Dim Sum in the UK: what it is, how to order it, where to find it
Quick answer
Dim sum is the Cantonese tradition of small steamed and fried dishes eaten with tea, usually at lunch: dumplings, buns, rolls and more, ordered a few at a time and shared. The phrase means 'touch the heart'. It is a meal and a ritual, and the UK's Chinatowns and a growing number of dim sum restaurants do it seriously. It is the best way to eat Cantonese food.
Calories and nutrition
- Calories
- 500
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Salt
- 2.8 g
350–700 kcal
Portion: A shared lunch, per person about 6 pieces.
Varies hugely with what you order; steamed dumplings are lighter than fried items and buns.
Estimates for a typical portion, based on standard UK and USDA food composition data. Actual values depend on the recipe and the restaurant.
What dim sum is
Dozens of small dishes, three or four pieces each, served in bamboo steamers or on little plates: har gow (translucent prawn dumplings), siu mai (open pork-and-prawn dumplings), char siu bao (barbecue pork buns), cheung fun (silky rice-noodle rolls), lo mai gai (sticky rice in lotus leaf), turnip cake, custard tarts and many more. Traditionally pushed round on trolleys and chosen as they pass, now more often ordered from a checklist. It is eaten from mid-morning to early afternoon with pots of tea, the practice called yum cha, 'drink tea'. A table orders many dishes and shares them all.
How to order it
Go with a group so you can order widely. Start with the classics: har gow, siu mai, char siu bao, cheung fun. Add a green vegetable in oyster sauce, a fried item (spring roll or taro puff), and an egg custard tart to finish. Tea is central; order a pot (jasmine, pu-erh or oolong) and keep it topped up. Two to three dishes per person is about right. It is inexpensive for how much you eat.
How to judge it
Har gow skins should be thin and translucent, the prawn snapping fresh. Buns should be fluffy, cheung fun silky and just holding together. Freshness matters more than at à la carte; the busy places with a Cantonese crowd turn over their steamers fastest. Weekend late mornings are peak.
Where it is done well in the UK
London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool Chinatowns, and dedicated dim sum houses. Our directory lists areas with the most Chinese restaurants.
How to order it
Go for dim sum at lunch with a group and order widely: har gow, siu mai, char siu bao, cheung fun, a green vegetable and a custard tart. Order a pot of tea and keep it topped up. Two to three dishes per person. Busy Cantonese places turn over freshest.
Where it's done well
UK councils with the most dim sum specialists, by restaurant name, in our directory.
Restaurants near you
Search by postcode or use your location to find restaurants likely to serve dim sum near you.
Make it at home
Serves 4 · 60 min
Ingredients
- Dim sum is best eaten out; making the range at home is an all-day project.
- To try one: buy frozen har gow and siu mai from a Chinese supermarket and steam them.
- Serve with jasmine or oolong tea, soy and chilli oil.
Method
- Choose a Cantonese restaurant that lists a full dim sum menu, ideally busy with Chinese diners at weekend lunch.
- Order a pot of tea first, then a spread of steamed and fried dishes to share.
- Steam frozen dumplings from a Chinese supermarket at home for a quick version, but the range is the point of eating out.
Dim sum is a communal, made-to-order tradition; the recipe here points you to eating it out, with a shortcut for a taste at home.