Tian Tian Golden Palace Seafood & Dim Sum Austin

Tian Tian Golden Palace Dim Sum - Review - North Lamar - Austin - The Infatuation

"Dim sum carts are some of the most exciting things on four wheels—right up there with NASCAR and anything Dom Toretto drives. But in Austin, they’re a rare sight, unless you find yourself at Tian Tian Golden Palace near Braker and North Lamar. During daytime hours, servers whisk metal trollies loaded with baskets of steamed dumplings and buns through a packed banquet hall, pausing only to unload their treasures onto giant round tables. Get on the waitlist and make yourself comfy—this place gets busy, especially on weekends. Everybody is here for the best dim sum experience in town. But Tian Tian isn’t just a sunny dim sum destination—it’s also open for dinner seven nights a week, when the carts get swapped out for a massive menu of Cantonese-style seafood and other Chinese specialties. Whole fish and Dungeness crab get pulled straight from tanks in the back before hitting the wok, while giant platters of Peking duck arrive with an assortment of sauces, pancakes, and garnishes, ready to be assembled into perfectly composed bites. Whether you're rolling in for a buzzy weekend brunch or a celebratory dinner, there’s no bad time to show up to Tian Tian. Food Rundown Dim Sum The selection varies from day to day, but you can generally expect to find most of the classic dim sum dishes—like siu mai, har gow, and xiao long bao—plus plenty of small-plate interludes. The quality isn’t quite as fresh as places that sell dumplings a la carte (at higher prices), but they’re all hot, fresh, and tasty. photo credit: Nicolai McCrary Peking Duck It’s not quite as crispy as our favorite in town (Bamboo House), but it also doesn’t require a long wait and a lot of luck to get it. This is a solid Peking duck that won’t disappoint. photo credit: Nicolai McCrary Dungeness Crab You get to choose the preparation on the whole crab. Before they start cooking, they’ll bring the crab out in a bucket just so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. We like the Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter style that arrives fried and topped with a bunch of crispy bits. photo credit: Nicolai McCrary" - Nicolai McCrary