Flaky pastry shell with a just-set custard filling that's still warm. The custard jiggles when the cart rolls. Lin Heung's version has less sugar than modern versions - it's closer to the 1918 recipe.
Tips from diners
These come off the oven on trolleys starting around 10:30am. The pastry is still warm at 11am, but if you come after 1pm, they're getting stale.
Open-topped dumplings showing seasoned pork with pink shrimp on top. Made fresh, steamed just before service. It's the workhorse of dim sum - simple and endlessly repeatable.
Tips from diners
Come at 6am when the carts start rolling. Siu mai is the first item prepared each morning.
Tender chicken feet swimming in dark black bean sauce with aromatics. The cartilage separates cleanly from the bone. It's an acquired taste that becomes a requirement.
Tips from diners
Most tourists skip this. Locals order it. Try it once and you'll understand why.
Three pleated dumplings showing whole pink shrimp through the translucent wrapper. Fresh prawns, delicate folding, cooked to order from the trolley. These arrive warm and wobbling.
Tips from diners
Har gow comes off the trolley around 9:30am. If you arrive at 6am, they're making them still - ask when the first batch arrives.
Check the dumplings are warm when they land on your table. Cold har gow means they've been sitting - ask for the next batch.
Silky rice noodle sheets served under a clear broth infused with dried scallops and shrimp. Topped with whole shrimp and cilantro. It's the last course of a dim sum meal - light, cleansing.
Tips from diners
Order this as your final item. The warm broth settles your stomach after all the rich items. It's meant to close the meal gently.
Founded in Guangzhou in 1889, expanded to Hong Kong in 1918, then closed. Reopened in 2024 in Sheung Wan honoring the original trolley-cart service tradition. Bamboo steamers move continuously on wheeled carts. Point and nod at what you want. No fancy ordering system. Opens 6am daily.
This is old-school trolley service. Carts roll by, you point and nod. They stamp your card. They take the plate away and add to your bill. No ordering - no decisions to make.
Come at 6am to 8am when items are fresh off the steam baskets. 11am arrivals still get good food, but the best baskets are gone by then.
Most baskets cost HKD 30-45. Tea is HKD 20. A full meal for 2-3 people costs HKD 300-450. It's mid-range dim sum pricing.
This restaurant reopened in 2024 after 60 years of being closed. It's a heritage site. Eat here to support the preservation of traditional Hong Kong dim sum.
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