Missing your weekly yum cha sessions with your family? Or have you just been craving for some dim sum? The Chinese-style delicacy features an assortment of bite-sized portions of food such as dumplings, buns and fried fritters that are served in little bamboo baskets. Unfortunately, unless you’re a pro in the kitchen, these morsels of joy aren’t easy to do up yourself.

Thankfully for us, there are many dim sum restaurants in Singapore that will be offering islandwide deliveries for dim sum during the Circuit Breaker period.

From the famous Swee Choon to the underrated Yi Dian Xin, we’ve got all your dim sum delivery needs covered. While we will have to do without the bamboo baskets and the experience itself, this shall suffice for now.

DIM SUM HAUS

Tucked away a few streets down from the highly-raved about Swee Choon is Dim Sum Haus, a small, underrated 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. Thankfully, they do islandwide dim sum delivery during this period!

Be sure to get their Baked Salted Egg Custard Bun (S$5.40 for 3 pieces), Pan Fried Mushroom Bun (S$5.30 for 3 pieces) and Hak Kam Kai Siew Mai (S$4.70 for 3 pieces).

Stay home and order from their website. Free islandwide dim sum delivery for orders above S$50. For orders below S$50, delivery charges depend on your location.

Photo Credit: Hong Kong Zhai 

HONG KONG ZHAI HOUSE OF DIM SUM

Situated in a corner of Ang Mo Kio is Hong Kong Zhai House of Dim Sum, a popular dim sum eatery. Here, they sell fresh, hand-made dim sum that will not cost you more than S$10 for a substantial (and beyond satisfying) portion.

Aside from delivering freshly steamed dim sum like their BBQ Pork Bun (S$2.20 for 2 pieces), Siew Mai (S$3.80 for 3 pieces) and Beancurd Skin Roll (S$3.30 for 3 pieces), they also have a range of Ready-To-Cook frozen dim sum that you can store and prepare yourself. These include Xiao Long Bao (S$7.60 for 6 pieces), Prawn Dumplings (S$8 for 6 pieces) and Creamy Custard Bun (S$6.40 for 5 pieces).

Order from their website. Free islandwide dim sum delivery for orders above S$100. For orders below S$100, delivery charges depend on your location. Minimum order is for dim sum delivery is S$38.

Photo Credit: Kow Loon Hong Kong Dim Sum 

KOW LOON HONG KONG DIM SUM

Another stall that is located at Ang Mo Kio is Kow Loon Hong Kong Dim Sum. They’ve been dishing out delicious and affordable baskets of Hong Kong and Shang Hai dim sum for over 30 years, which is testament to the quality of their dim sum. Now, you can enjoy their dim sum at home as they will be doing islandwide delivery for dim sum.

For the Circuit Breaker period, they will be selling frozen dim sum that you can steam and prepare yourself at home whenever you like. Examples of dim sum you can order include their Freshly Handmade Frozen Har Gow (S$14 for 12 pieces), Freshly Handmade Frozen BBQ Pork Bun (S$5 for 6 pieces) and Freshly Handmade Frozen Glutinous Rice (S$6.80 for 2 pieces).

You can Whatsapp  9387 8612 / 8498 3161 for islandwide dim sum delivery. Delivery charges depend on your location.`

Photo Credit: Lao Zi Hao Confectionery & Souvenirs

LAO ZI HAO CONFECTIONERY & SOUVENIRS

The dim sum at Lao Zi Hao has been painstakingly made by 4 bakers with over 30 years of experience and their menu has around 20 kinds of dim sum for you to choose from. Their dim sum is available for islandwide delivery during the Circuit Breaker.

There is an assortment of frozen and chilled dim sum ranging from Lotus Bun (S$10 for 12 pieces) and Steam Pork Ribs (S$16 for 800 grams) to Homemade Chee Cheong Fun with Char Siew Filling (S$10 for 8 pieces).

Call or Whatsapp 6743 4493 / 9728 4065 to get them to deliver you some dim sum. Free islandwide dim sum delivery for orders above S$80 and orders below S$80 will be charged S$8 per drop off point.

Photo Credit: Singapore Handmade Dim Sum 

SINGAPORE HANDMADE DIM SUM

For years, Singapore Handmade Dim Sum has specialised in producing fresh dim sum that are all handmade with plenty of love. You can now taste it at home with their dim sum islandwide delivery services.

They will be delivering ready-to-eat dim sum to your door, including their Signature Royal Chicken Pau (S$3.80), Prawn Chee Cheong Fun (S$3) and Siew Mai (S$3).

Whatsapp 9655 1626 to order in some dim sum. Delivery charges for islandwide dim sum delivery range from S$6 to S$14 depending on your location.

SUM DIM SUM

This Tiffany blue-themed restaurant is a relatively new kid on the block and they serve an array of dim sum to satisfy your cravings. We recommend getting their Crispy Pork Bun and BBQ Pork Rice Rolls. While you can’t bask in the restaurant’s pretty interior, you can still enjoy their dim sum as they provide islandwide dim sum delivery services.

