Dim Sum: The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch

A compact, beautifully illustrated guide to dim sum that has remained a favorite since its publication in 2002. Ellen Leong Blonder combines over 60 authentic recipes with her own watercolor paintings, creating a book that feels as much like an art object as a practical cooking reference.

Why This One

Where The Nom Wah Cookbook gives you the full restaurant experience, Blonder’s book offers something more focused and intimate. It opens with the culture and etiquette of tea lunch, explains the different types of tea, and walks you through setting up your steamer and preparing doughs from scratch. The watercolor illustrations showing folding and shaping techniques are surprisingly useful, often clearer than photographs for understanding hand positions.

The recipe selection covers the essentials: pork and shrimp siu mai, turnip cake, har gow, sticky rice dishes, steamed buns, and an assortment of pastries and sweets. The instruction style is concise and confident. Blonder does not pad her explanations but she does not skip necessary detail either.

What to Expect

A 144-page illustrated cookbook that works well as both a learning tool and a gift book. The shorter page count means the recipe selection is tighter, focusing on the most important dim sum dishes rather than trying to cover everything. The watercolors give the book a distinctive character. Good for someone who wants a gentle, inviting introduction without a massive commitment.