318331 Thu Aug 17 05:05:16 -0700 2006 109 46 China 0 1813869 I'll be going to Hong Kong for the first time in the fall, and am hoping someone might point me in the direction of one of the better (best?) dim sum restaurants in the city. I'm particularly interested in knowing if there is a restaurant that offers an extremely wide selection of dishes, since I'd ideally like to sample things I can't easily get anywhere else (I like har gow, siu mai, etc., but I want to find new and creative offerings). I don't care a jot about ambiance, old world charm, language issues, cleanliness of the washrooms, or service (as long as it's not so atrocious, it gets in the way of enjoyment) - it's all about the food for me. Thanks for any suggestions! Thu Aug 17 05:05:16 -0700 2006 24731 Nox 1 1814058 Lung King Heen and Yan Toh Heen. I'll be posting a short review on Chopstix in the next week. Thu Aug 17 10:25:11 -0700 2006 1813869 11037 Ian 1 1814712 Agree, the 4 seasons restaurant is the best. Not a big selection though. Thu Aug 17 16:37:00 -0700 2006 1813869 15662 HKTraveler 1 1815253 Lee Garden is excellent Thu Aug 17 19:24:57 -0700 2006 1813869 21541 tk467 2 1826796 I second Lee Garden. I usually go to the one at North Point. And they DO have creative dim sums as well. Wed Aug 23 04:47:44 -0700 2006 1815253 12423 jennjen18 3 2226267 hi jen, i'll be in HK for the next 3 wks visiting my grandmother. she lives in North Point. do you have recommendations for area restaurants? my grandmother can't cook b/c she hurt her arm and she doesn't trust my cooking so i'm trying to find as many good restaurants in her neighborhood as i can. thanks in advance! Thu Jan 25 12:08:41 -0800 2007 1826796 69169 dylin123 1 1837337 Luk Yu is good in central. Its been around for quite a while (maybe not that location). Its like old world dim sum atmosphere. I recommend going early. They still serve with these steamers they carry on their shoulder. Later in the day you order on paper. Its best to go early. I was there around 9am and it was not crowded. They serve a good dinner there too. This place is a classic. Mon Aug 28 06:06:52 -0700 2006 1813869 20765 designerboy01 1 1946682 I was at Luk Yu Tea House yesterday for lunch. The place was packed. I was a bit nervous going by myself (first time) and not speaking the language. They couldn't have been more hospitable. The service was terrific. I had very crispy Calimari, Siew mai, and Choy sum. The food was delicious. When I visit HK, I always have a meal at Luk Yu. Sun Oct 15 03:46:00 -0700 2006 1813869 42334 Cerise 37 2 4180544 I am glad you got good service at Luk Yu. My experience as a Chinese American has been less than stellar. Unless you are a regular there, you get down right rude service, including questions about how long you are going to take because you are sitting at a table for a regular who may show up anytime. Mon Nov 17 11:59:20 -0800 2008 1946682 12082 PeterL 1 1946716 For the life of me, I don't get Luk Yu. Maybe the attraction is the old Hong Kong ambience given the modern anonymous metropolis feel of 2006 HK. Perhaps for the inexperience dim sum eater, the food seems exotic and unique. As a Chinese-American who has experienced fine dim sum in the NYC, SF, LA, Honolulu, Vancouver and Toronto, I find the food at Luk Yu to be as dated and musty as the decor, the service gruff and the dining room a cliche. It is always listed as a must see in travel guide books and tourists seem to rave about it. Would someone enlighten me?? Sun Oct 15 04:17:39 -0700 2006 1813869 37780 billee 2 1946901 billee -- I'm with you. My wife and I hit Luk Yu a couple years ago, and found the whole experience unsatisfying. Tables were grungy, waiters not helpful, food - as you say - mushy - as well as greasy. No interest at all in returning. We're heading to HK again in a couple weeks. What we'd love to find is a "modern" source of dim sum, friendly to English speakers, and with a range of vegetarian offerings. Sun Oct 15 11:58:05 -0700 2006 1946716 17111 fpatrick 3 1949416 What does a dim sum lunch at Luk Yu cost these days? Last time I went with family was in the 80s, it was like HK$600. Mon Oct 16 19:24:46 -0700 2006 1946901 12872 K K 2 2118643 Luk Yu is a very famous tea palor and my family use to have a room reserved for dinner everynight. This was a long time ago and don't know how the dinner is there now. Its best to go early in the morning to avoid the hustle and bustle. There are other places that offer better Dim Sum, but I like this place because they served previous generations of my family. Thu Dec 21 03:54:44 -0800 2006 1946716 20765 designerboy01 1 1949472 I usually have dim sum at Cheena over in Causeway Bay. I wouldn;t consider this the best dim sum place in Hong Kong, but it's a little fancier and they have EVERYTHING. The menu is extensive and in english. No carts, but everything comes out in a steamer basket per one. Dim sum is usually big enough to be shared amongst 2 people, and everyone also has their own tea pot. Mon Oct 16 19:44:40 -0700 2006 1813869 47193 Lynda Vuong 1 1949970 I think anyone interested in dim dum in Hong Kong owes it to himelf or herself to check out the gallery of the best items from the best dim sum establishments by Primo Hong Kong food blogger Cha Xiu Bao: http://chaxiubao.typepad.com/photos/the_sum_of_hong_kong/index.html Mon Oct 16 22:19:19 -0700 2006 1813869 10255 Gary Soup 2 1953397 Gary - What an great link to an incredible collection of food photos!! It is 8:00 AM and I am drooling. Thanks! Wed Oct 18 00:03:54 -0700 2006 1949970 14225 kstroble 3 2130084 Seconded. I'm going to Hong Kong in a month, and other than 5 or 6 different items, I don't know the names. This will allow me to know what I'm looking at or order what I want. Plus now when i eat dim sum in London, Paris, or the US, the name of the same thing is always different, even in the same language because either the translation is different (one restaurant calls it paté de navet, another "galette de navet" i.e. fried turnip cakes), or because the translator didn't know the name for the food in that language. This way, wherever I am, I can order lo bak go and get what I want! Tue Dec 26 23:48:54 -0800 2006 1953397 41540 poncho 1 1980048 Victoria Harbour Seafood takes gold for me. Sat Oct 28 23:23:43 -0700 2006 1813869 49556 s0memale 2 3974284 If I had to pick one place for dim sum it would be Victoria...has enough selection and at the same time the quality is very high. If I felt like fighting for my food then it's off to Metropole (名都). No doubt some of the hotels also do a very good job, but they suffer in terms of selection. Luk Yu is nowhere on my list for dim sum...I can do without old, arrogant waiters and food quality that probably hasn't improved in 50 years while the rest of the world has moved on. I can, however, understand that people go more for nostalgia... Thu Aug 21 00:13:16 -0700 2008 1980048 132103 Peech 3 3974376 Do you prefer the Victoria City Seafood at Sung Hung Kai Plaza or Citic Tower? I just had Dim Sum at the Citic branch 2 weeks ago. Will recommend the very delicious Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao: the crab roe is from 黃油蟹 (English translation: ???), it is in season now, I don't know how long it will last though. Agree to forget about Luk Yu. I can't really name the "best" Dim Sum place. There are too many items there; hard to say one that is the best in all the items. But one of my favorite that is not mentioned here is Golden Leaf at Conrad Hotel; the Dim Sum menu is very innovative, food is very