Your top Dim Sum Cart Restaurants around the World!
 

I'm doing a favour for an anthropologist friend of mine who is going to embark on a rather interesting research project early next year which combines two of my favourite things - travel and chinese food!

He will be travelling to China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, USA, and the UK to do a social research project on those ladies (typically) who usually operate the dim sum carts within large Dim Sum restaurants.

I would appreciate if fellow flyertalkers could assist by providing me with your top dim sum cart restaurant choices in any of the above countries - if possible with a small note about whether the restaurants is high/low budget, and approx. how big it is!

Any suggestions will be helpful, but he wants to have a mix of large extravagant restaurants and smaller more "homely" restaurants.

Thanks for your help!

i can't remember the name of it but there is an amazing one in Hong Kong the size of a football field. There are trolleys always going by :) great quality food

I would love to experience Dim Sum in some of the Asian Countries. :D

Here in Houston, my favorite Dim Sum restaurant is Kim Son (actually located in Sugarland - a suburb of Houston).

They have quite a few interesting dishes, including a few I've not found at any other Dim Sum places I've been to (at least in the Houston area).

dim sum Houston Texas
 

Kin Son in Sugarland is okay but better is KimSon on Bellaire in China Town. Even better is a little hole in the wall around Rice University area call Yum Yum Cafe.^

For New York City, I highly recommend Ping's. It's quite a bit smaller than the super-sized places, but the food is fantastic! And the cart ladies are really nice.

B

PS, sounds like a great project! I should do this research myself! :)

I was not aware that the other Kim Son locations served Dim Sum. I was told that the only location that serves Dim Sum is the Sugarland location. :confused:

I will have to check out Yum Yum cafe. Can't beat the Rice U area.

In London, I usually go to the New World Restaurant on Gerrard Place in China Town. This is fairly large, and on two levels.

The Canton Hotel in Guangzhou has a wonderful tea that uses the carts. However, my understanding is that the latest trend in China is to get away from the carts and just order dim sum "a la carte." I can't say whether it's true everywhere, but it was certainly true at the restaurants at which we ate this past trip.

I feel like any Dim Sum not located in greater Hong Kong is a complete waste of my time. ^

It's the best one in china town.
I'd place it as low budget.

Never a fan of trolleys. I prefer restaurants with a-la-carte ordering. Fresher and comes when you want. Not while you wait for the correct trolley to arrive!

I have a friend in Hong Kong now for a short holiday. He asked me if I knew a good restaurant. Anyone have a recommendation for good dim sum in HKG?

Toronto, Canada - Empire Restaurant (formerly New World Restaurant) located on Victoria Park Ave south of Steeles Ave

Mississauga, Canada - Jade Restaurant located on SW corner of Hurontario and Eglinton

Here is my list:

London, UK: Not cart service but Yauatcha is fantastic and is mid-priced for London standards. Royal China is Bayswater is quite large, decently priced, with food to match.

San Francisco: My favourite is Yank Sing -- both locations are excellent but the RinCon Center location weekends opens into the atrium of the building and is massive.

Singapore: Again not cart service but my two favourites are Jade in the Fullerton Hotel and Jiang Nan Chun in the Four Seasons. Both are top end restaurants and are quite intimate.

Bangkok: I am starting to see a pattern here -- no cart service, but the China House at The Oriental was excellent.

Toronto: Lai Wah Heen in the Metropolitan Hotel is fantastic. This is a high end Chinese restaurant with fantastic dim sum and alas no cart service.

Vancouver: Pink Pearl, Sun Sui Wah, and Happy Valley are my favourites in my hometown. Pink Pearl and Sun Sui Wah are huge, Happy Valley is much more intimate. Kirin also gets a lot of great reviews but I have not been in a long time.

Singapore: Yum Cha in the Chinatown area.^

And it is cart service.

Thank you all for your responses thus far, please keep them coming. I was actually surprised to hear from my friend that she actually has a grant from a Chinese state government agency to carry out this research!! Hence the budget to go to all these places!

My favourites when i am in Hong Kong are either the restaurant in Melbourne Plaza (Central MTR) or in Prudential Centre (Jordan MTR) - very 'cheap and cheerful' places where you'll find mostly locals.