When you think about where to get yourself some great Chinese dumplings and Dim Sum, it’s fair to say that the American desert doesn’t immediately come to mind. Nonetheless, Las Vegas in Nevada proves to hold a secret treasure trove of some of the best dumplings in North America, with plenty of options on the iconic Strip. And the city even has its own Chinatown!
This reflects not just the large concentration of tourists from China and Asia more broadly (China Daily ranked it as the fourth most popular destination for Chinese tourists), but the need to cater for the tens of thousands of Chinese-Americans who live in the region.
So where should you head for dumplings on your next visit to the city? Let us take you on a Dim Sum tour of Las Vegas to help answer that question…
ShangHai Taste, Chinatown
We start in Chinatown, which is located about 3km west of the Las Vegas Strip. Across about 5km of land, the majority of businesses sit in a run of strip malls on and around Spring Mountain Road. It’s here that Chinatown Las Vegas was established in the mid-90s, where there were already a number of long standing businesses catering to tourists and the Chinese-American community of the area. And since then, it’s exploded with more places to shop and, indeed, eat.
According to chinatownvegas.com, Chinatown is now “home to more than 150+ restaurants, over 40 Foot reflexology and massage spas, 6 Asian Supermarkets, 12 Churches, 2 marijuana dispensaries, and more.” You’ll even find an amazing Tiki bar, The Golden Tiki, which is a hidden gem of the city, and pays great homage to the great Tiki Bars of California. You’ll even find a prop from Disneyland’s It’s A Small World sitting near the bar, as well as the mummified heads of many of your favourite pop stars.
ShangHai Taste is a more recent addition to the area, having brought traditional Shanghai flavours to Las Vegas in 2019. And authenticity is the key, with great prices and incredible flavour across all its dishes. And the American food scene is taking note, making co-owner Chef Jimmy Li a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist. And he’s Shanghai born and raised, so there’s no messing about here.
You order with a pencil, marking what you want off a sheet of paper. It’s not overwhelming – they focus on the classics, but feature some unique inclusions that cater to the diverse community that live in the city. For one, the steamed vegan dumplings (pictured above in the centre) were one of the highlights of the meal.
But all the dishes were bursting with flavour, with the Sheng Jian (Pan Fried Soup Dumplings), their traditional Xiao Long Bao and the Shanghai Duck among the other stand outs. You’ll see them all pictured above (I can just taste that duck looking at it), along with cold bean curd noodles. And better yet – every dish, even the duck (!), is under $15.
With only 38 seats, it’s not always easy to get a table here – the quality and price speaks for itself. So last month, they opened a second location southwest of the Strip (8060 S Rainbow Blvd Ste 130). There’s even a third location in Texas! So this seems to be a restaurant ready to expand. And with their focus on Xiao Long Bao, and other traditional Dim Sum favourites, they’ve certainly got chains like Din Tai Fung in their sights.
Address: 4266 W Spring Mountain Rd 104 A, Las Vegas, NV 89102, United States
Contact Number: (702) 570-6363
Elsewhere in Chinatown, look out for Hong Kong Garden Seafood & Dim Sum Cafe, Xiao Long Dumplings and Palette Tea Lounge & Dim Sum, all on Spring Mountain Road.
Mott 32
Heading to the strip, we find outselves at The Palazzo, in The Venetian. Here you’ll come across Mott 32, the only location for the award-winning Hong Kong restaurant in the USA. It opened here in early 2019, and sits as one of eight restaurants for the brand internationally. With a ninth opening in Toronto, Canada, at the end of this week.
The original location in Hong Kong opened 10 years ago, so this isn’t a restaurant dredged with some sort of long history – but it has been drowning in awards since it opened, and regards itself as one of the world’s finest Chinese restaurants. The rooms are known for their incredible design (Las Vegas being no exception), and a menu that leans Cantonese, but also has Szechuan and Beijing influence. Though at $13-24 a dish in its Dim Sum menu, you’re not paying traditional Dim Sum prices here, you are paying for exceptional quality.
