Browse the Ugly Dumpling dim sum menu — pan-fried pork buns with crisp golden bottoms, three classic dumpling fillings (pork, chicken and vegan), open-topped pork & shrimp shumai and the translucent shrimp dumplings the Cantonese call har gow. Six shareable dishes designed for the table.
Dim sum (點心) — literally "touch the heart" — is the Cantonese teahouse tradition of small, sharable bites served alongside hot tea. While a true Hong Kong cart service can fill a hundred-page book, Ugly Dumpling focuses on the six dishes a Cantonese aunt would actually defend: pan-fried pork buns, three closed-pleat dumplings, open-topped shumai and the translucent har gow.
The structural distinction here matters. Pan-fried pork buns (shengjianbao in Shanghainese, sister to the southern char siu bao) are leavened-dough buns crisped on one side and steamed on the other — three pieces, $7. Pork, Chicken and Vegan dumplings are the closed-pleat jiaozi family — six pieces of seasoned filling sealed in wheat-flour wrapper, $9 each. Shumai are the open-topped Cantonese classic — pork and shrimp with a wheat wrapper that's pleated like a money bag, $10 for four. And the shrimp dumplings are har gow: whole shrimp wrapped in a translucent wheat-starch skin so you can see the pink filling glow through — $11 for six.
If you're new to the category, three orders feeds two people. Most regulars build a table around pan-fried pork buns, one closed-pleat dumpling and one open-topped (shumai or har gow) — three textures, three temperatures, three price points.
Ranked by popularity. Tap any card for ingredients, calories, allergens and pairings.
Leavened-dough buns filled with seasoned pork, crisped to a golden crust on one side, steamed and pillowy on top. Sesame finish.
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Closed-pleat dumplings — seasoned pork, ginger and scallion in a thin wheat wrapper. The default order.
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Whole shrimp in a translucent wheat-starch wrapper — the dim sum showpiece. Light, sweet, snap-tender bite.
View dish →Open-topped Cantonese shumai — pork and shrimp filling, money-bag pleats, finished with a shrimp dot.
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A lighter, pork-free dumpling — seasoned chicken with ginger and scallion, sealed in a thin wheat wrapper.
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Seasoned vegetables in a plant-based wrapper — no meat, dairy, eggs or animal stock. The only fully vegan dumpling on the menu.
View dish →Wrapper style, cooking method, filling, calories, pieces and price — all six dim sum items at a glance.
| Dish | Style | Cooking | Filling | Wrapper | ~Cal | Pieces | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan Fried Pork Buns | Bun (shengjianbao) | Pan-fried + steamed | Seasoned pork | Leavened dough | 540 | 3 | $7 |
| Pork Dumplings | Jiaozi (closed) | Steamed | Pork, ginger, scallion | Thin wheat | 390 | 6 | $9 |
| Chicken Dumplings | Jiaozi (closed) | Steamed | Seasoned chicken | Thin wheat | 360 | 6 | $9 |
| Vegan Dumplings | Jiaozi (closed) | Steamed | Mixed vegetables | Plant-based | 320 | 6 | $9 |
| Pork & Shrimp Shumai | Shumai (open) | Steamed | Pork + shrimp | Pleated wheat | 340 | 4 | $10 |
| Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow) | Har gow (translucent) | Steamed | Whole shrimp | Wheat-starch | 300 | 6 | $11 |
Calories are approximate per full order. The pan-fried buns rank highest because of the leavened dough and pan-fry oil.
Dim sum is the only Chinese course where pacing, sauce and tea pour are part of the meal. Four small habits make every order taste right.
Dim sum is meant to be paced. Order two or three plates, eat them, then order the next round. Every dish tastes best the first 30 seconds out of the steamer.
Soy + a touch of black vinegar + chili oil is the universal table mix. Use a small drop of sesame oil for shumai, more vinegar for steamed pork, and a pure soy/chili dip for har gow so the shrimp shows through.
Like soup dumplings, pan-fried pork buns hold a small reserve of broth in the leavened dough. Bite a small vent at the top, sip, then finish in two bites — the crisp side last.
When someone refills your tea cup, tap two fingers on the table — a quiet thank-you that survives from Qing Dynasty teahouses. It's the one dim sum etiquette move worth knowing.
Dim sum doesn't have one universal sauce — each dish prefers a slightly different blend.
All dim sum (except vegan) contain: wheat (wrapper), soy (filling seasoning).
Shumai & shrimp dumplings: shellfish · Pan-fried buns: sesame (topping) · Chicken dumplings: no shellfish, no pork.
Vegan Dumplings are the only fully plant-based option — they still contain wheat and soy. None of the dim sum lineup is currently gluten-free; har gow is wheat-starch based and still tests positive for gluten cross-contact.
Six quick decisions for six common diner profiles.
Pan-Fried Pork Buns ($7) — three pieces, lowest price, the easiest "wow" dish on the menu.
Pork Dumplings ($9) — six closed-pleat dumplings, the lowest cost-per-bite of the steamed group.
Har Gow ($11) — translucent wrappers, whole shrimp, the photogenic premium dish.
Pork & Shrimp Shumai ($10) — four open-topped pieces, easy to split four ways at a table.
Dim sum grew out of the yum cha ("drink tea") tradition along the Silk Road, where travelers stopped at roadside teahouses for small bites alongside their tea. By the time the practice anchored itself in Guangzhou and Hong Kong in the 19th century, the small-plate format had crystallized into the cart-service tradition that defined Cantonese restaurants for the next hundred years.
The classic Cantonese "Four Heavenly Kings" of dim sum are shumai, har gow, char siu bao and egg tarts. Ugly Dumpling carries the first two — Pork & Shrimp Shumai and Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow) — and substitutes its own pan-fried pork bun for the steamed char siu bao, a Shanghainese cousin known as shengjianbao. The dessert side moves to contemporary American sweets rather than the traditional egg tart.
What's distinctive at Ugly Dumpling: the kitchen serves Cantonese dim sum and Shanghainese soup dumplings under one roof. Most dim sum houses pick a region; here the steamer rotates between traditions, and the table can mix har gow with xiaolongbao in a way that's only typical of large urban Chinatowns.
