Cantonese Cravings Sated at Dim Sum Society (Closed)
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Dim Sum Society, also known as Yi Long (壹笼) is a Cantonese restaurant on Donghu Lu that does traditional Guangdong food with flair, dim sum, and cocktails.
Dim Sum Society | Yi Long - 壹笼
Located on Donghu Lu in the former Havana space, Dim Sum Society’s perch has it slightly off the radar. Tucked away on the fifth floor, access is via the elevator on the right of Alimentari.
The space is gorgeous. If you think Dim Sum Society looks like a movie set, you wouldn’t be wrong, as it’s the design was inspired by a few famous films.
The interiors draws inspiration from classic Hong Kong films like Wong Kar-Wai’s “In The Mood For Love,” Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Great Gatsby.
There’s an old-timey concierge greets at the entrance, a eight-seater bar, a tea and wine bar, an inconspicuous wine cellar, and crescent banquets against the windows. A grand staircase curves up to the second floor, leading to the four private rooms and lounge area. The largest private room seats twelve.
During the day, its bright and sunny, a lively setting for dim sum lunch. Come evening, its dim, sultry, and intimate. Staff in qipaos and white suit jackets adds to the charm and allure.
Cantonese Classics & Dim Sum
On the menu are refined Cantonese classics.
There are many iconic dishes on the menu at Dim Sum Society, and one of them is the Shiqi crispy pigeon from Zhongshan, Guangdong.
These famed squabs from Shiqi district are raised on a diet of feed supplemented with oyster shells, and are processed at 21 days. The breed has even received an honorary certification issued by the Guangdong Zhongshan Shiqi Young Pigeon Association (yes, that's a thing). It’s a heritage ingredient with more than 100 years of history.
Shiqi Crispy Baby Pigeon (¥78) – Juicy, flavorful pigeon with a crispy but not brittle skin.
Another signature and bestseller is the Whole Roasted Suckling Pig Skin. They use 60-day old pigs from Guangxi and roast them in the same way you would Peking duck, trimming and serving only skin. These are thick, crunchy wafers, unlike the thin slivers of duck skin. It’s served with the same accouterments of hoisin sauce, scallions, cucumber, and pliable pancakes. The suckling pig is limited to 20 orders a day, pre-order is possible with a deposit.
Whole Roasted Suckling Pig Skin (¥588)
Wrap it all up
The Flaming Crispy Chicken is also a house specialty. The bird is seasoned with a house blend of spices and roasted to perfection, then flambéed tableside. It’s doused with flaming baijiu, which imparts its sweet aroma onto the chicken. It’s also an entertaining show.
Flaming Crispy Chicken (¥368)
The fragrant, juicy chicken is then sectioned, plated, and served with a sweet and sour sauce.
The rest of the menu features double-boiled soups, dim sum, live seafood made to order, tasteful bar snacks, and other timeless stir-frys and stews.
Sweet & Sour Pork (¥98) – A dish so nostalgic and comforting. The hallmark of a good gu lou yok is its sauce. Vinegary, sweet, sticky but not goopy. This version hits all the notes, made with quality cuts of lean pork, and even has petals of lily bulb for crunch in addition to onions. Demands rice.
Black Truffle Boston Lobster (¥788) – One of the house seafood specialties. Luxurious, impressive, and delicious. A whole lobster (±900g) is sectioned into convenient bite-sized portions that easily come off the shell, and wok-fried in a ginger-chive-truffle sauce.
Wok-Fried Green Crab (¥488) – Green crabs, known for their abundance of roe, served steamed in Taidiao huangjiu or wok-fried in a ginger and scallion sauce, and the bright orange roe of the crab. Pictured here as the latter, served with toothsome egg noodles.
According to Dim Sum Society’s founder, the dish might have been created when Prince Charles visited Hong Kong and requested a dish of noodles with ginger and scallion. It’s a standard dish at most Cantonese restaurants today.
Foie Gras Claypot Rice (¥198) - Chinese sausage, cured pork, foie gras, and egg yolk.
Garlic Fried Pork Ribs (¥98) – Little nuggets of bone-in ribs for snacking.
Abalone in Salted Duck Yolk (¥158) – Four pieces worth of abalone, each mollusk split into two and coated in salted duck yolk, and deep-fried. Salty, briny, and rich.
Fried Dough Sticks with Foie Gras (¥98) – An elegant bar snack of crispy youtiao chips served with a pot of foie gras fortified with Shaoxing wine.
Daily Cantonese Double Boiled Soup (¥58) – Double-boiled to extract all the natural sweetness from the pork bones, herbs, and aromatics. Clean tasting and reinvigorating.
Select dim sum is available during dinner, including the charsiu baos, which are to die for, mixed steamed dim sum platter, custard buns, and egg tarts. The full selection of dim sum is available from 11am to 2:30pm, daily.
The charsiu baos are incredible. The bread is as fluffy and soft as cotton, encasing a perfect ratio of sweet barbecued pork, a combination of pork face, belly, and neck. The sauce is also house-made.
Uncle Hua’s Barbecue Pork Bun (¥18)
Mixed Steamed Dim Sum Platter (¥68) – Prawn, truffle and mushroom, lobster and asparagus, and scallop and spinach.
Fried Turnip Cake in XO Sauce (¥28)
Prawn Rice Roll (¥42)
Crispy Egg Custard Bun (¥32/two) – Baked egg custard buns with a molten center of milky, creamy goodness.
Cantonese Egg Tart (¥36/four)
As for drinks, wines by the glass start from ¥78, a Gewürztraminer from France or an Etna Rosso from Italy to some top shelf labels. The cellar has a wide range, entry-level and fine wines, as well as champagnes, sakes, and baijiu.
For cocktails, there are six signatures. All are simple, straightforward, and good, a mix of refreshing fruit and citrus-based drinks and classics with a twist. Priced at a reasonable range of ¥78 to ¥110.
Sanfroid No. 2 (¥78) – Vicu Lemongrass Gin, fresh basil, lime juice. Refreshing and citrusy.
Thai Boxer (¥78) – Vicu Lemongrass Gin, mango juice, coconut milk. Thick, creamy, tropical. Mango pudding with booze in drink form.
Coral Velvet (¥88) – Vodka, raspberry, vanilla, lime juice. Bright, lively, and tart. A good intermediary between bites of crispy pork.
El Nido (¥88) – Bourbon whisky infused with fig and shiso, passion fruit, lemon juice. A big punch of passion fruit to wake you up.
You could do dinner for under ¥350 with a drink, or shell out for some of the premium seafood items and that whole roasted pig. Otherwise, it’s a great alternative drinking spot or for daily dim sum, which is about ¥150 for a good lunch. A gem on Donghu Lu.
Recommended dishes: Pigeon, suckling pig, Boston lobster, abalone in salted duck egg, yellow croaker soup, youtiao with foie gras, sweet & sour pork, charsiu bao, dim sum, custard bun.
Dim Sum Society - Yi Long 壹笼
Address: 5/F, 20 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu 东湖路20号5楼, 近淮海中路
Tel: 54893336
Hours: Daily, 11am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm
About Rachel Gouk
Founder & Editor, Nomfluence
Rachel Gouk is a seasoned dining journalist based in Shanghai with over a decade of experience covering food culture, restaurant developments, and the Asian culinary landscape.