Sum Dim Sum is known for their Signature Crispy Pork Bun (S$6 for 3 pieces), BBQ Pork Rice Roll (S$4.90) and Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (S$5.50 for 4 pieces).

Call 9092 2662 / 9005 9381 to place your order. A minimum spend of S$50 is needed for islandwide dim sum delivery and delivery fees are kept at a flat rate of S$5.

SWEE CHOON

If you haven’t heard of Swee Choon, you’ve probably been living under a rock. Swee Choon is a well-loved supper spot and dim sum restaurant that people head to whenever their dim sum cravings strike. This place is famous for being open until the wee hours of the morning as well as their never-ending snaking queues. The good part of ordering in is that you can avoid the queues and wait at home.

Tuck into favourites such as Siew Mai (S$7.60 for 6 pieces), Steamed Pork Ribs (S$7.40 for 2 portions) and Rice Roll with Prawn (S$9.20 for 2 portions). They will also be having Dim Sum Party Sets for different group sizes so you can feed your whole family! Dim Sum Party Set A feeds 3 to 4 pax and costs just S$59 while Dim Sum Party Set C feeds 15 to 20 pax and costs just S$288.

There also have chilled and frozen options; just let the restaurant know after placing your order.

Get your dim sum fix by ordering from their website. There is a flat delivery fee of S$5 per location for islandwide dim sum delivery.

TANG TEA HOUSE

Tang Tea House is a Halal dim sum eatery at Simpang Bedok known for their budget-friendly, scrumptious dishes. Now, our Muslim friends can enjoy their dim sum at home during the Circuit Breaker period as they are doing islandwide dim sum delivery.

They are popular for their Shanghai Steamed Dumpling (S$5.56 for 4 pieces), Chicken Crispy Roll (S$6.31 for 3 pieces) and Lo Mai Kai (S$3.85 for 1 piece).

Satisfy your dim sum needs and place your orders on their website. There is free islandwide dim sum delivery for orders above S$50. For orders below S$50, a flat rate of S$5 applies. No minimum order is needed.

THE DIM SUM PLACE

Sitting along the old-fashioned shophouses that line North Bridge Road is Halal-certified The Dim Sum Place. The dim sum restaurant doles out good Cantonese dim sum with a creative local twist that will allow you to sample a unique mix of flavours in a single meal setting. 

Do try their Molten Salted Egg Custard Bun (S$5.90), Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp (S$6.90) and Deep Fried Beancurd Skin Prawn (S$5.90).

Hurry and Whatsapp 9666 7420 or call 6655 8787 to place your orders. Free islandwide dim sum delivery for orders above S$50.

Photo Credit: Wong Chiew Restaurant 

WONG CHIEW RESTAURANT

Despite being around for over a decade, this humble corner coffee shop hasn’t gotten much limelight; but trust us when we say that these folks are worth patronising. Aside from dishing out roast meat, noodles and their signature Kampung Chicken, they also have an extensive array of dim sum you can choose from for islandwide delivery.

Their dim sum delivery menu features Century Egg Siew Mai (S$3.20), Xiao Long Bao (S$3.70) and Pork Big Bin (S$2). They also have frozen options for dim sum delivery.

Get your frozen and fresh dim sum from their website or call 6456 6838. Free islandwide dim sum delivery for orders above S$60. Delivery charges depend on location.

YI DIAN XIN ISLANDWIDE DELIVERY

This hidden gem tucked away in Kovan serves fantastic dim sum that we feel is on par with many dim sum restaurants. Despite that, the prices here are cheap and affordable, so you can eat as much as you want without burning a hole in your pocket. Luckily, you can enjoy these wallet-friendly dim sum from the comfort of your home with their islandwide dim sum delivery!

We recommend getting their Steamed Carrot Cake (S$3), Signature Salted Egg Custard Pau (S$3.80 for 3 pieces) and Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (S$3.40 for 3 pieces).

Islandwide dim sum delivery is available on GrabFood. Delivery charges depend on your location.

Photo Credit: Yum Cha Restaurant 

YUM CHA RESTAURANT ISLANDWIDE DELIVERY

Since 2000, Yum Cha Restaurant is a renowned dim sum restaurant that has been selling scrumptious dim sum at Chinatown, with the aim of bringing back the dim sum tea house concept in a shophouse setting. While you cannot enjoy your dim sum in such a nostalgic atmosphere, you can still enjoy their dim sum during the Circuit Breaker period by ordering in.

They have freshly steamed dishes such as Sakura Peach Bun (S$16 for 8 pieces), Signature BBQ Pork Bun (S$4.20 for 2 pieces) and Signature Fish Roe Siew Mai (S$5.20 for 3 pieces). If you prefer your dim sum frozen so you can store them for a later date, they have Yum Cha Prawn Dumpling (S$13.80 for 8 pieces), Crystal Chives Dumplings (S$12.80 for 8 pieces) and Deep Fried Prawn Beancurd (S$12.80 for 8 pieces) available for order.

There are also Dim Sum Sets that you can order to feed the masses. For instance, Dim Sum Set A which serves 8 to 10 pax and costs just S$99.80. For smaller families, you can opt for the Petite Dim Sum Set which serves 3 to 4 pax and costs just S$49.90.

