My dad is never more enthusiastic about eating in a crowded and bustling environment than when we’re having dim sum. He loves the old Hong Kong feels of enjoying these small bites surrounded by loud chatter from the tables around us, echoes of clinking porcelain tea cups, and harried women pushing dim sum carts stacked high with bamboo baskets around the dining hall. These 16 underrated and cheap dim sum in Singapore may not have vibes of that sort, but any disappointment can be resolved by a couple more pieces of tasty siew mai.
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At Bei-Ing Dimsum Club, you get a creative twist on traditional dim sum. Fun fact: it’s opened by the son of the couple running the famous Bei-Ing Wanton Noodles at Roxy Square 1! Try the Truffle Xiao Long Bao ($4.50 for three) and the Super Cheesy Siew Mai ($4.50 for three), the latter featuring nacho cheese with juicy meat filling and a chewy dumpling skin. Their Aburi-Mentai Sotong Bomb ($4.50 for three) features breaded squid balls covered in mentaiko sauce, then seared with a blowtorch for the ultimate crunch.
Check out our Bei-Ing Dimsum Club review.
Address: 396 East Coast Road, The Bullion Hawker Bar, Singapore 428994
Opening hours: Mon, Wed & Fri 11am to 8:30pm, Tue, Sat-Sun 10:30am to 8:30pm, Thurs 10:30am to 7:30pm
Website
Tel: 9046 7176
Bei-Ing Dimsum Club is not a halal-certified eatery.
Alongside Swee Choon, 126 Dim Sum Wen Dao Shi is undoubtedly one of the most popular dim sum stores in Singapore. Serving up relatively affordable dim sum fare, it’s no wonder this 24-hour dim sum store attracts a huge crowd, even in the wee hours.
Their Shrimp Dumplings ($4.60 for three) are a favourite of mine because they’re filled with plump pieces of prawns. If you prefer more intense flavours, their Chilli Crab Siew Mai ($6.80 for three) and Seafood Tom Yum Siew Mai ($4.80 for three) are worth a try! For something more filling, try their Sambal Fried Rice or Singapore Stir-Fried Bee Hoon at $10 each, with portion sizes suitable for two people.
Geylang outlet
Address: 126 Sims Avenue, Singapore 387449
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 5am
Boon Keng outlet
Address: 1086 Serangoon Road, Singapore 328187
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 5am
Website
Tel: 6746 4757
126 Dim Sum Wen Dao Shi is not a halal-certified eatery.
Not only is every item on their menu $1.50, Kuai San Dian Xin is open 24/7 so you can satisfy your dim sum cravings anytime. Warm your belly up with flavourful Century Egg Pork Porridge prepared in a Cantonese style. They also make a mean serving of Carrot Cake that comes with a crisp exterior and chewy insides.
Check out other 24-hour restaurants in Singapore.
Address: 555 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, Singapore 560555
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours
Kuai San Dian Xin is not a halal-certified eatery.
Opened by a dim sum-loving couple, Dim Sum Haus has both traditional and contemporary offerings. Unlike some old-school dim sum joints, this restaurant has a warm and friendly ambience. Baked Salted Egg Custard Bun ($7.80++ for three) puts regular lui sha bao to shame with a buttery shell that oozes out a creamy golden salted egg custard sauce, while their Steamed Charcoal Chicken and Shrimp Siew Mai ($5.50++ for three) comes with big chunks of juicy prawns and a heap of tobiko. Don’t gloss over their Crispy Mee Suah Kueh with Chinese Sausage ($5++) as it hides a strong punch of wok hei beneath its unassuming appearance!
Check out our Dim Sum Haus review.
Address: 57 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208809
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 9:30am to 10:30pm
Tel: 6909 0777
Dim Sum Haus is not a halal-certified eatery.
Tanjong Rhu Pau & Confectionery’s buns are mini by average standards but there’s a reason for their loyal following. Ordering the Char Siew Pau ($1) is a must here. The char siew meat stuffing is chunkier than usual, giving each bite a more satisfying mouthfeel. Big Pork Pau ($2)—ironically the size of a regular char siew pau—is another popular one stuffed with lean but succulent pork and hard-boiled egg.
Address: 389 Guillemard Road, Singapore 399788
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 8:30am to 8pm
Tel: 6842 2112
Website
Tanjong Rhu Pau & Confectionery is not a halal-certified eatery.
