Historic Institution

South Melbourne Market Dim Sims

The Heavyweight Institution

Address: Stall 91, Cecil St, South Melbourne VIC 3205 (South Melbourne)

Phone: (03) 9690 1022

Hours: Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Market Days)

About

The undisputed heavyweight. Founded by Ken Cheng in 1949, this is the spiritual home of the modern Melbourne dim sim. Colossal, fist-sized, and obsessively queued for every market morning.

Heritage & History

Ken Cheng, a Chinese immigrant who worked on the Victorian wharves, opened Stall 91 inside South Melbourne Market in 1949. Modifying traditional Cantonese dim sum for working-class appetites, Cheng developed a fist-sized dimmie with a thick, durable casing that held up to steam and heavy handling. For over 75 years, the recipe has remained unchanged, attracting queues stretching down Cecil Street every market morning.

Craft & Recipe Notes

Handmade on-site daily with an extra-thick flour dough casing. The filling is a coarse, peppery mixture of seasoned Australian pork, beef, and crisp cabbage. Finished with an open-ruffled top well engineered specifically to hold generous pools of dark soy sauce and sambal chilli.

Menu & Specialties

  • Original Steamed Dim Sim — $3.50 (Steamed)

    Steamed piping hot in giant commercial warmers, seasoned with dark soy sauce and chilli poured directly into the top well.

  • Golden Deep Fried Dim Sim — $3.50 (Fried)

    Deep-fried to a crackling golden crunch, served in classic greaseproof butcher paper.

  • Market 6-Pack (Hot / Chilled) — $20.00 (Take-Home Pack)

    Six jumbo dim sims packed hot for takeaway or chilled for home steaming.

  • Baker's Dozen Frozen Pack (13pc) — $38.00 (Take-Home Pack)

    Raw frozen handmade dimmies with home cooking instructions for boiling, steaming, or frying.