House of Chan: Dim Sum and Cantonese Cooking in Charleston

What House of Chan offers

House of Chan is a Cantonese restaurant in Charleston that specializes in dim sum service and traditional Cantonese dishes. The restaurant operates a cart-based dim sum service during lunch hours, where servers push carts through the dining room offering small plates of dumplings, buns, rolls, and other bite-sized items. You order by pointing to what you want as the carts pass your table, and the server marks your bill accordingly.

Beyond dim sum, House of Chan serves full Cantonese dinner entrees including roasted meats, seafood preparations, noodle dishes, and clay pot specialties. The menu reflects the cooking style of Guangdong province in southern China, where dim sum originated and where Cantonese cuisine emphasizes fresh ingredients, precise technique, and subtle seasoning.

Key Takeaways

• House of Chan offers cart-based dim sum service during lunch, where you select small plates as servers wheel carts through the dining room.
• The restaurant serves traditional Cantonese dinner entrees including roasted meats, seafood, noodles, and clay pot dishes alongside dim sum.
• Dim sum at House of Chan includes steamed dumplings, buns, rolls, and other small plates typical of Cantonese dim sum service.
• The restaurant is located in Charleston and draws both locals familiar with Cantonese cooking and visitors exploring the city's Chinese dining options.

How dim sum service works at House of Chan

When you arrive for dim sum, you are seated and given a small card or sheet where servers mark each plate you select. As carts roll past your table, you point to the items you want—steamed shrimp dumplings, pork buns, spring rolls, chicken feet, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf, and dozens of other options depending on what the kitchen has prepared that day. The server places the plate on your table and marks your bill.

You can order as many or as few plates as you like, and the meal continues until you signal you are finished. The bill is calculated based on the number and type of plates you ordered. This style of service—called yum cha in Cantonese—is the traditional way dim sum is served in Hong Kong and Guangdong, and it remains the most common format in Chinese restaurants across North America that offer dim sum.

Typical dim sum items you will encounter

House of Chan's dim sum cart typically includes har gow (shrimp dumplings wrapped in translucent wheat starch), siu mai (open-topped pork and shrimp dumplings), char siu bao (steamed buns filled with barbecued pork), and cheung fun (rolled rice noodles, often filled with shrimp, pork, or vegetables). You will also find items like chicken feet in black bean sauce, sticky rice in lotus leaf, egg custard tarts, and sesame balls filled with red bean paste.

The specific items available change based on what the kitchen prepares each day, so the carts you see at lunch on Monday may differ from those on Friday. Many dim sum restaurants, including House of Chan, prepare items in batches throughout the service, so arriving earlier in the lunch period generally means more variety on the carts.

Dinner service and full Cantonese menu

Outside of dim sum hours, House of Chan serves a full dinner menu of Cantonese entrees. These include whole roasted duck or chicken, stir-fried dishes with vegetables and protein, seafood preparations like steamed fish or shrimp with ginger and scallions, and clay pot rice dishes where ingredients are cooked together in a traditional earthenware vessel. Many Cantonese restaurants also offer chow mein, chow fun, and other noodle dishes at dinner.

The dinner menu at House of Chan reflects Cantonese cooking principles: emphasis on the natural flavor of ingredients, quick cooking at high heat for stir-fries, and careful balance of texture and taste. If you are unfamiliar with Cantonese cuisine, asking your server for recommendations based on what is fresh that day is a common and welcomed approach.

Location and hours in Charleston

House of Chan is located in Charleston and operates during typical restaurant hours. Dim sum service is generally available during lunch hours, typically from late morning through early afternoon, though hours vary by day. Dinner service runs into the evening.

Because dim sum service requires active kitchen and cart staff, it is not available during all operating hours—calling ahead or checking the restaurant's current hours before visiting ensures you arrive during dim sum service if that is what you are planning to order.

What to know before you visit

Dim sum is meant to be a social, leisurely meal where you sample many small dishes rather than order one large entree. Arriving with an open mind about unfamiliar items—and asking your server what something is before ordering—is part of the experience. Many dim sum items are prepared fresh throughout service, so if you see something you want, ordering it when the cart passes is better than waiting, as the kitchen may not prepare another batch.

House of Chan accepts both cash and card payment. The restaurant can accommodate groups, and dim sum service works well for parties because everyone can order different items and share. If you have dietary restrictions or allergies, inform your server when you are seated, as they can guide you toward items that fit your needs and alert the kitchen to avoid cross-contamination.

Cantonese cuisine and Charleston's Chinese dining

Cantonese cooking is one of the eight major regional cuisines of China and is the style most commonly found in Chinese restaurants across the United States, particularly in cities with long Chinese immigration history. Charleston's Chinese dining scene includes restaurants representing different regional styles, and House of Chan represents the Cantonese tradition specifically.

If you are exploring Chinese restaurants in Charleston, understanding that different regions of China have distinct cooking styles—Sichuan is spicy and uses numbing peppers, Hunan emphasizes chili heat, Cantonese focuses on subtle seasoning and ingredient quality—helps you choose what to order and what to expect from the menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to order dim sum, or can I just order from the dinner menu?

You can order from the dinner menu during any service hours. Dim sum is available during lunch service, but if you prefer a full entree instead of small plates, the restaurant serves those at both lunch and dinner. Call ahead if you want to confirm what service style is available at the time you plan to visit.

What if I do not recognize an item on the dim sum cart?

Ask your server what it is before you order it. Servers at dim sum restaurants are accustomed to this question and can describe the filling, cooking method, and main ingredients. This is a normal part of dim sum service, especially for first-time visitors or those unfamiliar with Cantonese food.

Is dim sum expensive?

Dim sum pricing varies by item—some plates cost less, others more—and your total bill depends on how many plates you order. A typical dim sum meal for one person runs moderate in cost, and the format allows you to control spending by ordering only what you want. Dim sum is designed as a sampling meal, so ordering three to five plates per person is common.

Can I make a reservation for dim sum?

Policies vary by restaurant. Some dim sum restaurants take reservations, others operate first-come, first-served. Contact House of Chan directly to ask about their reservation policy, especially if you are planning to visit with a large group.

What is the difference between dim sum and regular Chinese food?

Dim sum refers to a specific service style and category of small dishes, not a regional cuisine. Dim sum is Cantonese in origin and consists of small plates meant for sharing and sampling. Regular Chinese restaurant entrees are typically larger single portions. House of Chan offers both formats depending on when you visit and what you order.