dim-sum · classic · breakfast
虾饺 · xiā jiǎo
The king of dim sum and the ultimate test of a Cantonese chef. The pleated wrapper — traditionally exactly 13 folds — is made from wheat starch and tapioca, giving it a distinctive translucent sheen. Bite in and you should find whole shrimp, bamboo shoots, and a whisper of pork fat.
Panxi Restaurant (泮溪酒家) on Longjin West Road has been serving dim sum since 1947. Go for morning dim sum (before 11am) when the har gow are steamed to order. Also excellent at Tao Tao Ju (陶陶居) on Shangxiajiu Street.
When to Eat It
Year-round
Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) is available on street corners across Guangzhou all year — no seasonal planning needed. Freshness and price stay consistent in every season.
How Easy Is It to Find?
medium
A little more effort — head to dedicated shops or well-known restaurants rather than random street stalls.
Har gow (shrimp dumplings) is the crown jewel of Cantonese dim sum, first served in Guangzhou's teahouses along the Pearl River in the early 20th century. A chef at a small teahouse in Wucun village created the dish to compete with nearby restaurants, using the river's abundant shrimp and a revolutionary transparent wrapper made from wheat starch and tapioca. The original recipe specified exactly 13 pleats — a number that dim sum chefs still use as a benchmark of mastery today.
Best For
When to Skip It
You're shellfish-allergic — and note the wrapper sometimes contains wheat.
Editor's Field Note
Count the pleats: a proper har gow has thirteen folds and a wrapper thin enough to see the shrimp through. At Panxi, order it first, before 11 AM — the morning shrimp are the freshest catch of the day.
Snack Face-Off
云吞面 · Which one should you order?
| Aspect | Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) | Wonton Noodles |
|---|---|---|
| Craft | 13-fold pleated wrapper, shrimp visible through the skin | Wontons wrapped in thicker, sturdier skins |
| Serving | 3-4 per bamboo basket — one course among many | A bowl with noodles and broth — the whole meal |
| Filling | Whole clean shrimp, nothing else | Shrimp-pork mix, heartier |
| Best moment | Morning dim sum, before 11 AM | Lunch, before the broth degrades |
Choose Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) if…
You're judging a dim sum kitchen — har gow is the exam dish.
Choose Wonton Noodles if…
You want a full, brothy meal instead of a small course.
Lift the dumpling carefully from the steamer basket with chopsticks. The wrapper should be translucent enough to see the pink shrimp inside without being so thin that it breaks. Dip lightly in soy sauce or chili oil — but the best har gow need neither. Eat it in one or two bites. At dim sum, har gow is traditionally ordered first — if the har gow is good, everything else will be too. If the wrapper is thick and opaque, lower your expectations for the rest of the meal.
Price Range
¥18–38
Best Found In
Guangzhou
The original recipe from Guangzhou's Wucun teahouse specified 13 pleats, and dim sum chefs still treat it as the benchmark of mastery. Each pleat must be evenly spaced and fold the wrapper inward toward the center, pinching the top into a little purse. Twelve pleats means an apprentice, fourteen means showing off. Counting the pleats is a favorite game among regulars — a flawless 13-pleat har gow with visible pink shrimp through the wrapper is the sign of a serious kitchen.
Yes — the wrapper is made from wheat starch and tapioca starch, which contain no gluten. That is exactly why it turns translucent when steamed: unlike wheat flour wrappers, starch-only dough becomes glassy. The shrimp filling is naturally gluten-free too, but check the dipping sauces — regular soy sauce contains wheat, so ask for tamari or eat them plain, which is how the best har gow are meant to be eaten anyway.
Har gow is the only classic dim sum dumpling with a fully translucent wrapper and a whole-shrimp filling. Xiao long bao have thicker wheat wrappers with hot soup inside and are from Shanghai. Siu mai (shao mai) are open-topped with pork and mushroom, also wheat-based. Har gow's defining traits — 13 pleats, starch wrapper, whole shrimp with bamboo shoots — make it the purest test of Cantonese dim sum skill, which is why it is ordered first at every dim sum table.
Cheong Fun
肠粉 cháng fěn
Silky, translucent rice noodle rolls steamed fresh, drizzled with sweet soy sauce. Can be plain or filled with shrimp, beef, or char siu pork.
Wonton Noodles
云吞面 yún tūn miàn
Springy thin egg noodles in clear, deeply savory broth with plump shrimp wontons floating alongside. Light but satisfying, the broth is the soul of the dish.