Dim Sum Reimagined at Dim Sum Library in Covent Garden
I’ve long been sold on the appeal of small-plate dining. It stretches a meal into something leisurely and removes that menu pressure (which I hate) of committing to just one thing. So a visit to the newly opened Dim Sum Library in Covent Garden felt promising from the outset. I do love a library – and the idea of one dedicated to dim sum has an immediate charm. And the Hong Kong-born eatery has now arrived in London.
The space is light, polished and quietly theatrical with long counters running down one side filled with tempting displays. The menu is intriguing, the descriptions mouth-watering and there’s a lot on offer. This is modern dim sum that I can’t wait to tuck into.
We begin with the Wagyu beef puff – which turns out to be an excellent decision. A golden brown masterpiece of crisply delicate puff pastry filled to the brim with gently sauteed premium beef in the restaurant’s house-made sauce. It tastes even better than it sounds, if you can believe that – the pastry is mouth-meltingly buttery and crisp and the filling tender and flavourful.
Keen to draw things out, we order gradually. The Dan Dan Xiaolong Bao are next.
The menu tells us that each Xiaolong Bao is handcrafted with 18 meticulous folds which creates a thin wrapper that holds a rich, flavourful broth with sesame and peanut flavours and freshly minced chicken with a spicy sauce.
They arrive, plump and glossy and accompanied by a gentle warning to proceed with care. Inside the broth is deep and savoury, with sesame and peanut notes and tasty chicken. Eating them requires concentration (making sure the broth doesn’t squirt anywhere) but it’s worth it.
To round out the dumpling selection, we add the Yu Xiang crispy pork dumpling, which arrive looking suitably dramatic on a grey-and-gold plate. Crisp, bold and satisfying, it hints at how much more there is to explore, but restraint is required if we’re to see beyond the dumpling section at all.
We move on, reluctantly, to the black truffle crispy skin chicken accompanied by a plate of Singapore noodles (one of our long-time favourites). The chicken takes 20 minutes to prepare (who’s in a rush anyway?) and is worth the wait – a generous mound of tender meat crowned with improbably crisp skin. It’s rich and comforting. The noodles deliver exactly what we want – familiar flavour, plenty of texture, a range of delicious morsels and enough spice to hold their own alongside the chicken.
By this point we’ve reached a comfortable fullness. But there’s more to explore, from the tea-led cocktails to the dedicated tea selection itself. Lunch or afternoon tea – another long, luxurious meal spent choosing just one more dish – this is a library built for repeat visits. Just like any good one.
Words by Sandy Cadiz-Smith
Dim Sum Library is at 136 Long Acre, London WC2, a short walk from Leicester Square tube station.