Wandering Fel

Showing posts with label dim sum. Show all posts

Time flies so fast when you are on holiday. It was suddenly our last day in Hong Kong. Sobs. Today we had a local tour guide which is YY's friend, Soe. He is currently working in Hong Kong and he has been in the country for nearly a year. I was wondering how he can stand the known-to-be notorious working hours in Hong Kong but he seems to be able to cope just fine. Since he should have been "seasoned" by Hong Kong food and culture by now, we asked him to bring us to his favourite dim sum restaurant. He suggested us to go to Dim Sum Square which is located at the corner of Hillier Street in Sheung Wan area of Hong Kong.

4D Hong Kong Foodie Trip: Dim Sum Square, Central

Dim Sum Square has picture menu completed with English translation which obviously works well for tourists. The dim sum restaurant offers a variety of classic dim sum from Pork and Shrimp Dumpling (HKD 16), Beef Meat Balls (HKD 10), Golden Spongy Cake (HKD 10) which I often see as offering to deity, and Spring Rolls (HKD 12). I left the ordering part to Soe and YY since they seem to be pretty efficient at doing it (meanwhile I was drooling over the menu).

Our orders did not come one by one so we did not have to wait for a long time to fill our starving tummy. I suppose steamed dim sum takes faster time to be ready for consumption. Dim Sum Square's rendition of Shrimp Crystal Dumpling (HKD 18) does not disappoint but the shrimps at One Dim Sum seem to slightly bigger compared to Dim Sum Square. I wonder if it's just my feeling though. This is the first time we eat Xiao Long Bao (HKD 18) and I feel that the inside of the xiao long bao is a bit dry (less soup inside). The Creamy Custard Bun (HKD 12) from Dim Sum Square is yummy but the custard filling is not runny like the Pork Custard Buns at Dim Dim Sum at Causeway Bay.

Har gau and xiao long bao from Dim Sum Square Hong Kong

One dim sum dish which is consistent amongst all dim sum restaurants is the rice roll. I have never tasted rice roll which taste as nice as the ones served in Hong Kong at any other countries. There is generous amount of pork stuffed in the BBQ Pork Steamed Rice Roll (HKD 15) and you can immediately tell from the picture that the dish tastes oh so good.

Bbq pork rice roll from Dim Sum Square Hong Kong

One dish that I do not really enjoy eating from Dim Sum Square is the Chicken and Chinese Mushroom with Beancurd Wrapping (HKD 18). The chicken and chinese mushroom beancurd wrap is served soaked in soup which taste pretty herbal-ish to me and I am not really a fan of Chinese herbal soup.

Chicken and sliced abalone in beancurd wrapping from Dim Sum Square

Meanwhile, nothing can go wrong when you order fried dim sum such as BBQ Pork Buns (HKD 14). The BBQ Pork Buns from Dim Sum Square tastes as good as the ones served at Tim Ho Wan. Hmmm, reminiscing this dish kinda makes me want to buy BBQ pork buns from Tim Ho Wan (since Singapore only has this dim sum chain) for dinner tomorrow.

Crispy BBQ Pork Buns from Dim Sum Square Hong Kong

Oh right, if you are staying at Causeway Bay, you may want to be a bit adventurous and take tram to Sheung Wan MTR station (which is our meeting point with Soe that morning) instead of taking the train. The first thing that you have to do is obviously turning on your Google Map and search for the nearest tram stop to your hotel. For us, the tram stop at Morrison Hill Road seems to be the nearer. Each tram stop is equipped with tram map display and you don't really have to give signal or anything because the tram has to stop at every tram stop no matter if there are passengers alighting or not.

You have to check the number and the direction of the tram and compare it to the map to ensure you board the right tram though. Thankfully YY and R5 seem to be pretty map savvy because to be honest, I keep getting my own butt lost whenever I travel by myself. Really. Even with Google Map.

If you are already in possession of Octopus Card (which is the card used to board bus/ MTR in Hong Kong), you can just tap the card upon alighting the tram. The one time fare is applied to all trams in Hong Kong (HKD 2.30 for adults/ HKD 1.20 for child/ HKD 1.10 for senior citizens). The tram can be quite cramped during peak hours so make sure you are holding to something secured if you end up standing in the tram to avoid falling down.

I could see that Hong Kong city is already up and bustling with people on a Saturday morning. Markets open pretty early in Hong Kong (not like its neighbour, Taiwan) so you can start your shopping activity early if you want to.

Once we have met with Soe, he led us to Dim Sum Square but he got lost in the middle of the way (are you sure you are already localised, Soe?). We ended up getting help from a friendly foreigner who seems to live in Sheung Wan neighbourhood. Sheung Wan neighbourhood seems to be kinda artsty just like its neighbouring area, Central.

