Dim sum in Palo Alto

Dim sum means a meal of small dishes, steamed, fried or baked, shared around the table with tea. In Hong Kong and Guangzhou the ritual is called yum cha, which means drinking tea. Families gather for it on weekend mornings. Palo Alto does not have the kind of big banquet hall where servers push carts of steamer baskets between tables. What it does have is a downtown Szechuan restaurant with a long dim sum list, a Shanghainese kitchen known for soup dumplings and pan-fried pork buns, a modern dumpling bar at Stanford Shopping Center and a Saturday market stall.

Each place here was confirmed in October 2026 through its own site, its ordering page, a verified directory page or the farmers market's vendor list. Menus change, so treat dishes as examples. Our Chinese food guide covers the full menus of these restaurants.

Dim sum at a glance

Taste, 423 University Avenue

Taste soft opened in December 2017 in a space that had turned over several times. It has outlasted all of its predecessors. The main menu is Szechuan, known for chili heat and the tingle of Sichuan peppercorns, but a separate dim sum list makes it the most complete dim sum menu downtown.

The dim sum list runs from pork, shrimp and chive or vegetable dumplings to shrimp dumplings, shiu mai, barbecue pork buns, custard buns, molten lava buns and sesame balls with red bean. Cold Szechuan plates such as pork wontons in chili oil make a good bridge between the gentle and fiery halves of the menu. A table can order a round of steamed baskets, then a spicy fish or beef dish to share.

Taste takes orders directly through its own online ordering site, which also shows the current menu. Our downtown guide covers parking near University Avenue.

Chef Zhao Kitchen, Edgewood Plaza

Chef Zhao Kitchen held its grand opening on May 27, 2016, in Suite 120 at 2180 West Bayshore Road, in the Edgewood Plaza shopping center near the Embarcadero Road exit from Highway 101. It is named for executive chef Zhao Jun, who owned two restaurants in Shanghai before moving to California. His family also opened restaurants in Fremont, Milpitas, Union City and Cupertino.

Shanghai's dim sum differs from Cantonese. The star is xiao long bao, delicate dumplings filled with pork and a broth that turns to liquid as they steam. The other signature is the pan-fried pork bun, sold six to an order, with a crisp bottom and a juicy filling. Steamed pork buns are also on the menu. The rest of the long menu covers Dong Po pork, braises, handmade noodles and rice cakes.

The restaurant serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on Monday. Three private rooms suit family celebrations and the shopping center has its own parking lot. Our Midtown and Edgewood Plaza shopping guide covers the center.

More dumplings and buns

Dumpling Time, Stanford Shopping Center

Dumpling Time opened at Stanford Shopping Center in May 2025. It is a modern dumpling restaurant with roots in San Francisco and a menu of dumplings and small plates. It is an easy choice on a shopping day or with a mixed group. Our Stanford Shopping Center guide covers parking.

Bao Bao Express and Bun Bao, Saturday market

The downtown farmers market on Gilman Street lists two dumpling stalls among its vendors. Bao Bao Express sells fresh dim sum, dumplings, buns and boba tea. Bun Bao sells frozen steamed buns, dumplings and sesame balls to heat at home. The market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon year-round. Our farmers markets guide has the details.

Imperial Treasure, California Avenue

Imperial Treasure at 151 California Avenue cooks dishes from several regions of China. It names Shanghai soup dumplings as one of three signatures, alongside a roast Peking duck dinner that must be booked ahead and a Sichuan chicken dish. It is not a dim sum house, but it is worth knowing if soup dumplings are the goal.

A note on Tai Pan

For decades, the answer to "where is dim sum in Palo Alto?" was Tai Pan on Waverley Street, a Hong Kong-style Cantonese restaurant with a separate dim sum menu of more than 80 items. Its website now mixes current links with pandemic-era notices and the latest dated menu we found was from summer 2025. We could not confirm its current service in late 2026. Call before planning a meal around it.

How to order dim sum

A few dishes appear on nearly every Cantonese dim sum menu:

• Har gow. Shrimp dumplings in a translucent wrapper.
• Siu mai (shiu mai). Open-topped pork and shrimp dumplings.
• Char siu bao. Fluffy buns filled with sweet barbecue pork.
• Lava buns. Steamed buns that ooze salted egg yolk custard.
• Jian dui. Fried sesame balls filled with red bean paste.
• Xiao long bao. Shanghai soup dumplings. Lift one onto a spoon, bite a small hole, sip the broth, then eat the rest.

Order in rounds rather than all at once:

1. Start with two or three steamed dishes, such as har gow and siu mai.
2. Add something baked or fried and a vegetable plate.
3. Finish with custard or lava buns and more tea.

Tea is part of the meal. In Cantonese custom, tapping two fingers on the table thanks the person who pours. Our dumplings and noodles guide follows the dumpling trail into Georgian, Nepali and Japanese kitchens.

Dietary notes and tips

Dim sum is harder for vegetarians than it looks, because many dumplings mix vegetables with pork or shrimp. Taste lists vegetable dumplings and sesame balls with red bean, which are meat free. Custard buns contain egg and dairy. Bun dough, soy sauce and most fried items contain gluten. Shellfish turns up in more fillings than the names suggest. Tell your server about allergies before the first round arrives.

• Go at lunch. Dim sum is a daytime meal and lunch menus are often cheaper.
• Bring a group. Four to six people can try many more dishes than two.
• Check Monday plans. Chef Zhao Kitchen is closed on Mondays.
• For a full cart-style hall, drive. Larger dim sum restaurants cluster farther up the Peninsula and in the South Bay. If you are making a day of it in the city instead, you can book a San Francisco Chinatown food tour.

Frequently asked questions