Sassy Mama’s Favourite Family-Friendly Dim Sum Restaurants in Hong Kong

 





Living in Hong Kong would not be complete without meeting friends and family for yum cha on a regular basis. Every city has its quintessential dish, and in Hong Kong the steamers full of dumplings and fried delights signify some of the best food around. New in town? Who knows, eating dim sum on weekends with the kids in tow might replace sitting down for that traditional Sunday roast. We’ve rounded up just a few of our favourites.




Not sure what to order? Before you hit up any of these great places, you may want to stop by Bookazine and pick up Dim Sum a Survival Guide by Liza Chu to help you navigate the menus at a our favourites spots around town.









DRAGON-i
UG/F The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, Central
Tel: +852 3110 1222
www.dragon-i.com.hk




Gilbert Yeung’s Dragon-i quickly became Hong Kong’s hottest night spot when it opened in 2002 and its popularity shows no signs of diminishing. While the huge birdcage has now gone, go Monday thru Saturday for all you can eat dim sum (adults $188 children $98) which includes deep fried crab claws, Beijing dumplings and steamed rice flour rolls, as well as old favourites har gau and spare ribs. The best part? The huge outside terrace for alfresco dining.





CRYSTAL JADE
Shop 2018-2020, Level 2,
IFC Mall, Central
Tel: +852 2295 3811
www.crystaljade.com




Famous for its xiao long bao, queues form early at the IFC Crystal Jade, which, let’s face it, can be tiresome with children. Run the little ones up to Bookazine while one of you waits in the queue until your number is called. This Singaporean chain has 10 locations in Hong Kong, including the basement of Times Square and also serves a huge range of Cantonese and northern Chinese specialties. Note there are no high chairs and no bookings.








MAXIM’S PALACE
City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central
Tel: +852 2521 1303
www.maxims.com.hk


Back in the 70’s my childhood trips to the City Hall library would often be followed by dim sum at Maxim’s Palace. One of Hong Kong’s most famous dim sum restaurants, this is about as authentic as it gets. The red and gold décor of my childhood is sadly gone and the harbour views may be different, but lots of loud chattering endures, which means it the perfect place to bring children of all ages. It’s also one of the last places to still serve dim sum from the trolley and while the grumpy old ladies pushing them are no more, flat screen TV’s showcase the contents, making ordering easy compared to the old days of peeking and pointing.








SUPER STAR SEAFOOD
Shop no. 1005, 10/F, Food Forum, Times Square, Matheson Street, Causeway BayTel: +852 2628-0886

This very modern dim sum experience is not for the faint hearted, with its brash red décor, bright lights, loud chatter and clattering crockery. But the 120 item dim sum menu has made it a huge hit with locals, who converge on the vast Times Square branch to enjoy cheung fan, har gau and a variety of dumplings in unusual shapes. Children are not forgotten either with bumble bee shaped custard buns and coconut covered marshmallow rabbits.








ISLAND TANG
Shop 222, The Galleria, 9 Queen’s Road, Central
Tel: +852 2526 8798
www.islandtang.com


David Tang’s 1940s-style restaurant  has become quite the place for well heeled HK families to go on a Saturday for dim sum. Parents love the calming deco atmosphere, while they provide high chairs for babies and extra cushions for older kids needing a boost. Serving all the classic dim sum dishes as well as main course staples like duck pancakes,  kids will adore their char sui bao and spring rolls. Note that advance booking is essential.








LOCK CHA TEAHOUSE AT THE FLAGSTAFF MUSEUM OF TEA WARE
Hong Kong Park, Cotton Tree Drive
Tel: +852 28017177
www.lockcha.com




Although Victoria Infants School which I attended as a 5 year old is long gone (Victoria Barracks was demolished to make way for Pacific Place) some of the colonial buildings were saved and are now part of Hong Kong Park. Built in the 1840s, Flagstaff House originally served as the residence of the commander of the British forces and was converted to the Museum of Tea Ware in 1984. Take the kids for a walk in the park and stop by the museum’s K.S Lo gallery for vegetarian dim sum and choose a tea from the 100 or so listed on their menu.








GREAT FOR OUT OF TOWN GUESTS:

LUK YU TEAHOUSE
24-26 Stanley St, Central
Tel: +852 2523 5464




With brusque service that at times borders on rude, this original 1930s tea-house is as famous for its décor and dim sum as it is for the murder of local property tycoon Harry (Cigar) Lam. Known for its old style dai bao (big buns), these fluffy dough balls are made of rice flour and stuffed with enough chicken. shrimp and hardboiled egg to be a meal in itself. Get there early as only a few are made each day.











ADULTS ONLY:




TIM HO WAN
8 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon
Tel: +852 9332-2896

Shop 8, 2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok
Tel:+852 2788-1226

Michelin Stars and hole-in-the-wall joints don’t usually go hand in hand. But that’s what happened when Mak Pui Gor, a dim sum master at Lung King Heen (the triple Michelin starred restaurant in the Four Seasons) jumped ship to open Tim Ho Wan in Mong Kok.  While the queues are ridiculous and the menu minimal, the prices are good starting at HK$12 and going up to $20. Known for their char siu bao which instead of steamed is a delicious fried pastry version with a sugary crusted top and for their beef meatballs which has dried mandarin inside.  A second branch is also located in Sham Shui Po.








CUISINE CUISINE
www.cuisinecuisine.hk
3101-3107, Podium Level 3, IFC Mall, Central
Tel: +852 2393 3393

 

The Mira hotel, 118 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2315 5222       
[email protected]



Design savvy parents will love Cuisine Cuisine, as the IFC location was designed by Hirsch Bedner and the Mira venue by Charles Allem. With two locations, it is a stylish way to enjoy traditional Cantonese food. And while it is on the fancy side, it consistently tops the list for contemporary dim sum (the Mira location has 2 Michelin stars) and you cannot beat the harbour views from the IFC location.








SPRING MOON RESTAURANT
The Peninsula, Salisbury Road,Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Tel: +852 2696 6760
www.peninsula.com




This is cookbook author and television personality, Ken Hom’s dim sum restaurant of choice. The restaurant with its 1920’s Shanghainese décor has some of the best dim sum and Peking duck in Hong Kong. Hom loves their deep-fried pumpkin filled gluten puffs and the baked sea urchin and mashed potato tarts, and while everything on the menu is worth trying, remember the beggars fortune chicken must be ordered 24 hours in advance.









– CBM