Dim sum is originated from Guangzhou, China and it is a Cantonese cuisine which have many different varieties of meats, seafood or vegetables wrap in thin dumplings skin.  It can be steamed (serves in small bamboo baskets) or deep-fried/pan-fried (serves on plates). Typically dim sum is best to pair it with hot steaming cup of Chinese tea. Depending on preference some may enjoy it with a glass of soft drinks.

There are many restaurants in Singapore serving dim sum. My go to restaurants for dim sum so far is Crystal Jade Restaurant or Yan Palace Restaurant. And if we have late night cravings for dim sum then Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant is the palace to visit as they are open till the early morning.

I can’t remember when I first visited Yan Palace Restaurant but I do have fond memories that they serve delicious dim sum. Not only do they serves good dim sum they also serve ala carte dishes for lunch/dinner and host wedding banquets.

Till date I only tried their dim sum which I enjoyed very much! Over the years the selection of dim sum has reduces but the quality of their dim sum remains. Recently I visited them again for some dim sum and was there before lunchtime so I could avoid the crowds. Safety measure were in place and small plastic bag were given to every guest to safe keep their mask when the food arrives.

First up was their mini bake egg tarts which have a crunch when you take the first bite or pop the whole tart in your mouth. The crust is buttery filled with soft warm egg filling. It makes me want to have more tarts since it was so tiny! Their shredded abalone and conpoy porridge and century egg with pork porridge were so delightful. The consistency of the porridge is cooked till it is very smooth and gooey and it pair beautifully with crunchy yu tiao (fried dough), spring onions, ginger and a dash of pepper.

Of course in any dim sum meal, BBQ pork buns and siew mai is a must have items. The BBQ pork buns also known as char siew bao is a soft and fluffy bun filled with pork coated with sweet and savoury char siew sauce which makes it glossy and appetizing.

The siew mai has a mixed of pork, prawn and mushrooms. The meat filling of the siew mai is juicy and I can taste the firmness of the prawn. Once I tried making my own siew mai but I could not make it the same way of how restaurants serve theirs. Maybe one day I will try making again but for now I will just enjoyed siew mai prepared by the experts. 🤭

For me fried items are a must to balanced out all the steamed dishes. Their bean curd skin fried roll was very crunchy and filled with generous serving of prawns. Each bite allows me to taste the freshness and sweetness of the prawns.

I don’t usually ordered steamed pork ribs with black beans sauce. But this is really amazing. The pork ribs are juicy and tender and most importantly there is meat! It is not all bones & fats! I think it’s a great idea to steamed bite size yam together with the pork ribs. So so delicious! 🤤

Another must have item will be the glutinous rice wrapped with Lotus leaves! Other dim sum restaurant usually serves a bigger portion but too much glutinous will make you filled up your stomach fast and you can’t enjoy other items if this is served first or may end up wasting if it’s served last. I like that they serve these in smaller portions which is just nice. Even if you are very full you will still be able to finish this up.

What is your must have items when you visit dim sum restaurants? Which is your favourite dim sum restaurants you have tried so far and where will you recommend me to give try? Let me know your thoughts below!

XOXO

Disclaimer: This is based on my personal preference. Do give it a try and let me know what you think.