Across their dinner appetizer and Dim Sum menus, you’ll find dishes like the Sesame Prawn Toast in Autumn Sauce and Traditional Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumplings, which you’ll see pictured above. Both were sensational, and served as the opening course of our Chef’s Tasting Menu – which went on to serve a wide variety of dishes, including scallops, Australian wagyu sirloin, and Maine lobster fried rice. Next time I visit I’ll definitely be trying the Scallop Dumplings with Spinach, Prawn and Caviar and the Shredded Peking Duck Spring Roll with Mushrooms.
And they’re making sure guests have ample opportunity to taste their Dim Sum menu, as this weekend (from Friday, 26th July), the restaurant will be launching “Brunch 32”, which will have an expanded Dim Sum menu. They’ll also have a unique cocktail program, offering drinks like the Kowloon Coffee, “made with vodka, single cup extraction coffee, cream and soy sauce.” And Tang-Tang, a “creative margarita variant made with tequila, mandarin, condensed milk, lime agave and house-made Szechuan coconut crunch”. The menu will also include some of the favourites from the main menu, such as the applewood roasted 42-day Peking duck, which we saw many tables ordering. And boy did it look good.
Brunch 32 will be offered Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Head to their website for the full menu and more details.
Address: 3325 S Las Vegas Blvd #206, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Website: https://mott32.com/las-vegas
Din Tai Fung
Speaking of internationally renowned restaurants, those in Australia won’t be unfamiliar with this iconic Taiwanese chain, famed for their 18-fold Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings), and winner of multiple Michelin Stars. But Din Tai Fung is still a relatively new name in the North American market. They are currently operating 16 locations in 5 U.S. States, with the newest opening in recent weeks at Disneyland in California.
The location at the ARIA Resort & Casino is their sole Nevada spot, and it opened in October 2020. The massive location (5580 square feet, or 520 square meters), contains the most wide-reaching menu I’ve ever seen at a Din Tai Fung, reflecting the needs of a more up-market audience at ARIA, which is famed for its impressive restaurant list.
Like ShangHai Taste, you order the menu by way of a sheet of paper – this one being the larger of the two. Of course the Xiao Long Bao and all their dumplings were exceptional, but it was also an opportunity to try a number of items I hadn’t seen on their menus before. Like the Sticky Rice Shao Mai with Kurobuta Pork & Mushroom. You can see a couple of them at the bottom left of the photo above – it was a unique blend of textures of flavours, that is exactly what you expect it to be, while also being a completely new sensation.
For a similarly wonderful yet unusual blend of flavours, look no further than their dessert Xiao Long Bao, the XLB Chocolate, pictured above. Especially when paired with the optional sea salt cream – a genius touch – the whole dish somehow tastes like Hot Chocolate, but obviously feels like something completely different.
They also serve cocktails here (it’s Vegas, after all!). I recommend the DTF Old Fashioned, which is made with Taiwanese Single Malt Whiskey. You can see it below, hidden behind those famous Crab and Pork Xiao Long Bao. Thank you, more please.
I usually know what I’m going to get at Din Tai Fung – but the Vegas location offered me some outstanding and unexpected choices. They really go above and beyond, and the service was sensational. So even if you’re a regular in Australia or Asia, you’re going to be surprised by what you find here. And love it.
Address: ARIA Resort & Casino, 3730 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89158
Website: https://www.dintaifungusa.com/us/locations.html
Washing Potato
Nestled in the newest hotel on the Strip, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, is a Dim Sum gem we’ve spoken about before on the AU. Washing Potato is a new concept from the founder of Wagamama, Alan Yau. And it sets out to perfect the Dim Sum experience.
As highlighted in my earlier article, Washing Potato‘s interiors are sparkling and lush – like something out of an Iron Chef set, without the mayhem – and the menu stacked with everything you’d hope to find in a higher end Dim Sum restaurant. Yau has done a fabulous job at bringing the tastes of Hong Kong to Las Vegas. The dishes here are mostly traditional, delivered at the highest possible quality, with a few delightful variations along the way. Every bite is a treat, and discerning Australians who have grown up on Dim Sum – as I have – will not be disappointed.
