Across Dallas, culturally-rich communities have sprouted in the suburbs. Shopping centers in Plano, Richardson, Arlington and beyond are filled with immigrant-owned, tradition-rooted Chinese restaurants. Many of these restaurants showcase the time-honored Cantonese ritual of dim sum in fine fashion. Dim sum kicks off a social, culinary feast of small bites, often ordered from pushcarts for breakfast, lunch or brunch.
Dallas’ many dim sum offerings span from tried and true to bold and new. Enjoy plump dumplings in a dining room designed like a submerged submarine, in an elegant ballroom, or while watching chefs hand-pull noodles in an open kitchen. Here’s where to get your dim sum fix.
Bushi Bushi Dim Sum
Bushi Bushi Dim Sum is a laid-back spot in Addison that is casual enough to pop in, but polished enough for a date night. There are no push carts here, but there is a robot waiter. Order from the QR code, and watch as it rolls up with a steaming bamboo basket of pillowy soup dumplings with crab meat or duroc pork wontons soaked in hot oil. 4930 Belt Line Rd., Dallas, bushi4930.com
Kirin Court
This Richardson institution always feels like a special occasion. The vast banquet hall is adorned with crystal chandeliers, stone dragon sculptures, and traditional dim sum push carts that make the rounds daily. With 45 sweet and savory options on offer, crowd favorites include the shrimp dumplings and steamed BBQ pork buns. Get there early. The wait time can stretch up to two hours. 221. W. Polk St., #200, Richardson, kirincourt.com
Garden Restaurant
Garden Restaurant is a low-key strip mall restaurant beloved by dim sum devotees. The interior is spacious, with plenty of space for push carts packed with options. The Hong Kong-style dim sum menu is expansive and creative. Don’t miss the sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf, fish sauce chicken feet, or steamed fully buns filled with custardy salted egg yolk. 3555 W. Walnut St., Garland
Zhang’s Kitchen
This family-run Asian bistro is built for bites that can make up an epic feast. Large tables, mostly 8-tops, make it easy to pile dim sum steamers high. The menu ranges from small to extra-large dim sum portions, and specializes in salt and pepper dishes like calamari, shrimp, tofu, or eggplant. 3948 Legacy Dr., Ste. 103, Plano, zhangskitchentexas.com
TKS Chinese Cuisine
This under-the-radar Plano gem is a go-to among the local Cantonese community. The made-to-order dim sum menu is concise, flavor-packed, and friendly to first-timers, complete with photos. The fried shrimp balls, beef tripe with ginger and onion, and spare ribs with black bean sauce are standouts. 3829 W. Spring Creek Pkwy., Ste. 105, Plano, tkschinesecuisine.com
The Pearl Restaurant
The Pearl Restaurant is both a polished dim sum restaurant and a reservable ballroom, ideal for big groups and celebratory meals. The space is vast and lively, made for socializing over a 50-plus item menu of dim sum. Eye-catching picks include quail eggs shu mai, glossy roasted duck, and mango pudding. 2625 W. Pioneer Pkwy., Ste. 600, Grand Prairie, thepearlatats.com
Hongyuan Dumplings & Noodles
Hongyuan Dumplings & Noodles is celebrating a year in Plano. The best seat in the house is by the open kitchen windows for a front-row view of dough being stretched into chewy noodles. Each meal starts with complimentary pickled cabbage and peanuts. While dim sum isn’t the focus here, the handmade dumplings still channel its spirit. There are two soup options and four dumpling varieties to choose from. 3921 W. Park Blvd., Ste. 100, Plano
JS Chen’s DimSum & BBQ
JS Chen’s DimSum & BBQ serves its namesake fare all day, everyday. The best time to go is during lunch, when silky rice noodle rolls envelope dough fritters, shrimp, BBQ pork, and beef. The egg custard and taro pie, also lunch-only options, are worth timing your visit. On weekend mornings, traditional push cart service is offered. If you’re feeling extra hungry, go beyond dim sum and order the restaurant’s famed jumbo crab in spicy garlic sauce with speciality fried rice. 240 Legacy Dr., Ste. 118, Plano, jschensbbq.com
ABC Seafood Chinese Restaurant
This longtime family-owned favorite, freshly remodeled last year, carries on the legacy of its late owner, Albert Yee, with the same warmth and hospitality Yee was beloved for. The dining room features mirror-panneled walls, bronze backsplashes, and a stage with an oversized screen. Order the deep-fried eggplant packed with sugar cane shrimp and oyster sauce. 2420 E. Arkansas Ln., Ste. 216, Arlington, abcdimsum.net
China Pearl Restaurant
One of DFW’s newest dim sum arrivals, China Pearl comes by way of Boston, where it’s thrived for nearly 60 years. The dim sum menu spans handmade, steamed, baked, fried, pan-seared bites, alongside chef’s specials like sesame jellyfish, salt and pepper squid, and clams stir-fried in black bean sauce. The seafood is as fresh as you’d expect from a coastal transplant. 1301 Custer Rd., Ste. 850, Plano, chinapearldallas.com
Highland Noodles
Highland Noodles is acclaimed for fresh, hand-pulled noodles. The star of the show is Lanzhou beef noodle soup. The airy, Frisco restaurant recently expanded to include all-day dim sum. Think impressive bites like flaky char siu sou stuffed with BBQ pork and caviar siu mai. 9188 Prestmont Pl., Ste. 110, Frisco
Juicy Dumplings
Open until midnight, this Euless spot is intricately decorated to feel like an under the sea escape. The blue-hued room mimics a submerged submarine, with vivid moving oceanic imagery along the walls, chandeliers shaped like schools of floating fish, and seaweed-like dangling light fixtures. The menu features a small but mighty 12-option dim sum spread, with dishes like transparent har gow, savory siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings), and har cheung (shrimp rice rolls). 2910 Rio Grande Blvd., Ste. 300, Euless, juicydumplingstx.com
China Queen
Pay homage to tradition by starting your meal with a pot of traditional tea: white, jasmine, red, or pu-erh, an earthy fermented tea from China’s Yunnan province. Then, dive into dim sum that’s earned plenty of foodie praise. The Queen Special offerings include sticky rice, radish cake, and pork buns, but the Eight Treasures Rice is a must order. It’s a sweet rice pudding typically served on Chinese New Year. 3412 E. Hebron Pkwy., Ste. 100, Carrollton, chinaqueen.net
