[Hong Kong] One of the major reasons why foodies go to Hong Kong, is for their dim sum – from the steamed, baked, pan-fried to deep fried.
The Hong Kong yum cha experience is indeed one of a kind, where people gather with family and friends for a loud and happy dining affair.
Those listed here include the Michelin restaurants such as Lung King Heen and Tin Lung Heen, to those that tourists often queue up for – such as One Dim Sum and Ling Heung – which remains as a ‘nightmare’ experience for non-Cantonese speakers like me.
Here are 12 Must Try Dim Sum Restaurants In Hong Kong: (and of course, the list will continue to expand in time to come)
Lung King Heen 龍景軒
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, Podium 4, 8 Finance Street, Central (Hong Kong MTR)
Tel: +852 3196 8888 (Reservations 1-2 months ahead required. www.fourseasons.com)
Opening Hours: 12:00pm – 2:30 pm; 6pm – 10:30 pm (Mon – Sun)
Lung King Heen at Four Seasons Hotel was the world’s first Chinese restaurant and once the only Cantonese restaurant in Hong Kong awarded the coveted maximum of 3 Michelin stars.
Currently, both Lung King Heen and Tang Court are awarded 3 stars in the Hong Kong Michelin Guide 2019.
With a name that means “view of the dragon”, it almost feels that you are walking into a palace with an open dining hall offering a panorama of the Victoria Harbour.
Executive Chef Chan Yan Tak does an amazing job with creating menus serving exquisite delicate dim sum, with popular items including Steamed Lobster and Scallop Dumpling, Baked Whole Abalone Puff with Diced Chicken and Steamed Shrimp and Pork Dumplings with Crab Roe.
Be prepared to pay at least 3-4 more than the usual dim sum restaurants.
While I was not blown away by all the dishes, also partly I expected much more from a 3-star place, it was a meal that was still memoprable. You wish there are more of such restaurants that would put oriental dishes on the world map. (Read: Lung King Heen 龍景軒)
Tin Lung Heen 天龍軒
102/F, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon MTR)
Tel: +852 2263 2270 (Reservations required)
Opening Hours: 12:00pm – 2:30pm, 6:00pm – 10:30pm (Mon to Fri), 11:30am – 3:00pm, 6:00pm – 10:30pm (Sat to Sun)
The view literally stole my breath away, the food did too. Located on Level 102 of the Ritz Carlton, the 2-star Michelin restaurant is dramatically elegant with a picturesque view.
Service is top-notch gentlemanly.
Chef Paul Lau Ping Lui is one of the top Cantonese chefs in Hong Kong, and items such as the Steamed Golden Shrimp Dumplings with Bambo Shoots and Asparagus (HKD86), Baked Abalone Puffs with Roasted Goose (HKD116), Foie Gras Dumplings wrapped with Shredded Pastry (HKD78), and famed Iberico Pork BBQ Char Siu (HKD268) are must-tries.
While the bill turned out to be quite substantial (slightly more than a hundred Sing per person), the entire experience at Tin Lung Heen was worth its price. High in level, high in price, but high quality in taste. (Read: Tin Lung Heen 天龍軒)
Sun Tung Lok 新同樂
4/F, Miramar Shopping Centre, 132 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Exit B2)
Tel: +852 2152 1417 (Reservations required)
Opening Hours: 11:30pm – 3:00pm, 6:00pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Sun Tung Lok was the 1st non-hotel eatery and 2nd Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong to receive 3 Michelin stars (the first being Lung King Heen). Now it has 2.
The restaurant founded in 1969 is surprisingly off-the-radar, at least to Singaporeans.
I didn’t get the sense of super glamour and magnificence upon enter the restaurant, which could imply their food surely impresses.
Their creations strike a balance between being traditional in taste and innovative in terms of choice of ingredients.
Every dim sum item I ordered was remarkable and a stamp of high quality. The Royal Dessert Platter (HKD188 serves 2) has the most amazing Salted Custard Bird Nest Glutinous Rice Balls and Osmathus Jelly. (Read: Sun Tung Lok 新同樂)
f*ck Lam Moon 福臨門
Shop 3, G/F, Newman House 35-45 Johnston Road, Wanchai Hong Kong (10 min walk from Wan Chai MTR)
Tel: +852 2866 0663 (Reservations required)
53-59 Kimberley Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon Tsim Sha Tsui MTR, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2366 0286
Opening Hours: Lunch 11:30am-3pm (Mon-Sat), 11am-3pm (Sun). Dinner 6-11pm Daily
f*ck Lam Moon 福臨門 is known to be a popular Chinese restaurant for the rich and famous, with a status of being the ‘Cafeteria for the Wealthy’.
