Will South Melbourne Market be dethroned as the region’s dim sim master?

Piping hot and drizzled with soy sauce or loaded with toppings, crunchy and golden from the fryer — here are the region’s tastiest dimmies.

Dim sims are a staple at footy club canteens across Melbourne’s southeast.

Steamed or fried, freshly made with gourmet ingredients or dug out of the back of the freezer, dim sims are a Melbourne icon.

The Chinese Australian creation was invented in the 1940s by local entrepreneur William Wing Young for his food processing business, which supplied snacks to football stadiums.

Mr Young adapted the recipe he used for the more delicate pork mince dumplings or siu mai on the menu at his Chinatown restaurant Wing Lee.

The cheap and tasty snack went on to earn cult status, aided by the late Ken Cheng, who started making his own and selling them from a handcart at Caulfield Racecourse.

He later set up a small stall at South Melbourne Market, which has since spawned three more outlets all run by Cheng’s two sons.

While South Melbourne Market dim sims are probably the most famous, there are many worthy contenders for the title of tastiest.

Ross Harrington, who founded Australia’s biggest dim sim fan club – Dim Sims 4 Lyfe – ranks the dimmies from Tai Wah Restaurant in Mentone as Melbourne’s best.

“They’ve been around forever and use a family recipe for their dimmies. They’re fresh and juicy and have a great skin,” Mr Harrington said.

The Bonbeach footy dad also convinced his club to stock Tai Wah in the canteen.

“There’s nothing like a cup of dimmies at the local footy,” he said.

Seven Stars Chinese in Bentleigh is another favourite.

“They’ve been making dimmies for decades and they are always good. Consistency is important,” Mr Harrington said.

DS4L was established in 2018 and now has more than 5000 members and its own merch.

Members post photos of their dim sim experiences and dream up ways to value add.

To date, the Facebook page has shared recipes for dim sim parma and dimmy pizza.

And one dedicated member has created a map of all the places dimmies are sold in Melbourne.

Here’s our list of the best.

Have we missed any? Tell us your favourite below.

Three generations of the Cheng family: Marjorie Cheng, 87, Lily Basic, Edward Cheng, Phillip Cheng and Anne Ellis with a portrait of founder Kuen Cheng. Picture: David Caird

SOUTH MELBOURNE MARKET

Cecil Street

Marketgoers have been queuing for these famed dimmies for more than 50 years. The cricket-ball sized packages of meat, cabbage and spices are created using a treasured family recipe created by the late Ken (Kuen) Cheng. Demand for his dimmies was so great his family has opened three more outlets including shops at Preston Market, Queen Victoria Market and Emporium. They are also stocked by Woolworths supermarkets.

Steamed Tai Wah dim sims are so good fans drive from Werribee to eat them.

TAI WAH RESTAURANT, MENTONE

122 Balcombe Road

The dim sims here are so highly regarded one fan drove from Werribee to try them and immediately bought 20 dozen frozen ones to take home. The are also the secret to canteen success for nearby Bonbeach footy club, which serves them steamed or fried at every home game.

One of Australia’s biggest dim sim fans uses Fong’s dim sims as a pizza topping. Picture: Dim Sims 4 Lyfe

FONG’S CHINESE RESTAURANT, BENTLEIGH EAST

725 Centre Road, Bentleigh East

Dim Syms 4 Lyfe founder Ross Harrington ranks the dimmies at this neighbourhood Chinese eatery as among the best in Melbourne. “They have a nice sausage-like filling with a very thin skin that’s sometimes folded through the dimmy,” he said. “When sliced it kind of reminds me of marbled beef.” During the long lockdown in 2020 Mr Harrington used dim sims from Fongs to create his own dim sim pizza. The dumplings were sliced and added to his favourite pizza base before the creation was wood fired. Other members of DS4L recommend Fongs for those who prefer their dimmies fried.

Dim sim sampler at Seven Stars Chinese. Picture: Facebook

SEVEN STARS CHINESE, BENTLEIGH

623 Centre Road

A short walk from Fong’s is another dim sim paradise, Seven Stars. The restaurant is known for its classic rendition of the famous steamed dumplings from the former Taiping in St Kilda. Some swear Fong’s version is even better.

Loaded dimmies at the Famished Wolf have been a hit. Picture: Facebook

THE FAMISHED WOLF, BRAESIDE, PATTERSON LAKES

13 Macbeth St

Harbour Plaza, Shop 9/21 Thompson Rd

This burger joint’s first claim to fame was being named Australia’s best cheapest eat by a food delivery service in 2018. back then it was the Famished Wolf’s $8 cheesy burger drawing crowds. The venue has since opened a second outlet and is now being recognised for its loaded dim sims. Known as Pai Mei’s Five Finger Death Treats the unique dish comprises dimmies cut in half and topped with Kewpie mayo, sweet soy sauce, crunchy shallots, sambal olek and spring onions.

Caruum Station Charcoal Chicken dishes up vegetarian dim sims.

CARRUM STATION CHARCOAL CHICKEN

1a Mcleod Road

The giant parmas and big range of HSPs draw the crowds to this second-generation family-owned suburban chicken shop. But those in the know head there for the vegetarian dim sims. Locals like to eat hot out of the bag as a snack or as a side with a vegetarian wrap featuring home made tzatziki sauce, Greek salad and topped with golden crunchy chips.

MARATHON

In your supermarket freezer aisle

Before you turn up your nose consider this: Marathon was one of two companies to buy out the original dim sim creator William Chen Wing Young. The Chinese Australian business man commercialised the traditional pork dumplings – siu mai – and later floated his company Wing Lee on the stock market. Marathon and Chien Wah took it over. Dim Syms 4 Life creator Ross Harrington still buys the odd bag for the home freezer. “I’ll never knock back a fried Marathon with lots of salt,” he said.