One thing that Singaporeans can’t get enough of is dim sum. There is just something so comforting about these small bamboo baskets of steamy goodness that make our mouths water.

Dim sum also comes in all shapes, sizes and flavours. So, whether you’re a sweet tooth, someone who prefers something savoury or someone who is picky about textures and flavours, there will definitely be some kind of dim sum out there that will suit your palates.

However, a solid dim sum meal does not always come cheap. Most of the time, you can only find the good ones at restaurants, which can be a tad harsh on your wallet if you’re running on a tight budget. However, fret not because we have here, a list of 10 great dim sum places that serve quality dim sum at reasonable prices.

126 WEN DAO SHI 

Geylang is a well-known food haven, so it is no surprise that they have a place there that sells really affordable yet solid dim sum. 126 Wen Dao Shi may not be the most polished of places, but they compensate for this with their delicious, fresh dim sum. Some must-try items include their Liu Sha Bao, Har Gao and Man Tou with Chilli Crab Sauce.

126 Sims Avenue
Singapore 387449
Tel: +65 6746 4757
Daily: 24-hours
Nearest Station: Aljunied

DIM SUM HAUS 

Tucked away a few streets down from the famous Swee Choon is Dim Sum Haus, a small dim sum shop that serves up affordable yet amazing dim sum. We feel that this place is a strong rival to Swee Choon as their dim sum is really good and affordable at the same time. Our favourite is their Baked Salted Egg Custard Buns and their Charcoal Siew Mai.

57 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208809
Tel: +65 6909 0777
Tue to Fri: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun: 10.30pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
(Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Station: Jalan Besar

Photo Credit: Hong Kong Zhai 

HONG KONG ZHAI HOUSE OF DIM SUM 

Tucked away in a corner of Ang Mo Kio is Hong Kong Zhai. Here, they sell fresh, hand-made dim sum that will not cost you more than S$10 for a substantial (and beyond satisfying) portion. One of their most popular items here is their velvety Beancurd Skin Rolls that is a must-try for anyone who loves beancurd rolls.

Block 107 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, #01-138
Singapore 560107
Tel: +65 6748 4893
Daily: 7am – 4pm
Nearest Station: Yio Chu Kang

JOHOR BAHRU PAU/TIM SUM 

No, Johor Bahru Pau/Tim Sum is not in Johor. In fact, it isn’t anywhere near Johor at all. Instead, this small dim sum place is hidden away in a crevice of Changi Village. They have a wide range of handmade paus and dim sum classics such as har gao, siew mai, char siew baos and chee cheong fan.

4 Changi Village Road, #01-2082
Singapore 500001
Daily: 9am – 9pm
Tel: +65 6542 2311
Nearest Station: Pasir Ris

KUAI SAN DIAN XIN 

Kuai San Dian XIn is one of the rare places that sell all their dim sum for the same price, which is a shockingly affordable S$1.30! Imagine the amount of food that you can get for S$20 when everything is priced so low. Definitely a great place to pig out on dim sum to your heart’s content.

Blk 346A Kang Ching Road, #01-01
Singapore 611346
Daily: 6am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Lakeside

LAI KEE DIM SUM 

Lai Kee is another great place that serves affordable and delicious dim sum that is great for when the dim sum cravings hit you hard. Besides the usual array of classics such as har gao and siew mai, they also sell unusual creations such as Century Egg Dumplings, Ji Guo Pau and Emerald Prawn Dumplings.

190 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh
Toa Payoh Central, #01-528
Singapore 310190
Tel: +65 8128 9970
Daily: 7.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Toa Payoh

Photo Credit: v99tz

SHI WEI XIAN HONG KONG DIM SUM 

Shi Wei Xian sells a spread of the usual dim sum classics such as har gao and siew mai. Besides that, they have some menu items that are not on the list such as their popular Prawn Paste Fish Maw in Egg White, Scallop Dumplings and Prawn Paste Beancurd Rolls.

