The first time I watched Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Love, was also the first time I had ever heard of dim sum — and the beginning of a lifelong love affair with it.

It is still on my bucket list to visit Chinatown in San Francisco and eat dim sum just like they do in the film. The film also left me hungry. It is one of my favourite films in which food is almost a main character.

From the opening scenes of steaming baskets and delicate dumplings being folded with care, I was hooked. My mouth was watering before the first act was over. I didn’t just want to eat dim sum — I wanted to make it.

Directed by Wayne Wang and released in 1985, this gentle, beautifully crafted film is a quiet classic that’s stood the test of time. It captures a slice of life rarely shown on screen at the time—a Chinese-American mother-daughter relationship full of nuance, warmth, and unspoken emotion, all set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown.It is a beautifully observed film about a Chinese-American family and one of Wayne Wang’s early portraits of life in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

There’s something about the way Wang ties food to love and identity that just gets under your skin in the best way. Dim Sum isn’t loud or dramatic—it’s slow, intentional, and heartfelt. It’s a story wrapped in soft pastry, filled with memories and tenderness. And it made me feel all kinds of warm inside.

Movies like this are the ones I miss in modern cinema. They’re not loud, they’re not trying to prove a point — they’re just being. I love it so much I may watch it again after writing this post!

My Dim Sum Adventure Begins

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After watching the film, I was so inspired that I wandered into Soho, London’s buzzing Chinatown, to try and recreate the experience. I hunted down the delicate dumpling wrappers I’d seen in the film, along with all the right ingredients. Then I went home, took a deep breath, and spent the afternoon making dim sum from scratch.

It wasn’t perfect, but that wasn’t the point. Folding each dumpling became a kind of meditation. A quiet rhythm. The smell, the texture, the slow pace—it felt like a love letter to tradition. I finally understood how dim sum could be both a meal and a message.

🥟 How to Make Classic Dim Sum Dumplings (Jiaozi-style)

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Here’s a simple version of the dim sum I made at home—perfect for first-timers inspired like I was:

Ingredients:

  • 1 pack of round dumpling wrappers (or make your own)
  • 200g ground pork or chicken
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage
  • A pinch of white pepper
  • Water (for sealing)

Instructions:

  1. Make the filling: In a bowl, mix the ground meat, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cabbage, spring onions, and pepper.
  2. Wrap it up: Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in water and moisten the edges. Fold in half and pleat the edges to seal.
  3. Steam or pan-fry: Steam over boiling water for 10 minutes or pan-fry them (starting with a bit of oil, then adding a splash of water and covering to steam-fry).
  4. Dip and enjoy: Serve with soy sauce, chili oil, or a dash of black vinegar.

If you’re looking for a movie that’ll warm your heart and spark your appetite, this one’s a must. Just don’t watch it on an empty stomach. Or if you do—make sure you’ve got dumpling wrappers ready to go. I won’t pretend my dumplings looked anything like the ones in the film, but that wasn’t really the point.