Hawai'i's Best Restaurants

• INTRODUCTION

• 'ILIMA AWARD WINNERS

• BROWSE RESTAURANTS

• GLOSSARY

• FEATURED RESTAURANTS

	• Find a restaurant by category:
	or type in a restaurant name:		(separate words by a comma)

DIM SUM

Usually you don't order dim sum, but sit and wait for carts full of it to be rolled around to you. Steaming carts emerge from the kitchen every few minutes during the height of dim-sum service, and all you need to do is point to be served. If you don't know what you're pointing at, some restaurants have helpful picture menus.

Choose lighter, steamed dishes first, and heavier fried ones later. Eat dessert — custard tarts or mango pudding, for example — anytime. Saving the sweet items for last is not a Chinese custom.

Mei Sum Chinese Dim Sum Restaurant

On a Chinatown corner, this little eatery is smart enough to use the photo-menu concept found at many a sushi restaurant, which makes it the least intimidating for dim-sum novices. Instead of waiting, just hail a server and point to the flash card-like picture of what you want.

65 N. Pauahi St. 531-3268. 7 a.m.-8:45 p.m. daily.

Legend:

VS: Visa
MC: Mastercard
AX: American Express
DC: Diners Club
DS: Discover Card
JCB: JCB Card
Olioli: Olioli Card

$$$: Pricey; entrées mostly more than $17
$$: Moderate; entrées $10-$16
$: Budget-friendly; entrées mostly less than $10

Checks: Local checks and travelers’ checks only