When my mom told me about a new dim sum place in downtown Chicago, I insisted we try it. Yum Cha Dim Sum Parlor is tucked away behind Randolph Street, but when we arrived the area was hopping with office workers and families on vacation.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but that soon changed when we received menus. The selection was so much more varied than even dim sum at the Peninsula! Although I don’t eat pork, I ordered a plate of xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings) for my mom and the kids.

I’m also squeamish around ox tails and marrow, which my mom loves. But I ordered a plate of dumplings stuffed with both. And I’m sooooo glad I did. They were outstanding!

The crisp salt pepper tofu was wasn’t greasy–at all–like most fried tofu. I ate half the plate.

And the crispy cauliflower with chili pods was also excellent. The outside was as crisp as the name indicates, yet the inside was perfect: not undercooked and certainly not overdone.

My kids like turnip cakes, so we ordered a plate of those. Same for sesame balls with sweet bean paste. Our waiter recommended Chef Henry’s seafood dumplings, so we chose that, too.

There were so many more dishes on the menu I wanted to order, but it seemed like we had enough with these. Of course, the kids wanted dessert, so they picked this delicious fried coconut milk served with chocolate sauce and strawberry sauce. I didn’t think I had any room left, but I ate two of these!

And then there was this fabulous mural of Hong Kong signage. I was clearly sold!

Reminiscent of Yank Sing in San Francisco, Yum Cha is a great new addition to dim yum in Chicago. I can’t wait to go back and try more items on the dim sum menu. They also have rice and noodle dishes, and a great tea menu (we ordered a pot of light oolong tea today).

Yum Cha is located at 333 Upper Randolph Street, Chicago. Phone: 312.946.8885. They are open seven days a week starting at 11am.