Yummy House in Columbia: Dim Sum, Hand-Pulled Noodles, and Sichuan Specialties

What Yummy House serves and where to find it

Yummy House is a Sichuan and Cantonese restaurant in Columbia's Five Points neighborhood, known for hand-pulled noodles, dim sum carts, and fiery Sichuan dishes that balance heat with numbing spice. The menu draws from two distinct regional Chinese cuisines: the delicate, technique-driven cooking of Guangdong province (Cantonese) and the bold, chile-forward flavors of Sichuan in central China. You'll find it at 2104 Greene Street, a short walk from the University of South Carolina campus.

The restaurant operates a traditional dim sum service during lunch hours, with carts rolling through the dining room so you can point to what you want. Dinner shifts toward larger plates—mapo tofu, chow fun, whole steamed fish, and noodle soups that arrive in bowls deep enough to require both hands. The space itself is casual and bright, with red lanterns and simple wooden tables that fill quickly on weekends.

Key Takeaways

• Dim sum service runs during lunch hours with carts circulating the dining room, so arrive early or expect a wait on weekends.
• Hand-pulled noodles and Sichuan dishes are house specialties, and the kitchen will adjust spice levels if you ask before ordering.
• Yummy House is cash-friendly but also takes cards; parking is street-level on Greene Street or in nearby Five Points lots.
• The restaurant fills quickly during lunch and weekend dinner service, so calling ahead during peak times can save you a long wait.

Dim sum: what to order and how it works

Dim sum at Yummy House follows the traditional Cantonese cart system. Servers push metal carts laden with bamboo steamers through the dining room; you flag them down, lift the lid, and point to what you want. They mark your table's card, and you pay by the number of plates at the end of the meal. Prices run low—most items cost between $3 and $6 per plate—so you can sample widely without spending much.

Signature items include har gow (shrimp dumplings with a delicate, translucent wrapper), siu mai (open-topped pork and shrimp dumplings), char siu bao (steamed buns filled with barbecued pork), and cheung fun (silky rice noodle rolls, often filled with shrimp or char siu). The kitchen also sends out egg custard tarts, chicken feet in black bean sauce, and sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf. Arrive before noon on weekends if you want the full range; popular items sell out by 1 p.m.

Hand-pulled noodles and Sichuan heat

The hand-pulled noodles—called la mian in Chinese—are made fresh to order. You watch the cook stretch and fold the dough, then drop it into boiling broth. The noodles arrive chewy and slightly irregular, which is the point: the varied thickness means some strands are tender and others have more bite. Common versions include beef noodle soup, chicken noodle soup, and a vegetarian option with bok choy and mushrooms.

Sichuan dishes here lean into the region's signature numbing-and-hot flavor profile, created by Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chiles. Mapo tofu—silken tofu cubes in a fiery, oily sauce with ground pork—is a standard order. Chongqing chicken (la zi ji) arrives as bite-sized pieces tossed with whole dried chiles and peanuts; it looks intimidating and tastes even hotter. If you're new to Sichuan food, tell your server your heat tolerance before ordering. The kitchen can dial it back without losing the flavor.

Other dishes worth ordering

Beyond noodles and Sichuan specialties, Yummy House does solid Cantonese classics. Whole steamed fish arrives with ginger, scallions, and a light soy sauce; the kitchen will prepare it with any fish available that day. Chow fun (wide rice noodles) comes with beef, shrimp, or vegetables, wok-fried until the noodles char slightly at the edges. Salt-and-pepper squid is crispy and tender, dusted with fried garlic and scallions.

Fried rice and chow mein round out the menu, along with soups like wonton noodle soup and hot-and-sour soup. Portions are generous, and most entrees cost between $10 and $16. The restaurant does not have a large dessert menu, but the dim sum carts usually include almond cookies and sesame balls.

Hours, parking, and payment

Yummy House opens for dim sum lunch service around 11 a.m. and closes around 3 p.m., then reopens for dinner at 5 p.m. Hours vary slightly by day, so calling ahead (803-799-8888) confirms they're open before you head over. Dinner service runs until 10 p.m. most nights. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Parking is street-level on Greene Street or in the Five Points parking lots a short walk away. The restaurant accepts both cash and cards, though cash moves faster during busy lunch service. Reservations are not taken for dim sum, but you can call to ask about wait times during peak hours. For dinner, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, a reservation is worth making.

Why Yummy House matters in Columbia's food scene

Authentic dim sum and hand-pulled noodles are not common in South Carolina, and Yummy House fills a real gap. The restaurant does not cut corners—the dim sum wrappers are made in-house, the noodles are pulled by hand, and the Sichuan dishes use whole spices rather than pre-made pastes. For students, families, and anyone craving genuine regional Chinese cooking, it's become a reliable spot in Five Points.

The casual, no-frills atmosphere also matters. There's no tablecloth pretense, no fusion menu, no attempt to Americanize the food. You get what you'd eat in Guangzhou or Chengdu, at prices that make it easy to return often. That authenticity and accessibility have made Yummy House a fixture in Columbia since it opened.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know Chinese to order dim sum?

No. The carts come to your table, and you simply point to what you want. If you're unsure what something is, ask your server—they can explain the filling and ingredients. Most items are labeled in English on the cart.

How spicy is the Sichuan food really?

It ranges from warm to very hot, depending on the dish. Mapo tofu is moderately spicy; Chongqing chicken is significantly hotter. Tell your server your tolerance before ordering, and they'll recommend dishes or ask the kitchen to adjust the heat level.

What's the best time to go if I want a short wait?

Weekday lunches are quietest, especially Tuesday through Thursday before noon. Weekend dim sum service (Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) fills quickly. Dinner on weeknights is usually manageable; Friday and Saturday dinner can have 30-minute waits without a reservation.

Can I get dim sum at dinner?

No, dim sum service is lunch only. Dinner is à la carte ordering from the menu. If you want dim sum, plan to visit between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Is there parking nearby?

Yes. Street parking is available on Greene Street, and Five Points has dedicated lots within a two-minute walk. The restaurant itself does not have a private lot, but parking is rarely difficult to find except during peak weekend lunch hours.