delicious with top notch service as well. Need to reserve early as it gets full all the time. Thu Aug 21 04:09:31 -0700 2008 3974284 130720 FourSeasons 4 3977282 Used to go to SHK only but these days CITIC is more convenient for me. Yes, definitely splurge on the yellow oil crab xiaolongbao. I've always had a soft spot for Golden Leaf, but as I mentioned before, all these places do a good job but suffer on selection. Thu Aug 21 21:41:04 -0700 2008 3974376 132103 Peech 4 3977335 Hi FS, I also really like Victoria and I think their soup dumpling is probably the best in Hong Kong, beating most of the places that called themselves specialized in soup dumpling. While the crab roe xiao long baos with yellw oil crab (ok, i made this name up) are good, I actually like the ones with hairy crabs. I found the roe to be more flavorful with more "character" (sort of abstract but I hope you know what I mean). But that we will have to wait later in the year. Yellow oil crab season uses to end about now, but this year the hot days came late. I don't think it will last much longer, the most will be mid-Sep if it continues to stay really hot. Back to dim sum, I really like Cuisine Cuisine at IFC on the more innovative takes. For more traditional, Fook Lam Man and Fu Sing mentioned by Charles below are pretty safe bet, albeit lack of variety like Peech mentioned. A very underrated place that I really like is the Royal Garden at the basement of Royal Garden Hotel. I found them to be very consistent in quality both at lunch and dinner. As for Luk Yu, while I agree that their dim sum sucks, their dinner is very very good! Of course that's provided that you know to order their specialty. Thu Aug 21 22:34:46 -0700 2008 3974376 54254 kobetobiko 5 3977377 Hi Ko: Yes, agree the hairy crab roe is much better than the "yellow oil crab" but we have to wait for another 2 months and I am happy to settle for the "yellow oil crab" for the time being. I used to love the hairy crab roe xiao long bao at Victoria but on a visit 2 years ago, I was disappointed and then realized the main chef has moved and opened his own restaurant Fu Shing, which I thought the hairy crab row xiao long bao was truly marvelous, probably the best one I ever had. But I have a rather mixed review of Dim Sum at Fu Shing, some were excellent (like the char siew bbq, the xiao long bao were just so delicious) and some were just mediocre. I actually preferred the dinner there; the hua tiao flower crab was simply the best in town based on my experience. As to Cuisine Cuisine, I gave a thumb down on their dinner dishes and service level which I wrote on another thread. Never tried the Dim Sum there. I was also quite disappointed with the Dim Sum at the legendary Foo Lam Moon. It was decent but I was expecting better than that due to the legendary name. I have never tried the Dim Sum at Royal Garden or dinner at Luk Yu so not able to comment. Thu Aug 21 23:40:47 -0700 2008 3977335 130720 FourSeasons 6 3977411 Hi FS, I used to LOVE yellow oil crab - until I read HK foodblogger Cha Xiu Bao's write-up. Apparently, during the hot summer months, 1 or 2 out of 10 female crabs will get sick. These fevered crabs' roe melted due to their illness & oozed out as the yellow oil. http://chaxiubao.typepad.com/chaxiubao/2005/08/wong_yue_hi_tha.html Fri Aug 22 00:38:29 -0700 2008 3977377 143097 klyeoh 6 3977693 Hi FS, Actually I haven't tried dinner at Cuisine Cuisine but have ordered non dim sum items during lunch time. I thought they were quite good! I will try to look up your review and see where the discrepancy appeared. As for Fook Lam Moon, I think their stronger "dim sum" are the non-dumpling styled dishes, like their chicken/duck feet braised with abalone sauce, beef balls, roast pork (燒腩仔, take me forever to search for the Chinese word as I can't type Chinese...) at lunch time. Perhaps to be technical I should say their lunch is pretty good rather than dim sum, though I tend to mix and match. By the way, you recalled I used to like Farm House's dim sum? I went there after they moved and was very disappointed by the food. No where close to what they use to be. I don't know if it's an off day and simply because they changed chef /moved to a new location, but I don't think I will be back anytime soon unless I hear some good reviews from friends. Fri Aug 22 06:15:47 -0700 2008 3977377 54254 kobetobiko 7 3978494 Hi Ko, I agree that Farm House has gone downhill and I will probably not go back. See my earlier experience: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2008/03/run-down-farm-house.html I thoroughly enjoyed FLM's dim sum during my last lunchtime visit. I really had nothing to complain about in terms of food quality. Fri Aug 22 10:34:08 -0700 2008 3977693 132103 Peech 7 3980050 Hi Ko: My review of Cuisine Cuisine is at the bottom of the thread "TOP END..." : http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/519768 I cannot remember what I ate at Foo Lam Moon. That was 2 years ago, before joining Chowhound. Pre-chow era: I don't keep much details, only assigned a rating of "excellent", "good" or "mediocre" at the end of the meals. After joining Chowhound, I am amazed by how much details serious foodies like you, Peech, klyeoh, CharlesYu keep on the journals to remember all the fine points. So now I am trying to have this "good" habit too. But the problem of reviewing a place that has been recommended by gourmands is the elevated expectation prior to entering the restaurants. Using the Wall Street term, it is about "beating the expectation", whether the experience at the end of the meal "beats" the benchmark I set for the meal. For Foo Lam Moon (refer just Dim Sum meal) and Babbos (on our previous discussion on Manhattan Board), I thought they were good but I was expecting them to be "great". I can't review them just like any restaurant that I stepped into due to the "legendary" names they have in the marketplace. I have not been back to Farm House for like 3-4 years. With the downgrade review by Peech and you, there is just no reason to return there again then. Fri Aug 22 21:32:28 -0700 2008 3977693 130720 FourSeasons 4 3979697 Yes! I strongly concur with FS recommendation of Golden Leaf at the Conrad. Not only was the Dim Sum very good, dinner was excellent as well. I recalled having a sauteed grouper fillet with shrimp eggs and yellowing chives that was heavenly, the last time I ate there! Now back to the subject of 'Best Dim Sum' place(s). IMO, I think trying to single out 'the best' in a gourmet paradise like HK is mission impossible! With so many dim sum places to choose from, I noticed even 'second tier' places very often can come up with unique or ultra tasty signature dishes that lure patrons back for more. A few such examples include the addictive ultra juicy B-B-Q pork pineapple buns of Wan Chai's Fu Sing. The unique and tasty 'crispy skin' Har Gow with prawns and 'broth' filling of Causeway Bay's Star of Canton and last but not least, the heavenly braised chicken feet and peanuts with an intense abalone sauce of 'Toh Yuen' on Hysan Avenue close to Da Domenica. The sauce was so good that I was almost tempted to get a baguette from the pasry/bistro down the road just to mop up this great sauce! Finally, there's always the 'seasonal' occasions when restaurants use 'in-season' ingredients such as Hairy crab meat and roe in the fall or 'Truffles' in their Dim Sum repertoire to elevate the degree of wowness. Lung King Heen in the Fourseasons Hotel using ' Australian' truffles in their Dim Sum dishes was one such