A colorful staircase leading us to heaven full of dim sum. Nom. #piggyheaven

Dim Sum Square is located at:

G/F, Fu Fai Commercial Centre

27 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan

Hong Kong

Opening hours:

Monday - Saturday 10AM to 10PM

Sunday 8AM to 10PM

What is the best thing to do in the morning in Hong Kong? It's definitely eating dim sum. Woots! Personally, I prefer to have my dim sum in the morning compared to the evening because the feeling of starting the day with plates of hearty dim sum dishes paired with a hot cup of Chinese tea is so comforting, one can be assured that she's gonna have a beautiful day after the dim sum feast. Dim sum in Hong Kong has gained so much popularity up to the point that Michelin stars are granted to certain selected dim sum restaurants. You may immediately think of Tim Ho Wan whenever you link Michelin stars with dim sum but Tim Ho Wan is now everywhere in Singapore and we don't feel like having dim sum which we can easily get back home. So it's time for us to venture to another Michelin starred dim sum restaurant, One Dim Sum.

4D Hong Kong Foodie Trip: One Dim Sum, Prince Edward

We arrived at One Dim Sum's door right when the restaurant opens at 11AM and yet, a queue has been formed in front of its door. The restaurant is not that big so I was pretty thankful that we managed to get a table. Otherwise, we have to wait for I don't know how long until this 1st batch of diners has finished their hearty dim sum meal. That's so gonna be a torture. So if you'd like to eat at One Dim Sum, make sure you come here early okay. Otherwise, be prepared to wait for a while, depends on your luck on that day.

One Dim Sum has a variety of dim sum items from crispy dim sum such as deep fried spring rolls with leek (HKD 16) and fried skin of beancurd roll (HKD 22), steam vermicelli roll with various fillings such as pork, shrimp and beef (HKD 20 to HKD 26), assorted buns like egg custard and BBQ pork buns (both costs HKD 15), the old time favourite steam dumpling like siu mai (HKD 25) and har gau (HKD 26), plain or pork congee (HKD 16 - HKD 20), some vegetables, other Chinese dim sum items such as steamed chicken paws with chili (HKD 17) and dessert such as deep fried sesame balls (HKD 17). All the dishes sound mouth-watering, we were having a kind of difficulty in ordering.

Menu from One Dim Sum at Prince Edward HK

Since some of the restaurant patrons seem to be a frequent customers (judging from the speed that they take in ordering the food), we took a peek at what our next-table is ordering and ask the waitress which dish that they were eating. Thankfully, the waitress seems to be in a good mood early in the morning and she helped us to order the same thing. Sometimes, ordering in Hong Kong restaurants needs some guts or some mental preparation just in case you get scolded in the process of doing so. LOL.

One Dim Sum Restaurant at Prince Edward Hong Kong

We ordered a few dim sum items but they did not come together at one go. The first few dim sum dishes which came to our table are the Steamed Minced Beef Ball (HKD 17). The beef ball is rather generous and big and it is stuff with many fillings plus green onions. Underneath the beef ball, you can see that there are layers of bean curd skin seasoned in soy sauce. The beef balls taste pretty good and seasoned although they seem to be prepared separately from the bean curd skin at the bottom.

Steam Minced Beef Ball from One Dim Sum Prince Edward

The other dim sum dish which came early on our table is the Steamed Siu Mai (HKD 25). I love siu mai since young and hence, may be a bit biased toward this dim sum item. These babies are so plump, juicy and flavorful, I keep falling in love with them day by day.

Steamed Siu Mai from One Dim Sum Prince Edward

I did not have time to take individual picture at the next few dishes which come together because both YY and R5 looks so ravenous until I am so scared that they gonna stab me with the chopstick if I barred them from touching the food for photographic purposes. I wonder if other food blogger receive the same hostile treatment from whoever eating with them in the midst of their foodie journey. Anyway, from the left to right, our order consists of Egg Custard Bun (HKD 15 for 2), Steamed Shrimp Dumpling (HKD 26 for four), Steam Vermicelli Roll with Barbequed Pork (HKD 21), Steamed Siu Mai (HKD 25 for four), Steamed Minced Beef Ball (HKD 17 for three) and Baked Barbecued Pork Bun (HKD 17 for three).

Dim Sum Feast at One Dim Sum Prince Edward

I personally find the egg custard bun from One Dim Sum is subpar from the one we had at Dim Dim Sum at Causeway Bay but the steamed shrimp dumpling are so plump and juicy, I think it is the best har gau I had in Hong Kong so far. A lot of reviews online prefer the steamed shrimp dumpling with vegetables but I somehow prefer my har gau to be plain with no veggies. #noeatgreens

One Dim Sum is situated at:

Shop 1 & 2, G/F, Kenwood Mansion

15 Playing Field Road,

Prince Edward, Hong Kong

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday 11AM - 12AM

Saturday to Sunday 10AM - 12AM

If you are up and ready to fuel up for the day before 9AM, you may want to try out the old school dim sum breakfast experience at Aik Hoe Restaurant. Situated at Lebuh Carnavon Road, the popular dim sum restaurant amongst the local and the tourist alike is ready to serve customers since 6.30AM in the morning.

Penang Weekend Trip: Dim Sum Breakfast at Restaurant Aik Hoe

Thankfully we did not come to Aik Hoe Restaurant on Monday or Tuesday because the dim sum restaurant is closed on both days. You will have this vibe of eating breakfast at a traditional Chinese house, you can even see a prayer altar right behind the dim sum counter.

Inside Restaurant Aik Hoe at Georgetown Penang

For ordering, you can make your way to the counter and check out the selection of the dim sum offered by Aik Hoe Restaurant. The restaurant owner will display the dim sum on the trays based on its type. Fried, steamed and other specialities. We checked out the fried dim sum and the egg tart selection on the right side.

Meanwhile, the steamed dim sum is displayed on the left side of the table. The dim sum tray is stacked one upon another so if you could not find what you want, you can ask the restaurant staff if there are more items available underneath this layer.

Our dim sum order that day (from left to right): Peas dumpling, Siew Mai (pork dumpling), Har Kauw (Prawn Dumpling), another Siew Mai, Lotus Sesame Seeds Ball, Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Noodle Roll) and Lo Mai Gai (Steamed Sticky Rice).

Dim sum breakfast on a Saturday morning in Penang

One would have expected to pay quite a big amount of money for 6 plates of dim sum order in Singapore, but one of the reasons of why Aik Hoe Restaurant is always a local favourite for dim sum in Penang is because of its affordable price. We only ended up paying around 10SGD-ish per person (shared amongst the two of us) for these dim sum feat. The dim sum is not the fancy type (e.g. Those shaped in cute animal form or filled with unusual stuff) so Aik Hoe Restaurant is the place where you can have traditional dim sum inside old Chinese house setting.

Peas dumpling from Aik Hoe in Georgetown Penang

The rice roll served at Aik Hoe Restaurant is the plain version without any additional meat served inside it. Just the good rice roll served with fried shallot, chili and a great deal of seasoning.

Chee cheong fun from Aik Hoe in Georgetown Penang

My favourite dim sum dish is gotta be the Siew Mai. My all time favourite since childhood no matter served with or without chili sauce. And that's why we ordered two portion of Siew Mai, because it's so good I refused to share with my travelling buddy. Hahaha.

Pork dumpling siew mai from Aik Hoe in Georgetown Penang

The Lo Mai Gai taste okay and it's complete with the Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong) and mushroom at the top of it. The portion of Lo Mai Gai is generally the biggest compared to the other dim sum item so if you don't want to be full easily, you should consider sharing this dish instead of finishing one on your own.

Lo Mai Kai from Aik Hoe in Georgetown Penang

Aik Hoe Restaurant is located at:

No. 6 & 8 Lebuh Carnavon, Georgetown

Penang, Malaysia

Opening hours:

Wednesday - Sunday 6.30AM to 2PM

Closed on Monday and Tuesday

Established by Akashi Group (who also set up Japanese restaurant, Akashi and Gyoza-ya), London Fat Duck is a dim sum restaurant located in Scotts Square. I categorize Scotts Square in the same group as Orchard Central because even though they are located in the crowded Orchard Road, the crowd level at these two malls is way lower than the one at ION. Good for me though, because I don't really like being at overcrowded places. For today, it's a dim sum day at London Fat Duck at Scotts Square.

Dim Sum Day at London Fat Duck, Scotts Square

My colleague told me that there is a proper way of eating dim sum so that you will not feel too full at the end of the eating journey. I haven't really tested her theory yet but since we are eating dim sum today so I figured to try out her theory at London Fat Duck. LOL.

1. Start with the steamed dim sum

My colleague says it is recommended to start eating the steamed dim sum first before the fried stuff. Okay, so we started off with the steamed xiao long bao. Even though it's not bad, I still prefer those sold at Din Tai Fung.

Xiao Long Bao at London Fat Duck Scotts Square

2. Proceed to the roasted dish

We are fried stuff eater so the only steamed dim sum that we order is xiao long bao. Uhm, I guess it's time to move on to the roasted item (although my friend starts to debate that there is not much difference between roasted and fried stuff). Anyway, other than the dim sum, London Fat Duck specialises itself in the roast duck. I have a mixed feeling about the duck. While the seasoning is nice, the duck meat is not easy to eat. Always my dilemma when eating duck.

Signature London Roast Duck at London Fat Duck Scotts Square

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3. Fried Dim Sum Fest

We immediately started our fried dim sum galore after the above two dishes. Our orders include the steamed cheong fun filled with fritters (a mixed dish).