The regular dim sum is pricier than the usual restaurants, with each basket or dish costing between HKD50 – HKD60.
I would recommend the Baked BBQ Buns, Deep Fried Beancurd Skin with Prawns and Salted Custard Liu Sha Bao, mainly done the old-school way. The rich has been loyal supporters, and it shows through its food quality.
If you have the chance, get their Roast Chicken. f*ck Lam Moon’s chicken is un-doubly one of the best Chicken style roasts I ever had, with such paper-thin crispy skin, enveloping lustrously juicy meat marinated in a homemade sauce. (Read: f*ck Lam Moon 福臨門 )
Cuisine Cuisine 國金軒
3/F, The Mira Hong Kong, 118 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (10 min walk from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Exit B2)
Tel: +852 2315 5222 (Reservations required)
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm & 6:00pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Sat), 10:30am – 3:00pm & 6:00pm -10:30pm (Sun & PH)
Cuisine Cuisine, located at one of my favourite hotels in Hong Kong at The Mira, has a different take to dim sum – with a mix of traditional and nouvelle Cantonese styles, and taste is not compromised.
The restaurant is sleek classy in emerald green, suitable for business lunches as well.
The Pan Fried Turnip Cakes with Parma Ham and Prawns in XO Chilli Sauce (HKD68) is one of the best and most memorable I ever eaten (plus it’s photogenic), and its Steamed Wild Mushroom and Black Truffle Dumplings, Baked Barbecued Pork Buns (HKD58 for 3 pieces) and Shanghai Steamed Xiao Long Bao (HKD48) are all made delicately, are rich and of high quality.
Lei Garden Restaurant Group 利苑酒家
Shop No. 3007-3011, 3/F., International Finance Centre IFC, Central, Hongkong (Central MTR)
Tel.No.: +852 2295 0238 (Reservations required)
Opening Hours: 11:30 am – 3:00 pm, Dinner: 6:00 pm – 11:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Branches at Elements, Kowloon Bay Telford Plaza 1, Kwun Tong Millennium City 5, Mong Kok, North Point City Garden, Sha Tin New Town Plaza, Tsim Sha Tsui Houston Centre, Wan Chai CNT Tower
If there is one word to describe the Lei Garden group, it would be ‘consistency’.
Two of their restaurants (Kwun Tong and Mong Kok branches) have a Michelin star, and the “Principal” Mr Chan and his chefs make it a point to taste its food every day.
They were the ones who created the oh-so-famous XO sauce, and Chilled Mango Sago with Grape Fruit dessert, and customers never fail to order their classic-double boiled soups.
While not all dim sum items are hits, most would be better than the average restaurant out there.
One Harbour Road 港灣壹號
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (Wan Chai MTR)
Tel: +852 2584 7722 (Reservations required)
Opening Hours: 12:00 – 2:30pm, 6:30pm – 10:30pm (Mon-Sat), 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6:30pm – 10:30pm (Sun)
Located at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong at Wan Chai, One Harbour Road has a view of all views to beat, facing the famous Victoria Harbour where you can see both Hong Kong island and Kowloon if you get the best spots.
The duplex restaurant has a grandeur Shanghainese mansion feel, complete with the fully carpeted floors and plates each with a different floral design.
Service is also unparalleled – very attentive, individualized.
The One Harbour Road’s Dim Sum Garden meant for two persons (HKD208) is a gorgeous basket combination with eight pieces of delicate items such as Steamed Dumpling with Truffle. Good quality though not without its flaws. (Read: One Harbour Road)
One Dim Sum 一點心
G/F Shop 1 & 2, 15 Playing Field Road, Kenwood Mansion, Prince Edward, Hong Kong (Prince Edward MTR)
Tel: +852 2789 2280
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 12:30am (Mon – Fri); 10:00am – 12:30am (Sat – Sun)
Google Maps – One Dim Sum
Once upon a time, One Dim Sum 一點心 was a small, low-key dim sum joint in Prince Edward. That was before it earned its Michelin star in 2011 and 2012.
Though it didn’t manage to retain the star, it remains packed with tourists and regulars who return again and again for its traditional dim sum.
The entire menu is classified into crispy dim sum, steamed vermicelli roll, buns, steamed dumplings, desserts, congees, vegetables, steamed rice, and Chinese dim sum. Lots of vegetarian options here.
