Ahoy New York’s Favorite Dim Sum Dishes and Restaurants
Dim sum is a meal that focuses on smaller dishes and is usually served from a cart so that one can easily select dishes to be enjoyed at their table amongst family and friends. It is considered a Cantonese tradition dating back to the days of travelers along the Silk Road in China.
Today, it is enjoyed by folks from all over the world and in particular those who enjoy delicious cuisine. Here are Ahoy New York’s favorite Dim sum dishes and the restaurants where you can find them.
Shrimp Dumplings
Shrimp dumplings or ha gow are delicate steamed dumplings with a smooth, transparent skin. It is absolutely a must for any Dim sum outing.
Shumai
The shrimp dumplings are often served alongside with shumai, a steamed pork and mushroom dumpling. Both are delicious and great with a little soy sauce.
Turnip Cake
Lo baak gou is a tasty turnip cake often with dried shrimp and bit of Chinese sausages in it. It is usually pan fried and served with oyster sauce. It is also a popular Chinese appetizer outside of Dim sum.
Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll
A shrimp rice noodle roll is another staple of Dim sum. Three shrimps are wrapped in a rice noodle roll and serve with soy sauce. Shrimp is the most common stuffing but it can also be served with beef, vegetables and sometimes even lobster.
Tofu Skin Roll
Tofu skins offer a unique texture to a dish and it is often used to wrap a filling of pork and mushrooms. It can be served steamed or fried. We usually prefer the steamed rolls but the fried rolls are really good as well.
Half Soup Dumpling
A half soup dumpling (not to be confused with xiaolongbao, a Shanghai “soup dumpling”) is a huge dumpling stuffed with finely diced meats, mushrooms, shrimp and more. Hot water is poured on it so that when you break open the dumpling it opens up to an amazing broth that is full of flavor.
Here are some of our favorite places in Manhattan’s Chinatown for Dim sum:
Delight 28 – 28 Pell St
Delight 28 is a huge restaurant, packed with locals during the Dim sum hours. Their selection is not as strong as some other Dim sum locations; however they certainly have all the Dim sum staples. Their service is quick and friendly and everything is delicious.
Golden Unicorn – 18 E Broadway
If Delight 28 is a huge restaurant, then Golden Unicorn is a massive restaurant. Golden Unicorn is perhaps one of the most popular Dim sum hotspots in Chinatown so, if you don’t get there early, it can be a bit of a wait. Going here is always a fun experience as there are always a lot of yummy things to try.
Oriental Garden Restaurant – 14 Elizabeth St
Oriental Garden Restaurant is a bit pricier than its competitors but there is a larger selection here. There are so many tempting options so don’t be surprised when you have a table full of food only after a few minutes of sitting down.
Nom Wah Tea Parlor – 13 Doyers St
Nom Wah Tea Parlor is the oldest Dim sum restaurant in Chinatown, dating back to 1920. They offer all the classic Dim sum dishes along with our favorite, the Original Egg Roll. Nom Wah also keeps true to the origin of Dim sum offering a variety of 10 different teas.