Okay, so I decided the other day, I really wanted to try making some proper dim sum at home. Not the frozen stuff, you know? The real deal. And for that, I knew I needed a proper bamboo steamer basket. My old metal one just wasn’t cutting it, felt wrong somehow.
Starting the Hunt
First thing I did was check online, just a quick search you know, “dim sum basket singapore”. Got a bunch of results, mostly online shops, some quite pricey. I wasn’t sure about buying one without seeing it first. Size and quality, you know? It’s hard to tell from a picture.
So, next weekend, I thought I’d hit the shops. Started with the big department stores in town, the ones with fancy kitchenware sections. Found some steamers, yeah, but mostly metal ones, or really expensive branded bamboo ones that looked more decorative than practical. Not quite what I had in mind. I wanted something traditional, something sturdy that felt like it would actually get used a lot.
Exploring the Neighbourhoods
Then I tried some of the neighbourhood kitchen supply shops, those HDB heartland places. They’re usually great for finding no-nonsense stuff. Found loads of woks, cleavers, plates… but the steamer baskets? A bit hit and miss. Saw a few flimsy looking ones, felt like they’d fall apart after a couple of uses. I almost gave up and thought about ordering online again.
But then I remembered Chinatown. Should’ve gone there first, really! So, the next Saturday morning, I took the MRT down there. It was bustling, lots of smells and sounds. I spent a good hour just wandering through the market area and popping into different shops selling cookware and household goods.
Success in Chinatown
Bingo! Tucked away in one of the side streets, I found this shop crammed floor to ceiling with kitchen stuff. And there they were – stacks and stacks of bamboo steamer baskets. All sizes, from tiny single-person ones to huge ones that could feed an army.
- They had different tiers available.
- The quality felt much better than the others I’d seen.
- The bamboo smelled nice and fresh.
I spent some time picking them up, checking the weave, making sure they fit snugly together. The uncle in the shop was helpful, didn’t pressure me, just let me browse. I finally settled on a nice 10-inch, two-tier basket with a lid. Felt solid, well-made, and the price was very reasonable, much better than the department stores.
Bringing it Home
Carried it home feeling quite pleased with myself. Gave it a good wash as instructed, just with water, and let it air dry. The smell of bamboo filled the kitchen, felt quite authentic!
Later that evening, I couldn’t resist trying it out. Didn’t have time to make dim sum from scratch, so I steamed up some frozen har gow and siew mai I had. Lined the basket with some greaseproof paper I poked holes in (didn’t have cabbage leaves handy). Put the wok on, filled it with water, placed the basket on top once the water boiled.
It worked perfectly! The steam flowed through nicely, the dumplings cooked evenly, and they had that lovely subtle bamboo aroma you just don’t get from a metal steamer. Clean-up was easy too, just a quick rinse and air dry again.
So yeah, that was my little adventure finding a dim sum basket in Singapore. Definitely worth heading to Chinatown or perhaps the specific kitchen supply places if you want a proper, traditional one without paying a fortune. Happy I made the effort!