Xiao Chen Handmade Bao Dian makes their dim sum from scratch daily, ensuring the freshness and quality. Besides traditional Siew Mai ($2.20 for three), which they stuff with whole shrimp and ground pork, Xiao Chen also has a host of other dim sum such as the Crab Stick Dumpling ($2.20 for three), Jade Dumpling ($2.20 for three), and Scallop Dumpling ($2.20 for three).
Address: Block 68 Kallang Bahru, Singapore 330068
Opening hours: Daily 7am to 8pm
Tel: 9446 3862
Xiao Chen Handmade Bao Dian is not a halal-certified eatery.
Hong Kong Mongkok Dim Sum’s simple menu of just six handmade items will leave you as satisfied. Though priced slightly higher than other dim sum places at $3.50 for all items, you’ll get quality dim sum here that’s worth your buck. The skin of their Har Gow is translucently thin yet sturdy enough to hold a rather hefty load of fresh prawn, and each Char Siew Bao is made Hong Kong-style with a light and airy bun cracked open to expose the marinated meat filling.
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-097, Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 11am to 5pm
Tel: 9735 6312
Hong Kong Mongkok Dim Sum is not a halal-certified eatery.
Expect authentic dim sum at Victor’s Kitchen, where an ex-hotel chef from Hong Kong runs the show. Some must-try items include the succulent Poached Sze-Chuan Dumpling in Spicy Sauce ($5.70), which comes with a generous amount of prawns. Other popular items include the fragrant “Bo Lo” Butter Buns ($5.50) and the juicy Xiao Long Bao ($5.70 for three).
BTW, Victor’s Kitchen gets really busy during peak hours, so I recommend coming earlier to secure a table at this popular dim sum joint.
Bencoolen outlet
Address: 91 Bencoolen Street, #01-49, Sunshine Plaza, Singapore 189652
Opening hours: Daily 10:30am to 8pm
Chinatown outlet
Address: 133 New Bridge Road, #B1-33, Chinatown Point, Singapore 059413
Opening hours: Daily 1030am to 9pm
Website
Victor’s Kitchen is not a halal-certified eatery.
A good-looking bao may come with pristine white skin, but their ugly cousins—the ones with patchy exteriors from juices of the meat stuffing seeping through—are often the tastiest. Old Airport Road Specialise Homemade Pau Dian’s Char Siew Bao ($0.70) is exactly like that. Painstakingly made by hand every morning, you can be sure that the dishes here are made with loads of love. Get some of their Siew Mai ($1) too, if you can, as these run out fast.
Address: 34 Cassia Crescent, #01-86, Singapore 390034
Opening hours: Daily 7am to 5pm
Tel: 8115 2747
Specialise Homemade Pau Dian is not a halal-certified eatery.
Get restaurant-quality dim sum at food court prices here at Chao Yue Xuan Dim Sum. Opened by Chef Vanness Chai formerly of St Regis Hotel, the eatery can be found at the classy Capitol Singapore. The Steamed Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce ($6.80++) is certainly not to be missed—its braised-to-perfection skin soaks up the savoury black bean sauce, delivering a burst of aromatic flavours.
Diners looking for something more substantial can also try the Handmade Meatball Congee ($11.80++) or Handmade Prawn Ball Noodle ($13.80++). If you come with a friend, they also have a value set for two at $29.80++ that comes with Fresh Shrimp Wanton Soup, Steamed Minced Pork with Dong Cai Rice and more.
Address: 13 Stamford Road, #B2-51/52, Capitol Singapore, Singapore 178905
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm
Website
Chao Yue Xuan Dim Sum is not a halal-certified eatery.
The menu at Ji Tuo Hong Kong Style Dim Sum is rather small, with only 14 menu items for you to pick from. The highlight of this stall is their Custard Buns at just $3 for three, their Beijing Style Dumplings ($3 for five), and Fried Carrot Cake ($2.50 for three). The latter is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and is touted as a standout choice too. Though nestled in a hidden, industrial area, the quality of food for the price makes it worth the trip!
Address: 2 Bukit Batok Street 24, #09-18, Singapore 659480
Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Thurs 7am to 3pm, Sat-Sun 7am to 2pm
Tel: 8150 8784
Website
Ji Tuo Hong Kong Style Dim Sum is not a halal-certified eatery.
Located in a humble coffee shop in Queenstown, 5-Star Dim Sum has a sizable selection of items on its menu. From BBQ Char Siew Bun ($4) to Hong Kong-style Steamed Mushroom Buns ($4.50), bao lovers will surely find something that suits their tastebuds. The HK Shrimp Cheong Fun is a popular item that is available for $5, and those dining in even numbers will be delighted to know that their Steamed Prawn Siew Mai ($4) comes in baskets of four, saving everybody from the awkwardness of the paiseh piece.
