Har kaw, siew mai, lor bak gou, dim sum so good you just can't say no!
Little morsels of deliciousness, carefully wrapped in paper-thin dough, topped with chives and cooked to perfection, dim sum (点心: dian xin) holds a special place in our hearts (and tummies).
A hearty exchange of 'inspirational' life anecdotes, over these bite-sized goodness and sipping Chinese tea at a traditional Chinese dim sum restaurant with family or friends - that's our kind of perfect afternoon.
If that sounds like something you might want to plan for the coming weekend, here's the ultimate list of Chinese restaurants in Singapore (complete with promotions), which serve up quality dim sum while being easy on your wallet.
This dim sum deals and promotions article was last updated on Feb 24, 2020.
Restaurant | Address | What To Order |
Yum Cha | 20 Trengganu Street (Off Temple Street) #02-01, Singapore 058479 | Steamed salted egg custard bun, salted egg prawn ball, prawn & mango fritter, and Peking duck |
Tim Ho Wan | 68 Orchard Rd, Plaza Singapura #01-29A & #01-52, Singapore 238839 | Baked barbecue pork bun, beancurd skin with prawn & pork, sesame ball with molten salted egg and egg tart |
Peach Garden | 301 Upper Thomson Road #01-88, Thomson Plaza, Singapore 574408 | Steamed prawn dumpling, yam puff with char siew, stewed pork trotters in black vinegar and drunken prawns |
Mouth Restaurant | 38 Maxwell Rd #01-01/02, Airview Building, Singapore 069116 | Steamed salted egg custard bun, pork & prawn dumpling, Peking duck and deep fried ‘chopstick’ prawn spring roll |
Tien Court | 403 Havelock Road, Copthorne King’s Hotel Singapore, Singapore 169632 | Deep-fried prawn & pork dumpling with lychee, steamed pork & prawn dumpling with caviar and steamed pork ribs with taro |
Hua Ting | 442 Orchard Rd Level 2, Orchard Hotel Singapore, Singapore 238879 | Signature baked mango & chicken tart, steamed seafood abalone dumpling, turnip cake in homemade XO sauce and sweet trilogy and baked herbal empress chicken drumstick with abalone & fungus |
Summer Palace | 1 Cuscaden Rd, Level 3 Regent Singapore, Singapore 249715 | Shrimp dumplings with bird’s nest, deep-fried yam with garoupa, steamed glutinous rice with crab, double boiled egg white milk custard with bird’s nest |
Shang Palace | 22 Orange Grove Rd Lobby Level, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, Singapore 258350 | Steamed beef tripe with satay sauce, thousand layer radish puff with Yunnan ham, traditional steamed buns with roasted pork belly & steamed yam and chilled coconut ai-yu jelly |
Jade | 1 Fullerton Square, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Singapore 049178 | Wagyu beef puffs, abalone siew mai, lobster porridge, braised bird’s nest soup and pistachio muah chee |
Hai Tien Lou | 7 Raffles Boulevard Level 3, Pan Pacific Singapore, Singapore 039595 | Signature XO chilli sauce with rice flour rolls, roasted meats platter, deep-fried prawns with salted egg yolk and egg tart with swiftlet’s nest & white fungus |
YUM CHA
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BimbOmxHlhD/[/embed]
A household name that serves up delectable dim sum throughout the day, its main outlet is situated bang in the centre of Chinatown. As they get pretty crowded during lunch and dinner (even on weekdays), be sure to make a reservation before heading down.
- Price: $15 to $20/person
- What to order: Steamed salted egg custard bun, salted egg prawn ball, prawn and mango fritter, and Peking duck (if you've the stomach space)
- Promotion: Enjoy a free Seafood Soup Dumpling when you spend a minimum of $80 with your OCBC credit card, valid till May 31, 2020. PAssion Silver card holders save 20 per cent off weekday high tea buffet (3.00pm to 6.00pm), valid till Sept 30, 2020.
Address: 20 Trengganu Street (Off Temple Street) #02-01, Singapore 058479
Contact number: 6372 1717
Dim sum hours: 10.30am to 10.30pm (Monday to Friday), 9am to 10.30pm (Saturday and Sunday)
TIM HO WAN
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/B1BNfQXhjak/[/embed]
A chain dim sum restaurant hailing from the mecca of dim sums, Hong Kong, Tim Ho Wan has 12 outlets spread all over our sunny island. Offering piping hot and authentic dim sum throughout the day, they're famous for baked barbecue pork bun and egg tarts. Don't leave without trying them, because the calories are really worth it!
