Dim Sum Guide for Travellers 2026: How to Order & What to Try
Dim sum (点心) — properly experienced as yum cha (饮茶, “drink tea”) — is one of the great communal food rituals of Cantonese culture. It’s a morning or midday meal of small dishes brought to the table in bamboo steamer baskets and on plates, accompanied by pots of Chinese tea. The best dim sum experience is in Guangzhou or Hong Kong, but excellent dim sum is available throughout China’s major cities. This guide tells you how to order, what to try, and how the entire ritual works.
Table of Contents
What is dim sum and how does the ordering system work?
Dim sum is a Cantonese tradition of small, shared dishes — steamed, fried or baked — eaten in the morning or at midday alongside Chinese tea. The word “dim sum” literally means “touch the heart” in Cantonese.
The traditional system (now less common): In traditional dim sum restaurants, servers push trolleys (推车) through the dining room. You stop the trolley and point to what you want. The server stamps your bill card. This trolley system is atmospheric but increasingly rare, mostly found in older establishments in Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
The modern system (most common today): You’re given a paper order form with all dishes listed (often with photos). Tick the quantity you want for each dish and hand it to the server. Dishes arrive as they’re ready from the kitchen.
Tea: When you sit down, choose your tea — jasmine (茉莉花茶), pu-erh (普洱), chrysanthemum (菊花), oolong (乌龙) are all common. Once your teapot is empty, you signal for a refill by opening the lid and placing it askew on top of the pot.
Timing: Arrive by 9–9:30am for the best selection and atmosphere. Many dim sum restaurants stop service at 2–3pm.
What are the must-try dim sum dishes?
Har Gow (虾饺) — Shrimp Dumplings The benchmark of a dim sum kitchen’s skill. Translucent rice-starch skin wrapping whole shrimp — the skin should be thin enough to see the shrimp through it, yet strong enough not to tear when lifted with chopsticks. Served in bamboo steamers of 3 or 4.
Siu Mai (烧卖) — Pork and Shrimp Dumplings Open-topped dumplings with pork and shrimp filling, topped with an orange dot of fish roe or carrot. A dim sum staple. The skin is yellow wheat-based rather than rice-based like har gow.
Char Siu Bao (叉烧包) — BBQ Pork Buns Two versions exist: baked (烤叉烧包, with a glossy golden crust) and steamed (蒸叉烧包, soft white with a three-petal opening). Both contain sweet barbecued pork. The baked version is richer; the steamed version is lighter.
Cheung Fun (肠粉) — Rice Noodle Rolls Silky smooth rice noodle sheets wrapped around shrimp, beef or char siu, served with sweet soy sauce. The texture contrast between the slippery rice sheet and the filling is one of the pleasures of dim sum.
Egg Tarts (蛋挞) Pastry shells (either flaky shortcrust or puff pastry) filled with smooth egg custard. A dim sum dessert course staple and one of the most universally loved items on any trolley.
Lo Mai Gai (糯米鸡) — Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf A lotus leaf parcel containing glutinous rice steamed with chicken, Chinese sausage, mushrooms and dried shrimp. Rich, fragrant, filling — often ordered towards the end of the meal.
Turnip Cake (萝卜糕) — Pan-Fried Radish Cake Grated white radish mixed with rice flour and steamed into a cake, then pan-fried until golden. Savoury, crispy outside, soft inside. Often served as part of the early dim sum selection.
What is dim sum and what should I order?
Dim sum is a Cantonese meal of small shared dishes eaten with Chinese tea, typically at breakfast or lunch. Must-try dishes: har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings), char siu bao (BBQ pork buns), cheung fun (rice noodle rolls), egg tarts and lo mai gai (sticky rice in lotus leaf). Order 3–4 dishes per person as a starting point.
What is the difference between dim sum and yum cha?
“Dim sum” refers to the small dishes themselves. “Yum cha” (饮茶) means “drink tea” and refers to the broader ritual of going out for the full experience — tea, dim sum, and the social occasion. In practice, the terms are used interchangeably by English speakers.
Where is the best dim sum outside Hong Kong and Guangzhou?
In mainland China beyond Guangdong Province, the best dim sum is found in Shanghai (particularly in established Cantonese restaurants in the French Concession and Luwan areas) and Beijing (upscale hotels with Cantonese restaurants). Hong Kong remains the gold standard.
