Dim sum menus can look like a list of unfamiliar names: hargao, shumai, wonton, bao, cheung fun. Once you know what each one is, ordering becomes far easier. This guide to the types of dim sum explains the classic Cantonese styles, how their wrappers and fillings differ, and how modern restaurants in India play with them, using the five dumplings on Dubki’s menu in Vagator as real examples.
Quick answer: The main types of dim sum are steamed dumplings (har gow with a translucent starch wrapper, shumai with an open top), wontons (thin wheat-and-egg wrappers, boiled or fried), buns (bao, such as char siu bao), rice noodle rolls (cheung fun) and fried items like spring rolls. Rice paper rolls are Vietnamese rather than Cantonese, but often appear on Asian small-plate menus alongside dim sum.
What dim sum actually means
Dim sum is a Cantonese tradition of small dishes served with tea, closely linked to the custom of yum cha (“drinking tea”) in southern China and Hong Kong. It covers far more than dumplings: buns, rolls, cakes, congee and sweet items all count. Outside China, though, the word is mostly used for steamed or fried dumplings, and that is how most Indian menus use it.
The classic types of dim sum
Har gow (hargao)
The benchmark of a dim sum kitchen. Har gow has a thin, almost translucent wrapper made from wheat starch and tapioca or potato starch, pleated into a small crescent. The classic filling is prawn. A good one is delicate enough to see through and firm enough to lift with chopsticks without tearing.
Shumai (siu mai)
An open-topped dumpling, cylindrical and gathered at the waist, so the filling shows. Traditional Cantonese shumai is pork and prawn in a thin yellow wheat wrapper, often finished with a dot of roe or carrot on top.
Wonton
Wontons use a thin square wrapper of wheat and egg folded around a small filling, usually pork or prawn. They are served in clear broth, tossed in chilli oil, or deep-fried until crisp.
Bao
Soft, fluffy steamed buns made from leavened wheat dough. Char siu bao, filled with sweet barbecued pork, is the classic. Open “gua bao” folded buns are the version often used for sliders.
Cheung fun
Silky rice noodle sheets steamed and rolled around prawns, beef or char siu, then dressed with sweet soy. Not a dumpling, but a dim sum staple.
Fried items
Spring rolls, taro puffs and fried wontons bring crunch to the table.
| Type | Wrapper | Shape | Cooking method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Har gow | Wheat starch + tapioca/potato starch, translucent | Pleated crescent | Steamed |
| Shumai | Thin wheat (often yellow) | Open-topped cylinder | Steamed |
| Wonton | Thin wheat and egg | Folded, tail or purse | Boiled or fried |
| Bao | Leavened wheat dough | Round bun or folded | Steamed |
| Cheung fun | Rice batter sheet | Rolled | Steamed |
| Rice paper roll (Vietnamese) | Dried rice paper | Rolled parcel | Fresh or fried |
How Indian kitchens change dim sum
In India, dim sum has its own path. Momos from the Himalayan regions made dumplings familiar long before Cantonese restaurants were common, and modern kitchens now treat dim sum as a canvas: coloured doughs, cream cheese, truffle oil, paneer and Indian chilli all turn up. Purists may wince, but these versions are often designed for a cocktail-bar menu, not a tea house. Expect bolder sauces and heat.
Dubki’s five dim sum as examples
Dubki’s menu card (September 2026) lists five dim sum, and they map neatly onto the classic types, each with a twist.
| Dubki dish | Classic type | The twist | Price (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cream Cheese Dumplings (veg) | Steamed crystal dumpling | Blue pea flower in the starch skin; chilli and cream cheese filling | 445 |
| Truffled Wild Mushroom Hargao (veg) | Har gow | Mushroom and truffle instead of prawn, with bok choy | 495 |
| Sour n Spicy Chicken Dumpling | Wonton | Chicken wonton in a sour-spicy dressing | 545 |
| Rice Paper Wrap Chicken Parcel | Vietnamese rice paper roll | Served with khao suey sauce | 545 |
| Chili Celery Pork Shumai | Shumai | Charcoal-infused dough, chilli and celery | 645 |
Prices exclude the 10% service charge and government taxes. The two vegetarian dumplings are the gentlest way in; the pork shumai is the closest in spirit to a traditional dim sum order. The khao suey sauce on the rice paper parcel is a Burmese-style coconut curry flavour, which our khow suey explainer covers. For tasting notes on all five, see the Dubki dim sum guide.
How to order dim sum for a group
- Plan on one or two baskets per person as part of a wider meal of small plates.
- Mix textures: one translucent steamed dumpling, one open shumai, one fried or crisp item.
- Order steamed items first; they are best eaten straight away.
- Ask how many pieces come per portion, as it varies by restaurant.
FAQs
What is the difference between har gow and shumai?
Har gow is a closed, pleated dumpling with a translucent starch wrapper, traditionally filled with prawn. Shumai is open-topped with a thin wheat wrapper, traditionally pork and prawn.
Are momos a type of dim sum?
Not strictly. Momos come from Tibetan and Himalayan cooking, but they are a close cousin of steamed dim sum dumplings.
Are rice paper rolls dim sum?
No, they are Vietnamese. Restaurants often list them in the same section because they are similar small, wrapped plates.
How many dim sum does Dubki serve?
Five: two vegetarian, two chicken and one pork, priced from ₹445 to ₹645 before service and taxes.
See where the dim sum fit into the wider menu on the Dubki food menu.
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