example. Does the ability of the Dim Sum chef to use such exotic ingredients in their creation elevate the restaurants to being 'the best' is open to debate! However, I do admire the innovativeness of the chef! Fri Aug 22 18:05:02 -0700 2008 3974376 10810 Charles Yu 2 4226599 Thanks to all for the recommendations of Victoria City. I ate at the Sun Hung Kai Centre branch yesterday, and enjoyed the meal immensely. My level of expectations for dim sum have been raised several notches by this experience. All of the food was very fresh; the fried foods were so light and flaky (even better than a good croissant's shell); the dumplings were steamed to just the right point, neither too gummy nor falling apart; the soup dumpling was just as you all have described. My only complaint might be that the the rice rolls I had could have been warmer and a tad bit firmer. The staff told me that they change the selection of dim sum items on the menu every day. And that they usually have a broader range of dishes on offer on Sundays than on Saturdays. Sun Dec 07 00:39:51 -0800 2008 1980048 48389 racer x 1 2080202 Does anyone know of a place in HK that does great soup dumplings like what they serve at Joe's Shanghai in NYC? Thu Dec 07 23:31:26 -0800 2006 1813869 46938 Jer 2 2106804 yes, Victoria Harbour Seafood, has the soup dumplings with crab meat. Its 28HKD for one, but worth it! Sun Dec 17 07:36:16 -0800 2006 2080202 49556 s0memale 2 2108652 Joe's soup dumplings are just an individual's "take" on xiaolong bao. Asking for soup dumplings "like Joe's Shanghai's" in HK or China is like going to Rome and asking for pizza like Patsy's or Difara's. Mon Dec 18 04:40:39 -0800 2006 2080202 10255 Gary Soup 2 2116205 Yes, though bear in mind that as with pretty much everything, portions are smaller in Hong Kong, and this is no exception -- the dumplings are smaller sized. You can get them at Shanghai Kitchen, Shop 322, 3/F, Maritime Square (exit A2 from Tsing Yi MTR/AX station), which also has other wonderful Shanghai treats. Wed Dec 20 16:00:14 -0800 2006 2080202 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 2117410 Thank you for the suggestions! We leave tomorrow and I'm looking forward to trying Victoria Harbour and Shanghai Kitchen. Wed Dec 20 20:51:40 -0800 2006 2116205 46938 Jer 1 2117913 i hope to be eating at china club this xmas weekend. unfortunately its private members only, but is supposed to have super rockin dim sum. and the contemporary chinese art collection is museum worthy... Wed Dec 20 23:12:46 -0800 2006 1813869 12923 modernist 2 5131262 China club Had the dimsum lunch at China Club a few years ago, invited by the then owner. Great experience. But it's the whole experience, not just the dimsum... China Club used to offer temporary membership, with a different fee; probably still does. -- Or you can kidnap a member to take you there. Luk Yu Am also a Luk Yu habituée. Yes partly out of nostalgia, but not entirely. I like to go very early - like congee hour - or very late, around 2pm. A late lunch there is surprisingly leisurely, for HK standard anywhere. And let's be fair: the dimsum is good. Or maybe because I live in Paris, am used to the concept of withstanding some degree of humiliation to get good food... Mon Oct 26 07:30:22 -0700 2009 2117913 1106797 Parigi 1 2171086 I had a most memorable Dim Sum lunch at 'FU SING' Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant, 353 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, a few days ago. Choices were very varied and unique with some new creations as well as variation on some old theme. Casing point, the 'pineapple/bbq pork bun' with its gloriously delicious filling is to die for and a must try! Even the common Har-Gao was made to perfection with whole, ultra crisp, fresh prawns and super thin wrapping that doesn't break. Some of their BBQ meat dishes reflect the best Hong kong could offer. Prices are a little bit more expensive but, if one would like to try top notch Dim Sum, then this is one of the place to go to. Definitely rated in the top 3 of Dim Sum places. Tue Jan 09 23:32:29 -0800 2007 1813869 10810 Charles Yu 2 4176638 Hi C.Y. Going to try out Fu Sing. Sounds interesting and I've always trusted your comments in the Ontario forum. Visiting HK after a trip to Macau this week and going with a couple colleagues...going to try Fu Sing. Luk Yu was another choice but the food (dim sim) was mediocre at best my last two tries...ambience was fun but but my stomach say elsewhere. Sat Nov 15 16:39:57 -0800 2008 2171086 16163 kerwintoronto 2 4191050 I ate at Fu Sing about a year ago or so, and wanted to ask a couple questions about my experience. This could have all been attributable to being sort of hurried (very hungry, late lunch, small child): 1) I felt like I was having a lot of trouble communicating just using English & Mandarin. Admittedly my Mandarin sucks, but by comparison, it was good enough to sail smoothly through a dim sum meal at Dao Heung （稻香). I realize that Cantonese is the mother language of Hong Kong, and this complaint is sort of like complaining that Spanish & French aren't enough to have a meal in New York. But I'm not about to learn Canto anytime soon (I can't even say my name correctly), so I figured I'd ask. 2) Relatedly, I felt like I was having a lot of trouble reading the menu. I don't think it was just the simplified vs. traditional characters - I felt like the dishes had sort of obscure names, like one dish was called "brothers something something" when it was in fact cha shao or har gow. Again, my only real points of reference are the abovementioned Dao Heung, and also Victoria Harbor Seafood. At those restaurants, reading the menu was pretty easy. 3) The dishes did not seem that traditional to me, but more like re-inventions or riffs on traditional dishes. (I don't think the presence of the kid had anything to do with this). The example I can think of was that the baked cha shao bao had large pieces of 1,000 year preserved egg. Which may be traditional, but was the first time I'd ever run across it. I recall something different about the har gow (xia jiao), but it was a year ago or more and I don't remember. 4) As you say, it is significantly more expensive than Dao Heung or Victoria Harbor. I don't mean to come across as complaining; I greatly appreciate your writing on this board and the suggestions you've given me in the past. I'm just curious if my experience was accurate or perhaps unduly influenced by a sort of crazy afternoon. I should add, that traditional or not, expensive or not, the food was of very high quality. Thanks again. Fri Nov 21 02:07:27 -0800 2008 2171086 16414 JTS 2 4226560 I tried to have dim sum at Fu Sing today (Sunday). I say tried because I was a single diner without a reservation. Why would I attempt to get in on a Sunday at noon without a reservation?, you ask. Because I had no problem doing that yesterday at Victoria City (Sun Hai Kai Centre); in fact, I didn't even have to wait to get a table to myself at Victoria City, even though they were reasonably busy. I don't yet know how the food at Fu Sing tastes, but I can say unequivocally that the front of the restaurant is managed VERY poorly. Two elevators open directly onto the area of the host's desk, and into that tiny space, measuring no more than perhaps 15 x 8 feet, more than 30 people were crammed, all trying to get the host's attention. Meanwhile, the servers were also trying to squeeze through the same space, carrying trays loaded with food to the dining areas, on the one hand, and dirty