Pork and shrimp dumplings wrapped in thin wonton skins and steamed until juicy, served with a soy-calamansi dip and chili oil. A Filipino-Chinese street food and pulutan staple, sold everywhere from mall food courts to sidewalk carts.
Siomai arrived with Chinese immigrant cooking and settled firmly into Filipino street food culture, where it's sold hot from bamboo steamers at food carts nationwide, usually alongside a squeeze bottle of soy sauce, a pile of calamansi halves, and a jar of chili oil for topping to taste.
The open top is the giveaway — unlike a fully sealed dumpling, siomai is gathered up around the filling and left open at the top, so a bit of the pork-and-shrimp mixture peeks out. That open shape also means the filling steams quickly and evenly, which is part of why siomai is such reliable, fast street food.
Keep wrappers covered with a damp towel while you work — they dry out and crack quickly once exposed to air.
Siomai is an open-topped dumpling wrapped in a thin wonton skin; siopao is a fully enclosed steamed bun made with a yeasted dough. They're both steamed and both Filipino-Chinese in origin, but very different in size and texture.
Yes — freeze the shaped, uncooked dumplings on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag. Steam straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the steaming time.
Yes — fried siomai is a common street-food variation. Steam first until cooked through, then pan-fry briefly in a little oil until the bottoms turn golden and crisp.
