Get Sum Dim Sum

Really sad this is closed now. Ive been here a few times and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. There are a few reasons I think could have facilitated my experience ordering food. The first thing you walk in and you want to look at something to make a decision. There was a hand-​held menu…“oh, but wait… there’s a menu up there too. Ok, well let me take a moment to look. Oh wow, there’s a lot to read and choose from… GREAT! It’s intelligent food and it’s affordable, great combo!”
So, ordering was a little out of flow. I think it wouldve done better at a trendier area of town (ie. the Drag, First street, Southpark Meadows).
Sad to see it go.

I don’t know how you can NOT like Get Sum. Dim sum is always expensive, and this is really not much different. You can spend about $ 50 on four people easily, but the food tastes great, and there is no MSG! There is some stuff that is fairly Americanized, but if you know what you’re ordering, you can eat traditionally with no problem. There may not be the super traditional chicken feet or jellyfish, but if you grew up in the US, you probably wouldn’t be requesting that anyway.
Get Sum Dim Sum is great for vegetarians and vegans!
Highly recommend:
Chinese Broccoli (w/​or w/​o oyster sauce) — simple, crunchy, green and healthy.
Baby Bok Choy (w/​or w/​o oyster sauce) — just like the above
Salt and Pepper Seaweed Wrapped Tofu — if you get this without the batter, it’s gluten-​free, and remember you can eat the super-​pile of green onions they drop on top! This is a bit too expensive for what you get, but still very tasty.
Lotus Wrapped Sticky Rice — This is a very «different» flavor, so if you’ve never had it, try to go into it with an open mind.
Sesame Ball — Super smooth pounded rice (mochi in Japanese [yes, I know this is a Chinese restaurant]), covered in sesame seeds with red bean paste in the center. Desert has never tasted so good.

I’m not going to waste much time reviewing this place but lets just say it isn’t very good, especially for how much you will pay. I came in with a big group and tried a bunch of items including:
Fried Rice
Spinach Dumpling
Siu Mai Pork
Siu Mai Chicken
Cha Siu Steamed Bao
Egg Custard Bao
Sesame Balls
Almost everything was incredibly bland, the sweet baos seem to be pre-​prepared sitting in a case and were dried out inside. I can’t see coming back here, especially when it is so steep price wise.

Wow. It looks like people really hate this place.
The kid-​people that I made, and I really like this place. Why?
Vegan dim sum. I’ve only found two or three places in Austin that has it, and Get Sum Dim Sum is maybe second on my list. They have dumplings, bao, pot stickers, fried spring rolls, and tofu stuffs.
The cow face eater in the house thinks this place is so-​so, and not all that authentic.
That is all. Thanks.

Not a good place for dimsum. Their dishes all taste like starch and filler, no real meat, I had the pork and shrimp siumai, hakao (shrimp dumpling), and the pork bun. the same squishy and all fluff no real ingredients.
Avoid at all cost. I am never coming back to this place again.
Fake. overpriced. terrible. also confusing menu.

Well, what I said in my last review still goes, but I have to add that I went to GSDS with a
certificate in hand this time. I think that the food is still not that great, but with the certificate you don’t spend as much. Of everything I ate (and trust me, $ 35 here is a LOT for 2 people), I think the shu mai chicken, chinese broccoli, and law mai gai (buddha’s delight) were the best bets. The shrimp shu mai was weirdly gristly.
Please don’t eat here thinking this is what real dim sum is like.

Café setting for a quick bit to eat dim sum. I had a Groupon and thought I would give this place a try.
I was okay with everything until I was standing in line at the cashier to submit and pay for my order until I saw a roach on the water cups. I picked up the cup, handed it to the worker and she just took it and walked away. By that reaction from the worker there, had me realize that this was probably not new to her and she probably has seen many before.

I agree with Michelle C’s review. The Dim Sum is more expensive than I’m used to paying, it is not as authentic as I’m used to eating and the selection isn’t as broad as I would expect.
However, if you’re a girl like me who dreams of Har Gau (shrimp balls), wakes up craving Congee (rice soup) and for who eating Gai Mei Bao (coconut bun, chicken tail or cocktail bun) is forever linked to the memory of my dad taking us to the chinese bakery after our weekend lunches in Chinatown, this place is heaven.
I went to Get Sum Dim Sum for lunch on Friday. It is a very casual restaurant. You order at the counter and they give you a number then bring you your food. This is perfect if you are eating alone, as I was. It is also perfect for take out, if you just need to grab something quick you can call ahead and then stop in to pick it up. It’s would not be that quick or easy at a traditional dim sum restaurant with cart service. I ordered a la carte. My food was delicious, not exactly what I’m used to getting at a more traditional Chinese restaurant but still very yum. The combos they offer seem like a very good value if you want something off their top 10 menu.
I’ve been thinking about going back every hour since I left. This place is definitely a mouth watering winner!