Blk 119 Aljunied Crescent, #01-06
Singapore 380119
Fri to Sun: 7am – 5pm
(Closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays)
Nearest Station: Aljunied

SWEE CHOON TIM SUM RESTAURANT

If you haven’t heard of Swee Choon, you’ve probably been living under a rock. Swee Choon is a well-loved supper spot that people head to whenever the dim sum cravings strike. This place is open till the wee hours of the morning which is great for satisfying those late-night hunger pangs. However, the downside of this Swee Choon is the never-ending, snaking queues.

Jalan Besar, 183-191
Singapore 208882
Tel: +65 6225 7788
Mon to Sat: 11am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 6am
Sun: 10am – 3pm, 6pm – 6am
Nearest Station: Jalan Besar, Farrer Park & Bendemeer

WONG CHIEW EATING HOUSE

At the mere mention of dim sum for supper, most, if not all minds, would naturally gravitate towards popular Swee Choon if not its more rustic counterpart, 126 Dim Sum Wen Dao Shi over in Geylang. If you’d rather do without the queues and the crowd, consider Wong Chiew Eating House located along Upper Thomson Road.

Despite being around for over a decade now, this humble corner coffee shop hasn’t gotten much limelight, but trust us when we say that these folks are worth a visit. Opened 24-hours a day, they dish out anything from roast meat, various rice and noodle dishes, dim sum as well as their signature Kampung Chicken.

19 Sembawang Road
Singapore 779075
Tel: +65  6456 6838
Nearest Station: Khatib/ Yio Chu Kang

YI DIAN XIN 

This hidden gem tucked away in Kovan serves darn good dim sum that we feel is on par with many restaurants. Despite that, the prices here are cheap and affordable, so you can eat as much of you want without feeling a hole in your pocket. Try their famous Steamed Carrot Cake, it’s worth the calories!

1012 Upper Serangoon Road
Singapore 534750
Tel: +65 9168 5587
Wed to Mon: 7am – 3pm
Nearest Station: Kovan

ZI YEAN BISTRO 

If you’re looking for a dim sum place that sells something more exciting than your usual dim sum, then Zi Yean Bistro is the place you should be at. Here, you can get your hands on interesting creations such as their Cream Of Yam In Watermelon Bun as well as their Steamed Black Truffle Mushroom Bun.

56 Lengkok Bahru, #01-443
Singapore 150056
Daily: 8am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Redhill

Ever get confused with the different dumpling names as they are all either in Mandarin Chinese or in a Chinese dialect? We know, it can be pretty frustrating – especially when you are in-charge of ordering. We thought this beginner’s guide to the most commonly consumed dim sum in Asia will do you some good, and they include many of the more popular ones Hong Kong egg tarts to the well-loved Shanghai Xiao Long Baos.

It is actually pretty fun to dissect your dim sum (mentally, of course) and to know what each piece is made of, right? They may be of the simplest ingredients, but these exquisite bite-size delicacies are ever popular with the world for many reasons. We had so much fun understanding more about them as we put this guide together for you.

Feel at ease the next time you visit a dim sum restaurant with our Beginner’s Dim Sum Guide to 15 Essential Dim Sum You Must Try.

#1 SIEW MAI

A siew mai is essentially minced pork and/or prawn wrapped up in a thin sheet of lye water dough, only exposing the top side of the filling, and steamed until cooked before serving. The filling of this dumpling is traditionally mixed in with herbs and seasonings such as chives, soy sauce and sesame oil.

#2 HAR GAO

First introduced and created in Guangzhou, China, the Har Gao is a traditional Chinese steamed shrimp dumpling that features a translucent layer on the outer side to hold the inner filling of minced shrimp. This dim sum staple is usually served alongside the siew mai.

From traditional dim sum teahouses, to the cheapest Michelin Starred dim sum restaurants – here is our guide to Hong Kong’s Top 12 Dim Sum Restaurants.