dishes back to the kitchen, on the other. The germophobe in me was aghast at the way all of the waiting customers were breathing on and talking over the food passing by. And every 3 - 5 minutes, the elevators would open, bringing another load of people to further pack into the "waiting area." Unlike me, most of those parties had reservations, yet they still had to wait. At least one party which arrived after me waited 45 minutes or more to be seated, even though their name was near the top of the reservations list. Several waiting customers complained to others in their parties (in English) about how horrible the crowding and long wait were. I asked one of the other customers whether the restaurant is always this busy on Sundays, and he said that this crowd wasn't bad at all. Ordinarily, there would be long queues downstairs; there were no queues downstairs today because of the recession, he said. There is a table in the corner to the side of the elevators that the management should remove on busy days like this to provide more space (with chairs) for those who are waiting to be seated. The crowds should be kept out of the servers' way. And a member of the staff (perhaps a couple of members) should be assigned to crowd management, not allowing people to come up from the lobby until there is room to accommodate them. Despite these grievances, I saw so many dishes that looked utterly amazing, and so many customers leaving with smiles on their faces, that I will surely be back to get a taste for myself. I just hope they offer the same menu (and cooked with the same care) on weekdays as they do on the weekend. Sat Dec 06 23:50:26 -0800 2008 2171086 48389 racer x 3 4226570 Hi racer x: I don't know if you realize that Sunday afternoon is the favorite time for Hong Kong families to gather together for Dim Sum. Not only that, they tend to spend more time finishing their meals since they don't have to rush back to work. If you want to avoid the crowd, don't go for Dim Sum on a Sunday in Hong Kong. Period. Sorry for what happened to you but I will still suggest you to make a reservation for weekdays as well and try to get there early before the office crowd goes for lunch. I don't know how the business has been affected by the recent recession, but it was really full too on weekdays on my past visits but certainly not as bad as your description. Sun Dec 07 00:05:13 -0800 2008 4226560 130720 FourSeasons 4 4226579 Yes, FS, I realized that Sun afternoon is a popular time for dim sum (it certainly is in cities in the States and Canada where I've eaten dim sum), but in most of the restaurants I can think of, the staff do a vastly superior job of caring for the customers who are waiting -- giving them an estimate of how long they may have to wait, queuing them up (even using walkie talkies to communicate between the host in the dining hall and the staff downstairs at some of the larger restaurants in NYC), etc. I think the fact that so many of the other customers who were waiting with me today were also disgusted by the experience is very telling -- I can't imagine that all of us were tourists visiting there for the first time. Sun Dec 07 00:16:02 -0800 2008 4226570 48389 racer x 5 4226595 Yes, this is a problem that many of the traditional restaurants failed to improve yet. Their businesses are so good that they don't feel a need to focus on the service. The hotel restaurants would grab the business (especially for tourists) where the customers want to have better attention, service and ambiance. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why Michelin refuses to award star to the traditional ones. My suggestion would remain to make a reservation for an earlier spot than the office crowd on a weekday. But then the next problem maybe communication problem like what JTS above experienced. Sun Dec 07 00:34:43 -0800 2008 4226579 130720 FourSeasons 6 4226640 Funny you should mention the Michelin stars. I could swear that prominently displayed on the wall between the elevators directly across from the host's desk at Fu Sing was an article announcing that Fu Sing has been recognized by Michelin. I didn't actually read the article, so I could be wrong. But someone should take a look at the article (or the actual Michelin guide, not the news reports) and see what's what. Sun Dec 07 03:42:20 -0800 2008 4226595 48389 racer x 7 4228515 Sorry for that erroneous information about Fu Sing and Michelin. The article posted at the entryway at Fu Sing is just a blow up of the Fu Sing entry in the Michelin guide. No stars or other special recognition. Mon Dec 08 00:35:56 -0800 2008 4226640 48389 racer x 3 4228529 I went back to Fu Sing for dim sum today, Monday, a single diner without a reservation. Arrived about 11:30. What a different experience. There were only 2 other tables occupied (although by the time I left just after 1:00 about 75% of the tables were occupied). The entryway seemed much more spacious, as the staff had removed maybe 4 or 5 tables that had been in that area to help seat the capacity crowd of the weekend. I could actually appreciate the restaurant's rather elegant design with all of those extra people out of the way. Now I understand why this place is so popular. The dim sum I had was very, very good. Some of the best, if not the best, fried turnip cakes I've ever had, hot and crispy on the outside, succulent inside. Very tasty "famous" hairy crab roe soup dumplings (although the soup dumpling I had at Victoria City the other day was even better). A few dishes I ordered I'd never seen before; such as steamed eel with fish maw and celery; deep fried ginko nut with shrimp on a skewer; and tiny sweet tarts filled with barbecued diced chicken and topped with walnuts (these looked delicious, but were not my favorite dish, mostly because I didn't like the walnuts). The har gow were the weakest dish, with wrappers that were just a little too gummy, but they were still better than at many other places. For part 2 of the dessert, I had a sago cream soup with mango and pomelo bits, also pretty good. I preferred the tea (jasmine tea) here over the somewhat more bitter tea I had had at Victoria City (Sun Hung Kai Centre) a couple of days ago. I also ordered a fresh apple juice drink (no doubt to the horror of dim sum purists), again very good. Unfortunately, I could not find the pineapple/bbq pork bun mentioned by Charles on the menu (this could have been the result of my inability to read Chinese -- maybe the bbq pork buns that were on the menu had pineapple, but I assumed they were just regular bbq pork buns like at any other restaurant, so I didn't order them). As for difficulties communicating with the staff in English: I initially began to panic because the dim sum menus at the table were just in Chinese; but no worries, the staff brought an English-version of the dim sum menu when I requested one (I assumed there probably was one because the regular menu, which was also at the table, is in both Chinese and English). When I tried to ask several servers questions, they referred me to their captain, who was able to answer my questions. However, even she had trouble understanding me when I tried to explain that I had already been given my desserts (the kitchen seemed to think that the desserts hadn't been sent yet, and were preparing to send them again). I finally was able to get the message across by pointing to a few crumbs from the chicken and walnut tart that were on the tablecloth! Note that their dim sum menu changes weekly. The same items are available on the weekend