I used to eat the heck out of Dim Sum as a kid. You know, before I became all weird with the non-​animal consumption. Just kidding, but I just haven’t bothered to get my Dim Sum-​on in possibly decades.
Anyway, behold — a vegetarian/​vegan friendly Dim Sum joint. Bless you Austin for having such places.
initial impression — as such the case with many Austin restaurants — very nice aesthetics. Not to say that there was something unique about the interior of Get Sum, it was just extremely well-​lit and very clean. As I would notice throughout my short lunch here — the employees are very prompt to bus and wipe down the tables almost immediately after someone finishes their meal. That’s always something to be appreciated.
I can’t recall exactly all what we ordered but I did upload the photos. The menu is extremely helpful — noting what is vegetarian/​vegan. Takes the guesswork out and strikes out the need to engage in the usual, «Um so is this vegan?»
«Vegan? What’s that?»
Also quite nice that you can order a la carte or from a couple of other combos. If you’re indecisive like me, this sort of accommodation can mean everything. Just saying.
As for the actual food — it was decent, but I can’t say it was freaking amazing. Where do I get off saying that when I don’t have a point of reference?! Well I just do! The portions were modest, which I am totally fine with. I dunno, I was satiated, but it wasn’t like anything completely wowed me. The fried items were superbly greasy — like they had been fried and left to simmer in their oil. I can’t quite explain, but essentially — it was okay, but nothing excited me.
I believe the manager happened to be sitting a few tables over
She was kind enough to ask how everything was. Yes I realize that this is just a mechanical nicety a lot of managers do, but it emits the appearance that they really care about their customers’ satisfaction so consider me susceptible!
This place is more like a 3.5 stars in my mind, but the vegan-​friendliness, the nicely maintained restaurant, and friendly staff — it’s a four.

I love dim sum. I’m spoiled by east and west coast snobbery, I’ll admit, and it’s hard to impress me with Chinese food here — or anywhere. I’ve found a few places here where the dim sum is passable, and some is actually pretty good. I like this place because it means if I crave dim sum on a Thursday evening, I can «get sum,» as it were. This is a good thing.
But while it’s ok dim sum, it’s just ok. And the variety is not the same — if you’ve eaten here a few times, you’ve had everything you’re going to like and there is nothing new to discover, no hidden surprises lurking on the next cart. There is what there is. And I think I spend about as much here as I would at a traditional dim sum place, but get a lot less food. Just an impression, hard to be sure. I never really know what I’m paying in those places. And that’s ok. I don’t always know what I’m eating either.
The dumplings are pretty good, the pork bao is ok, not my favorite, the lotus-​wrapped meat and veggies is not my favorite either (and it’s one of my favorite dim sum dishes). The rice and noodles I don’t get anymore, as they’re pricey, small portions, and not all that good. The broccoli is pretty good. It’s all pretty good. Just not great. And really not that cheap either. Go for the Get Sum Combo — it’s the best value (I’ve done the math).
I’ll keep going when I «want sum dim sum» and the timing is off for a more traditional place. But I know what I’m in for. And that’s kind of the problem.

Get Sum Dim Sum is in a pretty good location on South Lamar, and the inside is very trendy. They have an expansive menu that I’d say is a step up from your normal Asian place. I got the combo with had seaweed wrapped tofu, steamed veggies (mostly bok choy) and steamed rice. The tofu was very tasty, but VERY salty and greasy. This place gets 3 stars because I typically like healthy, less heavy things. My friend liked her meal, which I believe was chicken dim sum.
Overall, this is a good place for a quick lunch, and given the portion size/​food quality, I’d say it’s a good value.

I’ll admit that I came here mostly because of the cute name… I’m such a sucker for good marketing. I tried the har gow, vegeterian dumpling, egg custard bao, and stuffed eggplant with shrimp. The har gow was good, but the rest were pretty mediocre. This is like fast food dim sum, so don’t go here with high expectations. I guess this could be a good place to satisfy dim sum cravings without wanting to invest time or gas.
My Thai iced tea was a big disappointment. It was filled to the very brim with ice, plus it was not well blended. It felt like I only got ¹⁄₃ of what I paid for… I could barely see the tea!

