Dim sum dish guide. 50 classic Hong Kong-style dim sum items: ha gau, siu mai, char siu bao, pineapple bun, egg tart, and more. With Cantonese name, Jyutping, category, description, and price tier.
Dim Sum Dish Guide (港式点心指南)
How to use
Search by name
Enter Chinese (虾饺), Cantonese romanisation (ha gau), or English (shrimp).
Filter by category
Steamed, fried, baked, boiled/soup, sweet, cold.
Read the price tier
$ cheap, $$ mid-range, $$$ premium — based on HK tea-house reference prices.
Order using Jyutping
Say the Jyutping romanisation (e.g. "haa1 gaau2") to practice Cantonese pronunciation.
Dim Sum: The Tea-House Culture of "Tea + Dumplings"
Hong Kong-style tea house (yum cha) is the heart of Cantonese cuisine. Originating from 19th-century Guangzhou tea houses and elevated in Hong Kong, it gave rise to the iconic "一盅两件" (one pot of tea + two baskets) breakfast format. Singapore and Malaysian tea houses overwhelmingly follow the HK style.
The six categories at a glance
Steamed: ha gau (shrimp dumpling), siu mai, char siu bao — the kings of dim sum. Fried: spring rolls, taro puffs, fried sticky rice rolls — crispy outside. Baked: pineapple buns, char siu pastry, egg tarts — developed during HK\'s colonial era. Boiled/Soup: wonton noodles, sampan congee, rice rolls. Sweet: egg tarts, water chestnut cake, mango sago pomelo. Cold: mango pudding, chilled tofu — summer favourites.
Localisation: HK vs. SG/MY
Singapore and Malaysian dim sum houses run a similar style with sweetness adjustments. Local variations: "plain" rice rolls (斋肠), and sometimes local ha gau is made with coconut milk. This tool covers the HK standard; SG/MY versions may vary slightly.
The tool uses Hong Kong Jyutping (LSHK 1993) romanisation. Pair with RT-CHN-034 (Cantonese Jyutping Converter) to practice pronunciation.
10 Facts about Dim Sum
"Dim sum" comes from Cantonese 点心 (dim2 sam1) — literally "touch the heart". Originally simple food for traveling merchants on the Silk Road tea house route.
Crystal shrimp dumpling (ha gau) is the king of dim sum — invented in the 1920s at Yi Heung Tea House in Guangzhou's Henan district. The translucent skin wrapping a whole shrimp is the ultimate test of a dim sum chef.
HK pineapple buns contain no pineapple. Invented in 1960s Hong Kong; the name comes from the crackle pattern on the sweet sugar crust that resembles pineapple skin after baking.
Egg tart (daan6 taat1) is HK colonial fusion of British custard tart + Cantonese flaky pastry. Invented in the 1940s; now a defining HK food icon.
The cart tradition: dim sum chefs traditionally roll carts around the dining hall; diners point to what they want. SG/MY tea houses still preserve this; HK upscale tea houses largely shifted to menu ordering by the 1980s.
"Phoenix claws" (chicken feet) are the most surprising dim sum to many foreigners. But SG/MY Chinese grow up eating them — considered a delicacy. Hong Kong has specialised chicken-feet chefs.
"Mango sago pomelo" (杨枝甘露) is a 1980s Hong Kong invention — created at Lai Bun restaurant in 1984. Now a Chinese-world classic dessert.
"Plain rice rolls" (斋肠) are an SG/MY local specialty not found in Hong Kong — demonstrating that dim sum localises across the Chinese diaspora.
"Dai pai dong" (street-side stalls) are the "people's version" of HK dim sum. Found in SG and KL. These stalls typically specialise in just 5-10 dim sum items — and the craftsmanship often surpasses hotel tea houses.
Pairs with RT-CHN-034 (Jyutping Converter), RT-CHN-035 (Yale Cantonese), and RT-CHN-044 (Chinese Tea Brewing) — the complete HK yum cha experience toolkit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reference only. $ ≈ HK $30-50/basket, $$ ≈ HK $50-100, $$$ ≈ HK $100+. Singapore and Malaysian prices are typically 20-30% higher than HK (import costs).
Primarily HK standard, but 99% of dishes appear in SG/MY tea houses. SG/MY-specific localisations (plain rice rolls, coconut milk ha gau) aren't catalogued separately, but the style is the same.
To those who like them — a delicacy. The collagen-rich texture and savoury black bean sauce are uniquely satisfying. First-timers should try one basket — you'll know quickly whether you love or hate them.
The classic HK tea-house trio: (1) Pu-erh (ripe, smooth, balances oily dishes); (2) Chrysanthemum Pu-erh (with chrysanthemum flowers, refreshing); (3) Heung-pin (jasmine tea, energising). See RT-CHN-044 for full Chinese tea brewing guide.
Not recommended. Jyutping is a phonetic spelling, not Mandarin pinyin. Google Translate may misread it as Mandarin. For Cantonese audio, use Forvo (pronunciation site) or set iOS Siri to Cantonese.
Mainly congee (粥), noodle soup, and rice rolls (肠粉). Strictly not "dim sum" in the traditional sense, but Hong Kong tea houses always include them — as the "main" alongside steamed/fried items.
Yes. Salted egg yolk + butter stays semi-liquid when steamed. Bite gently — the filling slowly flows out. A signature of "new-wave" dim sum. SG/MY tea houses all carry it now.
Not exhaustive. The tool catalogues 50 mainstream dishes covering 95% of HK and SG/MY tea house menus. Complete Cantonese dim sum exceeds 1,000 dishes, but most are regional variations and modern innovations.
(1) Tap the table to thank for tea (index + middle finger, 2-3 taps when someone pours tea); (2) Sharing dishes — all dim sum is communal; (3) Bill at the table: staff brings the check to your table (HK and SG/MY both follow this).
Open knowledge: Cantonese tea house menus + Hong Kong Tourism Board open data + cultural consensus. Jyutping follows 1993 LSHK standard. Educational reference only.
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