Dims sims Victoria: South Melbourne Market, Tai Wah, Easey’s Red Lantern
Steamed and drizzled in soy sauce or fried, hot and crunchy, dim sims are a Melbourne icon. See who makes the tastiest version.
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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.
Dim sim devotees share their recommendations on the popular Dim Sims 4 Lfye Facebook page which has more than 9000 followers.
Creator Ross Harrington ranks Tai Wah Resturant in Mentone and Fong’s Chinese Restaurant in Bentleigh East among his favourites.
And he’s not too proud to indulge in the odd Marathon, pulled from his freezer and cooked just how he likes it.
Check out where else to find top dimmies near you.
Tai Wah Restaurant
122 Balcombe Road, Mentone
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.
Fong’s Chinese Restaurant
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 dimmie,” 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.
Lockwood Rd Takeaway
41 Lockwood Rd, Shepparton
Dim sim fans in Victoria’s north are covered by the Lockwood Rd Takeaway Cafe, who serve up some of the most delicious goods.
Shop owner Rachel Young said what makes a good dim sim is a “good meat to wrapper ratio”.
“It needs a crispy outer on a fried dimmie and fluffy finish on a steamed dimmie,” Ms Young said.
She said people like both fried and steamed dim sims — there’s no in-between.
“Different strokes for different folks and serve both of course,” she said.
“Our dim sim sales have tripled since I took the business over.
“Steamed dim sims are best with hot sauce and soy — get around it.”
Lockwood Rd Takeaway is open Monday to Friday from 6am to 2pm.
In the mood for street food
Church Street, Cowes
Located on Church St just opposite Coles you can find the best place in Bass Coast to pick up a dimmie.
Bass Coast locals and visitors no longer need to make the trip to Melbourne to get the infamous South Melbourne dimmie as they are sold right here in this one-stop-shop food van.
In the mood for street food used to be located in Surf Beach but made the move to Cowes late in 2022.
They serve up South Melbourne dim sims, either fried or steamed, at just $10 for three.
Tilly, who works at the van, said steamed dim sims were popular as they were harder to come by these days.
She also said people come to them just to get their dim sims.
If you aren’t quite up for the hearty South Melbourne Dimmie, you can also opt for your regular dim sim either fried or steamed.
The van also make home made potato cakes and serve up hot jam doughnuts and spring rolls among other belly warming goodies.
And the best part is there is no extra charge for sauce so whether you like soy sauce or tomato, it’s on the house.
Louey Soong Chinese Take Away
1009 Sturt St, Ballarat Central
Many Ballarat residents claim Louey Soong has the best dim sims in town - perhaps in the state - and stand by the Sturt St venue as something of an institution.
A takeaway staple for decades, some have memories of Louey Soong dating back to their childhoods.
“I’ve been getting the best dim sims and spring rolls from here ever since I was a little girl,” one online reviewer said.
Kwok Cheung Food Manufacturing
7 Hunter Rd, Derrimut VIC
If you want the best quality, you tend to go straight to the supplier.
The same goes for Dimmies.
In the last 20 years Kwok Cheung Food Manufacturing have mastered the art of the home made dim sim – selling their product to restaurants, retailers and customers far and wide across Victoria.
You’ve probably seen their stacked bags of 60 dim sims – weighing in at about 4.5kg – at your local supermarket or bitten into one at fish and chip shops.
Since opening in 2004 their dim sims have become a staple in many Victorian households, with all people needing to do is heating them up however they see fit.
The team at Kwok Cheung use fresh mince and vegetables to put their dim sims together.
In addition to the traditional dim sims, they also produce miniature versions of the Aussie delicacy
King’s Palace Chinese Restaurant
98 Madden Ave Mildura.
If you're after the best dim sum in the state’s northwest look no further than King’s Place on Madden Ave Mildura.
This family owned restaurant has been in operation for over 20 years, first opening its doors more than a decade ago in 2008.
That decade of experience are put on full display with the restaurant's signature homemade dim sims.
Dimmies can be ordered as either part of there banquet menu or as a take away dinner.
South Melbourne Market Dim Sims
An old favourite for many Melburnians, South Melbourne Market Dim Sims has been delivering the delicious pockets of flavour for more than seven decades.
The dim sim-situation has become a landmark for Melbourne foodies, established by the late Ken Cheng, who made the tasty treats a staple in the thriving South Melbourne Market.
Now run by Mr Cheng’s two sons, what started as a humble takeaway spot has flourished into three further locations, showcasing the popularity of their iconic product.
Larger than the average dim sim, the South Melbourne Market Dim Sims are made using a secret family recipe that has proved timeless in popularity.
To experience one of these glorious dim sims, you can find the original location of South Melbourne Market Dim Sims in their original store inside the South Melbourne Market on Cecil St.
Easey’s
3/48 Easey St, Collingwood
A local legend when it comes to serving all things Aussie, Easey’s on 3/48 Easey St, Collingwood, was established in 2015.
Owner and Dim Sim aficionado Jimmy Hilston said Melburnians particularly enjoy the all-time favourite Aussie snack.
“They‘re invented in Melbourne, and I think that’s why Australians are so nostalgically attached to them; it’s speedy and easy to serve,” Mr Hilston said.
“It‘s a quick and easy snack, even to eat; you can eat it while walking or on the run. You can eat it with salt, or you can have it with soy sauce.”
At Easey's, an average of 600 dimmies are sold every week.
Mr Hilston said the “tempura-style” crunch on the dim sim at Easey‘s made their dimmies stand out from the other shops selling the Aussie classic.
“We take the supreme dim sum, we fry them, we cut them in half, we batter them with Melbourne bitter beer batter, and then we fry them again, and we let them rest, and then we fry them again to serve them,” he said.
“So they get fried three times, and you get a nice crunchy, tempura-styled batter around the outside of a smaller piece. They‘re just super crunchy on the outside.”
Dim Sim lovers can also indulge in Easey’s yearly dim sim eating competitions.
Red Lantern
509B Napier St, White Hills
These dim sims are not for the faint hearted.
You will get a far more than you bargained for if you blithely order them as an entree, thinking they will serve only as a tasty morsel before the main course.
They are very large and freshly cooked and two can easily fill you up for lunch.
Steamed or fried, they are very good value and not to be underestimated.
The dim sims are part of an impressive menu of beloved Australian/ Chinese dishes and the restaurant is tucked into a small suburban shopping strip, where it can easily be overlooked unless you know what to look for.
There is a swift trade in takeaway meals but the dining room is also popular and it delivers handsomely on the promise of lanterns.
A pair of ornate waving cat statues are a welcome bonus that add to the ambience.
Red Lantern has an enthusiastic local following.
The four dim sims pictured cost less than $10, which given their size, provide welcome value for money.
Seven Stars
Modern Chinese Cuisine
623 Centre Road, Bentleigh East
This popular Bentleigh East restaurant is well known for its amazing homemade dim sims.
Filled with pork, the dimmies are a must try and are the restaurant’s signature entree dish.
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.