Dim sum, for me, is Hong Kong’s greatest invention and export. It’s the ultimate comfort food meal and sure to give you a food coma by the end.
Whether it’s har gao or siew mai, century egg pork porridge or custard egg bao, there’s so much to love about dim sum.
Of course, no one does it quite as well as Hong Kong, but since we can’t travel there right now, here’s a list of the best dim sum restaurants you can find in Singapore to satiate those cravings in the meantime!
For The Best Hawker Dim Sum
1. Swee Choon
When it comes to hawker dim sum, the supper crowd will stand loyally behind Swee Choon. Famous for being the haunt for supper lovers, Swee Choon is now open during lunch times as well.
One of the oldest serving dim sum places in Singapore, Swee Choon’s above average quality of dim sum coupled with their relatively lower prices have made them a hit amongst the younger generation.
2. 126 Dim Sum Wen Dao Shi
First opened in 1985, 126 Dim Sum is 80s through and through, serving up traditional Hong Kong dim sum for over 30 years now.
They offer dim sum at affordable prices and are open 24 hours to boot, giving some healthy competition to Swee Choon. While not technically a dim sum dish, they have a Thai-style Crab Bee Hoon that every 126 loyalist swoons over, so give that a try when you’re there!
3. Victor’s Kitchen
Yi Dian Xin Hong Kong Dim Sum is considered by many the quintessential hawker dim sum joint, but since they were a part of our Hougang Eats guide, we’ve decided to feature a different place here.
Enter Victor’s Kitchen, who has been receiving some grumbling from customers over the years for raising their prices. Their larger-sized dim sum with unique dishes, however, have kept customers coming back. Opt for their famous signature custard egg bao or the wet XO sauce carrot cake for something different.
For That Casual High-Tea Affair
1. Yum Cha Restaurant
Yum Cha is quite an old establishment right in the heart of Chinatown and in my opinion, acts as the gate guardian between the no-frills hawker joints of before and the more lavish options coming up.
Yum Cha has quite an extensive menu of dim sum priced rather affordably for you to choose from. You’ll also notice waitresses pushing old school carts decked with dim sum, adding a level of interaction you don’t normally get at other places.
They also have a weekday dim sum buffet at the odd hours from 3pm – 6pm, so if you want a bang for your buck and don’t mind having a really late lunch or early dinner, there you go!
2. Hua Ting Restaurant
Taking into account everything under the sky, Hua Ting Restaurant may actually offer up the best tasting dim sum at the most reasonable prices.
Hua Ting is led by Masterchef Lap Fai who is renowned around the region and even crowned Asian Cuisine Chef of the Year once back in 2012.
What I would not miss here is their baked mango with chicken tart, a combination and balance of flavours that you wouldn’t expect to work when you first hear of it. Aside from that, they have classics like your crackling roast pork which is simply decadent goodness.
3. Red Star Restaurant
Red Star is a household name in the local dim sum scene. Helmed by one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Cantonese Cuisine, who were culinary greats at their height during the 70s.
Similar to Yum Cha previously, you’ll see the old fashion pushcarts being used here with its interior being unchanged for 40 years. When you’re at Red Star, it’s more than just a dining experience.
For The Extravagant And Lavish
1.Yan Ting
We’re getting into territory here that a large majority goes when we’re celebrating a huge occasion, and I mean huge. Yan Ting Restaurant is located at St. Regis Hotel, a 5-star establishment with a 6-star reputation.
This is Chinese fine dining so you can expect the dim sum here to be exquisite with a price tag to along with it. You will find dishes like abalone siew mai and foie gras dumplings Their weekend a la carte brunch buffet comes at a whopping SGD$98++ per person, so if you have struck the lottery, maybe Yan Ting is where you go to try some rarefied dim sum.
2. Man Fu Yuan
Man Fu Yuan is yet another premium outlet, serving up their own handcrafted dim sum with decadent ingredients like foie gras as well.
The entire place exudes class and at SGD$88++ per person, it’s a high society affair for sure. Their signatures like the mango prawn roll with wasabi and dumplings with foie gras will not fail you. That being said, dining here is the same as dining at Yan Ting – an annual affair.
No, make that a bi-annual affair.
