Dim sum. These two diminutive words can be literally translated to mean “touch of the heart,” but the culinary tradition is intricately connected to China’s teahouses, and “dim sum” is often expressed as “to drink tea.” Dim sum is said to have arrived in southern China, notably the province of Canton (now referred to as Guangdong), via northern China and the Silk Route, the ancient trade network that connected Asia and the Middle East with Europe. As early as 130 B.C., the Silk Route was dotted with rest stops where travelers paused to drink a cup of the locally grown and produced tea. Soon enough, food was served alongside and developed a distinct character, becoming a sought-after delicacy in its own right.
Feature Photo: Courtesy of Begoni Bistro
Today, visit any major city in China and you’ll find people out first thing in the morning lining up to eat fluffy chia siu bao buns or steaming har gow. This is especially true in Hong Kong as dim sum is primarily a Cantonese breakfast or brunch food, and you’ll find many a palatial restaurant where push carts pass by brimming with untold delicacies. But you don’t have to travel that far afield to sample the real deal; San Fancisco’s Chinatown is not only the biggest in North America, but it also offers some of its most authentic dim sum. There’s nothing like cramming yourself into a hole-in-the-wall Chinatown eatery like Good Mong Kok Bakery, where Cantonese and dumpling steam fills the air and the language barrier means you have to point to what you want to order.
While the Bay Area is full of authentic dim sum eateries, the little dish has become ubiquitous in modern restaurants as well, with trendier restaurants like Dumpling Time or Palette Tea House serving up tasty buns with a modern twist. Dim sum’s resurgence makes sense for our time; the shareable petite portions are ideal for enjoying with family and friends. Though every cuisine seems to have a cute little dumpling in its canon — think empanadas, kofta, momo or ravioli — dumplings, closely associated with Guangdong and popular in Northern California, are just one form of dim sum. Here’s a look at a few iconic dishes and how local chefs are updating the dim sum tradition for today’s small plate dining scene.
Dim Sum Classics
Cheong Fun (Rice Noodle Roll)
Pronounced like: chuhng foon
A type of rice noodle roll made with a wide, flat noodle, cheong fun is often stuffed with shrimp and served with a light soy and oyster sauce sweetened with sesame and sugar.
LOCAL TIP: Try this filling, tasty dish at the legendary Mr Jiu’s.
Pronounced like: char seeu baow
Thought to have arrived in Hawaii via Chinese immigrants during the plantation era, chia siu bao (or char siew bao) are usually called barbecue pork buns. They’re stuffed with minced pork and sweetened with sugar and oyster sauce; the tops are cut before steaming. The bun’s fluffy exterior puffs up, cracking to reveal the juicy meat within.
LOCAL TIP: Try out chia siu bao at Harborview Restaurant in the Embarcadero.
Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings)
Pronounced like: h-Are G-ow
Sometimes also known as “ha gow,” these little translucent pockets are full of flavor and are a popular dim sum menu item. Har gow is held together with rice flour wraps and stuffed with shrimp, pork fat and bamboo shoots. Part of its recognizable image are the pleats — these Cantonese dumplings have ideally somewhere ranging between nine to 13 pleats.
LOCAL TIP: Try out chia siu bao at Yank Sing, a Chinese institution in San Francisco since 1958.
Jian Dui (Sesame Balls)
Pronounced like: jee-ehn dway
Hailing from China’s heartland region of Xi’an (formerly known as Chang’an), jian dui are made with sticky glutinous rice flour, fried until golden and rolled in sesame seeds. Stuffed with red bean paste, the treat is a familiar dessert on dim sum carts.
LOCAL TIP: Try out the sesame balls at Good Luck Dim Sum on Clement in San Francisco.
Lo Bak Go (Pan-Fried Turnip Cakes)
Pronounced like: law bahk go
Despite what the name might imply, these bite-sized savory cakes aren’t made from turnips — they’re actually made from white radishes. It’s a common treat for Lunar New Year celebrations, given the seasonality of the radish when Lunar New Year rolls around, and because the latter half of the dish’s name (go) sounds like “high” in Cantonese which is in turn associated with growth and prosperity. Some flavors that you might find in a piece of lo bak go include bits of dried shrimp, mushroom and Chinese sausage.
LOCAL TIP: Try an authentic Chinatown version at Good Mong Kok Bakery.
Sheng Jian Bao
Pronounced like: Shuhng jee-ehn baow
Bao (or baozi) are a type of filled bun, and sheng jian bao (also known as SJB) are said to have originated in Shanghai around 1900. The bun is filled with minced Kurobuta pork, ginger and scallions, then folded with pliable soup broth. After a spin in a hot paella pan, the SJB’s crisp edge belies the hot soup inside, making this dish both crispy and impossibly juicy.