as on weekdays, so if you have the option of going on a weekday rather than on the weekend, I would strongly suggest you avoid the madness of Sunday and visit on a weekday. Mon Dec 08 01:13:10 -0800 2008 4226560 48389 racer x 1 3974171 I went to London Dim Sum at the Good Hope Building along Nathan Road. Not sure if that's the best but it was really great compared to what I had back in Malaysia. In terms of sizes, appearance and ingredients. All I can say is dining dim sum was really satisfying!!! Wed Aug 20 21:52:07 -0700 2008 1813869 220152 penangtuapui 2 4193379 Second the recommendation of London Restaurant. I attended a banquet there several weeks ago. Usually, Chinese banquet food is pretty awful. To my amazement, the dishes at London were really good. The set banquet we had didn't include many of the standard "give face to your guest" ingredients like shark fin and abalone. Instead, they presented a series of great, home-style Cantonese dishes with humble ingredients like tofu, yam, vegetables. I was quite surprised by the quality of ingredients and the standard of the cooking. I haven't tried their dim sum yet, but if they can get banquets right, I'm sure their dim sum is also worth trying. This is a classic old joint, by the way--been on nathan road in mongkok for years and years. Fri Nov 21 20:26:24 -0800 2008 3974171 178058 JiMaWu 1 4228531 Has anyone eaten at the restaurant that is on the 3rd floor of the building, Sunrise Plaza, that the Wan Chai Fu Sing Shark Fin Restaurant is in? As I was leaving Fu Sing, I rode the elevator up to the 3rd floor and saw, when the doors opened, a bustling restaurant that was even more crowded than Fu Sing. I asked a customer who joined me on the elevator as he left that restaurant how their dim sum was. He said it was very tasty and he felt not too expensive, considering the quality of the food. (He was accompanied by 3 or 4 tweenage girls, in uniforms, a couple of whom told me that they thought the food was expensive). It was their first time there, so they had been happily surprised at how good the food was, but they had never been to Fu Sing, so they couldn't offer a comparison between the two places. Mon Dec 08 01:19:11 -0800 2008 1813869 48389 racer x 2 4229326 Sounds like you're talking about Tak Wing Restaurant... Mon Dec 08 09:46:33 -0800 2008 4228531 201459 aquarella 1 4237888 I've been looking for innovative dim sum dishes, and T'ang Court at the Langham Hotel fit the bill nicely today. (At least most of the dishes on today's dim sum menu were things that I've never in the US.) Apart from the a la carte dim sum items, which cost about HKD $40 - 60 each, a set dim sum menu, for one or more diners, was available for about $240 (if I remember right). The food was very good (except for some steamed dumplings that had been overcooked and fell apart), and they really pamper you there. Wed Dec 10 23:48:10 -0800 2008 1813869 48389 racer x 2 4364976 Just went to T'angs today. Wow, definitely true about the pampering. Lots of plate changing, lots of serving, lots of pouring tea for you... very attentive and considerate. We said that a baby will be in our party, and instead of setting a place, she put a plate, a bowl and a fork, which, the dad of the party appreciated a lot. Food-wise. We had lots of good num nums: Har gow Siu mai Stir fried cheung fun in XO sauce Satay beef with cheung fun cooked in a pot Black bean intestines with peppers Gon chow ngau hor (the best there) E-noodle in soup with crab meat (next best) Roast pork (cha siu) bun Fried bun with sweet egg in the centre (so good....) Wed Jan 28 07:02:50 -0800 2009 4237888 12423 jennjen18 3 4367750 Hello jennjen18! Happy CNY! Fellow CHer skylineR33 is also in HK right now, so you might bump into him without knowing it?! Is your 'T'angs' the same as 'T'ang Court' in the Langham hotel? If not, where about is it? I'll be visiting HK next month and would love to try out the 'Gon Chow ngau hor' Thx! Wed Jan 28 19:10:54 -0800 2009 4364976 10810 Charles Yu 4 4631189 Oh I've only checked this post now (end of April...)! How was your trip, Charles? Yes, T'ang's is the same as Tang Court... Hahaha.. I guess it was a popular time to visit HKG, it being CNY and all... :) Sun Apr 26 20:16:58 -0700 2009 4367750 12423 jennjen18 1 4243491 I had dim sum at Lung King Heen in the Four Seasons Hotel, near Honk Kong MTR station, today. The service there was of the highest calibre, unmatched by any other place I've visited in HK so far. The dim sum menu of several dozen choices was also the most innovative, with twists on all of the standard dim sum fare. (You can view the menus at the Four Seasons' website.) It was hard to choose among the many tempting dishes, and I wanted to try more than I ultimately did, but I had had a large dinner late last night, so I finally settled on just four items: siu mai; baked barbecued pork and pine nuts buns, rice rolls with garoupa, preserved egg, and coriander; and steamed roast dumplings with minced vegetables (carrots, a spinach-like leafy green vegetable, and I think something else, don't recall). Although I enjoyed the meal, the food did not quite live up to the wonderful service, stunning view of the harbour, and the expectations offered by the descriptions of the dishes on the menu. The wrappers of the duck dumplings disintegrated as I attempted to pick up each of them. The inclusion of pine nuts in the bbq pork buns, which were covered with a yellow sugary topping (kind of like on Chinese Mexican buns), made for a tasty addition to the standard bbq pork bun, but the sauce was a bit too rich, to the point of being cloyingly sweet and salty. The rice rolls were unexpectedly bland (I say unexpected in part because dishes with cilantro are rarely bland), but it's possible that that was what the chef was aiming for. I was able to rescue the rolls with some of the spicy sauces provided. And the siu mai were pretty standard dim sum fare. Most of the dim sum items cost HKD $45-80. The items on the standard lunch menu, which was also available, were much more expensive (lots of shark's fin, bird's nest, etc choices.) Overall, I would rate the dim sum I had earlier in the week at Fu Sing and Victoria City as better tasting, but I will certainly return to Lung King Heen on future visits to HK. Fri Dec 12 22:31:51 -0800 2008 1813869 48389 racer x 2 4255965 racer _x, your description of "the bbq pork buns, which were covered with a yellow sugary topping (kind of like on Chinese Mexican buns), made for a tasty addition to the standard bbq pork bun" in Lung King Heen - that's exactly the "pineapple/bbq pork bun mentioned by Charles on the menu" in your earlier posting on Fu Sing which you said you missed. So, looks like you managed to taste "po lo bao" after all. Thu Dec 18 02:20:09 -0800 2008 4243491 143097 klyeoh 3 4255995 Yes! I believe klyeoh is correct! I wonder how the b-b-q pork filling of the LKH 's version is like? As tasty and full of sauce as the Fu Sing Version? Fu Sing claimed their's to be ' #1 Bao under the sky!! ". Thu Dec 18 03:21:46 -0800 2008 4255965 10810 Charles Yu 4 4257277 The version at LKH had pine NUTS, I don't think it had pineapple -- at least, I didn't recognize any pineapple flavor. At any rate, I thought the filling was just too salty and too rich. Could have been an off batch. Thu Dec 18 11:50:57 -0800 2008 4255995 48389 racer x 5 4258114 Ha-ha, racer x - a HK pineapple bun is so-called not because it contained any pineapple at all (it doesn't). Rather, it's because the sugary top-crust has a criss-crossed design