Dim Sum House

Dim Sum House

1158 State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

TL;DR 

- Price: $10 - $15

- Flavor: Chinese Dim Sum

- Filling?: Yes

- Parking: Good 

First things first, when you come looking for Dim Sum House, bear in mind that it's location is slightly hidden. The parking lot is behind the building. You may have to double back. It's worth it.

Dim Sum House is very reminiscent of a Hong Kong tea house. If you come during busy dim sum times (11:00 am - 2 pm on Saturday or Sunday, usually), you'll experience the party of it all: conversation over fresh brewed tea, old school Chinese music, and dim sum carts with classics such as har gow (shrimp dumplings), chicken feet (please give it a shot, it's much better than your internal biases would suggest), and rice rolls (shrimp is my personal favorite). 

The bun carts are always a good time with pineapple buns (named thus for the appearance, there isn't actually pineapple in it), char siu buns (Chinese barbecued pork), and Dan Tat (egg custard in a tart, sweet and flaky treat).

If you don't like crowds, dim sum time might be the time you want to avoid. But... if you can, you should go at least once, for the experience! The dim sum is much fresher when it's busy. The pictures above are during a quiet time (window between afternoon and evening), so if you prefer a quieter atmosphere, that's a good time to go.

There was a commercial once where they claimed that being able to unwrap a starburst wrapper with your tongue meant you were a good kisser. Well, those skills will be put to good use when you eat chicken feet. In order to fully enjoy it, you put it in your mouth and use your tongue to separate the meat from the bone. There's no need to worry about the etiquette here, just feel free to let the bones drop from your mouth to your plate. As long as you don't make it a contest to see who can drop bones from the highest point.

The shrimp dumplings (har gow) are fairly standard dim sum fare. If you want to move a little slower into the dim sum world, these are an excellent choice.

The salt and pepper pork ribs are excellent. Very crispy, not too fatty, and a good ratio of meat to breading. Don't let the "rib" part deter you, the bones have usually been lifted away so you can chomp down without fear. If any place has these with the bones in it, it's usually very obvious when you pick it up.

I feel like it's a little unfair of me to criticize them too much because of my background. I have many fond memories of Hong Kong dim sum, so all of my dim sum experiences elsewhere will be weighed, measured, and frankly found wanting as a result. But, this place does a reasonable job of showing off the Hong Kong dim sum experience, with the big crowds, dim sum carts, and pretty good food.