One pot of tea,two small plates
Cantonese dim sum steamed in small batches at 18 Thu Khoa Huan, from 11am daily.
At DIMSUM 101 every piece is made by hand at the open counter in the middle of the dining room. Wrappers are rolled thin, prawns are selected fresh each morning, and each basket is steamed in small batches so that the flavours of Cantonese cooking arrive intact.
Baskets are stacked continuously from opening until close, so that every plate reaches the table with the heat and the softness of a batch just lifted from the steamer.
An open kitchen in the dining room
Three stages, done by hand every day
- One
Rolling
The dough is rolled to the point where it will still hold a filling yet stay translucent, thin enough that the pink of the prawn shows through.
- Two
Folding
Each har gow is pleated entirely by hand to a set number of folds. It takes a cook several years before every piece comes out alike.
- Three
Steaming
Bamboo baskets are stacked and steamed in small batches, each kind timed on its own, so that nothing sits waiting.
Dim sum
See the whole groupSteamed in small batches at the open counter in the middle of the room, wrappers rolled thin and fillings mixed the same day.
Truffle Foie Gras Dumplings
A deep red wrapper finished with gold leaf, filled with foie gras and black truffle.
Specialty Sharing Tray
Six of the kitchen's defining dumplings arranged in a single bamboo basket. It is the dish to order when there are two or three of you and you would like to taste the range in one go.
- 01Scallop Dumplings
- 02Truffle Foie Gras Dumplings
- 03Xiao Long Bao
- 04Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai with Salmon Roe
- 05Shrimp Dumplings
- 06Sichuan Spicy Dumplings
Roast
See the whole groupRoasted in the Cantonese manner, thin crisp skin, carved to order and served hot.
Cheung fun
See the whole groupThin sheets of rice noodle wrapped around the filling, finished with the house soy dressing.
Char Siu Cheung Fun
Sliced char siu inside a soft rice sheet, honey sweetness against a gentle soy.
Dough proved overnight and steamed in bamboo, so the bun comes up white and open, with the filling mixed the same day.
Rice, noodles, soup and greens
See the whole groupThe substantial dishes that round out a yum cha table, or a quick lunch on their own.
Tea and drinks
See the whole groupTea brewed by hand and left on the table for the whole meal, in the Cantonese way, alongside a few house sodas and iced teas.
A day at DIMSUM 101
See the whole spaceClay plaster walls, oak lattice screens, paper lanterns and tropical greenery. The rooms were designed to stay warm and bright, for meals that run long.
The tables along the glass hold natural light until around three in the afternoon. They are the most requested seats at weekend lunch, so do ask for one when you book.
Behind the lattice screens is a set of tables kept for larger parties, family celebrations and meals that call for a little more privacy. Please contact us in advance so the room can be arranged.
The door opens straight onto Thu Khoa Huan. A bench and a few planters make room for guests waiting at the weekend peak.
The steam counter sits in the middle of the tables with no partition around it. Guests can follow the whole sequence, from rolling and folding through to the moment a basket is lifted and carried over while it is still steaming.
Oak lattice screens divide the dining room without closing it, so each table keeps a measure of privacy while the room stays one room.
Once the light goes, the paper lanterns and the wall lamps come on and the room shifts into a lower, warmer register better suited to a long dinner.
A run of four-lobed lamps along the main dining room, a motif long used in East Asian window lattice.
Dim sum began as food for people on the road
More than a thousand years ago, along the trade routes of southern China, roadside teahouses served a few small dishes alongside a pot of hot tea. Merchants and travellers stopped, ate lightly, and carried on.
Over time each region added its own fillings, its own way of folding an edge, its own dipping sauce. A traveller's snack slowly became the Cantonese habit of yum cha, where a meal is measured not in courses but in the hours spent at the table.
Read the whole story
5.0 on Google
66 reviews“Came here for Sunday lunch with the family and everyone found something they liked. Har gow and xiao long bao were our favourites.”
“When they asked for feedback the staff actually listened, rather than asking for the sake of it. The manager came over to thank us for it.”
Visit
The restaurant is on Thu Khoa Huan, a few minutes on foot from Ben Thanh market.
- Address
- 18 Thu Khoa Huan, Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Hours
- From 11:00
- Phone
- +84 965 718 101
- Typical spend
- 200,000 – 500,000 per person
Hold a table before you come
You can book on Zalo or WhatsApp without creating an account. We reply during opening hours.