Best Dim Sum Restaurant in Town

Many Hongkies will agree with me that Lei Garden are an all time favourite for dim sum. They have several branches spreading out in HK all in prime locations. The one I often go to with my colleagues is at Shatin New Town Plaza in the New Territories. Comparing to other Chinese restaurants, Lei Garden’s dim sum are done more exquisitely – even their ‘chicken feet in abalone sauce’ (LOL).

My favourite dim sum is their fried ‘cheung fun’ (rice rolls). A long and round plain ‘cheung fun’ is normally used for this dish but here they make them flat so when fried, they are slabs of crunchiness. Don’t forget to dip the ‘cheung fun’ in the soya / sweet brown / peanut and sesame sauce - it’s okay to mix together. 

I often tell western friends on the dining table that there aren’t that many dining etiquettes with Chinese. Just a few to remember: 1) always pour tea for people around you first before serving yourself; 2) use the serving spoon & chopsticks and 3) only take a small portion of food in your bowl, you don’t want to seem to be greedy, it’s alright to have seconds (or thirds) later.

The other divine dish Lei Garden offer is the roast pork belly. Each bite-size is scrumptious layers of crackling, translucent fat and tender meat. The dainty size might be deceiving but definitely is a heart-attacker dish, so make sure you have a cup of strong Pu’er tea to down with it.

Back in the old days, people liked to use clay pots to cook rice because when it’s cooked, the rice is a bit burned and cracked at the bottom of the pot. People (generally the older generation) loved to soak the base of burned rice with boiling water, it really brings out a unique flavor. To adapt the same principle, Lei Garden has invented another signature dish - rice crackers in a seafood broth served in a clay pot - only available through pre-ordering. It’s a generous serve so it’s a dish to be shared.

Lei Garden

For a more 'authentic' dim-sum experience, go to Maxim's in the Central City Hall where dim-sum are ordered from the trolleys.

Maxim's