LOCAL TIP: Pictured above is an example of sheng jian bao served at China Live in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Siu Mai (Pork Dumplings)
Pronounced like: s-Ew My
Yet another dumpling to add to the dim sum arsenal, siu mai is made with minced pork (and sometimes shrimp), mushrooms and green onions, all wrapped in wonton wrappers for a slightly doughier taste and texture than har gow. You might find that they’re garnished with finely minced carrots, crab roe or even caviar. Most popular is the Cantonese version, but some say that these dumplings may have originated in Hohhot, capital of China’s Inner Mongolia region where they were commonly made with mutton instead of pork and filled with ginger and scallion. Other variations of siu mai can be found elsewhere as well, changing in the meat and spices of choice. Sometimes the name also looks like ‘shu mai’ or ‘siew mai.’
LOCAL TIP: While you get this classic dim sum pretty much anywhere, you don’t need an excuse to try Din Tai Fung, a luxurious international Taiwanese restaurant with a location in Santa Clara.
Wu Gok (Taro Puff)
Pronounced like: woo gawk
This ornate dumpling is The outer shell is made from a thick layer of taro that has been boiled and mashed. The dumpling is deep-fried and filled with ground pork.
LOCAL TIP: At Palette Tea House in San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square, the menu includes dishes served “typhoon style,” the sweeping tropical storm reference aptly reflecting this expansive restaurant’s modern approach to the dim sum menu. Palette offers a eye-popping black swan taro puff, a graceful bird shape made of the starchy tuber, with fluffy edible “feathers” and infused with activated charcoal.
Xiao Long Bao
Pronounced like: shee-ow long baow
XLB is a perennial favorite, with many foodies known to order this to judge the quality of a dim sum establishment. Also known as Shanghai soup dumpling or by the acronym XLB, xiao long bao is especially associated with Shanghai. Gelatinized soup, thick with agar-agar to hold its shape, is loaded with pork and scallions into fresh dough before being steamed. There are a number of XLB varieties, including an extra-large version called king-dum, that’s so big you’ll need a straw to slurp up the steaming hot soup.
LOCAL TIP: Dragon Beaux off Geary in SF offers a rainbow set of Xiao Long Bao that’s a fan favorite. Or try Dumpling Home in Hayes Valley, which has been acknowledged by the Michelin Bib Gourmand for its excellent XLB.
Sweet Dim Sum Dishes
Dim Sum can also mean dessert: Here are a few of the sweet dishes you can try after you’ve already stuffed yourself silly with savory buns.
Dan Ta (Egg Tarts)
Pronounced like: dahn tah
Dim sum is all about small bites, and what better way to celebrate a night of dim sum delicacies than with a bite-sized treat. Dan ta (sometimes seen as ‘dan tart,’ ‘dantat’ or ‘don tot,’ to name a couple of other spellings) is a baked tart with an egg custard filling. Egg tarts have roots in Great Britain and Portugal, but the ones you’ll find on a dim sum menu are distinct with their flakier crust and simplified ingredients.
LOCAL TIP: Get these golden tarts at Golden Gate Bakery in San Francisco’s Chinatown for a more casual experience, or Yank Sing, in one of two San Francisco locations, for a slightly more elevated and modernized one.
Lián Róng Bāo (Lotus Seed Bun)
Pronounced like: lee-en wrong baow
Lotus seed buns are a sweeter take on the savory buns also found on dim sum menus like pork buns. They’re encased in the same fluffy, bready bun and filled with lotus seed paste, which is made from exactly what it sounds like. Another dessert known as the longevity peach is a variation of the lotus seed bun, but made to look like a peach and typically served on the birthdays of elderly individuals to honor their long livelihood. The lotus seed bun is often tied to origins of Cantonese culture.
LOCAL TIP: Try these little pockets of sweetness at United Dumplings at one of their multiple locations, including Oakland or the Marina in San Francisco.
Mango Pudding
A popular dessert in Hong Kong, mango pudding is a simple yet luscious way to end your night of dim sum. Ingredients sometimes vary, but it’s generally made with mango puree, gelatin or agar agar, sugar and evaporated milk or coconut milk, it’s often topped with fresh fruit, like chopped mango, and evaporated milk. Mango pudding is thought to be a reflection of when Great Britain acquired Hong Kong from China during the Victorian Era, in which the influence of cold set pudding from the UK was combined with the already-present mangoes in Asia. Mango pudding is specifically thought to be derived from menjarblanc, a creamy almond pudding from Catalunya.
LOCAL TIP: Indulge in some mango pudding at Harborview, located at the Embarcadero in San Francisco.
