What do you think of when some one says, I’m going to Hong Kong? Maybe, the harbour ferries, Jackie Chan, or The Australian Martial arts film “The Man from Hong Kong”
I think of all these things, but mostly I think of Dim sum. Hong Kong is the place I learnt about the beautiful, crazy world of Dim sum. I’m sure everyone has had great Dim sum at a crowded noisy restaurant with trolleys of steaming goodness, but you’ve not truly experienced the ritual of Dim sum until you visit one in Hong Kong.
Ok, so how do you get authentic Dim sum in Hong Kong?
First you need training. I took a Dim sum walking tour with a young local, Ben Ho Leung Lam. Dim sum guide. Robert Koenig-Luck Vimeo.
I discovered there is a bit more to the experience then just shoving an endless supply of tasty food down your throat. Dim sum is a celebration of family and food. You could say its brunch asian style, but it can be eaten any time of the day. Dim in Cantonese means, “touch”, and sum means “Heart” Touch the heart. Ok, what is Yum Cha? Are they the same? Yes. Yum cha means drink tea. Hence the endless supply of tea at Dim sum, generally Oolong, Jasmine, chrysanthemum. Strong black Tea is used to clean the palate between bites. If you go to a Dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong, you may notice at the start of a meal, a pot of tea, bowl, plate, chopsticks, spoon and an extra-large bowl are placed on the table. Since the outbreak of SARS and swine flu many years ago, tea is used to wash all of the utensils and crockery you will use for your meal. This has become part of the Dim sum ritual, so don’t be afraid to ask for a bowl if you are not given one. It will ensure your plates, utensil are clean, and let your waiter know you are not a rookie. Ok so what do you eat. The short answer is whatever you want! But there are a few go to favorites.
Shu Mei pictured above is a pork and shrimp dumpling. Its delicious, and usually comes like the picture above, in a serve of four.
Pictured above top left is Cha siu Bao, pork bun. To the right, is chilli dipping sauce. You can dip what ever you want in chilli sauce. Dim sum is a taste festival of sweet and savoury. There are no rules! Mix it up however you like. Second from the left bottom is Ma Lai Gao, it’s basically a very light steamed sponge cake, normally vanilla. Bottom right is Nai Wong bao, a sweet egg custard filled steamed bun. Most Dim sum restaurants, will have a menu you can order off, (may not be in english) or just pick from the trolley as it comes around. Top middle is a typical Dim sum bill. As you take food from the trolley, or order, your waiter will stamp your bill. When you are finished, you present the stamped paper to pay. It is tradition, if you invite someone for Dim sum, you pay, or at least make an attempt to cover the bill.
Where is the best Dim sum in Hong Kong? The answer to this is, it’s all good, but if you want to eat from a one Michelin star Dim sum you’ll need to go to Tim Ho Wan, 9-11 Fuk Wing street, in Sham Shui Po. Tim Ho Wan Hong Kong.
The specialty at Tim Ho Wan is barbeque Pork bun. How could you make a pork bun better? This is how! A normal pork bun has a soft bao bun, filled with sweet savoury pork. Make that bun light and crunchy by baking it, add the same filling, and angels will dance on your tongue when you bite into this tasty creation.
My sample bill and menu above shows six dishes for $110 HK which is about $18 AUD or 14 USD. Tim Ho Wan is good! This means its popular. So when you go, you may need to line up and get a ticket for the next available table. The sign of a good Dim sum is not the people inside, it’s the line outside. Be prepared to sit wherever there is a spare seat. This may be at a table with other people, already eating. You can take advantage of this, and may have a better chance in small groups of two or more.
There is some good news. The success of Tim Ho Wan means they now have restaurants in Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Philippines, Taiwan, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpor and New York. So if you can’t get to the original in Hong Kong, check this link for other locations. Tim Ho Wan website.
Enjoy Dim sum, and the #festivaloflife.
My Hong Kong recommendations.
Yat Lok. Michelin star Roast meat. The Specialty is Goose.
Lin Heung Tea House. Very traditional family Dim sum tea house in Soho.
Spot the one western lady up the back (my beautiful wife) trying to order barbeque pork, not on the trolley. She did it! Two words and pointing. “Cha siu”. It was delicious!
#festivaloflife 