To die for. I am writing this review during their last week open before renovating to expand into the space next to them. I've had dinner there three times in the past 6 days. I don't know how I will get through the dumpling lust that awaits me for the short time they are closed. The closest places with anything comparable are Montreal and Boston china towns. There's often a wait but it's more than worth it - St. Paul St has fantastic bars so we usually go to mad river distillers, monarch, 126, or drink while we wait. If you love dim sum, you will not be disappointed! If you're new to dim sum, you will not be disappointed! There is something for everyone here. Love the prices, five people eating to their fullest was about $32 each including tip. Get to try 10+ different foods when down the street you'd get one entree and a cheap drink for that same price. Going in a group is so fun because you get to try lots of things! Personal favorites - The baby bok choy is tender and delicious and complements the heavier dishes. The steamed custard bun is heavenly, not too sweet and so fluffy. The turnip cakes are a classic. Always my fave when I was growing up eating dim sum and this one does not disappoint. The fried sticky rice with mushrooms and Chinese sausage is just fantastic. The scallion pancakes are a hit with everyone I've been there with. Perfectly crispy. Good sized portion and great as leftovers - whether heated up in the toaster oven or cold at 1 am. Other great dishes: All of their teas are lovely but the chrysanthemum is very nice and so pretty when the flowers rehydrate, har gow(shrimp dumpling), sesame balls, fried taro cake, steamed shrimp rice roll, crispy veggie rolls, cheese wonton, potstickers, honey roast pork bun, char siu bao. The ones I don't mention are simply because I haven't tried them yet! read more

Cafe Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Always in search of good dim-sum. Unfortunately this place is not good, it's GREAT! Been a long while since we've had really good dim-sum and Shabu-shabu. Now if I can convince Chef to move to Annapolis. Fantastic staff, very clean. Whoever hasn't given this place 5 stars doesn't know good dim-sum. read more

Shu mai! In Burlington! Hallelujah! Very friendly staff, clean and well-lit dining area, splendid take out service. In addition to their regular menu (see photograph), they had vegan specials on a whiteboard, and more items advertised on colorful posters on the wall. Hot tea and other beverages were also available. I tried the pork/shrimp shu mai, tangy crispy spareribs, and braised pork belly bun. Everything was super flavorful and on par with what I'd get in Montreal's Chinatown. I hope Cafe Dim Sum is here to stay! read more

Cafe Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Super yummy, good prices!! All plates are around $5-7 range. Good service. I got the shrimp and chicken ones. The sesame balls were delicious!! read more

Cafe Dim Sum - Dim sum, sesame ball - Dim Sum Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Stumbled upon this place when looking for a lunch place. You order up front and eat at a table. we got a bunch of different things and all we're good. not too far from the Hotel Vermont. read more

Always a 10/10 meal when dining at Cafe Dim Sum! Tried it for the first time in 2021 during my freshman year at UVM and as a rising senior it is still one of my favorite places to enjoy fresh dim sum style food with my family and friends! read more

This is some of the best Dim Sum we've eaten. New York, Boston, Montreal and points further East. Wonderful cuisine and a lovely, helping Chef owner and wife. I love this place! read more

We had the chicken hot pot. One serving was enough for 2 with side or appetizer. Very good! Staff friendly and helpful.

We stopped on our way back from a long drive from Canada because we saw this place when we were passing through on our way up after eating across the street. I was so excited to come in and went out of our way to try to visit but when we walked in we were turned away because they were closing early. It was 50 minutes before the closing time and no signs saying this anywhere. read more

Extremely long wait times for food without any communication from the staff. We ordered and waited over 45 minutes without even receiving an appetizer. I wouldn't recommend this place unless you want to take multiple hours. read more

I wanted to like this place and given that there's no other dim sum restaurant in VT, was excited to try it out. It was just OK and nowhere near what you would get in Boston or Montreal. The portions were smaller, price points higher (understandable given it's VT) and either lacking in flavor or the flavors were completely off. We tried several dishes. The eggplant and chicken feet dishes were the best tasting of the bunch, the shrimp dumpling (har gow) were acceptable. The turnip cake and shrimp rice noodle rolls were super disappointing (both flavors and textures). For anyone who has had dim sum before, this place will not compare. I will say that it's nice to have this option in Burlington though and for dim sum first timers, this is a good introduction. read more

