Chef Man

Chef Man is probably Bangkok’s most popular dim sum joint these days, and the wait-list reflects that. If you’re going, you probably should have made your reservation yesterday. Hong Kong-born chef Man Wai Yin’s Peking duck and oozing lava buns often steal the headlines, but the crisp pork belly and wagyu short ribs are not to be overlooked. The atmosphere is vibrant, thanks to the large open kitchen with a small frenzied army of cooks. Chef Man singlehandedly rekindled the dim sum craze, he says, through preparation, fresh ingredients and perfect timing.

Eastin Grand Sathorn, 33/1 Sathorn Rd., 02-212-3741, 02-212-3789. Open daily 11am-2:30pm, 6-10pm. Other branches: Thana City Sports Club; Ratchadamri.

Hong Bao 

The huge crowds that fill this restaurant’s bright, light dining space are here for the all-day dim sum presented in a European-style room—complete with chandeliers and 18th-century ink drawings. Brisk service and salubrious surroundings complement an endless parade of dumplings, noodles and buns. Don’t miss the incredible variety of steamed rice rolls—we’re particularly fond of the crispy shrimp variety.

104 Sukhumvit Soi 39, 092-273-5242, 02-662-3565 and 094-415-7777. Open Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm, 5:30-10pm; SatSun 10:30am-10pm

Available to order on Food Panda

Lhong Tou Café 

In the thick of Yaowarat, this neon-tinged cafe dishes out Chinese-influenced snacks that pair perfectly with coffee or tea. Try the crispy yet creamy egg lava buns and savory Lhong Tou shumai, small boiled dumplings stuffed with pork and Chinese chives.

538 Yaowarat Rd., 085-824-6934. Open Tue-Sun 8am-10pm

Man Fu Yuan Kitchen 

While the high-end Cantonese restaurant in the hallowed halls of Rajpruek Golf Club welcomes no shortage of VIP visitors, this mall spin-off is altogether more casual. The kitchen is still a notch above, though, excelling in soy sauce-laden chee cheong fun with crispy shrimp (soft, springy rice-noodle exterior, crunchy center) and generous char siu buns packed with sweet-honey pork.

8/F, Emquartier, Sukhumvit Rd., 02-003-6240. Open daily 10am-10pm. Other branch: Rajpruek Golf Club.

Tim Ho Wan

What was once the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant now serves its legendary pork buns in Bangkok. Detractors say the taste isn’t quite up to Hong Kong, but this is still some damn fine dim sum, whether you’re there for the buns or other pleasures like shumai and glutinous rice.

3/F, Terminal 21, Sukhumvit Soi 21, 02-006-5288. Open daily 10am-10pm . Other branches: Gateway Ekamai, The Street Ratchada.

Tuang by Chef Yip 

This is one of Bangkok’s best and most-affordable dim sum restaurants. From the outside, it doesn’t look like much to write home about, but once you see all the awards and certificates hanging from the walls you’ll realize you’ve come across one of the city’s true gems. Hong Kong-born chef Yip brings a ton of experience and expertise from Shangri-La Bangkok’s Shang Palace restaurant, and everything on the menu is worthwhile.

2029 9 Charoenkrung Rd., 089-603-0908. Open Wed-Sun 7am-4pm

Put on your stretchy pants, forget about the macros and tuck in to BK Best Eats 2019. This is the Bangkok dining that ignores fancy restaurants and 10-course tasting menus and goes straight for the comfort food—steaming bowls of fat-rich ramen, triple-decker burgers, all-you-can-eat dim sum buffets with an extra helping of pork buns. In other words, the stuff most of us eat out, most of the time.

Download your PDF copy of the guide here.