The decadent blue Jasmine tea is alone worth the visit (and our cups never sat empty), but everything from the Har Gau (Prawn Dumplings) to their spin on the Shumai with Scallops – both pictured above – are crafted and steamed to perfection. Chili sauces and soy are brought to the table, and there’s plenty of traditional Hong Kong favourite drinks like milk or lemon iced tea. Traditional coffee drinks are also available.
Read more comprehensively about the menu at this restaurant HERE, but for now I’m going to take you to their sister restaurant…
Address: 2777 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Website: https://www.fontainebleaulasvegas.com/dining/restaurants/washing-potato/
Chyna Club
If you’re looking for more variety and creative flair in your Dim Sum experience, next door to Washing Potato, and from the same founder, you’ll find Chyna Club. Like its neighbour, the space sits with an excellent design. Here, you’ll find bookshelves on either side of the sprawling space, with a ceiling designed to look like it’s giving you a peak into the blue skies outside.
This menu has everything from lobster and duck to noodles and soups, many with a unique blend of flavours. A stand out on the menu, which you’ll see in the background of the photo below, are the Jasmine Tea Smoked Ribs. The meat falls right off the bone with perfectly unexpected flavours, making for, without exaggeration, some of the best ribs I’ve ever tasted. The ribs sit amongst a list of appetizers that include many traditional Dim Sum treats, like Sesame Prawn Toast, Egg Rolls, Salt and Pepper Squid and Soft Shell Crab.
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Though everything is meant to be shared, and indeed the apps are filled with plenty of dishes that you’d find alongside dumplings at any Dim Sum restaurant, only four items on the menu are explicitly listed as Dim Sum. This includes the Scallop Shumai, which you’ll also find at Washing Potato, and remains the menu standout. Crab Wantons, Sichuan Vegetable Dumplings and the Prawn and Pea Shoot Dumplings round out the selection here. We had the Sichuan Vegetable Dumplings, with the Sichuan sauce on the side so we could dress with our personal level of kick. And kick it does have, with fantastic lavours in the dumplings themselves.
I’d also recommend the Roasted Black Cod with Champagne and organic honey glaze, and make sure you get a fried rice for the table. And don’t forget to try the cocktails! And if you’d like a little bit of everything, until September 5th they’re offering a a three-course prix fixe menu for US$75 per person (plus taxes), every Sunday to Thursday, from 5:30 – 7PM (Excluding Fridays and Saturdays).
Address: 2777 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Website: https://www.fontainebleaulasvegas.com/dining/restaurants/chyna-club/
Orchids Garden
Not looking for anything too up market? If you’re looking for affordable no frills Yum Cha – that being the Cantonese style of Dim Sum where dishes are walked around on carts for your selection – locals say Orchids Garden is one of the best spots in town.
You’ll find it off the strip, not too far from Chinatown. Dishes range from $5-9 and are open from 10:30am – 9:00pm every day of the week. They have an incredible selection of Dim Sum, as well as traditional Chinese entrees. Just look at the restaurant, too. Bring all your friends and fill that Lazy Susan up!
Address: 5485 W Sahara Ave #0308, Las Vegas, NV 89146, United States
Website: http://www.orchidsgardenrestaurant.com/
Of course, this list only scratches the surface of what Las Vegas has to offer in terms of Dim Sum and broader Chinese cuisine. So I don’t purport to be picking “the best” dumpling in Las Vegas. But if I had to pick just one to have again right now, it would probably be those Scallop Shumai at Washing Potato and Chyna Club, followed closely by the Traditional Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumplings at Mott 32. And honestly the XLB at ShangHai taste and Din Tai Fung were just as good – I’m pretty sure between them you’ve got the list of the top three XLB in Las Vegas. Allow me to claim this at least…
To learn more about what you’ll find in Chinatown Las Vegas, head to chinatownvegas.com.
For more about Las Vegas more broadly, head to visitlasvegas.com.
The author visited Las Vegas and these restaurants as a guest of the LVCVA and the restaurants mentioned, with the exception of Orchids Garden. While in Las Vegas, the author stayed at Circa Resort & Casino on Fremont Street. All photos by the author unless otherwise mentioned.
