On a street corner in the International District sits a little business called Dim Sum King. If you’re looking for some quick, cheap and good dim sum (around 80 cents a piece), then this is the place for you.

Dim Sum King is a small restaurant with plants lining the windows and a small counter for ordering. The menu is taped to the wall with pictures, and I primarily used this as a reference for what each food option actually was.

The ordering process consisted of checking off menu items on sheets of paper with the list of options, handing the paper to the cashier and promptly receiving your stacks of dim sum on a red cafeteria tray. It was quick and easy, and this is definitely a strictly counter-service restaurant.

I decided to try as many options as I could and also tried to step outside of my comfort zone with my order. My friend and I got a ridiculous amount of food for only around $20, and I was impressed by how quickly we received our dim sum.

The barbeque pork bun was one of my favorite items we ordered. The bun was pretty filling and could stand on its own as a light lunch or snack to grab on the go while exploring the International District. In the past, I have only ever experienced a steamed pork bun and I found myself preferring this baked version.

The barbeque pork mixture is sweet, but not too overpowering. I was also happily surprised with how fluffy and delicious the roll was. This was a slightly sweet roll stuffed with barbecued pork—what’s not to love?

I have an enormous weakness for sweets, so when I saw the custard bun on the menu, I had to try it. It was a combination of two of my favorite things: sugar and carbs. The top of the bun was sprinkled with a perfectly flaky sugary crumble, which complemented the fluffy texture of the roll. On the first bite, creamy custard oozed out and I instantly fell in love. This custard bun was the best thing I ate all day and I honestly haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since that first bite.

Another item I decided to try was the crispy egg roll. To be honest, this was pretty generic. There was nothing extraordinary about Dim Sum King’s eggroll that I hadn’t experienced before. That being said, there was nothing wrong with it and it was still delicious because eggrolls are amazing.

I may not be an experienced dim sum consumer, but one thing I do know about is pot stickers. Naturally, I had to order some. The minute I saw these pot stickers, I knew I was in for a treat. Their dough was noticeably swollen with a chicken and ginger filling. These were definitely high up on my list of favorites, they were some of the best pot stickers I’ve ever had. Their filling was very flavorful and the dough was perfectly soft and yummy. As a ginger lover, I really enjoyed the amount of ginger they mixed with the filling; it made for a unique variation on a pretty classic dish.

One dish I was disappointed with was the “all kind of rice roll.” This was a dish I was really excited to try because I saw a number of people eating it in the store. However, I found it to be really plain, boring and slimy. The dish is pork or shrimp wrapped in rice dough. Maybe I’m missing something here, but the texture was definitely unpleasant and there wasn’t anything added to the shrimp, so there was no flavor.

Dim Sum King offered some great options for anyone looking for a quick and cheap meal. I was impressed with how fantastic some dishes were, and I will definitely be returning the next time I’m in the International District. I would highly recommend Dim Sum King to anyone looking to try dim sum for the first time, as they have a lot of options that are easy to order.

Tess may be reached at
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