South Melbourne Market Dim Sims

A Cecil Street institution since 1949, serving oversized steamed and fried dim sims from a stall inside South Melbourne Market.

South Melbourne Market Dim Sims has traded from Stall 91 on the market's Cecil Street corner since Ken Cheng began selling oversized dim sims in 1949. Now run by his sons, the stall still steams and fries dim sims to the original recipe for takeaway.

South Melbourne Market Dim Sims trades from Stall 91, on the corner of Cecil and Coventry streets inside South Melbourne Market, and has been part of the market since founder Ken Cheng began selling dim sims from a truck at Caulfield Racecourse in 1949 before setting up permanently at the market. Cheng's point of difference was size: his dim sims, packed with beef, pork, lamb, cabbage and spices in a thick wrapper, were noticeably larger than the standard version, and the style became known as a South Melbourne dim sim. After Cheng passed away in 2006, his sons Edward and Phillip took over the business, expanding production while keeping the family recipe unchanged. The stall now produces thousands of dim sims a week, offered steamed or deep-fried and served with soy and chilli sauce for those eating on the spot. Queues at the stall build quickly on market days, though the line is known to move fast, and regulars are encouraged to know their order before reaching the counter. The stall sells for takeaway only, making it a stop for a quick snack while exploring the market's produce, deli and specialty food traders rather than a sit-down meal. Dim sims from the same family recipe are also sold frozen through select supermarkets under the South Melbourne Market Dim Sims name.

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