2026 Guide
Trolleys and trays of har gow, siu mai, char siu bao and egg tarts with a pot of tea. Ipoh and the Klang Valley wake up early for it.
Updated October 2026 ยท 33 spots ยท 7 states
โก Quick answer
The best Dim Sum in Malaysia for 2026 is Foh San Restaurant (Ipoh, Perak), followed by Ming Court Hong Kong Dim Sum (Ipoh) and New WK Restaurant (Kota Kinabalu). 4 of 33 picks are halal or Muslim-friendly.
๐ก Pro tip: Go before 8am on weekends, and grab whatever comes fresh off the steamer.
Order: Har gao, char siu bao and the trolley of steamed buns
Ipoh's grand old dim sum hall, trading for more than half a century and the name every out-of-towner queues for on a Sunday. Big airy floor, brisk aunties and a deep menu of steamed and fried classics keep it the benchmark on Dim Sum Street.
Order: Siu mai, prawn cheong fun and beancurd-skin rolls
Foh San's eternal rival across the road, smaller and noisier but with die-hard fans who swear the dumplings are more delicate. Arrive at dawn or expect a wait; that crush is half the Ipoh dim sum ritual.
Order: Siew mai, loh mai kai, egg tarts, woo kok
'Wong Kok' to locals โ a big, family-friendly dim sum hall with 60-plus handmade items. The default Sunday-morning gathering spot for KK families, with a second branch in Penampang.
Lebuh Cintra, George Town, Penang
Order: Trolley dim sum: lor mai kai, char siew bao, siu mai, crispy carrot cake
One of Penang's oldest dim sum halls, still rolling pushcarts through a heritage shophouse dining room in Chinatown. Opens before dawn and runs again at night, so it's the default answer for old-school yum cha on the island.
Kolam Centre, Luyang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Order: Siew mai, har gao and char siew bao
Long rated KK's most famous dim sum house, with weekend morning crowds to prove it. Around 40 kinds of handmade baskets at kopitiam prices, in both air-con and open-air halls.
Order: Big dai bao and steamed buns
The third pillar of Jalan Leong Sin Nam, loved for its fat buns and for being the one that also opens for dinner. Usually a shorter queue than its two neighbours for very similar old-school quality.
Jalan Tukang Emas, Melaka, Melaka
Order: Big pau, siu mai and steamed pork ribs
Melaka's grand old dim sum hall beside the heritage temples and mosque, running for well over half a century. You go for the marble tables, the trolleys, the early-morning bustle and the hefty char siew pau.
Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
Order: Har gao, siu mai and salted egg custard buns
The Klang Valley's most popular everyday dim sum chain, with weekend queues to match. Fair prices and steady quality, with the salted egg custard bun a must.
Bandar Puteri Puchong, Puchong, Selangor
Order: Portuguese egg tarts, char siew pau and har gao
The heavyweight of Klang Valley dim sum โ a massive, noisy yum cha hall where the egg tarts sell by the tray. Weekend queues are part of the ritual.
Taman Ipoh Selatan, Ipoh, Perak
Order: Xiao long bao and salted egg custard buns
The locals' pick away from the tourist strip in Ipoh Garden South, with many regulars ranking it above the Old Town names. Weekend breakfast means a queue, but the fried and steamed items come out fast and hot.
No spots match this halal filter here. Switch to All to see everything.
Order: Har gao, char siu bao and the trolley of steamed buns
Ipoh's grand old dim sum hall, trading for more than half a century and the name every out-of-towner queues for on a Sunday. Big airy floor, brisk aunties and a deep menu of steamed and fried classics keep it the benchmark on Dim Sum Street.
Order: Siu mai, prawn cheong fun and beancurd-skin rolls
Foh San's eternal rival across the road, smaller and noisier but with die-hard fans who swear the dumplings are more delicate. Arrive at dawn or expect a wait; that crush is half the Ipoh dim sum ritual.
Order: Big dai bao and steamed buns
The third pillar of Jalan Leong Sin Nam, loved for its fat buns and for being the one that also opens for dinner. Usually a shorter queue than its two neighbours for very similar old-school quality.
Taman Ipoh Selatan, Ipoh, Perak
Order: Xiao long bao and salted egg custard buns
The locals' pick away from the tourist strip in Ipoh Garden South, with many regulars ranking it above the Old Town names. Weekend breakfast means a queue, but the fried and steamed items come out fast and hot.
Order: Abalone dim sum and butterfly-pea gyoza
Pork-free and halal-certified, it lets everyone join in on Ipoh's dim sum culture without compromise. The menu is huge, the baos are cheap and the lunchtime car park chaos proves its popularity.
No spots match this halal filter here. Switch to All to see everything.
Order: Siew mai, loh mai kai, egg tarts, woo kok
'Wong Kok' to locals โ a big, family-friendly dim sum hall with 60-plus handmade items. The default Sunday-morning gathering spot for KK families, with a second branch in Penampang.
Kolam Centre, Luyang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Order: Siew mai, har gao and char siew bao
Long rated KK's most famous dim sum house, with weekend morning crowds to prove it. Around 40 kinds of handmade baskets at kopitiam prices, in both air-con and open-air halls.
Order: Morning dim sum baskets
One of Sandakan's best-known dim sum kopitiams, a classic local breakfast stop in a town with deep Cantonese roots.
โ ๏ธ Last confirmed before 2025 โ check it is open before you go.
No spots match this halal filter here. Switch to All to see everything.
