Chinese cuisine is well-represented in Houston, with various restaurants around town lauded for their bountiful offerings. Dim sum, which translates to “touch the heart” in Chinese, is a Cantonese tradition that consists of a series of small plates and snacks, paired with tea and shared among groups. Traditionally served as a late-morning meal, dim sum is an epic way to spend brunch, but in Houston, its raging popularity allows for dim sum to be enjoyed at all hours of the day. From all-you-can-eat restaurants that have stood the test of time to newbies showcasing ample egg tarts, dumplings, custard buns, spring rolls and more, there are lots of worthy dim sum restaurants to explore.
Dim Sum Box
Gilbert Fung of Houston’s iconic Fung’s Kitchen family opened Dim Sum Box in Katy Asian Town, and it has swiftly garnered a reputable name for itself. The casual, light-filled restaurant boasts a modern aesthetic with neon signage and offers convenient counter service dining. The robust menu lists more than 40 items, from steamed dumplings and buns to rice noodles and congee. Make your choices and find a suitable tea pairing — varieties include orange blossom white tea, dragon oolong and Hong Kong milk tea.
Tim Ho Wan
Tim Ho Wan opened its first Texas outpost in Houston’s Katy Asian Town in 2022, and the seats have hardly had a chance to cool since. The Michelin Starred restaurant, which has grown to encompass locations around the globe, boasts an all-day dim sum menu worth the hype. The barbecue pork buns are a must-try, made with a savory meat filling inside a subtly sweet, pillowy shell. Other dishes — like the fried dumplings and spring rolls, steamed rice rolls, and sweet sesame balls — are every bit as worthy.
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This legendary restaurant perched prominently on Bellaire Boulevard in Asia Town is a Houston institution. With more than 300 Vietnamese and Chinese food offerings presented in an all-you-can-eat buffet style during lunch and dinner, Kim Son is a bucket list destination that has attracted visitors from around the country. The classic dim sum offerings are plentiful and the atmosphere is buzzy, with diners excitedly perusing dedicated stations like the noodle bar, street eats, fried foods and tea and desserts. Come hungry and indulge wholly.
Crown Seafood
Crown Seafood is one of Asia Town’s destination restaurants, known for its expansive dining room, pushcart service and generous portions. Dim sum is offered until 3 p.m., and despite the restaurant’s size, there is often a wait during peak weekend brunch hours. Oversized tables topped with lazy Susans fill up fast with small plates like glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf, shrimp shumai, egg tarts, cream buns, pan-fried pork dumplings, sweet red bean sesame balls and more. A variety of teas are on offer, but you can opt for beer or wine here, too.
Ocean Palace
The crown jewel of Asia Town’s dim sum restaurants, Ocean Palace is an elegant alternative to some of the more casual cafes in the area. The restaurant welcomes guests to make dim sum choices off a menu but also from pushcarts that roam the dining room. Weekend brunch is among the most popular times to visit, but dim sum is offered daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., giving visitors a lot of opportunities to venture in. Kick off your meal with a jasmine or chrysanthemum tea, available by the pot for less than $6. Start with oxtail soup dumplings and an order of steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce before moving on to fried turnip cakes, shrimp balls and ample varieties of bao, including barbecue pork, salted egg lava and sweet almond cream.
Fung’s Kitchen
Conversation about dim sum in Houston can hardly be had without mention of Fung’s Kitchen. The family-owned restaurant opened in Southwest Houston in 1990 and quickly became a destination for stellar Chinese offerings and live seafood prepared straight from the tank. Fung’s recently faced a two-year closure as the result of a fire but has since reopened with a fresh new look and the return of its iconic pushcart dim sum service. Find classics like egg tarts, shumai, chicken feet and fried pork puffs, and look out for specials like shark fin dumplings.
Phat Eatery
This standout, helmed by James Beard Award semi-finalist chef Alex Au-Yeung, reels in visitors from across the city for its swoon-worthy Malaysian street eats, but it also has five classic styles of dim sum on the menu; among them are crystal prawn dumplings, steamed barbecue pork buns and sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf. Spring for the whole enchilada, aka Phat’s dim sum platter, and try all five for $20. As a bonus, Phat’s highly anticipated Woodlands location opens this spring, giving Houstonians another place to indulge.
Duck & Bao
As its name suggests, both duck and bao are well represented at this husband-and-wife-owned restaurant, with locations in Cypress, Memorial and soon-to-be-open Rice Village. Along with three styles of soup dumplings — pork, chicken and crabmeat with pork — Duck & Bao boasts dim sum staples like har gow, hot oil wontons, crispy scallion pancakes and pan-fried beef bao. Pair with tea or spring for a baijiu cocktail like the Kung Fu Panda, served in decorative glassware worthy of a photo.
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