Dim sum in Jakarta and Bali offers plenty to love, from leisurely Yum Cha traditions to generous all-you-can-eat spreads. Served in bamboo baskets, tucked into delicate pastry shells or folded into plump dumplings, these bite-sized Cantonese specialities are made for sharing and lingering over the table. Across both destinations, you’ll find everything from refined hotel dining rooms to lively weekend brunches, each bringing its own take on this timeless dining tradition.
Here are six addresses to know when the craving for dim sum strikes.
JIA – Shangri-La Jakarta
For those who like their dim sum with plenty of choice, JIA’s All-You-Can-Eat Lunch makes a compelling case. The Chinese restaurant at Shangri-La Jakarta brings together an extensive selection of handcrafted dim sum alongside appetisers, soups, noodles, rice, congee, main courses and desserts, making it less a quick lunch than a leisurely Chinese feast.
The dim sum selection balances familiar Cantonese favourites with more contemporary creations. Steamed pork siew mai topped with tobiko, shrimp dumplings, barbecue pork buns and pork ribs with taro sit alongside pan-fried, deep-fried and baked specialties. Among the more intriguing bites are deep-fried glutinous skin puffs with assorted seafood and spice, crispy bean curd rolls with Chinese chives, Cantonese turnip cake with preserved meat, and crispy mango and shrimp dumplings.
Available daily from 11.30am to 3pm, the experience is priced at IDR 398,000++ per person on weekdays and IDR 428,000++ on weekends. Come hungry. With dim sum followed by noodles, rice, mains and desserts, JIA turns the classic tea-and-dumpling ritual into an all-afternoon affair.
Li Lian – Park Hyatt Jakarta
Perched on the 19th floor of Park Hyatt Jakarta, Li Lian brings a more elevated interpretation to the traditional Yum Cha experience. The restaurant’s setting takes its cues from the warmth of a multigenerational family home, while panoramic views of Jakarta add a distinctly urban backdrop to the meal.
Its Yum Cha offering centres on unlimited handcrafted dim sum and Cantonese specialties, prepared fresh to order by the culinary team under Executive Chinese Chef Tan Kwang Aik. The emphasis is on the craftsmanship and balance of flavours and textures that define Cantonese cuisine.
Available Monday through Friday from 11.30am to 2.30pm, Yum Cha is priced at IDR 388,000++ per person for unlimited portions. For a dim sum lunch that feels suitably polished, Li Lian pairs the timeless pleasure of Yum Cha with a sophisticated setting above the city.
Liu Li Palace Seafood Restaurant – RIMBA Bali
At Liu Li Palace Seafood Restaurant, dim sum gets a contemporary Balinese setting and a decidedly luxurious touch. Located at RIMBA Bali, the restaurant presents Cantonese seafood alongside modern Chinese cuisine, with dishes inspired by the art of porcelain tile glazing.
The all-day dim sum menu goes well beyond the usual har gow and siew mai. Think steamed goldfish dumplings with superior soup, scallop dumplings crowned with caviar, abalone siew mai and pan-fried Angus beef buns with scallions. Its five-piece steamed selection also ventures into dried scallop and crab meat dumplings, squid ink seafood dumplings, shrimp dumplings with jicama, black truffle and wild mushroom dumplings, and pumpkin lucky bag dumplings.
The deep-fried and baked selection is equally playful, with lychee-shaped black sesame balls, baked Angus beef tarts, crispy beancurd skin rolls with shrimp, deep-fried prawn dumplings with mayonnaise and the restaurant’s signature durian pastry.
Liu Li Palace brings a sense of occasion to dim sum, with refined ingredients, imaginative shapes and unexpected combinations that make every basket worth exploring.
Bai Yun – The Apurva Kempinski Bali
At Bai Yun, dim sum forms part of a broader Chinese dining experience centred around hot pot. The name, which translates to white cloud in Mandarin, references the steam rising from the hot pot and reflects the restaurant’s playful interpretation of the convivial tradition.
For dim sum devotees, the restaurant offers a dedicated Saturday and Sunday Dim Sum Brunch, as well as a Dim Sum Lunch Menu. There is also a vegan and gluten-free dim sum menu, making the experience more inclusive for diners with different dietary preferences.
The restaurant’s wider culinary offering is built around signature hot pot broths including Chicken Herbal, Pork Ribs and Vegetarian, with fresh meats and locally grown organic vegetables available to cook at the table.
Bai Yun offers a different way to enjoy dim sum in Bali, pairing the social ritual of shared dining with a resort setting and a dedicated weekend brunch.
Lion X – Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort
Dim sum meets poolside leisure at Lion X, where the Sunday Dragon Brunch turns the traditional Cantonese spread into a full resort-day experience. The brunch offers bottomless dim sum alongside complimentary access to Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort’s thematic pools.
The menu covers familiar favourites and creative bites, including xiao long bao, pan-fried carrot cake with chicken floss, Hong Kong-style glutinous rice chicken with mushroom, steamed cho cheong fun with chicken char siew, and deep-fried bean curd skin rolls with prawns.
Dessert gets its own moment with Hong Kong oven-baked egg tarts, almond pudding with lychee, lemongrass jelly with lime sorbet and steamed charcoal buns filled with salted egg yolk. Lion Dance and Wushu performances add to the lively Sunday atmosphere, before guests can retreat to one of the resort’s four thematic pools.
Held every Sunday from noon to 3pm, the Dragon Brunch is priced at IDR 488,000++ per person.
Happy Chappy Chinese
Happy Chappy takes a more relaxed approach to Chinese dining, blending traditional Chinese influences with a hip, modern sensibility. Its Cantonese-style menu is designed around sharing, making it especially well suited to groups and long lunches with friends.
The dim sum offering is extensive, spanning steamed and fried selections. There are juicy shu mai, emerald dumplings and classic prawn har gow, alongside more indulgent options such as crispy prawn gou gee on sugarcane, Szechuan wontons and xiao long soup dumplings. Peking duck also makes several appearances, from steamed buns to long rolls and bao.
For those who want to sample liberally, Happy Chappy offers an all-you-can-eat dim sum experience every Sunday from 11am to 3pm at both its Seminyak and Canggu locations. Whether your preference runs to delicate steamed dumplings or crispy parcels fresh from the fryer, Happy Chappy gives you plenty of reasons to order another round.