Lebuh Cintra, George Town, Penang
Order: Trolley dim sum: lor mai kai, char siew bao, siu mai, crispy carrot cake
One of Penang's oldest dim sum halls, still rolling pushcarts through a heritage shophouse dining room in Chinatown. Opens before dawn and runs again at night, so it's the default answer for old-school yum cha on the island.
Lebuh Campbell, George Town, Penang
Order: Breakfast trolley dim sum, then Hainanese chicken rice at lunch
A veteran Cantonese teahouse where the first steamer baskets land shortly after 6am and the regulars have had the same table for decades. Held a Michelin Bib Gourmand from 2023 to 2025 before dropping off the 2026 list.
Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, Penang
Order: Penang-only dim sum like steamed chicken with cabbage, plus sheng zhen mian
A rustic, almost 60-year-old Cantonese canteen started by an immigrant cook, with a few dim sum items you won't find outside Penang. You order at the kitchen counter instead of from trolleys, and the fried noodle nest is a sleeper hit.
Jalan Macalister, George Town, Penang
Order: Har gao, siu mai and steamed buns made to order
A popular neighbourhood dim sum house that draws long weekend queues for freshly steamed baskets at friendly prices. Locals treat it as the reliable, no-fuss alternative to the heritage teahouses in town.
โ ๏ธ Last confirmed before 2025 โ check it is open before you go.
Taman Bagan Baru, Butterworth, Penang
Order: Classic Cantonese dim sum breakfast
One of the older dim sum restaurants on the mainland and still packed on weekend mornings. Butterworth families have been doing yum cha here for years before crossing the bridge was ever a consideration.
โ ๏ธ Last confirmed before 2025 โ check it is open before you go.
No spots match this halal filter here. Switch to All to see everything.
Jalan Tukang Emas, Melaka, Melaka
Order: Big pau, siu mai and steamed pork ribs
Melaka's grand old dim sum hall beside the heritage temples and mosque, running for well over half a century. You go for the marble tables, the trolleys, the early-morning bustle and the hefty char siew pau.
No spots match this halal filter here. Switch to All to see everything.
Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
Order: Har gao, siu mai and salted egg custard buns
The Klang Valley's most popular everyday dim sum chain, with weekend queues to match. Fair prices and steady quality, with the salted egg custard bun a must.
KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
Order: Halal dim sum and golden lava buns
Widely considered KL's leading halal Chinese restaurant, overlooking the KLCC park. Refined dim sum at lunch, with lava buns and squid ink dumplings the stars.
Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
Order: Hotel Cantonese dim sum at lunch
A Michelin-recognised Cantonese room at the Ritz-Carlton, cooking for over twenty years. Lunchtime dim sum is elegant, precise and very much worth the splurge.
Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
Order: Original egg tarts and century egg pastry
A Chinatown bakery-dim sum shop with roots going back over a century, famous for flaky egg tarts that sell out daily. Their bak kut teh siu mai is a fun twist.
Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
Order: Har gao, BBQ buns and Portuguese egg tarts
Over a decade of affordable, handmade dim sum and long weekend queues. Come early before trays empty.
No spots match this halal filter here. Switch to All to see everything.
Bandar Puteri Puchong, Puchong, Selangor
Order: Portuguese egg tarts, char siew pau and har gao
The heavyweight of Klang Valley dim sum โ a massive, noisy yum cha hall where the egg tarts sell by the tray. Weekend queues are part of the ritual.
Bandar Puteri Puchong, Puchong, Selangor
Order: Egg tarts and spicy Szechuan dumplings
A standout among Puchong's dim sum houses, known for buttery egg tarts and chilli-oil Szechuan dumplings.
Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Order: Hong Kong-style dim sum, liu sha bao
A Klang Valley dim sum chain whose Damansara Jaya branch is the one regulars rate highest โ solid HK-style baskets from early morning.
Order: Classic Cantonese dim sum
Subang's neighbourhood yum cha stalwart, perpetually full on weekend mornings with families working through trolleys of baskets.
โ ๏ธ Last confirmed before 2025 โ check it is open before you go.
No spots match this halal filter here. Switch to All to see everything.
Order: Big pork pau, char siu pau, butter pau, siu mai
A roadside kopitiam on Padungan that Kuching knows for its steamed buns, especially the big pork pau, plus a tray of dim sum. It's an all-day breakfast stop, and kolo mee and laksa are on offer as well.
Pelita Commercial Centre, Miri, Sarawak
Order: Morning dim sum spread
A Miri breakfast spot that dim sum lovers recommend, cosy and good value. Get there early for the widest choice of baskets.
โ ๏ธ Last confirmed before 2025 โ check it is open before you go.
No spots match this halal filter here. Switch to All to see everything.
The best Dim Sum in Malaysia for 2026 is Foh San Restaurant (Ipoh), followed by Ming Court Hong Kong Dim Sum (Ipoh) and New WK Restaurant (Kota Kinabalu).
Trolleys and trays of har gow, siu mai, char siu bao and egg tarts with a pot of tea. Ipoh and the Klang Valley wake up early for it.
It depends on the place. 4 of our 33 Dim Sum picks are halal or Muslim-friendly and 29 are non-halal. Use the halal filter at the top of the page.
Foh San Restaurant (Kampung Jawa, Ipoh) is our top Dim Sum pick in Perak.
New WK Restaurant (Luyang, Kota Kinabalu) is our top Dim Sum pick in Sabah.
Tai Tong Restaurant (Lebuh Cintra, George Town) is our top Dim Sum pick in Penang.
Low Yong Moh Restaurant (Jalan Tukang Emas, Melaka) is our top Dim Sum pick in Melaka.
Go before 8am on weekends, and grab whatever comes fresh off the steamer.