- Price: $20 to $25/person
- What to order: Baked barbecue pork bun, beancurd skin with prawn and pork, sesame ball with molten salted egg and egg tart
- Promotion: Get a complimentary dessert when you spend a minimum of $100 on your DBS credit card, valid till March 31, 2020.
Address: 68 Orchard Rd, Plaza Singapura #01-29A & #01-52, Singapore 238839
Contact number: 6251 2000
Dim sum hours: 10am to 10pm (Monday to Friday), 9am to 10pm (Saturday and Sunday)
PEACH GARDEN
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvv6PDUleiB/[/embed]
An oldie but a goodie. Here's the thing about Peach Garden - they serve dim sum during lunch time, but the best time to visit would be between 3-5 pm to take advantage of their promotion.
On Mondays to Fridays, diners enjoy a whopping 50 per cent off their a la carte and dim sum menu items. On Saturdays and Sundays, there's a high-tea buffet, which includes a la carte menu items and dim sums for only $23.80++ (w/gst $28).
Do note that as Peach Garden changes its menu periodically, you might want to give them a call to check in on their current menu in advance.
- Price: $20 to $28/person
- What to order: Prawn dumpling, yam puff with char siew, stewed pork trotters in black vinegar and drunken prawns
- Promotion: Enjoy 50 per cent off a la carte and dim sum menu items, valid on Monday to Friday only. For weekend high-tea (Saturday and Sunday), 1 dines free with every 3 paying adults.
Address: 301 Upper Thomson Road #01-88, Thomson Plaza, Singapore 574408
Contact number: 6451 3233
Dim sum hours: 3pm to 5pm daily
ALSO READ: 7 dim sum buffets Singapore from $15 per pax - Best promotions & prices (2019)
MOUTH RESTAURANT
Sitting on the fringe of CBD is Mouth Restaurant, a must-visit if you've got a dim sum craving during the work week that needs fixing. Famous for their steamed salted egg custard bun, you'd want to give their crispy deep fried 'chopstick' prawn spring roll a definite try.
- Price: $25 to $30/person
- What to order: Steamed salted egg custard bun, pork & prawn dumpling, Peking duck and deep fried 'chopstick' prawn spring roll
- Promotion: Purchase a $50 voucher for $35 on Chope.
Address: 38 Maxwell Rd #01-01/02, Airview Building, Singapore 069116
Contact number: 6438 5798
Dim sum hours: 11.30am to 3pm (Monday to Friday), 10am to 4.30pm and 6pm to 10pm (Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays)
TIEN COURT
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl29i95nrjF/[/embed]
Located at the quaint Robertson Quay, Tien Court is my grandma's go-to when it comes to dim sum, and grandmas are never wrong. An unassuming Chinese restaurant that consistently serves quality dim sum at a reasonable price, there's nothing not to love.
- Price: $40 to $45/person
- What to order: Deep-fried prawn & pork dumpling with lychee, steamed pork & prawn dumpling with caviar and steamed pork ribs with taro
- Promotion: 15 per cent off a la carte menu items when you settle the bill using a DBS credit card, valid till May 2, 2020.
Address: 403 Havelock Road, Copthorne King's Hotel Singapore, Singapore 169632
Contact number: 6318 3193
Dim sum hours: 12pm to 2.30pm (Monday to Friday), 10am to 1pm (1st seating) and 1.15pm to 3pm (2nd seating) (Saturday and Sunday)
HUA TING
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BPjy_TzjObD/[/embed]
Head over to Hua Ting if you are looking for a conveniently located Chinese restaurant that serves traditional dim sum. Sitting on the 2nd floor of Orchard Hotel Singapore, it also offers a wide selection of bigger sharing plates like Peking duck and fried rice with crab, salmon roe, egg white & black garlic.
- Price: $45 to $50/person
- What to order: Signature baked mango & chicken tart, steamed seafood abalone dumpling, turnip cake in homemade XO sauce and sweet trilogy and baked herbal empress chicken drumstick with abalone & fungus
- Promotion: 15 per cent off a la carte menu items when you spend with your Maybank (valid till March 31, 2020), DBS (valid till May 1, 2020) or Citibank (valid till Dec 30, 2020) credit card.