Address: 158 Mei Ling Street, #01-74, Singapore 140158
Opening hours: Daily 7am to 9pm
Website
5-Star Dim Sum is not a halal-certified eatery.
As Singapore’s best-rated dim sum eatery, The Dim Sum Place needs no introduction. Located at multiple locations throughout the city, The Dim Sum Place is also halal-certified, perfect for a meal out with your Muslim friends. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Steamed Chicken & Mala Xiao Long Bao Combo ($7.90++ for four), or the Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp ($7.90++ for three). Besides dim sum, a variety of Hong Kong-style meals are also offered, including the Aromatic Garlic Fried Rice with Onsen Egg ($14.90++) and the umami-laden Duck Noodle Soup ($12.90++).
Website | Full list of locations
The Dim Sum Place is a halal-certified eatery.
Possibly the restaurant with the most aesthetically pleasing storefront on this list, Sum Dim Sum stands out from the rows of shophouses with its Tiffany blue walls. Customers can seek respite from Singapore’s sweltering weather in the restaurant, which has air conditioning on both the ground and top floor.
If you like your dumplings with a thicker skin, get their Xiao Long Bao ($5.70+ for three), which comes with a chewy wrapper loaded with juicy pork filling. The Fried Carrot Cake ($5.20+ for three) is also unlike the usual—it’s topped with ikan bilis, fried shallots, sesame seeds, and sliced red chilli for a kick of spice. A modern twist on the classic dim sum, they also have the Wolfberry with Mushroom Siew Mai ($5+ for three) and the Fresh Prawn with Tiffany Blue XL Hargow ($6.30+ for three), which is wrapped in a striking sea blue skin with an eye-catching gradient.
Check out our Sum Dim Sum review.
Address: 161 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208876
Opening hours: Mon 11:30am to 3pm, 5pm to 12am, Tue 11:30am to 1am, Wed 11:30am to 4pm, 5pm to 12am, Thurs 11:30am to 3pm, 5pm to 12am, Fri 11:30am to 1am, Sat 10:30am to 1am, Sun 10:30am to 12am|
Website
Sum Dim Sum is not a halal-certified eatery.
Ho Yun Tim Sum was started by a Hong Kong chef with many years of experience at various restaurants under his belt. Of all the handmade items on the menu, the chee cheong fun is not to be missed. It comes in three variations: Cheong Fun Plain ($3), Cheong Fun with Fittes ($3.50), and Cheong Fun with Prawn and Char Siew ($3.50). A decent portion is served, and online reviews tout it as authentic and light on the tastebuds. The stall is located in Tampines, so Easties can enjoy restaurant-quality dim sum at coffeeshop prices here.
Check out our Ho Yun Tim Sum review.
Address: Blk 107 Tampines Street 11, Singapore 521107
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 5:30am to 3:30pm
Ho Yun Tim Sum is not a halal-certified eatery.
Led by Chef Tony Wong, who is touted as the creator of the mango sago with pomelo dessert, East Bistro has an outlet in Sembawang and another in Serangoon. Try their Sichuan Chilli Oil Wanton ($6++ for four), doused in chilli oil, soya sauce, and black vinegar. Each wanton is encased in a thin skin, and has a tender meat filling that is well complemented by the sauce.
Steamed Pork Rib ($5.80++) is another popular item here as it comes with chewy pieces of fatty pork ribs. All the dim sum is steamed upon order, so be prepared to wait during peak hours for a basket of authentic Cantonese delight.
Check out our East Bistro review.
Sembawang outlet
Address: 10 Jalan Tampang, Singapore 758954
Opening hours: Mon & Wed-Fri 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm, Tue 11am to 10pm, Sat-Sun 9am to 3pm, 5:30pm to 10pm
Serangoon outlet
Address: 1 Maju Avenue, #02-01, myVillage, Singapore 556679
Opening hours: Mon & Wed-Fri 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm, Sat-Sun 10am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm
Tel: 6634 2998
Website
East Bistro is not a halal-certified eatery.
Whether you’re a purist who sticks to the traditional har gow, char siew bao, and chee cheong fan, or a trendy yum cha-er seeking the most flowy liu sha bao, there’s a dim sum joint for everyone. If you prefer feasting at a dim sum buffet instead, check out these 10 restaurants with prices as low as $26.80++ per person!
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