Being a multi-ethnic country, it’s no surprise that Malaysia caters for many demographics. It’s not uncommon to see cultures blending to give rise to new norms, such as the blending of cuisines or the celebration of pretty much every religious holiday under the sun. Amongst all that is an unlikely blend of what seem to be discrepant cultures – Chinese cuisine, and the Islamic faith.

The Islamic religion forbids the consumption of a few things, including pork products. Much like eating horse or dog in the Western world, eating the flesh of pork is taboo amongst Muslims. This is because it is regarded as an impure animal, as it spends its life rolling in, and on occasion eating excrement. On the other hand, much of Chinese cuisine has relied on pork as their primary source of animal protein, due to their early domestication and the ease of raising pigs. On many menus in Chinese restaurants, if a meat is not specified it is likely referring to pork, or a product of. And, while there are areas in China with large Muslim populations (and appropriately, halal food), the southern Canton area is not one of them.

Dim sum, also known as yum cha, as a result, is not something that comes to mind as an easy halal option. Many dishes, if not most, have a little pork in them. Siu mai? Pork and prawn. Radish cakes? There’s a little pork in those rice cakes. Steamed ribs? That’s all pig meat. There’s no way of getting around that, unless you’d rather just stick to the sweets. And even then there’s no guarantee that they’ll be halal either, as egg tarts can sometimes contain lard in their pastry, which is what makes them so delightfully tender and flaky.

Cue Dolly Dim Sum, a contemporary chain specialising in Chinese food that is certified halal. This, without a doubt, is a huge feat. A lot of flavour comes from fat, and a lot of fat is used in dim sum dishes. So we were excited to give it a go, and to see how it compares with the brunch that we know and love so well.

We made a reservation by phone – weekend dim sum fills up quickly, as is the norm internationally. Orders are placed by marking the notepad of paper at the table, and a menu is available in English with images.

The Tea

Puer is a fermented black leaf tea that is a common option in dim sum restaurants. Compared to jasmine or oolong it is darker and deeper in flavour. The puer tea served at Dolly was surprisingly not too bitter. In comparison, the Gong Tin Puer is much darker in colour, and much rounder in flavour.

Tea is a good accompanying drink for dim sum as the tannins, which contribute to the bitter flavour, bind to fat to reduce the greasiness of food. Despite the richer flavour of the Gong Tin Puer, we both decided that the lighter puer was sufficient, as the absence of pork on Dolly’s menu made it much less rich.

Har Gao (Steamed Prawn Dumplings)

There wasn’t much to say about the har gao at Dolly’s: bouncy skin and plump shrimp, it was sizeable and juicy and very enjoyable.

Spicy Szechuan Dumplings

Chicken and prawn dumplings drenched in a chilli oil – what could go wrong? This turned out to be one of our favourite dishes. The prawns were bouncy and the possible addition of water chestnuts added a crunchy texture. The chilli oil is spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. It’s salty, savoury, and a little bit sweet, with the fresh spring onions balancing the greasiness from the oil well.

Siew Mai (Steamed Chicken and Prawn Dumplings)

Rather than the usual filling of pork and prawns, Dolly uses a mixture of chicken and prawn. The texture was done perfectly: firm and bouncy, we found little difference in comparison to the traditional version. The mushrooms added a savoury, umami flavour that filled in the gaps where pork fat was absent. A very impressive halal version of a dim sum staple.

Steamed Beef Ball

Juicy and rich, the texture was also executed well. We’re used to it having a drizzle of soy sauce, though it didn’t make it any less enjoyable. Amongst the savoury beef flavour, the mandarin peels were fragrant and elevated the flavour of the dish well. This one is Noms’s favourite dish.

Roasted BBQ Bun

The fluffy steamed bun made for a delightful texture, and the use of chicken rather than pork made it a very light dish. Though the texture of the barbecued meat inside is not exactly the same as a typical char siu it is barely noticeable. Another pleasant surprise.

Prawn Cheong Fun (Rice Rolls)

The thickness and texture of the skin indicated that the cheong fun may not have been made by someone who specialises in it, as it is a little bit glue-y. The prawns were minced rather than whole, which also made for a bit of a disappointment.

The flavour was fairly standard, with sesame oil contributing to some sweetness. The belacan (fermented shrimp paste) that accompanied increased the flavour of the prawn and made it much more savoury.

Baked Mini Egg Tart

Though the pastry was flaky, it was also very thick, making for a poor ratio of pastry to custard, and a doughy texture. The custard, on the other hand, is very light and smooth. It was neither too rich in the egg flavour nor the sweetness. Unfortunately, this resulted in us scooping the custard out of the pastry like a pudding cup and leaving the pastry.

Golden Fish Cracker

Quoting directly from the menu, the Golden Fish Cracker is a “fish paste with cheese spread in between cream crackers with salted egg yolk”. We ordered this purely out of curiosity. Expectedly, it consisted of a fish cake which contributed to much of the flavour. It was fried with a slice of what seemed to be a very generic processed cheese, one that is neither too salty nor flavourful, though has a smooth texture when melted.

The whole thing is sandwiched between two crackers crispy from deep-frying. The salted egg was surprisingly not as salty as we’d expected, though had a rich, savoury yolk flavour. It was a little strange to us but not bad at all, the sort of unhealthy comfort food that you’d order if you really just felt like having it.

Egg Custard Bun

The steamed custard bun was one of the more impressive dishes. The skin was fluffy and very thin, encasing a pool of custard so carefully that we could feel the liquid beneath the skin as we touched the surface of the bun.

The custard is also not too sweet, allowing the distinct salted egg yolk to come out a little better than a couple of other ones that we’d had around Southeast Asia.

Dolly charges a 10% service tax, which brought our bill to RM109.05 (~US$26.50). We consider this a fairly expensive meal in Malaysia as it is comparable to what we would spend in a dim sum restaurant in New Zealand for 2, but it was very interesting to sample halal dim sum.

Compared to the traditional style of dim sum, Dolly was much less heavy, and left us feeling less of that post-feasting guilt that is all too common with weekend brunching. This is a definite must-try for Muslims or people unable to eat pork but are still looking to enjoy a great dim sum.

Dolly Dim Sum
Multiple Locations
dollydimsum.com