Dim Sum, often associated with "Yum Cha", a Chinese phrase meaning "to drink tea", is usually served as breakfast, brunch or lunch items in Chinese restaurants. Some restaurants may even make available Dim Sum during dinnertime. However, those restaurants are few.

Dim Sum consists of a variety of steamed, deep-fried, pan-fried, baked, and boiled items combining meats, vegetables, and flours. Dim Sum, which can be savoury or sweet, is usually made in bite size portion and offered in small quantity for each variety. This enables everyone to enjoy assorted food with different ingredients, flavour and taste in one meal. Each restaurant would normally offer not only the usual types of Dim Sum but also some of its own specialties. Dim Sum is often grouped into several price categories in restaurants. Depending on individual restaurants, you can either order the Dim Sum you want or you have to pick your choices when the Dim Sum trolley is moved to your table.

You may have noticed many Chinese restaurants in different countries advertise they offer Hong Kong Style Dim Sum. The reason for this is Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong are famous for offering the greatest choices and the best varieties of Dim Sum in the world.

Read more about Dim Sum

Dim Sum Menu offered by a restaurant. (Click the item in the menu to see the picture)