VENUE: cute cozy venue. Has two entrances so don’t be confused about where the line starts when you get there. I really like the artwork on the wall. It gives the place a kind of contemporary faux-​swanky vibe. Bathrooms are acceptable.
FOOD: This place has, what i would like to think as fast food dim sum. I mean, dim sum is technically fast food but this place a fast food vibe. All standard dim sum BUT i MUST comment on the egg custard. *Drools* The crust is flaky and crumbly and is absolute heaven. The actual custard itself is sweet and divine. Lol. i gave this place 3 stars originally but just tacked on the another one for the egg custard. But unlike standard dim sum restaurant, the servings in each dish are less than what you expect. So instead of four dumplings you’d only get three. Shame, really.
SERVICE: you go in, and get to write on the dry erasable menus, hand it to the cashier, pay and they’ll bring you food. Staff is generally friendly.

I can get dim sum in dallas, but I don’t have a ton of friends that like it, so normally I have to abstain. I was going to Killeen for a weekend and the thought of having to entertain myself the entire time in that town was starting to wear on me. So what do I do? Call on one of my good buddies in Austin to see if he’d be interested in some dim sum. Charles to the rescue :)
He named this place since the owner formerly had another place that was really good. This dim sum place is unlike any other that I’ve been to in that there is no cart service. You order at the counter like any fast casual place and they bring out your choices to the table. I dunno what the food prep is like in the kitchen but all our choices seemed fresh and hot and most importantly, tasty.
The siu mia chicken was particularly tasty and I was really happy that we ordered 3 plates of these, 1 for each of us. Spinach dumpling was pretty in the green wrapper, but I found it to be a tad underwhelming. Salt and pepper tofu had a delish relish type stuff that it was served with that I enjoyed immensely. Bok choy was fresh and well prepared and overall there wasn’t a single dish we got that I didn’t enjoy.
This was a fun concept of a restaurant and they had shirts on the wall that was adorned with «do you want sum?» on the front. Super cute, if not provocative. What’s not to like.

Yall ‘be shocked to find out there has never been a Dim Sum in Driftwood. I know its hard to fathom with all the progress we’ve made in these parts and years of growing for the future this type of cuisine hasn’t ventured into the Hill Country. I’ve also got Anthony Bourdain to thank for all those gratuitous shots of steamed buns on multiple No Reservations shows for my inspiration in visiting today. What would this country bumpkin think about his first experience?
The little and I arrived when they opened and surveyed the menu. Not knowing what anything was on the menu I just proceeded to pick things at random. It sounded like my granny and I at Bingo. A7, B33, C51 and so forth. I actually had to take photos of the menu so I could remember what it was I was gonna write about. If I remember correctly this was a Panda Express at one time so I’m glad to see something useful and tasty occupying this space. Moving on the food and as I check my camera shots we started with two steamed buns filled with BBQ pork and mushroom and chicken. I wasn’t crazy about the pork; but the chicken variety was really delicious. These buns seem like a patent infringement on the kolaches just down the road at Lone Star.
I then sampled the open face steamed chicken «Siu Mai» as they were out of my first choice. Steamed meats aren’t for everyone I guess. Call it a texture «thing» if you will. Good flavor yet somewhat in the Spam category. It wasn’t bad; just not what I expected. My next random choice was the stuffed eggplant and shrimp. Finally, something fried! This dish was worth the visit with its delicate batter and tangy sauce. A deep fried morsel will always be common ground for me. Next on the random sampling was the «Cha Siu» noodle wraps similar to crepes with pork and soy sauce. They were delicious was well.
Little Rooster enjoyed some fried rice and conquered his first attempt at using chop sticks. Three tiny morsels of rice made it in his mouth in ten minutes of trying; he’ll get it one day. He eventually gave up and switched to a spoon. The staff on today’s visit was friendly and attentive. Ol’ Rooster knows he looked and felt like a fish out of water trying to order today; but I think I did ok. I’m already planning a return visit with the wife in a couple of weeks. Three stars this time and with some guidance and research I’ll be back to Git Sum Mor

I was very excited when I saw a dim sum place on Lamar. I loved how it was decorated (it made me forget the location was once a Panda Express). I then expected to see a display of dim sum items behind the counter in the little steam trays, so I could just walk down the counter and say, «I will take that one… oh, and that one…» This was not the case.
It actually took me forever to figure out what I wanted for a couple of reasons. One, I couldn’t see what I could choose from. They do have pictures on the menu but everything looked the same. There wasn’t much variety for pot stickers. I ordered the shrimp and pork and while they had chunks of shrimp in them, they were just okay. In fact, they tasted just like the kind I can get frozen at the Hong Kong market. The curry chicken with potato had only one chunk of potato, two slivers of carrots, and a whole bucket of salt. I am not a fan of salty foods, but this was so salty I couldn’t eat more than three bites.
I have thought that I might give them a second chance. The pork buns looked tasty and they said they made them there. Also, the sesame balls I had were really good. The spinach pot stickers look like they are handmade, so maybe I should’ve stuck with those.

