Taste of Hong Kong in Seoul

Top dim sum restaurants in Seoul

By Jeong Ji-su

Har gow

Siu mai

Steamed BBQ pork-stuffed buns

Xiao long bao

A quick flight could take you over to Hong Kong to try all the Cantonese delicacies, but upon arrival to Korea, you might be disappointed at the lack of authentic Cantonese cuisines available locally.

However, thanks to the proximity between Korea and Hong Kong, more Cantonese restaurants are popping up across Seoul, with the most popular Cantonese style dish – Dim Sum – starting to make a name for itself as a premium option for Chinese food.

Here are some personal recommendations for the top dim sum restaurants in Seoul, along with an essential guide to dim sum, in case you were baffled in front of a bazillion dishes in front of you at a Cantonese restaurant.

Essential Dim Sum Types

1. Xiao Long Bao: steamed soup dumplings
2. Har Gow: shrimp dumplings
3. Siu Mai: pork dumplings
4. Cha Siu Bao: steamed BBQ pork-stuffed buns
5. Cheong Fan: rolled rice noodles
6. Turnip Cake: radish cake

Crystal Jade

With over 120 branches in major cities across the Asia Pacific region, equipped with 22 different themes, Crystal Jade deems itself as the pioneer of Shanghainese-Cantonese chain restaurants. It is through rigorous quality tests and the hands of Chinese chefs that delicious Cantonese eateries present themselves in front of our eyes. Their creations, which stay true to the traditional taste but also innovative in terms of new menus, will suffice your Cantonese fix. It is strongly recommended to try the iconic xiao long bao (steamed soup dumpling), or har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork dumplings), and cha siu bao (steamed BBQ pork-stuffed buns).

Address (Flagship Store): B1 Hancom Building, 16, Namdaemun-ro 7-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
Phone number: (02) 3789-8088

Din Tai Fung

Arguably one of Asia's most loved dim sum restaurants, the Taiwanese chain, Din Tai Fung, has enjoyed a dominant position in the competitive dumpling market ever since its launch in Korea a decade ago, now boasting six locations around town. Their signature menu, xiao long bao, is a must-try, as dumpling masters carefully craft them in the open kitchen. Fillings may vary, from the original pork to shrimp, chicken, crab meat and mushrooms, but do make sure to try the original xiao long bao. It won't disappoint you.

Address (Flagship Store): 2F Myeongdong Stock Building, 13,Myeongdong 7-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
Phone number: (02) 3789-2778

Jooo's

Located in the heart of the fashion-centric Garosu-gil district in southern Seoul, Jooo's has been on everyone's lips at the moment for its authentic taste of dim sum with a very affordable price range. Along with the well-known dim sums such as xiao long bao and siu mai, Jooo's caters wonton noodles, Sichuan-style dandan noodles, and beef noodle soups, complemented by Guangdong-style bok choy (Chinese cabbage) dishes. Jooo's might not be as big as the industry's global chain restaurants, but it surely does know how to make a point in the local dim sum scene.

Address: 9, Dosan-daero 17-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Phone number: (02) 6081-9888

Baozhi

Surrounded by a giant apartment complex, Baozhi might not look very welcoming from the outside, but inside the concrete jungle lies a true gem of dumplings crafted by master chefs in the open kitchen. The most popular dishes are fried dumplings and pork filled buns, not to mention the dim sum menu which is a mini and simple version of siu mai. The interior is interesting as it looks like a cave a floor below the kitchen.

Address: 41-2, Dasan-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
Phone number: (02) 2236-0111

The author is a freelance writer based in Seoul, Korea. She can be reached at jisujennyj@gmail.com.

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