which, when baked golden-brown, somehow resembles the skin of a pineapple. I grew up eating the plain (unfilled) type which usually comes sandwiching a slice of butter - these are served in the "Cha chan tengs" or snack houses. Nowadays, the bbq pork-filled version seems to be gaining popularity in the dim sum restaurants. You can read a bit more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple_bun Thu Dec 18 17:07:34 -0800 2008 4257277 143097 klyeoh 5 4317808 i just went to fu sing last weekend, and the baked char siu bao was excellent. thx very much for the recommendation. also, the quality of victoria seafood has just gone downhill. fu sing is much much better Mon Jan 12 00:24:31 -0800 2009 4257277 253352 schung 4 4257369 Hi Charles, I had the regular bbq pork buns at LKH in the past (not the one with pineapple bun) and they were really good! Certainly some of the best-looking pork buns I had in Hong Kong. The filling was of high quality bbq pork without being too sweet or cloying. You could tell that they used the good parts of the bbq pork as the filling rather than the leftover bits for the buns. I recalled having the char siu at Fu Sing and it was SO delicious. I just can't do a direct comparison with LKH's as I dined at these two places too far apart to give a fair judgement. Will certainly do a taste test next time I am in Hong Kong Thu Dec 18 12:20:38 -0800 2008 4255995 54254 kobetobiko 2 4257769 Hi racer x, I just checked for you and the restaurant on 3rd floor is Tung Yuen (East Garden). (There are a few Tung Yuen in Hong Kong, but I don't think they are related). I asked my friends and they said their dim sum is ok - cheaper but not as good as Fu Sing. Good for a lunch but not worth a special visit. Other thing that I remembered was that the chefs and staff at Fu Sing were all from Victoria Harbour. Of course there could be changes in staff and chefs, that considered that they are able to maintain the quality I imagine there wasn't any big turnover in their staff. Thu Dec 18 14:24:33 -0800 2008 4243491 54254 kobetobiko 2 4338641 I'm sorry to report that I had my first-ever meal at LKH today and was utterly disappointed. I ordered 4 dim sum items and the hit rate was only 50%... Some of the other dishes fared no better. Based on my meal today, I would not even give the place a single star...Maybe my expectations were raised to unreasonable levels thanks to Mchelin... http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/01/3-star-cantonese-puh-leeeze.html Mon Jan 19 09:11:17 -0800 2009 4243491 132103 Peech 3 4340009 Oh dear, does it mean that (like what we've been suspecting all along) Michelin-ratings are pretty much swayed by ambience & service as well, and not, contrary to their claims, solely dependent on the quality and taste of the food served? Mon Jan 19 16:43:27 -0800 2009 4338641 245541 M_Gomez 3 4340128 Wow!!!! Fourseasons also found the food at the 2* T'ang Court so-so! Definitely not 2* standard! Looks like Michelin is way off with some of its ratings?! In your opinion, so far, which rating is spot-on? Some of the 'western' places like Amber or L'Atelier may be? However, IMO, the 2* Tokyo L'Atelier is better than the HK's 2* L'Atelier! May be Michelin should start awarding 'half stars' as well?! Mon Jan 19 17:33:19 -0800 2009 4338641 10810 Charles Yu 4 4340518 My logic is this: I would go to Fook Lam Moon and Golden Leaf any day of the week instead of Lung King Heen. Those two only received 1 star, so where does that leave LKH in my book? Mon Jan 19 20:13:31 -0800 2009 4340128 132103 Peech 4 4340641 L'Atelier got ** partly because there is a "jardin de joel robuchon" as well as an l'atelier. the jardin is slightly more "fine" compared to a "workshop" Mon Jan 19 21:20:02 -0800 2009 4340128 124519 Sher.eats 4 4340766 Hey Charles, just had dim sum at Tang Court and it is great ! We order like 10 dim sum and we like 7 of them, the order 2 is ok. The abalone puff is great, half price of the one at LKH, but they use mid east abalone instead, the flavour is really well-balances with a very soft and crisp skin, abalone is tender. Lobster Seafood dumpling in clear broth is also great, the broth is so sweet. I also like the shrimp & sea cucmber dumpling, skin is so delicate. We had a really expensive dinner at LKH last year and the food is not that impressive either... Mon Jan 19 23:17:41 -0800 2009 4340128 62525 skylineR33 5 4341025 Hay! You're in HK! Lucky you! Its freezing here in TO! So much snow! That abalone puff sure sounded appertizing, especially I havn't had breakfast yet! The other dim sum sounded pretty 'noveau' as well. How's T'ang's Har Gow? I always use that dish as my measuring yardstick for dim sum. Guess we need another chowmeet after you come back?! Need your valuable input before my trip to S'pore and HK end of February! BTW, did you check out the TO board? evansl put Splendido as 'Worst in Toronto'! Wow! Continue to have fun! Hope you can still have some 'live' chicken. Ha! Tue Jan 20 05:44:57 -0800 2009 4340766 10810 Charles Yu 6 4343013 Hi Charles, thanks ! I have not order Har Gow at Tang Court, but the shrimp with Sea cumumber dumpling is familiar with a more expensive ingradient used. The skin is delicate, it is great. OpenRice does not work like this. I don't think there is a "best" in there, a restaurant can be given a "smile", a "ok" or a "crying face" and with all the written details. So it is hard to say whether a restaurant with 150 reviews of "100 smile, 50 crying face" is better than a restaurant with 15 reviews of "10 smile,5 Ok". I think one really needs to read the detail of the reviews to tell what is good or bad about a rated restaurant in there. And I have given up on evansl. Yeah, we can arrange for another chowmeet when I return, I am stuffed to death in this trip !!!!! Tue Jan 20 18:24:59 -0800 2009 4341025 62525 skylineR33 4 4340823 Hi Charles: Just need to clarify that I have a "lukewarm thumb up" on Tang's, that is certainly better than a "so-so"! I thought the dinner meal was good, but certainly did not live up to the 2 star standard that I expected prior to the meal. And since this is a Dim Sum thread, I would not comment on the dim sum standard at Tang's since I only had dinner there. But I do have to confess I do not have the taste bud of a Michelin when it comes to judging Chinese food as many of my favorite ones do not rank so high up on its list. Tue Jan 20 00:26:29 -0800 2009 4340128 130720 FourSeasons 5 4341031 Pardon me again, Fourseasons. BTW, wonder how 'Openrice' rated T'ang court? Which is Openrice 'best' for Dim Sum and Cantonese dinner? Tue Jan 20 05:49:33 -0800 2009 4340823 10810 Charles Yu 6 4341521 One of the problems with Openrice is that they categorize restaurants with tags, not single categories. For example, most fancy Cantonese restaurants that serve both dinner and dim sum will be categorized as "Cantonese food; dim sum" so if you search for the highest-rated dim sum restaurants you will get a lot of regular Cantonese dinner places that may or may not serve good dim sum. Tue Jan 20 09:37:03 -0800 2009 4341031 10607 Luther 1 4327424 I stand by Dim Sum on Sing Woo Rd in Happy Valley. They make everything fresh (instead of using frozen dim sum like many other places). It's tiny and on the weekend there is often 30-60 minute wait (but there is a pacific coffee 2 doors down) but it's totally worth it. I used to live a block down and go almost once a week. No visit to HK is complete without a meal there. The lobster and Shrimp steamed dumpligs are amazing. They are also one of the only Dim Sum houses that serve in the evening. Wed Jan 14 19:24:35 -0800 2009 1813869 257284 urbanomad 1 4386155 Aren't you all forgetting about lin heung teahouse? Wed Feb 04 05:58:43 -0800 2009 1813869 258171 alchung 2 4386162 definitely, surprised it's been brought up so late. can't beat it for "authenticity", "nostalgia", food (pig liver siu mai, pig stomach siu mai, custard bun, custard "ma lai" cake...) and value (<$100 per person) Wed Feb 04 06:02:03 -0800 2009 4386155 124519 Sher.eats 3 4389014 Am ashamed that I've never been, even though my friend's family owns it... Wed Feb 04 21:56:06 -0800 2009 4386162 132103 Peech 4 4389118 ?