. What a find... fabulous food at very reasonable prices. A lovely atmosphere. Excellent, friendly and attentive service. Would thoroughly recommend this restaurant!