#3 CHAR SIU BAO

The char siu bao is a freshly steamed bun that contains barbecued pork. The bun is traditionally made in two ways – steamed or baked. In Hong Kong, they created the char siu bo lo where the exterior is made with a crunchy pastry exterior instead of a bread bun. Either way, we love a good BBQ pork bun.

#4 EGG TART

Primarily served as the Hong Kong version in dim sum eateries, the Egg Tart is a popular choice as a dessert or snack around the world. This tart consists of egg custard cupped with a flaky pastry layer. In some instances, the custard is flavoured such as Pandan Egg Tarts or Bird’s Nest Egg Tarts.

#5 BAKED CHAR SIU SOU

Similar to the Char Siu Bo Lo buns but instead, wrapped up in a puff pastry exterior that is made with lard or shortening. The Char Siu inside may be cooked with extra flavours from shallots or various sauces for an enhanced taste.

#6 STEAMED GLUTINOUS RICE WRAPPED WITH LOTUS LEAF

Wrapped up in lotus leaf before steaming, the inside of this popular dim sum dish generally contains sticky rice, chicken, shiitake mushrooms and salted egg yolk. There are different variations of it around the world but this is the basic and most commonly used one.

#7 STEAMED CHICKEN FEET

Chicken feet are fried, the braised before steaming with black bean sauce to extract all the flavour into the skin surrounding the bones in the feet. The process is long, but the end result is a dim sum dish so flavourful that it is a crowd’s favourite in many Asian countries like Singapore and Hong Kong.

#8 STEAMED PORK RIBS

This dish is also made by steaming marinated small cubed pork ribs and steaming them with fermented black beans, chinese rice wine and a variety of other spices and ingredients. In some traditions, they are consumed alongside white rice and the pork ribs are saturated with juicy flavours after steaming for hours.

#9 GUO TIE

The guo tie or pot stickers are essentially pan-fried pork and chive dumplings. These dumplings are cooked by steaming first, then fried on only one-side to bring out the flavours of the fillings. Pot Stickers are traditionally eaten with ginger in vinegar sauce.

#10 FRIED CARROT/RADISH CAKE

Served in most dim sum restaurants, these cakes are made mainly with radish or carrot and steamed before pan frying for a crispy outer layer.

#11 BEANCURD ROLL

The inner pork filling is wrapped up in a layer of beancurd or tofu skin before either deep-frying or steaming it. In some variations, the beancurd roll can be filled with different ingredients such as fish paste or chicken instead.

#12 CHEONG FUN

Cheong Fun is a rice noodle roll originating from Hong Kong. There are various ways of serving this roll. In Singapore, it’s served simply with sweet sauce and chilli. The Hong Kong-style Cheong Fun is sometimes stuffed with minced barbecued pork or shrimp, and drenched in light soy sauce.

#13 SALTED EGG YOLK CUSTARD BUN

Runny salted egg yolk custard is housed inside a warm fluffy bun. There are also a few variations of this crowd-favourite bun – some use duck eggs and some use coconut milk inside the custard to enhance the overall flavour. The molten custard should flow out when you break the bun open, if served freshly steamed.

If we could only pick a kind of dim sum to live on, it would most definitely be the Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bun. Here is our guide to 13 Unbelievable Salted Egg Yolk Custard Buns (Liu Sha Bao) in Singapore.

#14 PRAWN ROLL

The prawn roll is usually served as a dim sum this way – prawn diced up and marinated before wrapping in tofu skin then deep-fried to a golden brown. More often than not, this crispy prawn roll is served with a mayonnaise dip.

#15 XIAO LONG BAO

As one of the most popular dim sum dumplings ever, this Shanghai-originated dish consists of a thin flour skin wrapping up minced pork with a rich pork broth. One bit into, the warm broth will rush out and you will have to sip it in quickly. The Xiao Long Bao is usually served with a side of sliced ginger and vinegar.

The next time your boss wants you to plan a corporate lunch, or you need an outlet to celebrate your Granny’s birthday, here are 31 of the best Chinese restaurants in Singapore.