We’ve all grabbed a dimmie at the footy or from a fish and chip shop, but have you ever stopped and wondered: who actually invented the dim sim? It’s one of those questions that seems simple, but the answer is tied up with migration, family stories, and a bit of Aussie ingenuity.

Meet William Chen Wing Young

The name you need to know is William Chen Wing Young, a Chinese-Australian businessman in Melbourne in the 1940s. At his restaurant, Wing Lee, he noticed Australians were curious about Chinese food, especially the little pork-and-prawn dumplings known as siu mai. Trouble was, they were fiddly, small, and not exactly built for mass appeal. Wing Young saw an opportunity.

Adapting Siu Mai for Australia

He took the siu mai idea and turned it into something heartier: bigger, pepperier, with thicker skins and a filling that mixed pork, beef, cabbage, and whatever meat was available during the war years (mutton, veal, even chicken at times). Unlike dainty yum cha dumplings, these were built tough: they could be steamed, fried, frozen, and shipped by the thousands.

The Fish and Chip Shop Moment

Here’s where the story really gets interesting. According to family legend, William’s son Tom dropped some of these dim sims off at a fish and chip shop in Mordialloc. The owner, Joe, decided to throw them in the deep fryer, and just like that, the fried dimmie was born. It was an instant hit. From there, dim sims went from Chinatown curiosity to a staple of suburban Australia.

A Family and Cultural Legacy

William’s daughter, Elizabeth Chong, later became one of Australia’s best-known cooking teachers and TV food presenters. She’s spent years telling the story of her father’s invention, pointing out that while he didn’t exactly “invent” dumplings, he made dim sims what they are today, a truly Australian food.

The original business, Wing Lee, didn’t last forever. After William retired, it was taken over by bigger brands like Marathon and Chien Wah. But the dim sim lived on, finding its way into every fish and chip shop, supermarket freezer, and sporting ground in Victoria.

An Aussie Icon

So, who invented the dim sim? The credit goes to William Chen Wing Young, a man who turned a traditional Chinese dumpling into something uniquely Australian. The next time you bite into a dimmie, whether steamed or fried, you’re tasting a little piece of history that’s as Melbourne as it gets.

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Plenty of foods are loved in Melbourne, but few are as closely tied to the city’s identity as the humble dim sim. For locals, dimmies aren’t just something you grab when you’re hungry, they’re woven into the rhythm of the city. Which raises the question: why are dim sims so popular in Melbourne?

The Invention That Started It All

It all began with William Chen Wing Young, who came up with the dim sim in the 1940s. His idea was simple: make a dumpling-style snack that was bigger, pepperier, and built for mass production. By moving beyond traditional Chinese restaurants, his creation quickly found its way into fish and chip shops, sporting grounds, and markets. That accessibility made dim sims part of everyday life, not just a special occasion food.

A Bridge Between Cultures

Dim sims were one of the first truly multicultural foods in Melbourne. They gave Australians a taste of Chinese-inspired flavours at a time when many were hesitant to try traditional dumplings. In doing so, they helped build a bridge between cultures. Long before “fusion” became a buzzword, dim sims were showing how flavours could adapt and belong to more than one community.

Ritual and Loyalty

Food is never just about eating, it’s about the experience. For Melburnians, dim sims are tied to rituals: lining up at South Melbourne Market for a giant peppery dimmie, grabbing one at the footy, or debating which suburban shop makes the best. Places like Moon Palace, Seven Stars, and Tai Wah have built loyal followings because eating there feels like being part of something bigger.

Comfort and Nostalgia

Dim sims also carry a sense of comfort. For many, they’re tied to memories of childhood market trips, Friday night takeaways, or late-night snacks with friends. That mix of nostalgia and flavour explains why dim sims remain so deeply loved in Melbourne. They’re more than a bite of food, they’re a bite of history.

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The first thing that jumps out is the colour blocking. Grey suede on one panel, purple suede on the next, all stitched together in that classic Gel-Lyte III form. It shouldn’t work, but it does — perfectly. Then you notice the little touches. The glow-in-the-dark stripes on the side are subtle during the day but light up like neon backstreet signs at night. The collar lined in purple satin gives it a luxe vibe, like something you’d expect from a boutique collab, not a mass release.

Branding is cleverly done too. On the mismatched heel overlays you’ve got Atmos on one side, Sneaker Freaker on the other — a nod to the two collaborators who brought this shoe to life. The EVA midsole is lightweight and comfortable, with a splash of speckled purple paint along the sidewall to tie the whole colour scheme together.