Address: 442 Orchard Rd Level 2, Orchard Hotel Singapore, Singapore 238879
Contact number: 6739 6666
Dim sum hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm
SUMMER PALACE
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/fwqjADtTNd/[/embed]
A short walk from Orchard MRT Station is where you will find the one-star Michelin Cantonese Restaurant, Summer Palace. Although their selection of dim sum is not as varied as some of the other Chinese restaurants on this list, it definitely makes up for it with their seasonal dim sum menu that changes every 3 months.
- Price: $50 to $60/person
- What to order: Shrimp dumplings with bird's nest, deep-fried yam with garoupa, steamed glutinous rice with crab, double boiled egg white milk custard with bird's nest
- Promotion: 15 per cent off a la carte menu items when you pay using a Maybank credit card, valid till March 31, 2020.
Address: 1 Cuscaden Rd, Level 3 Regent Hotel Singapore, Singapore 249715
Contact number: 6725 3288
Dim sum hours: 12pm to 2.30pm (Monday to Friday), 11.30am to 2.30pm (Saturday and Sunday)
SHANG PALACE
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BKfAC-iAJC-/[/embed]
Cantonese fine dining, just a stone's throw away from the main Orchard Road stretch, Shang Palace is all old world charm. It's the sort of place you bring your parents or future in-laws to dine at. Steamed, fried, boiled, pan-fried, Shang Palace offers over 46 different dim sums for you to pick and choose from.
- Price: $55 to $60/person
- What to order: Steamed beef tripe with satay sauce, thousand layer radish puff with Yunnan ham, traditional steamed buns with roasted pork belly & steamed yam and chilled coconut ai-yu jelly
- Promotion:
- Citi Prestige and ULTIMA cardholders:
- 20 per cent off lunch and dinner (Monday to Thursday), valid till April 30, 2020.
- 15 per cent off lunch and dinner (Fridays to Sundays), valid till April 30, 2020.
- All other Citibank credit cardholders:
- 15 per cent off lunch and dinner (Monday to Thursday), valid till April 30, 2020.
- 10 per cent off lunch and dinner (Fridays to Sundays), valid till April 30, 2020.
Address: 22 Orange Grove Rd Lobby Level, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, Singapore 258350
Contact number: 6213 4398
Dim sum hours: 12pm to 2.30pm (Monday to Friday), 11am to 3pm (Saturday and Sunday)
JADE
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/B8neYBZn1BC/[/embed]
Housed within The Fullerton Hotel, Jade offers dim sum set lunch on Monday to Friday and dim sum buffet on Saturday and Sunday. Expect dim sum classics like prawn dumpling and pork & shrimp dumpling alongside new creations like Wagyu beef puffs, steamed sweet yam lava bun and pistachio muah chee.
- Price: $58++/person (Monday to Friday, dim sum set lunch), $50++ (Saturday and Sunday, dim sum buffet)
- What to order: Wagyu beef puffs, abalone siew mai, lobster porridge, braised bird's nest soup and pistachio muah chee
- Promotion: Up to 50 per cent off a la carte menu items when you pay using a Standard Chartered credit card.
Address: 1 Fullerton Square, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Singapore 049178
Contact number: 6733 8388
Dim sum hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm daily
HAI TIEN LOU
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BIP8msqA6S6/[/embed]
Dim sum gone luxe. There's nothing simple or basic about having a dim sum afternoon at Hai Tien Lou. Located on the 3rd level of Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore, this is perhaps one of the most fancy dim sum restaurants in Singapore, and for good reason.
Their dim sums include ingredients like swiftlet's nest, foie gras, lobster, abalone and crab that elevate classic dim sums to a whole new level of yums. Be sure to dress up for the occasion because, Hai Tien Lou has a smart casual dress code - talk about fancy.
- Price: $50/person (a la carte), $60.80++ (weekday dim sum buffet), $68.80++ (weekend dim sum buffet)
- What to order: Signature XO chilli sauce with rice flour rolls, roasted meats platter, deep-fried prawns with salted egg yolk and egg tart with swiftlet's nest & white fungus
- Promotion: 10 per cent off all ala carte menu items and house pour drinks when you use your OCBC credit card, valid till Dec 30, 2020.
Address: 7 Raffles Boulevard Level 3, Pan Pacific Singapore, Singapore 039595
Contact number: 6826 8240
Dim sum hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm
This article was first published in Singsaver.com.sg.