We don’t know about you, but dim sum gives us that warm and fuzzy feeling of joy – perhaps it has something to do with the name, which literally means “touching heart”?
However it makes you feel, and whatever your preference, be it steamed or fried, there are plenty of excellent places serving it up all over Abu Dhabi.
Here, we’ve rounded up a few of our favourites, and you’ll definitely want to bring your stretchiest trousers wherever you end up visiting.
Beijing Restaurant
If you’re looking for somewhere cheap and cheerful to get your dim sum fix, you can’t go far wrong with Beijing Restaurant. There are plenty of options, whether you fancy something steamed or deep fried, with most under Dhs15 or Dhs20. The deep fried chicken wontons keep us coming back again and again, and we’re sure you’ll do the same.
Daily 8am-midnight. Madinat Zayed (02 621 0708).
Dai Pai Dong
The current title holder of our best Chinese restaurant award obviously deserves a mention on this list. Din Pai Dong’s dim sum has been impressing us for years, and with more than ten options on the menu, it’s an absolute must-visit for fans of the tasty dish. If you can, make sure you head here for lunch during the week for the all-you-can-eat offer which will set you back Dhs118.
Sun-Wed noon-3pm, 7pm-11pm; Thu-Sat noon-3pm, 7pm-midnight. Rosewood Abu Dhabi, Galleria Shopping Mall, Al Maryah Island (02 813 5588).
Hakkasan
We’ll take literally any excuse to visit Emirates Palace, and we think a trip to Hakkasan is one of the best. The world renowned brand serves up some of the best Chinese food in the city (it was highly commended at our last awards for a reason), and the dim sum here is exceptional. Hakkasan has even given the dish a next-level fancy makeover with its supreme platter, which features gold leaf har gau and sea bass dumpling with caviar. Extra? Undoubtedly. Supremely tasty? For sure.
Mon-Wed, Sat 6pm-1am; Thu 6pm-1.30am; Fri noon-3.30pm, 6pm-1.30am. Emirates Palace, West Corniche (02 690 7739).
Li Jiang
With views of the Grand Mosque as a backdrop for your meal, you can’t help but feel fancy on any visit to Li Jiang. Aside from the gorgeous setting, the dim sum is equally spectacular, with options including pan fried duck gyoza and scallop spinach steamed dumplings. We’re drooling just thinking about it…
Mon-Sat 5pm-11pm. The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal (02 818 8282).
Ming’s Chamber
Dining options in malls get a bad rap, but if you’re willing to leave your expectations at the door, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the dim sum at Ming’s Chamber. The prawn sichuan wonton is a winner, as are the jade dumplings, but basically everything on the menu will leave you feeling very happy and full.
Daily 11am-11pm. Al Wahda Mall, Al Nahyan (02 582 4449).
New City Palace Chinese Restaurant
While most visitors to this quiet spot head here for the Peking duck, it’d be remiss to not order from the dim sum menu, too. There are tonnes of options, including pan fried chicken bao, siew mai, and fried wonton, but the must-try dish here is easily the crab xiao long bao, which is bursting with flavour. You won’t be blown away by the decor if you visit rather than order delivery, but the prices are nothing to grumble at, and when the dim sum is this good, we’d eat it anywhere.
Daily noon-10pm. Al Falah Street (02 626 2762).
Shang Palace
The inside of this restaurant feels, well, palatial, and the menu is just as impressive. The dim sum is basically an art form, with options including lobster with caviar, chicken and shrimp, or crab meat dumplings. Make sure you head here for the all-you-can-eat dim sum lunch for Dhs138, where you’ll get to tuck into unique (and Instagrammable) options like rainbow shaped dumplings stuffed with seafood or steamed sweet corn milk buns stuffed with Nutella. You’ll want to try everything, but trust us, it’s (almost) impossible.
Daily noon-3pm, 7pm-11.30pm. Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat al Beri (02 509 8555).
