We love the latest greatest AND the oldies but goodies! That’s why we suggest you try a “Something Old/Something New” approach when exploring the Queen City. Here we offer up a new-ish restaurant/brewery/venue/shop we enjoy and match it with a similar #OGclt spot that has stood the test of time in Charlotte.

Today, we want to suggest two restaurants where the goal is to fit as many small plates packed with big flavors on your table as possible. Gather your friends and feast together over a bounty of delicious Asian dishes in South End and Plaza Midwood this weekend!

South End Small Plates Galore!

SOMETHING NEW: Hawkers Asian Street Fare

It’s no secret that South End has been booming recently and the wave of new restaurants in the historic Charlotte neighboorhood brought along one of our favorite places to share a few dishes with friends: Hawkers Asain Street Fare. The restaurant, inspired by the hawker centers of Southeast Asia that house multiple food stalls that sell a wide variety of food, opened last February. (Happy almost birthday Hawkers!)

Hawkers has 30+ small plates (along with a selection of soups, noodle dishes and salads) to choose from so order a few for the table to share or a few all for yourself… we don’t judge here at The Biscuit! We recommend the Korean twice-fried wings, steamed baos and a Singapore chili crab to get you started.

We need some Dim Sum ASAP!

SOMETHING OLD: Dim Sum Chinese Restaurant

This Plaza Midwood eatery has been serving up dim sum at 2920 Central Ave since 1996. During every visit, you’ll feel like a kid in a candy shop watching their dim sum carts zip across the room carrying 30+ different small bite dishes as you say “Ooo I want that. And that. And some of that. Aaaaand that one, please!” Soon you’ll have an avalanche of steam baskets and small plates on your table loaded up with various delicacies such as steamed buns, dumplings, noodle crepes and shrimp toast, just to name a few. Dare we say that this #OGclt spot is…. all that and dim sum.

Disclaimer: Dim Sum Chinese Restaurant did close for a few months in 2017 to undergo renovations and change management but they’ve been full steam ahead with providing the QC with the same tasty dishes ever since reopening. And boy are we happy the dim sum carts are rolling once again! We will allow them to hold their status of #OGclt because 24 years of history more than makes up for those few months.

Another disclaimer: We don’t recommend challenging your friends to see who can eat the most plates of food in one sitting. Your stomach will be happy but you will have to take a nap for approximately 72 hours afterward. We know this from personal experience.