Order your freshly steamed dim sum from their website. A minimum order of S$50 is needed. Islandwide dim sum delivery is at a flat rate of S$5.

Dim sum normally refers to little steamer baskets with 3-4 bite-sized delicious morsels in it, but beyond the food itself, dim sum is also a culture in itself. Linked with yumcha, it’s normally the act of getting together with friends and family over breakfast or brunch.

Though it’s not so much a fine dining affair, here in Singapore dim sum has morphed into a casual, on-the-go munchie or a late-night supper option, so dining in a chalau might seem intimidating. Fear not, here are some basic dim sum etiquette to save you from receiving death stares from locals in Hong Kong.

CHOPSTICKS

Perhaps though this seems like common sense, accidental faux pass still happens. From basic things to not leaving your chopsticks sticking out of your bowl, to leaving little bits of food stuck to your chopsticks before taking food from the general plate, these are all considered extremely impolite.

As much as possible, using serving chopsticks and spoons is preferred. Should chopsticks prove to be a hassle to use, it’s perfectly alright to request for a fork, rather than to spear your food with a chopstick.

DON’T OVER ORDER

As tempting as it is to order a lot of food, the name “dim sum” means to touch the heart, therefore portion sizes are small to better appreciate the flavour, rather than to spoil the appetite. It’s also much better to enjoy the food while it’s still hot, and rest assured should you still feel hungry, chances are there’s a dim sum trolley nearby.

HIERARCHY

Like any other Chinese setting, the elders take priority. When it comes to serving tea, it’s done so in the order of age before finally helping yourself to it, whereas when it comes to food, allow the turntable to turn towards the eldest first, before it rotates back to you.

HOARDING

As it’s considered impolite to hoard a dish to yourself, do make sure to ask everyone else if they’d like the last piece. Chances are no one would refuse you if you ask.

MANAGE EXPECTATIONS

When it comes to dim sum, there are many variations and whether you do it traditionally or with a little twist, no one can truly fault you. The Cantonese version focuses more on the freshness of the ingredients used, and how best to bring out the natural flavours.

Do try to reserve the need to add chilli and appreciate the flavour as the chef intended it to be. Only should you really need a kick, ask for their XO chilli instead of the regular sweet chilli.

SHOWING APPRECIATION

Instead of verbally thanking your fellow diners, you can show your appreciation by tapping the table with two slightly bent fingers. It’s not a sign to tell the pourer to hurry up, but rather represents the bent knees of a kowtow, and this practice dates back to olden Chinese dynasties.

TEA

If you’re out of tea, signal to the waters to top up on water by placing the lid on the handle and the side of the teapot. Should you find it difficult to balance the lid, feel free to place it on the plate the teapot is served on.

WAITERS

In certain places, orders are taken through dim sum trolleys, but in others, they’re very much like western restaurants where a server attends to your table. What’s different is that every table has their assigned waiter, and it’s best to keep track of who they are so you know who to turn to, rather than to call the manager over for a simple request of ice water.

WASHING UTENSILS

Though less so in Singapore, it’s very much prominent in Hong Kong to wash your utensils before you begin your meal. Cheap tea is provided for you to rinse and scrub your utensils with.

You do so by pouring a bit of tea over your chopsticks and spoon into your bowl and rubbing them a little, followed by turning your teacup on its side and scrubbing it in the bowl. A shared basin is provided to discard the used tea in.

Located on the third floor of Attitude Hotel in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui is Yum Cha, a spacious and elegant 130-seater dim sum restaurant. The dining establishment is especially popular for its irresistibly adorable dim sums.

We will admit that we were initially extremely skeptical about a fancy-looking hotel eatery named Yum Cha. But fortunately, the steamed dishes were superb and service was impeccable. Mind you, hospitality is virtually non-existent in Hong Kong’s local restaurants.

If you are looking for a great yum cha meal without the scruffiness, Yum Cha can be your next.

Yum Cha’s two best-selling dim sums are the Hot Custard Molten Buns (HK$49+) and Green Tea Custard Molten Buns (HK$49+). The former is stuffed with piping hot liu sha, while the latter is filled with matcha lava. No added MSG have been used to enhance these delightful treats.

Both items come in a set of three and are steamed fresh upon order. And yes, they are the iconic face buns; we almost couldn’t bear to destroy the cartoon baos!

You have to eat the molten buns while they are still lukewarm. Otherwise, the lava custard might solidify. That was what happened to us.

The Baked Pineapple Puffs (HK$59+) are interestingly presented in a steel birdcage – while we were excited by the novelty of its presentation, these puny crumbly baked failed to impress us with its taste and texture.

The price is exorbitant for its tiny portion and we would honestly rather order other dim sums on the comprehensive menu.

Sweets aside, we also enjoyed Yum Cha’s fragrant Chili Pork Dumplings (HK$59+ for six pieces) and Crab Roe & Pork Dumplings (HK$59+ for four pieces). These aromatic signature bite-size savouries pack a punch with every bite!

Yum Cha
3/F, 20-22 Granville Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2751 1666
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest MTR Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

For more recommendation, read our guide on the best dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong.