Put aside whatever you think you know about eating Dim Sum. Eating it in Hong Kong is one of those experiences that ranks up there with the Peak and a Harbor Tour.
Recently on a trip to Hong Kong with family visiting from Germany, we planned our Dim Sum adventure. It was high on their list of things to do but they kept bringing it up at dinner time. "How about Dim Sum?" they’d offer when we thought about what to do for food. Shaking our heads, "no, no, no," we answered. "Dim Sum is a lunch experience."
Rory Boland, our Guide to Hong Kong & Macau, writes a great How To on Dim Sum but here are a few of my tips as well.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Variable
Here's How:
- Pick a restaurant. Rory has some great recommendations as well as info on what dishes to order. We asked our hotel concierge for a rec saying we wanted traditional, clean, not upscale, not Westernized, the kind that still uses carts and casual. He sent us to the Metropole in United Centre, which suited us perfectly.
- Go off-peak. If you can go a little early or a little late. A little early (like 11am for lunch or brunch, rather, is preferable as things will be fresh and you won’t just get the leftovers).
- Gather your troops. Dim Sum is not something to do on your own. Tables are big and you’ll feel lonely trying to eat all that food by yourself. Not only that, if you get something you don’t like, there’s nowhere to hide it. So if you can, go with a group. If it’s just the two of you, still go – by all means – just be very hungry before you sit down.
- Get a table. After you’ve found the restaurant, the next challenge is to get a table. If you haven’t been able to make a reservation, then search out the maître d’ and employ his help. If that’s not an option, look around for a table that looks almost finished and camp out nearby.
- Sit & drink tea. Drinking tea is a compulsory part of eating Dim Sum. It’s usually complimentary and they’ll fill and re-fill the pot with hot water until you’re ready to float away. If you want something else to drink you’ll have to ask for a drink menu.
- Relax, survey the battlefield. Eating Dim Sum can be thought of like warfare. It’s your table against the dumplings. And at the end of the meal, your table should look like it was a tough fight. Check out what’s available, let the carts come around, get up and see what other folks are eating, go and check out the food stations.
It’s perfectly OK to ask questions. Some of the ladies (usually at least one) who is serving the food should be able to answer the query “what’s inside that one?” when you point to a dumpling. (The answer is usually shrimp.)
No carts? No stations? Then see Step 7.
- Look at the menu. If you’re at a more modern Dim Sum restaurant then there may not be carts and food stations. You’ll be given a card listing the choices and you’re meant to tick off what you want. Hopefully there will be an English version. If not, get up, grab a waitress, check out what’s on other people’s tables and utilize her help to order what you think you’ll like.
- Don’t order everything at once. Everything in a Dim Sum restaurant is either already ready or almost ready. If you order 20 dishes, you’ll probably get them in the space of 6 minutes and your meal will be finished in 25. Relax, try a few things, order some more, try another few things, drink some tea.
- Don’t lose sight of the card. If you’re at the type of place that has the carts and food stations, then your order card is ever-important. When the cart comes around, you choose what you want and then hand the lady the card. She stamps it or ticks the order off. At stations, you take your card with you and hand it to the server after she gives you your basket of dumplings or plate of congealed pig blood. She’ll tick it and hand it back. At the end of your meal, the waiter will tally up what you’ve eaten for the bill.
- Talk loudly and spill your soy sauce. In other words, eat, drink and be merry. Back to the battlefield, Dim Sum restaurants are loud, friendly, family places. Get in the mood and enjoy the chaos. If you haven’t spilled your soy sauce from over-exuberant dumpling-dunking, then you will soon. Worry not, those white tablecloths are easily bleached out.
Tips:
- Go hungry.
- Go with friends. If you don't have any friends to go with, see Tip 1.
What You Need:
- Your appetite
- Your camera
- A pocket guide to Cantonese dishes or Dim Sum (not required but helpful)
