I have a confession to make. I have never tried Dim Sum before. I’ve always looked at it on a menu and really not been sure what I’m going to get, so have avoided it for some completely illogical reason. So when I found out I was coming to a restaurant called Dim t I did have a certain amount of trepidation as to what to expect.
The ambiance of the restaurant is pretty funky. It’s quite dark inside, with a good use of woods and typical oriental styling. We sat down and ordered a couple of drinks and were asked if we would like to see the Dim Sum trolley…uh oh…I immediately felt a bit out of my depth – the last time I looked at a trolley in a restaurant it had desserts on it! But our waitress was very helpful and explained that the trolley has some pre-prepared Dim Sum in it which you can have straight away rather than having to wait for them to be prepared and steamed. This sounded like a good idea so we looked in the said trolley and picked out a prawn and chive and a mixed vegetable Dim Sum to get us started.
Now after a bit of research for writing this review, the term ‘Dim Sum’ literally means ‘a bit of heart’ and it is the name for this type of Chinese cuisine which involves a wide range of light dishes served traditionally alongside Chinese tea. These light dishes are only meant as a snack – therefore to only just touch the heart – hence the name. They are traditionally steamed with different fillings, anything from seafood, meat, vegetables, nuts, mushrooms – you name it you can probably fill a Dim Sum with it!
The two we had chosen were fantastic, really fragrant and tasted superb, so much so we ordered a few more with different fillings. But don’t worry if you’re not partial to Dim Sum, there are plenty of other starters including chicken satay, duck spring rolls and sesame prawn toasts (one of my other favourites).
With our Dim Sum desire satisfied, we moved on to the main course. The menu is pretty extensive with some exotic sounding dishes as well as some more traditional Chinese favourites. I went for the Hong Kong Sweet and Sour Chicken with Coconut Rice, which was quite a large portion and perfectly cooked. The rice in particular was just delicately fragranced with the coconut so wasn’t too over-powering. My other half had Teriyaki Chicken Noodles, which arrived on one of the biggest dishes I have ever seen in a restaurant. This again was cooked really well and had all the traditional Chinese aromas you could want.
We had managed to keep a little room for dessert (doesn’t everyone?) and I ordered Banana Fritters with hot chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream, whereas my husband opted for the much more healthy option - strawberry sorbet. To be fair there were several desserts I could have ordered but I really could only manage one! We finished with coffee but only because unfortunately neither of us really like tea. There were a wide range of Chinese teas available to try including the wonderfully named Organic Gun Powder or delicate sounding Jasmine Flower.
This is not your traditional Chinese restaurant or takeaway; this is a little bit more up-market without taking you too far out of your comfort zone. Really great tasting food, served by knowledgeable staff in a grown up atmosphere. I definitely wasn’t disappointed by my first Dim Sum experience at Dim t.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 7/10
Menu range: 8/10
Quality of food: 9/10
Service: 8/10
Value for money: 7/10
Summary
Dim t is certainly a restaurant that everyone should try at least once as I suspect it will have you wanting to go back for more. It’s a Chinese restaurant with a twist and does give you the opportunity to sample some real oriental delicacies. It would be equally as good for a night out with a group of friends or a romantic meal for two, I suggest just going with the flow and definitely trying ‘sum’ of those ‘little bits of heart’.
Disabled facilities
Most of the restaurant is all on one level for easy access.
Parking
Daytime parking can be difficult and costly (pay and display). Evenings, after 6.00pm, there is plenty of parking available and it is free.
Other amenities
Alfresco dining area available. Excellent lunch buffet available for just £7.95 per person. Free takeaway delivery in Milton Keynes.
