The 17 Must-Order Dishes For A Dim Sum Feast

If you're looking to order something tender and meaty, siu mai (or shumai) should be your first port of call. This open dumpling is traditionally stuffed to the gills with garlic, ginger, minced pork, and shrimp, encased by a thin dumpling skin, and steamed to perfection. Drizzled or dunked in a mixture of soy sauce and black vinegar, siu mai is an incredibly satisfying bite.

Though the dumpling graces many a table and lazy Susan on Sunday mornings in Hong Kong, a time when many families gather at the local dim sum house for an extended feast and catch up, its origins can actually be linked to inner Mongolia, according to South China Morning Post.

Thankfully for us, it is also one of the less complicated dumplings to make, as the folds require more of a squeeze rather than intricate techniques, to achieve. Next time the craving hits, give our pork and shrimp shumai recipe a try.

Lotus leaves are a natural ingredient used across much of Asia. Much like corn husks or banana leaves, lotus leaves are used to hold together and protect ingredients such as rice, vegetables, and meats when being steamed. Through the steaming process, the water vapor also helps to infuse ingredients inside with the subtly sweet flavor of the leaves. Lotus leaves' water-resistant texture makes them a perfect vessel for this method of cooking.

Lo mai gai is an excellent dim sum option when looking to balance out some of the deep-fried or heavily flavored dishes with something a bit more subtle, soft, and steamed. The filling, made with glutenous (or sticky) rice, typically contains chicken, Chinese mushrooms such as shiitake, and lap cheong or wind-dried Chinese sausage to create an earthy, naturally sweet flavor profile. The soft comforting textures and subtle flavors make this a must-order in our book.

Dumplings are pretty much a guarantee within any cuisine or culture, from ravioli to perogies to empanadas. Making a dough to then fill with whatever bits of vegetables or meats are left lying around to stretch the food a bit further is as universal as it is delicious. Chinese cuisine is no exception. In fact, jciaozi may be one of the older dumplings around, dating back to the Han Dynasty (via History).

More commonly known as gyoza or even pot stickers in the U.S., jiaozi are closed dumplings that are both steamed and pan-fried to create a combination of textures: soft and tender on the top with crispy bottoms where the dumplings meet the pan. Another universal truth about dumplings, and especially jiaozi, is that you can never order too many.

Those who love the soft creamy textures of panna cotta or custard should check out this beautiful dish made from the smoothest, freshly made silken tofu, then topped with sweet ginger syrup. It can be eaten as breakfast or dessert or whenever you wish, really.

Tau fu fah, or doufu hua (depending on whether you're speaking Cantonese or Mandarin), is a wonderful way to finish a dim sum feast or can be eaten in between bites of more savory dishes, too. Make from soy milk or soybeans to create a freshly made tofu known as douhua, the dish is as light and cooling as it is creamy and deeply satisfying, both in flavor and in mouthfeel. Vittles editor Jonathan Nunn calls it "one of the world's greatest breakfasts" (via Vittles). We happen to agree.

Is there anything more comforting or fun to eat than soup dumplings? We don't think so. These beautifully folded, chubby little dumplings have it all: hot soothing broth, tender meat and vegetables, and a wonderfully thin yet slightly chewy wrapper.

Xiao long bao are thought to have been created in 19th century Shanghai by a restaurant owner attempting to stand out from the steamed dumpling competition. Clearly, he landed on something so distinctive and successful in their appeal that in 2006, the Shanghai government went so far as to have them listed as a protected national treasure (via Culture Trip).

Ever since their creation, xiao long bao have traveled the world, in large part thanks to one business in Taipei that spread the soup dumpling gospel by training chefs from all over the world to master the time-consuming techniques required to replicate the dumpling.

To successfully eat this dumpling without scalding the inside of your mouth, the trick is to bite a small hole in the dumpling's wrapper to release steam, quickly slurp out the soup, then eat the rest in one deliciously greedy mouthful. 

Oftentimes when we think of ribs, we associate them with a barbecue method of cooking. It makes sense — the direct heat works to create that sweet crust on their exterior while protecting the succulent meat inside. Dim sum menus can offer a new way of looking at spare ribs, with a cooking method that focuses on creating a tender texture by steaming the ribs, often in a delicious and deeply savory black bean sauce.

Fermented black beans might just be the star of this dish. Unlike the black beans used in many Mexican, Central, and South American cuisines, these black beans are made from soybeans. According to China Sichuan Food, the fermented black beans, known as douche, date back to the Han Dynasty. The beans achieve their color through the drying process. Then, as the dried soybeans ferment, their flavor becomes increasingly distinctive. Used as a paste, sauce, and more throughout a variety of dishes across China, it's hard to find anything quite like it.

Though used across other cuisines across China, the combination of steamed ribs with fermented black beans is a staple within Cantonese cuisine and comes highly recommended.

Barbecued pork comes in various forms and fashions, some of which will be listed on your favorite dim sum menu. Char siu is a deeply loved and revered comfort food within Cantonese cuisine, (via South China Morning Post) but it is just one type of the variety of roasted meats prevalent within the region's eating culture. One trip to Hong Kong will have your head spinning at the offerings of succulent roasts available, from duck to goose to suckling pig.

There are many ways to enjoy this sweet and savory dish, from grilled and skewered to shredded or thickly sliced and tucked inside a fluffy bao or baked pork puff. The only wrong choice you can make is to skip it altogether because it's the kind of dish you need to try at least once, if not every time you head out for a tasty dim sum brunch.

No dim sum and yum cha (meaning tea drinking) experience would be complete without at least one order of these delicate dumplings, also known as crystal shrimp dumplings, originally from the province of Guangdong. Filled with juicy shrimp and sweet bamboo shoots encased in a pleated, paper-thin, translucent wrapper, then gently steamed, these dumplings are one of the most subtle-yet-satisfying dim sum offerings on any given menu.

Making har gow at home can require a good deal of practice and patience, from mastering the pleating to building heat tolerance in your hands (as the dough requires the addition of boiling hot water) to achieve success. While your dumpling-making practice is coming along, a few baskets of the finished product at your local dim sum house is probably a good idea to satisfy your next har gow craving.

Those who like mapo tofu — a comforting dish that consists of chunks of tofu hollowed out and filled with a pork, shrimp, and XO sauce mixture — will love this variation. Succulent slices of eggplant are stuffed with savory, rich filling then deep-fried or pan-fried until golden before being steamed to create a textural playground for your mouth. This is also one of those dishes that can be equally satisfying eaten on its own, accompanied of course by a bowl of steamed rice to catch any drips of sauce that fail to reach your mouth.

The not-so-secret ingredient that works to make this dish so satisfying is XO sauce. XO sauce is another successful umami bomb; it's a Cantonese creation made from a mixture of dried seafood, including dried scallops. Much like oyster sauce, each spoonful packs a punch, so it should be used sparingly to create rich, satisfyingly savory flavors.