"Dim sum" is a rendition of the Cantonese pronunciation for the characters a little bit and heart. In Mandarin, it is pronounced "dian xin." Frequently sold on carts on the streets in China, there are dim sum restaurants in many American cities, from San Francisco to Dallas. It was traditionally a breakfast or brunch meal in China, but has become more generic in recent years; there are even dessert varieties. Many dim sum restaurants in the USA are a la carte, with your tab tallied by the number of platters on your table at the end of the meal.