Cafe Dim Sum - a variety of dishes on a table - Dim Sum Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Always exploring. On this deep exploration we were looking for smaller restaurants, ethnic and not the top 10 yelp make a reservation 25 dollar vegan gluten free for yuppie parents milieu. So we avoided the neck of the woods, the local earth to made in China porcelain plate places, no farm to fillet mini menu bistros with 15 dollar wine glasses from 5 dollar wine bottles. Just good food cooked well and served hot at a nice price. Lots of small dishes to try. It's like a buffet minus the vats of bland overcooked food. Little delights. Choose a few or choose a bunch. The owners were super helpful and very friendly. They even held a table for us while we ran around picking up family. read more

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They are passionate about dim sum. Going to have to work through the rest of this menu and excited for the dishes they have on queue. Some top chef food here. read more

Cafe Dim Sum - Wonton soup with rice noodles and crispy pork bun. - Dim Sum Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

The owner is very friendly. Their dim sum is authentic and made to order. We were visiting Vermont, glad to find this restaurant.

Dim sum is great here. Haven't been for hotpot but have really enjoyed everything I've ordered. Food comes very quickly and tastes great.

Friday night hot pot very authentic ,I have had this many times in Chongqing known as the hot pot capitol of the world and Dim Sum does a great job . Highly recommend you try . read more

Hidden gem in downtown Burlington. Great tasting food and staff is very friendly. Limited seating makes for warm cozy atmosphere. That said it's hit or miss on if you have to wait or not for a table. Trust me it's worth the wait. Was not disappointed at all and will make sure I stop in when in Burlington again. read more

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SO DELICIOUS. my husband and I had the dim sum at lunch and everything was so fresh and so good. They brought the dishes out as they were ready so it was a good pace and we knew the food was hot and fresh. Would 100% go back! read more

Such a positive experience. The menu is all small portions with low prices but such a wonderful variety. The flavors were perfectly balanced and probably the best pork buns iv had in a while. I would also recommend the braised beef noodles, spare ribs and custard buns. read more

Cafe Dim Sum - Pork Belly Bun - Dim Sum Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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Everything is hand made from scratch, service is polite and friendly and food is to Die for!! Very authentic Asian cuisine with a few special items that I will be coming back for. They are expanding soon, so get in before construction starts. Good news is it sounds like they'll be sticking around for good read more

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Just a heads up, they do not allow kids under 10 to be at a hot pot table (which is all they offer after 4pm I think) We were super excited for the experience and had gottten our 9 year old all jazzed up about it...did. It know this was their policy until we were already there. read more

Having lived in Kowloon years ago having yum cha and dim sum with my a-Ma in law, I was excited to have dim sum in Burlington VT. I've been trying to get here since they opened, and today my schedule finally lined up. Or so I thought. I was told when I called that dim sum stops at 4, including the already made buffet display. I left work to get there at 3:45. Even choosing 3 leftover items from the buffet case seemed to be a major annoyance, and the staff person made sure to express their displeasure. I did not feel welcome. The food was good. Others have had good experiences here, so maybe I'll give it another chance some day when I can get there at least an hour before dim sum ends. read more

I was a bit disappointed. I tried several dishes - the shrimp and pork shumai, cucumber salad, scallion pancakes, and pork ribs. The shumai wrappers were a distinct yellow in color, probably from the cooking oil. The shrimp and pork inside were okay.... The scallion pancakes were more like pizza without the toppings, and finding any scallions was like a treasure hunt. The pork ribs were cut up into small pieces and deep fried. There was more fat than meat, and an occasional bit of bone. The cucumber salad had a lot of oily dressing and some peanuts too. In sum, everything was very salty, greasy, and not to my taste. I took the pancakes home and hope the birds are enjoying them. read more

Food and service were great. Went there with a party of six that included 2 young grandchildren (ages 4 and 6). The mix of options was plentiful and the quality of the food very good. All in our party greatly enjoyed the food and overall experience. read more

Simply stated: freaking delicious. As others have said: put your name in, go grab a drink, wait for a jingle, and enjoy! read more

I have been waiting for them to reopen and cannot wait to go back. Went twice before their remodel closure, and it was outstanding! Great service, amazing food, really a gem to add to Burlington! read more

We came here for lunch on a cold Saturday and this place was excellent! We ordered multiple items but my top 2 favorites were the wontons (in broth) and the sesame balls. We'll definitely be back! read more

We've eaten here many times and the food is consistently delicious. If you haven't tried the black bean eggplant, do it. Melt-in-your mouth good. Fried rice with sweet sausage, cucumber salad, bok choy, green beans and pork, pork-belly bun, cucumber salad, and the rotating offers of Inari, all delicious. read more