Recommended ones are Steamed Minced Beef Ball (HKD18, SGD3.00), Steamed Dumpling in Chiu Chow Style (HKD16, SGD2.67), Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (HKD27, SGD4.50), and Steamed Vermicelli Roll with Deep Fried Flour Rolls (HKD21, SGD3.50).
But, but, but… in terms of the quality of the dim sum, I won’t say there were any items that were screamed-out-loud delicious. Definitely better than the average, but lacking in the finesse. One Dim Sum 一點心 (Prince Edward, Hong Kong)
Famous Dim Sum 名點心
No. 7 Playing Field Road, Prince Edward, Hong Kong (Prince Edward Exit A)
太子運動場道7號B地舖
Tel: +852 2398 3183
Opening Hours: 7am – 11pm (Mon – Sun)
Famous Dim Sum 名點心 is an underrated dim sum place that is a few steps away from the famous One Dim Sum 一點心 but without the snaking queue.
Also located on Playing Field Road, you would easily dismiss it since there isn’t as much foot traffic outside the shop.
Opened since 2015, this hole-in-the-wall restaurant is relatively new to the block but they are certainly no strangers to the dim sum game.
I recommend the Dim Sum Platter consisting of 4 different sampling items, which would be perfect if you were dining alone or with just a friend.
The Dim Sum Platter was at a ridiculously inexpensive HKD40 (SGD6.80) and consisted of 2 pieces each of Har Gow (prawn dumplings), Char Siew Bao (roast pork bun), Vegetable and Prawn Dumplings, and Chiu Chou Dumpling.
Usually I tend to over-order at dim sum places because I simply want to try everything on the menu. But this platter was perfect for sampling a bit of everything without overdoing it. I wished more places would offer tasting platters like this. Famous Dim Sum 名點心 (Prince Edward, Hong Kong)
Luk Yu Tea House 陸羽茶室
24-26 Stanley Street, Central (Central or Sheung Wan MTR)
Tel: +852 2523 5464
Opening Hours: 7am – 5pm (Mon – Sun)
For a taste of old traditional Hong Kong tea house, Luk Yu that has been opened since 1933 would be a perfect backdrop.
You almost feel that you are entering a Cantonese movie set, with the elderly service staff dressed in white urging to order Chinese tea.
Dim sum are about HKD40 per basket at least, with the usual recommendations including steamed rice with duck meat wrapped in fresh lotus leaves, deep-fried Chinese ham-and-chicken meat pie, and jumbo-size chicken bun.
I say you can come here if you want to experience old Hong Kong, without the madness of Lin Heung a 10 minutes’ walk away.
It has unfortunately lost some of its ‘glamour’ from the yesteryears.
Tim Ho Wan, The Dim-Sum Specialists 添好運
9-11 f*ck Wing Street, Sham Shui Po 深水埗福榮街9-11號地下 (10 min walk from Sham Shui Po MTR)
Tel: +852 2788 1226
Opening Hours: 8:00am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Tim Ho Wan is the hole-in-the-wall dim sum restaurant that scored One Michelin Star, thereby earning its reputation as the ‘cheapest Michelin Star restaurant in the world’.
Owner-chef known as Pui-Gor (Chef Mak Kwai Pui) is formerly from 3-star Michelin restaurant Lung King Heen.
His signature Baked Bun with Barbecued Pork (HKD16 for 3) is seriously the best I ever eaten – only the Hong Kong outlets though.
Very similar to a bolo bao, the sweet pastry covered bun is light and fluffy, with skin so thin, and saucy char siew pork within almost oozing out.
The rest of the other dim sum were inconsistent, and service the typical hurried and no-frills. (Read: Tim Ho Wan)
Lin Heung Tea House 蓮香樓
162 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong (Sheung Wan MTR Exit E2)
Tel: +852 25444556 (Queue up very early)
Opening Hours: 6am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
No matter how much I tell my friends to get mentally ready for the Lin Heung ‘warzone’ experience, they never really are.
If you do not speak Cantonese (or at least pu tong hua), and have no understanding of the dim sum trolley culture – good luck.
First things first, grab your seats or wait around like a vulture till you get some empty ones. You definitely have to share the table with complete strangers.
Dim sum ladies would come out pushing trolleys of food. For popular items like the cheong fun, this is a competition of fastest runner and fastest hands first.
The price is cheap, though quality nothing to shout about. It is probably one of the 10 things you must experience in Hong Kong if you are a foodie.
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