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??! WHY. Wed Feb 04 23:12:53 -0800 2009 4389014 124519 Sher.eats 5 4391766 its really local, which i like. but local tends to be a bit on the greasy side for me. Thu Feb 05 18:32:48 -0800 2009 4389118 253352 schung 6 4392126 the "ma lai go" uses the same "starter" they've been using for decades, can't beat the flavour! Thu Feb 05 21:57:27 -0800 2009 4391766 124519 Sher.eats 1 4402765 Why wait in line when you can have a very good dim sum in a nice environment, without everyone talking at high decibel, with no one hacking and spitting out chicken bones around you. Go to Jasmine in the basement of Jardine House for an easy and relaxing meal with pre-booking available. Not fabulous but sometimes you just don't need hotel star quality or down and dirty originality. As to Northpoint you cannot go past Fung Seng. As authentic as you get. Mon Feb 09 20:08:00 -0800 2009 1813869 265033 MR8888 2 4402885 eh? how do you eat chicken feet without spitting out the bones? this thread is titled "the best" not "where to get"... Mon Feb 09 21:14:39 -0800 2009 4402765 124519 Sher.eats 1 4570814 the dim sum chef of Lung King Heen (four seasons, 3 michelin stars) has opened his own dim sum restaurant in mong kok with "people's prices", I will be trying it tommorow and will report back... http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=30806 http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/sting-life/article?mid=17149 http://lmkhea.blogspot.com/2009/03/mk.html Mon Apr 06 01:17:25 -0700 2009 1813869 124519 Sher.eats 2 4570926 sher.eats, do the reasons whose links you've posted speak english? ? did you receive the email? Mon Apr 06 05:03:02 -0700 2009 4570814 278822 kev.mla 3 4570928 hmmmmm???? Mon Apr 06 05:05:32 -0700 2009 4570926 124519 Sher.eats 4 4570933 do the "restaurants" sorry about that. my bad! :D Mon Apr 06 05:09:02 -0700 2009 4570928 278822 kev.mla 5 4570942 Lin Heung & Fung Sing, definitely no. all the ones in Hotels and Fook Lum Moon, yes. the one opened by former dim sum chef of Lung King Heen? probably not... =) Mon Apr 06 05:13:48 -0700 2009 4570933 124519 Sher.eats 6 4842137 I am looking for a good dim sum recommendation which is both moderately priced and english friendly. I'm sure that so many of the best places in this region have menus that are almost entirely in Cantonese but I would like to order without having to point at the plates of my fellow diners. Thu Jul 09 00:12:06 -0700 2009 4570942 278645 BaltimoreSlim 7 4842982 I disremember the name of the place but also in Maritime Square there is a decent, not terribly expensive place for yum cha. I believe it's 3/F along with Shanghai Kitchen, but on the other side of the centre, near the D exit from the MTR station. The menus are in English as well as Cantonese. Thu Jul 09 08:47:30 -0700 2009 4842137 10811 Das Ubergeek 7 4856292 You have to check out Che's in Wanchai - I would seriously say that it's the best dim sum in HK - non hotel, non fine dining at reasonable price. Must make reservations though. The Broadway Building 4th Floor Wanchai Lockhart Rd. We go almost every weekend. Tue Jul 14 02:38:57 -0700 2009 4842137 1093494 onlygoodfood 8 4856328 delete Tue Jul 14 03:57:33 -0700 2009 4856292 130720 FourSeasons 9 4859687 If you are into pinapple top bbq buns, that's what they're most famous for. Che's is highly recommended. Tue Jul 14 21:46:54 -0700 2009 4856328 1093494 onlygoodfood 2 4849562 Did you ever try the dim sum restaurant in mong kok opened by the chef of Lung King Heen? If so, what did you think? Sat Jul 11 14:11:54 -0700 2009 4570814 1092851 sadashek 3 4851196 Overrated. The dim sum quality is ok and the price is cheaper than hotel's dim sum restaurants but not really outstanding. It's more hype than anything else. Not worth the wait at all. Sun Jul 12 10:44:13 -0700 2009 4849562 54254 kobetobiko 4 4851661 Thanks kobe...! I was planning to give it a try on my next trip. Guess now I'll head into Ming Court in the Langham instead! BTW, how often do you visit HK? My next trip is March next year and I'm meeting up with Fourseasons for another chowmeet! Interested in joining us?...and talk about Bobba and the NYC dining scene?! Ha! Last tome HKtraveller, Peech, Sher_eats,Schung...etc attended. This time S'pore foodie klyeoh might fly up and join us too?! Sun Jul 12 14:30:42 -0700 2009 4851196 10810 Charles Yu 5 4857650 Nowadays I actually travel fairly often, about once every two months, if not a month! But I usually just stay for a week so it depends on the timing. I would love to join you guys if our schedules fit! Tue Jul 14 10:54:55 -0700 2009 4851661 54254 kobetobiko 4 4851746 Thanks for the info. We'll have one full day (a Saturday) and the following Sunday morning in Hong Kong. We will be staying near the Peninsula hotel in the Tsim Sha Tsui area. Do you have favorite dim sum places you'd recommend in that area? Or any other favorite restaurants? Sun Jul 12 15:18:36 -0700 2009 4851196 1092851 sadashek 5 4851917 Two of my favourites are within walking distances. Tan'g Court inside the Langham Hotel ( Michelin 2*! ) and Yun Toh Heen inside the Intercontinental. Both places have very good Dim Sum. Make reservations or go early as it is weekend! Sun Jul 12 16:36:56 -0700 2009 4851746 10810 Charles Yu 6 4853116 Do either serve dim sum from carts? I love to watch the parade, but am also happy to order off a menu. Any particular dim sum you adore at either place? Mon Jul 13 06:41:12 -0700 2009 4851917 1092851 sadashek 7 4857658 Hi sadashek, There are only a handful of places in Hong Kong that still have carts for dim sum, most of them being very old dim sum places (and quality isn't too good). In TST, the ones suggested by Charles are very nice, albeit quite expensive (as they are hotel restaurants). Another two options are Lei Garden and Royal Gardens (the two are very close by) Tue Jul 14 10:57:08 -0700 2009 4853116 54254 kobetobiko 1 4856290 I agree with many of the postings - Lung King Heen, Tang, and Yan T Heen are all great places, but super expensive and in luxury of hotel. If you want a casual place to go, don the fine dining ambiance, expensive tab but still enjoy THE MOST AMAZING DIM SUM. You have to check out Che's in Wanchai. It is one of the most hidden gems in HK dim sum scene. All the well to do families and tai tais come here..and reservations IS A MUST otherwise, forget about getting a table. I've been living in HK for over 4 years now and must say, we go almost every weekend. The food is impeccable, service as you would expect from local owners, and ambiance is alright. It's clean place, but the food is exceptional and the bill won't break your bank. Expect to shell out 350-400 for two - not cheap. Their signature is BBQ Pork bun - baked one with crunch crust top and melt in your mouth soft center. AMAZING. There's only a limited number per day, so order it first thing when