On foot, they feel every bit as good as they look. ASICS’ Gel cushioning still holds up decades after its debut, and the split tongue design is as weirdly practical as ever. But really, these are less about performance and more about vibe. They tell a story — of alleys, subcultures, and two cities connected by sneaker love.

For me, they’re more than just another collab. They’re proof that when you miss a drop but really want the shoe, it’s worth chasing it down. Even if StockX makes you pay the “ouch” tax.

The post ASICS Gel-Lyte III OG Sneaker Freaker Atmos Alley Cats appeared first on Dave Hooper.

The dim sim might look like a cousin of Chinese dim sum, but make no mistake, it’s a truly Australian invention. Its story begins in Melbourne during the 1940s, when the Chinese community was looking for ways to share their food with mainstream Australians. Traditional dumplings were tasty but too fiddly and small for local appetites. What was needed was something bigger, heartier, and built for mass appeal.

William Chen Wing Young’s Invention

Enter William Chen Wing Young, a Chinese-born restaurateur and entrepreneur. He spotted the potential in siu mai dumplings and decided to adapt them for Australia. His version was larger, peppery, and wrapped in a thick flour-based skin. Crucially, it was tough enough to handle steaming, frying, freezing, and bulk transport, perfect for a country that loved its takeaway.

Rising Popularity Across Melbourne

At first, dim sims were sold in Chinatown restaurants and through Wing Young’s factory. But their big breakthrough came when they found their way into fish and chip shops and footy grounds. Suddenly, you didn’t need to go into the city for Chinese food, you could grab a dimmie on the way home or at half-time. By the 1960s and 70s, dim sims had become a Melbourne staple, popping up in milk bars, canteens, and corner shops everywhere.

From Niche to Icon

Over time, the dim sim went from curiosity to cultural icon. South Melbourne Market dim sims built their own cult following. Shops like Moon Palace, Tai Wah, and Seven Stars added their own spin, and frozen packs appeared in supermarket freezers across the country. Dimmies were no longer just Chinese-Australian food, they were part of the Aussie diet.

A Cultural Legacy

The history of dim sims in Australia is about more than food. It’s a story of migration, adaptation, and community. The dim sim bridged cultures and, in the process, became one of Melbourne’s most recognisable street foods. Today, dimmies sit right alongside meat pies and lamingtons as a symbol of what it means to eat, and live, in Australia.

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The GT 2 silhouette is classic ASICS — reliable, wearable, and low-key stylish. But this collab adds a twist. The botanical-inspired design is subtle but fresh, pulling earthy greens across the suede upper with layered detailing that makes the shoe feel rich without being loud. It’s the kind of sneaker that looks as good with jeans as it does with cargos or shorts.

Comfort is standard ASICS greatness. The GEL midsole makes these an easy all-day wear, and the GT 2 has that slightly retro runner vibe that feels timeless. It’s not chasing hype, it’s just a clean, thoughtful design with enough story behind it to make you appreciate what’s on foot.

What I really like is how this collab reflects Melbourne sneaker culture. Up There has been holding it down as one of the city’s premier sneaker spots, and seeing them team with ASICS — a brand I already love — was a no-brainer. The release felt authentic, not forced.

Dropped on May 6, 2022, the Botanical Union GT 2 might not have set resale charts on fire, but it didn’t need to. It’s one of those sneakers that reminds you why you collect in the first place — for the design, the story, and the personal connection.

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February 8th, 1983 I was a year 9 student at Camberwell Grammar School. That afternoon I was in the library, which had an elevated view back towards the city. It was a good place to be, because it was air conditioned. It reached 43 degrees that day, it was stinking hot.

Suddenly the calm and orderly business of the library was interrupted by shouts. As I rushed to the window to see what the fuss was about, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

A HUGE dust cloud was making it’s way across the city headed east. I had never seen anything like it, it felt positively apocalyptic. This probably added to the feeling of impending doom I had when I attended the Stop the Drop concert just five days later.

This isn’t my pic, but it gives you a sense of what it was like;

It was estimated that about 50,000 tonnes of topsoil were stripped from the Mallee. The combined effect of drought and dust storm inflicted damage on the land that, according to the then President of the Victorian Farmers and Graziers’ Association, would take up to 10 years and tens of millions of dollars to repair.

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