For a ‘fast food’ dim sum establishment this place is pretty good. I had the har gao (shrimp dumpling), siu mai pork (pork and shrimp dumpling), sesame seed ball, and the bbq pork bun. The combo for all of the items was $ 7.95 and I left very full.
The dumplings were meaty and came to my table with steam still rising from them. They were not as juicy as some of the dim sum places that are ‘cart style’. Still, the flavor was good enough when combined with some chili oil.
The only average item was the pork bun, which I could definitely skip next time. On the other hand I could eat a few of the sweet bean flavored sesame balls for dessert.
If you’ve never eaten here before it’s in a strip center sandwiched between a Chipotle and Starbucks with parking in the back.

Good Dim Sum in Austin! Yeah, that’s right, I said it! I’m from Houston and was in Austin for the weekend and when my friends said we could get Dim Sum in Austin, I was wary! I live near Chinatown in Houston and I *know* we have good Dim Sum, but Austin, really?!?
Get Sum Dim Sum is clean, bright, and new! That’s definitely a change from my usual haunts in H-​town. When you walk in, you get a menu of items, most with photos (that’s always a help). The ordering process is definitely unclear. I was glad to be there with regulars who knew you were supposed to grab a laminated menu and write directly on it. My husband and I decided to order a little of everything. Together we got 8 different items.
Loved it, try it:
Bao (pork in big puffy white dough)
all the dumplings pork and chicken!
Egg Custard pies (delicious and huge!)
Maybe you’ll like it, but we weren’t fans:
taro/​mushroom (too mushy) with the crunchy exterior
the pastry with the pork inside (the pastry was too dense)
Everything is made to order and brought out as it is ready. So glad there is NO MSG! We’d love to see some low sodium soy sauce on the tables.
Try this place out! I hope it stays around AND that is opens in Houston!

I’ve been to Get Some Dim Sum twice now. The good:
— Fast. Wicked fast.
— The Monday special (char siu and bok choy) was delish.
— When the dim sum is fresh, it’s quite tasty.
— Combo plates — very convenient. Also good when you have several different dietary restrictions at the same table (veg, gluten-​free, etc).
— Good options for vegetarians.
— Cheap relative to other dim sum in Austin.
The meh:
— Some of the portions are kind of small. The pastry wrapped char siu — one piece! What?
— Sometimes stuff seems not fully heated
— If it’s not as fresh, it’s not as tasty. I’m thinking early in the day is good.
— The selection on the menu is fairly limited and is missing some of my faves. Tofu-​wrapped pork, shrimp and cilantro dumplings, where art thou?
— The choice on the combos is limited to the «Top 10». No shrimp fun noodles for me.
Overall I’d really do a 3.5, but I’ll bump it to 4 stars because of the delicious convenience — it’s great for lunch. Still, for the full experience I’m still going to wait for the weekend and go to one of the more traditional restaurants.

(The only reason why this gets an «A-​OK» instead of a «Meh, I’ve experienced better» is because I’ve never had other fast food dim sum)
I drove past this place a couple of weeks ago and it caught my eye.
I tweeted about it.
Dim sum at any time? SCORE. Turnip cake allll daayyyy longggg.
But then I read the Unilocal reviews.
Mixed.
A lot of the negatives were about the taste so why bother through the hassle of finding parking during lunch (I hate the parking in that «complex» — the spots are so small!)?
Yet today, I had an insatiable craving for turnip cake & siu mai and limited time to venture out to get it. Fast food dim sum it is.
I got the spinach dumplings ($ 2.50 for 3 pcs), the pork siu mai ($ 2.50 for 3 pcs) and of course, the turnip cake ($ 2.50 for 3 pcs).
The spinach dumplings were not good though they photograph well (…). I didn’t like the spinach wrapper (I thought it was too thick and flavorless and piecey) and the filling wasn’t good tasting either. Not worth it. I had to seriously douse it in chili oil (a coworker walked by and pointed out that I had «red stuff» dribbling down my chin — I had no idea!).
The pork siu mai was good. Each piece was big and tasted fresh.
I’d get it again.
I have mixed feelings about getting the turnip cake again. It was as good as I expected but each piece was half the size of the ones I could get at the weekend dim sum restaurants. I think the price may be the same or similar too. Iffy.
The décor is nice — bright, saturated colors and the service is friendly. Overall, the taste of the food is good. I really like how there’s no MSG. Definitely not on par with a place like Chinatown (I really like their dim sum) or Dim Sum King in Houston and it’s a little pricey for what you get. Decrease the price by $ 0.50 and I may be a little more pleased.
I’d go again, but probably after 8:45 PM M-​Th for their 50% off to-​go deal:
p. s. I ordered a la carte… I didn’t look at any of the combos