you sit down. Shrimp dumpling, ribs, raddish cake, siu mai, lotus leaf rice wrap, signature shrimp sauce veggie in clay pot is to DIE FOR. It's call Che's in Wanchai The Broadway Building, 4th floor on Lockhart Road. Try it, I know you will agree and be back! Tue Jul 14 02:36:03 -0700 2009 1813869 1093494 onlygoodfood 2 4856332 A friend recommended Che's two years ago but I did not try because the review at openrice seem to be mixed: http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=12819 Tue Jul 14 04:01:29 -0700 2009 4856290 130720 FourSeasons 3 4857622 I have been to Che's and I found it somewhat overpriced for what it offered. The service really sucked. I much prefer Fu Sing at Wan Chai which is also non-hotel restaurant with delicious dim sum at a reasonable price. Tue Jul 14 10:47:22 -0700 2009 4856332 54254 kobetobiko 4 4866519 I've been to Che's a couple of times, and while I thought the food was pretty good, it is waaaay too crowded and noisy. I find myself still going back to Victoria and the underrated Golden Leaf. Fri Jul 17 03:01:15 -0700 2009 4857622 132103 Peech 5 4866894 Ah! Golden leaf! Totally agree with you! klyeoh and my favourite also! Foodies do think alike, Ha! BTW, have you lost the pounds you gained during your France trip yet? Fri Jul 17 07:04:09 -0700 2009 4866519 10810 Charles Yu 1 4873209 Whilst I am fairly well rehearsed with my French and Italian fine dining, I am a complete amateur when it comes to the Cantonese version. I love a good dim sum, but most my experiences have been limited to restaurants in universities, Maxim's, Peking Garden (and other such restaurants in Cityplaza/Pacific Place). Are the likes of Lung King Heen and other hotel restaurants any different in terms of taste in food and variety (ignoring ambience and service for a minute). Mon Jul 20 01:54:43 -0700 2009 1813869 1087689 chinmoy.lad 2 5019371 So I've read through this entire thread and been to a handful of places in Hong Kong myself since I came back 3 months ago. My thoughts: Yung Kee (Central): I actually go here almost every weekend for dim sum in the past 2 months cause it actually pretty convenient location wise from my parent's church. Food is good but lately I've found the place to be more on the 'ok' side (even the roast goose I think is slipping). Fook Lam Mun (Wanchai): Went here for the first time in years with a few friends. Quality of food to me is very high. The standouts include the BBQ pork pastry (叉烧酥), shrimp dumplings (蝦餃) & egg tarts (蛋撻). The grilled pork belly (燒腩仔) was good too but it felt a little out of place for dim sum. Place is really nice and service is great. Although not super expensive I felt at times we had to hold back a little while ordering the bill was still about $200 each. Canton Room (Wanchai): Not sure may people would consider this a great dim sum spot but I think they serve up some real quality dim sum here. Standouts for me include the shrimp dumplings (蝦餃), scallop xiao mai (燒賣) and the braised ox tail (not so much dim sum but still a very good dish). The cheung fun (腸粉) is amazing thin (looks translucent) which I don't particularly like but I think a lot of other people might consider great. Place is also comfortable and service is great. Only downside for me is it is a little out of the way by Glouster Road. Lin Heung Kui (Sheung Wan): We went here cause my mom can't stand how 'dirty' Lin Heung Tea House is in Central and this is newly opened. Food was pretty good but to me nothing really to write home about. The standout by far was their tea and malay cake (馬拉糕) but I can't say I would come back here mainly cause A) not convenient at all to get there unless you are driving or live in Sheung Wan B) the chaotic nature of the place wasn't a plus in my book. Service was passable and the place was pretty simple. Sportful Garden (Causeway Bay): I know the name sounds funny but I believe they are traditionally famous for abalone. Anyway, I came here a few weeks ago and the quality of dim sum is actually very good. The standouts include the cheung fun (腸粉) and spring rolls (春捲). Cheung fun's skin to me was exactly the way I like it. Super smooth but not super thin. The spring rolls were also super crunchy and light (so surprised). The other 'famous' dishes (like the abalone xiao mai or abalone BBQ bun) to me tasted pretty average. The place isn't as nice as Fook Lam Mun/Canton Room but still a pretty decent place. Maxim's Palace (Central): Been here a few times. Spectacular view and actually pretty high quality dim sum overall. Pretty tourist friendly. My main gripe is not being able to reserve on weekends which kind of blows cause I hate waiting in long lines. The Graces Restaurant (Causeway Bay): Been here twice. Pretty decent dim sum but no real standouts in my book. Service is pretty good and place is decent. Zi Xing Xuan (Causeway Bay): Although Cantonese it seems to have a few dishes that feel more from northern China. Dim sum is pretty decent. Place is a little cramped but service is alright. So in my 12 weeks here in Hong Kong I've tried 8 places but I'm still looking for good suggestions on HK Island (since that is most convenient for me). Any good suggestions? My dad has been to Fu Sing (Wanchai) but he claims the place is overpriced and nothing special. From the reviews on Openrice I'm curious about trying the BBQ pork there. I have a group of 6-10 foreigners who I want to take out for dim sum when they come to Hong Kong in 2 weeks. Where do you think I should take them besides the places I have mentioned? I want to keep the price level at Fook Lam Mun level or lower (so Lung King Heen is kind of out of the question). Basically some dim sum place with good food, relatively clean and decent service. Preferably if it was in Wanchai/Central/Causeway Bay and not too far away from an MTR station. Thanks! Thu Sep 10 09:46:18 -0700 2009 4873209 1090793 big_apple_ken 3 5021826 West Villa at Lee Gardens, CWB or Manor at CWB are both good for dim sum. In fact Manor belongs to West Villa so they both have great char siu! Fri Sep 11 07:47:38 -0700 2009 5019371 54254 kobetobiko 1 5113341 I would recommend trying 叁去壹 (Sam Hui Yat). It's an old, non-renovated restaurant in the Western Island area of Sai Ying Pun (11, Pokfulam Road), which you can reach by the Whitty Street or Kennedy Town tramway (going west from Sheung Wan MTR). The look of the restaurant might be intimidating (it was for me, who had trouble reading Chinese), but if you are nice to the waiters, they will to you. They will even recommend you the classics of dim sum, such as har gow, siu mai. When I went, I also got ribs. The prices are also extremely ridiculously cheap, at HKD$9 for each dish (about $1.25). It was very good -- feels much more "homemade" than large dim sum halls. But be careful with hours, because I heard that Sam Hui Yat closes at 2:30pm-ish! (although we were there at 2pm and they didn't seem to mind us). 11 Pokfulam Rd, Sai Ying Pun, Western District, HK Island. Sun Oct 18 19:41:07 -0700 2009 1813869 163049 schtroumpf_gourmand 1 5131223 Now that I finally made it to both T'ang Court and Sun Tung Lok... I will put Sun Tung Lok near the upper end of dim sum places in HK. Quality was very high, and it's much, much better than the other popular place in my neighborhood - Dim Sum... T'ang Court: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/10/impromptu-dim-sum.html Sun Tung Lok: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/10/high-end-dim-sim-in-my-neighborhood.html Mon Oct 26 07:15:22 -0700 2009 1813869 132103 Peech