The best dim sum dishes to order and how to tell if they're good

If you grew up anywhere near the San Gabriel Valley, you could probably write this cheat sheet yourself. I was lucky enough to spend almost every summer morning with my grandmother at a large round table in one of the many dim sum rooms in the SGV. This was back when almost every restaurant that served dim sum had shopping carts. Filled with metal steamers or glass windows with fried sui gok ham or pan-fried dumplings, the carts rolled through the dining room, their operators simultaneously doling out portions to guests while advertising offerings throughout the dining room.

Lo Bak Go never tasted better than when it came fresh from the cart and the edges of the turnip cake were still sizzling. I always looked for the cart with Mount Gai Lan and requested extra oyster sauce for the long, leafy broccoli stalks.

If the dim sum were good, you'd probably spend half the meal standing, head on a swivel, looking for the shopping cart full of your favorites. If I spotted it across the room, I would wave it away. And if that fails, I'll get up to get the dish myself.

You can still find carts at some dim sum restaurants around town, but recently I've found the most consistent offerings are from places that require you to check off what you want from a paper menu.

If you've never been there before or just need a refresher, here are five dishes to look out for the next time you order dim sum. There are dozens of other dishes to discover. These are the five dishes I order every time, the dishes that remind me of summer mornings with my grandmother. I recommend you bring friends and order everything.

Shumai

This is the dumpling I use as a litmus test for all dim sum restaurants. The filling is a combination of pork and shrimp with shiitake mushroom pieces. A wonton wrapper is used to enclose the bottom of the filling, leaving the top exposed and leaving just enough surface area to top the dumpling with a small dollop of orange fish roe. Pork, shrimp and mushrooms are used to create a type of meatball that should be juicy and contain all three components in every bite. And the wrapper should adhere to the filling so that it remains intact when you remove the dumpling from the steamer. Some places like it with a truffle topping or maybe even lobster in the filling, but the classic version of the dumpling is hard to beat.

Find the best among: Big Ma's Kitchen and Sea Harbor

Har Gau

If I chose a different litmus test (and the dumpling used by my colleagues, deputy food editor Betty Hallock and reporter Stephanie Breijo), that would be tough. Depending on who you ask, these crystal shrimp dumplings are the most popular offering at dim sum. The dumplings are filled with plump, seasoned, coarsely chopped shrimp and surrounded by a translucent dough often made from both wheat starch and tapioca starch. The combination of starches gives the dough its crystal-like appearance and chewy texture. The best har gau have a thin but sturdy shell and a well-seasoned filling.

Find the best among: Lunasia

cheungfun

The rolls consist of thin sheets of steamed rice noodles rolled around a variety of fillings, including shrimp, grilled pork, beef and scallions. The noodles should be tender and never tough, and pour enough sauce over them to separate them easily. The best filling is entirely up to you. A favorite is zhaliang, a donut called youtaio wrapped in cheung fun. The rolling pin should be silky all around the crispy donut.

Find the best among: Big Ma's Kitchen and Sea Harbor

Char siu bao

Steamed or baked, you'll usually find a pork-filled barbecue bao on every table at Dim Sum. The steamed version resembles bright white clouds with soft, fluffy chunks of dough surrounding a sweet pork center. The baked product is often golden and shiny, with a breadier exterior that is often sweet. Both varieties should be warm when they arrive at the table.

Find the best among: seaport

Lo Mai Gai

I often think of Lo Mai Gai as a mini package. When you unfold the lotus leaf-wrapped gift, a piece of sticky rice full of hidden treasures is revealed. While pieces of tender chicken thighs and mushrooms are common, dried shrimp, rounds of lap cheung, and salted egg yolk are often found in the middle. The rice is wonderfully sticky and slightly sweet, seasoned with dark soy sauce. Depending on the size, lo mai gai can feel like a complete meal. It's tempting to share it, but then you'd have to share the salted yolk. And that could be a problem.

Find the best among: Sea Harbor or Longo Seafood