Right, so I’ve been on a bit of a mission lately. You know how it is when you get a proper craving for something? For me, it was dim sum. Proper, steamy, delicious dim sum. But, and it’s a big but, I’m gluten-free. And if you’re gluten-free, you’ll know that dim sum is usually a minefield. All those lovely dumpling wrappers are just pure wheat.
The Great Gluten-Free Dim Sum Hunt
So, I started my quest. First port of call, the good old internet. Typed in “gluten free dim sum London” with hopeful fingers. Got a few articles, a few blog posts, but you know how it is – some of it’s old, some of it sounds a bit too good to be true. It’s not like there are dedicated gluten-free dim sum parlours on every corner, is it?
I asked around a bit too. A few friends gave me some vague “Oh, I think I saw something somewhere…” which, bless them, is helpful but not exactly a concrete plan. It really felt like I was looking for a needle in a haystack for a while there. Some places say “gluten friendly” but when you dig deeper, it’s like, one dish, and it’s probably just a plate of steamed veg.
Boots on the Ground
Anyway, I wasn’t going to give up that easily. I earmarked a couple of places that seemed a bit more promising from my online digging. Decided to dedicate a weekend to some serious investigation. My stomach was rumbling at the mere thought of it.
The first place I tried was a bit of a trek, over in a part of town I don’t usually go to. Walked in, and it looked like a proper, busy dim sum joint. That was a good sign. I managed to get a hold of a manager and started asking my usual twenty questions about ingredients, cross-contamination, the lot. You have to, don’t you? Can’t just take their word for it when it says “GF” on a menu sometimes.
What I found there:
- They actually had a separate little section on their menu! Steamed things, mostly. Prawn dumplings, scallop dumplings. The wrappers were clearly rice-flour based.
- The staff, once I got the right person, seemed clued up. They talked about separate steamers, which put my mind at ease a bit.
So, I ordered a couple of bits. The har gow (prawn dumplings) were pretty decent. The wrappers were a bit stickier, a bit more delicate than I remember the wheaty ones being, but the filling was spot on. And honestly, just to be able to eat something that resembled a dumpling was amazing. No horrible after-effects either, which is the main thing!
Another Attempt, Another Experience
Buoyed by that minor success, a week later I tried another spot. This one was a bit more modern, a bit more fusion-y. Again, I’d called ahead, grilled them on the phone. They sounded confident.
Their gluten-free options were different. They had some rice noodle rolls (cheung fun) that they assured me were safe, and even some baked items, which surprised me. I went for the cheung fun with prawns. It was good! The sauce was lovely. It wasn’t quite the traditional dim sum experience I was initially dreaming of, but it was tasty food, and it was safe for me to eat.
Things I’ve learned from all this:
- You absolutely must call ahead. Don’t just turn up. Menus change, staff change.
- Ask, ask, and ask again. About ingredients, about how things are cooked. Don’t feel awkward about it. It’s your health.
- Be prepared for the selection to be smaller. You’re not going to get the whole trolley experience, most likely.
- The texture will be different. Rice flour wrappers just aren’t the same as wheat ones. Manage your expectations, and you’ll enjoy it more for what it is.
It’s still not easy, finding genuinely good and safe gluten-free dim sum in London. It takes a bit of detective work. You can’t just wander into any old place. And I’m still on the lookout for more options, always. But it’s not impossible. There are a few gems out there if you’re willing to put in the effort.
So yeah, that was my little adventure. It was a bit of a faff, a bit of trial and error, but I got to eat some dumplings in the end. And that, my friends, is a win in my book. It’s definitely getting better out there for us gluten-free folk, but you’ve still got to be your own advocate. Happy hunting if you’re on a similar quest!