Tak Fu Dim Sum Emperor

Ha Gow

Thin, translucent rice flour wrappers stretched taut around plump whole shrimp — the gold standard test for any Cantonese kitchen, judged on wrapper thinness and shrimp snap

Siu Mai

Open-topped pork and shrimp dumplings topped with a dot of fish roe — the twin benchmark to ha gow, and a reliable read on kitchen consistency

Char Siu Bao

Steamed BBQ pork buns with cloud-soft dough encasing a sweet-savory filling, or the baked version with a lacquered, pillowy top — order both and compare

Cheung Fun

Silky steamed rice noodle rolls filled with shrimp, beef, or BBQ pork, finished with sweet soy sauce — delicate and satisfying when the wrapper is thin enough to almost disappear

Lo Mai Gai

Glutinous sticky rice packed with chicken, Chinese sausage, and shiitake mushrooms, steamed in lotus leaf until the aromatics perfume every grain

Chicken Feet

Braised phoenix claws in black bean sauce — tender enough that the collagen peels cleanly from the bone, a patience test that separates serious kitchens from shortcuts

Turnip Cake

Pan-fried lo bak go with a crackling golden crust hiding a soft, savory daikon and rice flour interior — a dim sum staple that rewards kitchens willing to get the sear right

Egg Tarts

Flaky pastry shells cradling a barely-set, silky egg custard — the classic dim sum send-off, best eaten hot from the cart