Is Mei Sum the Best Dim Sum in Chinatown?

Editor’s Note: Originally published in February 2024, this post leaned on the expertise of Mr. Lee, digital editor Andrea Lee’s foodie father, who has become our trusted adviser about all things Chinese food in Honolulu.

My dad has been taking his role as a Frolic contributor very seriously, keeping his ear to the Chinese restaurant grapevine and recommending eateries to me. He recently suggested we go to Mei Sum Dim Sum Restaurant 美心點心, the first dim sum I had as a little kid. Why not?, I thought. Mei Sum was readers’ top pick in our dim sum poll, and I haven’t been there in years. Let’s see how the classic spot is doing.

Photo: Andrea Lee

My last visit was more than 10 years ago, when Mei Sum was on Smith Street. Now on Nu‘uanu Avenue, the interior looks very similar to the old location.

SEE ALSO: Get Sum at Hawai‘i Dim Sum and Seafood Restaurant 聚賢酒樓

A little back story: We had just arrived and were literally settling into our seats when my dad told the owner I was going to write about Mei Sum. So I had to explain, no, I’m here to eat, and the rest is up to our dining editor. Then we ate, and the dim sum was very, very good, so I talked to Mari, and here I am again a week later, hungry for more.

Photo: Andrea Lee

We stop in on Sunday around 1 p.m. when the crowd has died down and order a bunch of our favorites: har gow (shrimp dumplings, $5.75), siu mai (pork hash, $5.75), mochi rice ($5.75), baked char siu bao ($5.75) and dan tat (egg tarts, $4.50).

Photo: Andrea Lee

The four siu mai are small but packed with flavor. My dad notes that siu mai at some places is dry, but these are juicy. The har gow is full of sweet shrimp, with bits of water chestnut adding crunch. Dad says Mei Sum’s take on these classics are the best in his recent memory.

Photo: Andrea Lee

The mochi rice comes in two bundles wrapped in lotus leaves and stuffed with lap cheong, pork, chicken and shrimp. This might be my favorite of Mei Sum’s dishes. Unlike other places where pockets of meat provide the only flavor, every single grain of this mochi rice is infused with umami. I pick the leaves clean.

The baked char siu bao is nostalgic. My mom and I would pick up a boxful to bring to high school tennis matches, back when I had to pretend to be athletic for extracurricular credits. Though the traditional steamed bao is also good, I love the lightly sticky and sweet baked bread with its perfectly balanced ratio of meat, sweet and savory.

Dad and I share the two dan tat tarts. Mei Sum makes a firmer crust, like a cheesecake’s, that I enjoy. It’s less messy than the flaky crusts found at other places and keeps the custard intact. The beautifully yellow custard is smooth, mildly sweet and light.

SEE ALSO: Good-Time Dim Sum at Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant 醉開心海鲜餐廳

At this point we’re full enough, but for the sake of research, we ask which other dishes are popular. Our second round: pan-fried pork with vegetable bun ($7.50), deep-fried taro with scallop ($7.50), deep-fried shrimp gow ($5.75), deep-fried garlic eggplant with fishcake ($5.75) and potstickers ($5.75). People like the fried stuff here.

Photo: Andrea Lee

The pan-fried pork with vegetable bun tastes homey and comforting. My dad says these look bigger than most places’. It’s not a flavor bomb: The fluffy bun has a nice seared crunch on top and gives way to a succulent mix of pork and veggies.

Photo: Andrea Lee

My dad likes taro puffs, so the deep-fried taro with scallop seems right up his alley. It’s flaky and crunchy and satisfying to bite into. The scallop is a good size, but its taste gets a bit lost in the taro.

Photo: Andrea Lee

Ultra crunchy with juicy shrimp, the deep-fried shrimp gow comes with mayo for dipping. The potstickers are full of flavor—better than what I’ve had at many ramen restaurants.

Photo: Andrea Lee

My new favorite is the deep-fried garlic eggplant with fishcake. I’m an eggplant fan, and this punches up the vegetable’s meaty taste and texture with fried garlic. The fishcake sandwiched inside adds a nice chew, almost like mochi.

Did we over-order? Absolutely. My biggest takeaway, aside from leftovers I’m looking forward to, is that everything was so good. I see why Mei Sum was voted No. 1.

Photo: Andrea Lee

When we’re done, my dad interprets as Mei Sum owner Shao Yu Liang tells us about the restaurant’s history. It opened around the corner in 1998, she says. When the landlord raised the rent, Liang moved the restaurant to its current location, and business has been good.

Just through word of mouth, the customer base has grown from Chinese and other locals to tourists from Japan and the West Coast. Look at the quality of Mei Sum’s dumpling skins, she says: They should be thin without falling apart or sticking to your teeth.

Photo: Andrea Lee

On the edge of Chinatown, Mei Sum is right there for you folks who work office jobs downtown. There is parking on the street or at the nearby Smith-Beretania Municipal Parking. You can call to make a reservation, especially during the busy lunch hour. To order catering for a party, call at least two weeks in advance.

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., dim sum served all day but only cooked to order after 2 p.m., 1170 Nu‘uanu Ave. #102, (808) 531-3268, meisumdimsum.com