I haven't had dim sum since covid started and I have been craving it! While out on vacation, we spotted this place and it was excellent. The staff was very welcoming and friendly. The food was piping hot and fresh. We ordered about 11 plates and weren't disappointed with any of it. The crispy ribs were a favorite! Thanks for an intimate dim sum experience! read more

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I came for dim sum, but learned that they serve hot pot in the evening. No matter! As a published Hot Pot cookbook author, I was more than happy to partake in one of my favorite meals! I met the owners, and we had a great conversation about hot pot, dim sum, and the restaurant business. The hot pot meal was very good. They haven't added a traditional Sichuan mala broth yet, but the owner, Sam told me that a mala hotpot cooked in the kitchen is coming soon. I still got my spicy fix from their homemade chili oil. The menu includes some of my favorite items like bean curd stick and a number of Chinese vegetables. I was also able to taste their XiaoLongBao or soup dumplings. I'm not unsure they are on the menu, but they generously offered to make some for me. They were excellent! Sam make all of his dumplings by hand! You don't find that often here in northern New England! Definitely a reason to come back! read more

There is finally dim sum in vt! So good my boyfriend and I have been 3 times this week, so you know it's good. Everything we have tried has slapped. Especially the turnip cake, sesame balls, pork buns, and sticky rice with red bean paste. Would 10/10 recommend!! The owners are also super nice! read more

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Phenomenal authentic Chinese cuisine. The only place innVermont where you can get truly traditional Chinese food. I haven't had a dim sum this good in a very long time. They serve up the same quality that you would find at a Dim Sum restaurant in NYC Chinatown -- and even Hong Kong. read more

Service didn't really exist as you went up to the counter to order your dim sum as well as collect your napkin and service ware except chopsticks that were on the table. Once your order was delivered that was it .... No one came to the table to refill the teapot, drinks or ask if you wanted anything else. Ambiance was pleasant as they just remodeled. Dim sum only from 11-3 then 3-9 only hot pots with heated inserts in the tables which is pretty cool. The dim sum overall and we had 8 different dishes were just good, not very hot and steaming and quite small portions. The char sui BAO were at best a "C+", and moderately priced. I will try their hot pot some evening though. In the hostess's words...They don't post the menus or serving times as they change often. Nearest great dim sum is a hundred miles south in Albany NY at Hong Kong Bakery & Bistro. read more

I just ate here for the first time and this is now my favorite place. The food was so delicious and very affordable. I was blown away by their pork belly bun. Great atmosphere, great food, great customer service. I cannot recommend this place more. Wonderful. read more

Some of my favorite food in Burlington! The dim sum is my favorite (and easy/quick to get typically), but hot pot is delicious, too. The folks that run the place are really friendly, too. I find myself craving their food a lot, so now they're my most frequented local restaurant. My fav dishes are the turnip cakes, cucumber salad and shrimp and chive dumplings. read more

We were walking around downtown exploring when we walked across this no frills place. We got the rice noodles, shu mai, potstickers and cheese wontons. The quantity and quality was worth 5 stars. The other thing was their homemade chili oil. I think that is something they should bottle and sell by itself! A must try! read more

It's pretty sad to be honest. Choose cheap cuts of pork to cut costs instead of authentic. The sauce for the crispy ribs was also very American and overcooked. Understaffed. The newly added bar seats where you can't even straighten your legs. It's really tough to maintain a restaurant like this in a city where no one really understands dim sum read more

Overpriced and overcooked crap. The pork "ribs" and salted chicken bits were absolutely disgusting. Completely overcooked and impossible to eat due to the hard dry texture which resembled rocks. The "rolls" were cocktail sized which was a complete insult for the price of each. Scallion pancakes were precooked and as dry and flavorless as cardboard. Fried rice was also a complete insult. $100 for lunch for one adult and two 12 year old children. I can't even imagine setting foot in this place ever again. Dumplings are dry and overcooked. Only one item came out with a dipping sauce. No plates were brought to the table. We had to place our order at a counter and they bring the food in bits by bits and expect a gratuity on top of that. Don't waist your time or money. A horrible experience read more

This place is 100! The service is fantastic: very friendly, very helpful, and very prompt. The food is excellent: lots of the "classics" with some things you don't typically find, too. The atmosphere is great: a nice selection of Chinese songs at a reasonable volume. The location is perfect: it's right in the heart of town, easy to park or walk to. read more

Stopped by this place after seeing positive reviews on Yelp. I was very impressed! Cool, casual and relaxed vibe & friendly staff. Everything tasted fresh & made to order. Loved the pork belly bun, shrimp & pork shu mai and custard buns for dessert. Their music was on point too, would absolutely come back next time I'm in town & try more dishes. read more

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