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Guide · Dim sum

How to order dim sum, basket by basket.

A pot of tea, a pencil, an order card with forty Cantonese dish names and a table that fills up fast. Dim sum — or yum cha, “drink tea” — is a weekend ritual with a gentle rhythm. Here is how to read the card, what to tick first, and the tea manners people will notice.

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In short

To order dim sum, ask for a pot of tea first, then tick two or three dishes per person on the order card: start with steamed classics like har gow, siu mai and char siu bao, move on to fried and richer plates, and finish with something sweet like egg tarts. Order in waves so everything arrives hot.

Checked

The rhythm

Tea first, then steamed, fried, sweet.

  1. Order teaJasmine is the friendly first choice; oolong, earthy pu’er and floral chrysanthemum are the other classics. Tea is often charged separately.
  2. Steamed firstLight, delicate baskets go first, while your palate is fresh: prawn dumplings, siu mai, rice noodle rolls.
  3. Then fried and richerSpring rolls, turnip cake, taro dumplings, spare ribs in black bean.
  4. Sweet to finishEgg tarts, sesame balls, mango pudding or a slice of steamed sponge cake.

The card

How the order card and trolleys work.

  • Order sheets: write the number of portions beside each dish and hand the sheet to a server. If you get more than one sheet, give them back together.
  • S, M and L are price categories, not portion sizes. A “large” is not a bigger basket.
  • The stamp card: servers stamp or mark a card on your table each time a dish arrives. Keep it at the table’s edge; it becomes your bill.
  • Trolleys: where carts still roll past, point or nod at what you want and let the server mark the card. Raise a hand to flag one down rather than chasing it.
  • Order in waves. Everything at once means lukewarm dumplings and no room on the table.

Tick these

The classic dishes, and when to order them.

Dumplings usually come three or four to a basket. If three dumplings are shared between four people, tick two portions.

Classic dim sum dishes, what they are and which round to order them in
What it isRound
Har gowPrawn dumplings in a translucent wrapperFirst
Siu maiOpen-topped pork and prawn dumplingsFirst
Char siu baoFluffy buns filled with barbecued porkFirst
Cheung funSilky rice noodle rolls with sweet soyFirst
Pork spare ribsSteamed with fermented black beansSecond
Chicken feetBraised until soft, for the curiousSecond
Lo mai gaiSticky rice steamed in a lotus leafSecond
Turnip cakePan-fried radish cakeSecond
CongeeSilky rice porridgeAny time
Egg tartsFlaky pastry, wobbly custardLast
Sesame ballsCrisp glutinous rice with a sweet fillingLast

Copy this

A first-round order card, by table size.

  • Table of two: har gow, siu mai, cheung fun, char siu bao. Then pick one surprise from the trolley.
  • Table of four: two har gow, two siu mai, char siu bao, cheung fun, spare ribs, turnip cake.
  • Table of six: the four-person order plus chicken feet, lo mai gai and a congee to pass around. Egg tarts for everyone, last.

Tea manners

The finger tap, the lid and who pours.

  • Pour for others before yourself, starting with the eldest at the table.
  • Say thanks with two fingers. When someone fills your cup, tap two fingers lightly on the table.
  • Need more hot water? Tilt the teapot lid so it sits ajar, or leave it off; staff will refill it.
  • Use serving chopsticks (or the back ends of your own) for shared plates, and never stand chopsticks upright in rice.
  • Sauces go in your own small dish — soy, chili oil, a little mustard. Mix slowly; you can always add.

Keep it

Three rounds, one brunch.

Dim sum arrives in waves, so take a photo of the table after each one. PlateDiary cuts every basket out as its own save, and saves from the same place and time gather into one moment — a whole brunch on one page. Tag Grace and your parents as companions, and next Sunday the place page tells you which dumplings you keep ordering there. Siu mai lovers can check our siomai page too.

Sources

Where the facts come from

  1. A beginner’s guide to yum cha — The Spinoff
  2. 11 tips for eating dim sum beginners need to know — The Takeout

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many dim sum dishes should I order per person?

Two or three per person is a good first round. Order more in a second wave once you see how hungry the table is.

What should I order first at dim sum?

Steamed classics: har gow (prawn dumplings), siu mai (pork and prawn dumplings), char siu bao (barbecued pork buns) and cheung fun (rice noodle rolls).

Why do people tap two fingers on the table at dim sum?

It is a quiet thank-you to whoever just poured your tea, so the conversation doesn’t have to stop.

How do you ask for more tea at dim sum?

Tilt the lid of the teapot so it sits ajar, or leave it off, and staff will top it up with hot water.

What is the difference between dim sum and yum cha?

Dim sum are the small dishes themselves; yum cha (“drink tea”) is the meal and the outing — tea with dim sum, usually from late morning into the afternoon.