In fact you have to wait for them to cool lest you burn your mouth. The Sui Mai and Har-Gow are superior to вЂњcart-styleвЂќ dim sum, because they are piping hot when they arrive tableside. Okay, so you came for the food, now how is it? The BBQ Pork buns are a fabulous contrast of soft on the outside, sticky sweet on the inside. The menu is approximately 70 items long, the chef is trained in Hong Kong and Toronto (which is a North American dim sum вЂњMeccaвЂќ), and there is usually a wait on weekends вЂ“ although the two times I dined there the wait was not long (around 15 minutes). Shiu Wah used to do it this way, and I loved them for it, but the chef has now retired, leaving the title for best dim sum in Chicago up for grabs, and Cai makes a great case for it. Everything is made to order, so you check what you want off a long list, and the list is brought to the kitchen to be prepared fresh for you.

This place has no carts with 20 minute old steamed things congealing on them. You go for the dim sum, which is raising the bar for dim sum in Chicago.

It is a massive open space on the second floor of the Chinatown Square mall, making it fairly loud on weekends just from conversation.Д«ut you donвЂ™t go to Cai for the dГ©cor, or the room, or the peace and quiet. It has no dГ©cor to speak of, and is brightly lit with plastic tablecloths to allow for quick and easy cleanup. $$$$$ ($31 & up) Apply $$$$$ ($31 & up) filterД¬ai is a typical Hong Kong style dim sum restaurant.$ (Under $10) Apply $ (Under $10) filter.Lincoln Square Apply Lincoln Square filter.Near North Side Apply Near North Side filter.Wicker Park / Bucktown Apply Wicker Park / Bucktown filter.Middle Eastern Apply Middle Eastern filter.Mexican/Southwestern Apply Mexican/Southwestern filter.

Chicago dim sum