Eating Dim Sum

Dim Sum, for us at least, is a culinary delight and is something that we recommend every traveller to Hong Kong try at least once.

Dim Sum is not just food, it is a culture and allows a glimpse into everyday Hong Kong life. Most people once they have had Dim Sum quickly learn to appreciate its delicate flavours, and yearn for more.

In Hong Kong, Dim Sum is generally served from morning to mid afternoon, and most of the good quality Dim Sum restaurants will have substantial queues of people waiting for a table. So if you take our advice in trying Dim Sum and find a nice Dim Sum restaurant, try and get there around 11:30am or even slightly earlier to avoid waiting. Most restaurants use a ticket system, where you indicate to the hostess how many people in your party and she then will hand you a ticket with a number on, you then wait until your number is called out to be seated.

In most Dim Sum restaurants sharing a table is common place, especially if your party is small (such as just two people). Language can be a barrier at many restaurants in Hong Kong and so very soon we will be posting a menu (click here: Dim Sum Menu in English and Chinese) which should be suitable for two or three people and which will be in English and Chinese. All you have to do is print it out, show the menu to the waiter and wait for the food to arrive. Of course this is only a second best alternative if you do not have a Chinese friend to help you choose the dishes.

Eating Dim Sum is an experience to behold. The restaurants tend to be very busy, are normally extremely noisy and very chaotic, with waiters running around trying to get the freshly cooked Dim Sum to tables as fast as possible. One normally drinks tea with Dim Sum and most restaurants will have quite a choice to offer. A tradition is to wash the plates, bowls, chopsticks etc. in the tea before the food arrives. This is normally done by one person and the residue tea is left in a bowl for the waiter to collect. Another tradition you will notice, is how customers lift the lid off the pot of tea and rest it on the rim, this is done to indicate to the waiter that you want more water adding or fresh tea.

If you do not know any good Dim Sum restaurants then ask the concierge at the hotel where you are staying for a good local Dim Sum restaurant. Most will be only to happy to help. Eating Dim Sum is definitely not an experience to miss while in Hong Kong.