Dim sum is one of dining’s great communal traditions: a parade of steamed, fried and baked small plates meant to be shared around a crowded table. In Houston, many of the city’s destination-worthy dim sum restaurants are clustered along Bellaire Boulevard in Asiatown, but worthy options can also be found across the city and into the suburbs.
Dumplings may be the stars, from plump shrimp har gow to pork-filled shu mai, but they’re only part of the feast. The spread also includes fluffy barbecue pork buns, silky bowls of congee, crisp turnip cakes, delicate rice noodle rolls and egg tarts. Drinking tea is traditional (yum cha, as it’s called in Cantonese, literally means “drink tea”), but the non-negotiable is gathering family and friends around the table to share dish after dish.
Note: The Houston Chronicle pays full price for every meal consumed during restaurant visits.
July 23, 2026|Updated July 23, 2026 11:34 a.m.