Dim Sum @ Hong Kong

I heard that Vancouver, B.C., supplanted here as the world capital of Cantonese cuisine. Before a personal verification, Hong Kong remains my favorite place for Dim Sum. This phrase translates to “a little of the heart” or “touching the heart.” Personally, I advocate a more poetic “small delights.” (Isn’t it a great name for a restaurant?) In Hong Kong, they truly live up to this translation. Every dishes brings a little smile when you sink your teeth into it.

This branch of Chinese cuisine is officially “Cantonese Tea-time Snacks.” Unlike British tea-time, Dim Sum is a morning activity. Most of the dishes are not sweet and bite size for a party of about four. Tradition pays little attention to plating. The tea, usually the only drink offered, is served straight with no sugar or milk. (Rather than complimenting the flavors, the tea is more a palate cleanser.) Dim Sum has evolved to probably the most popular Chinese brunch form. Popular restaurants would expect an hour or even longer wait in the weekend. Everyone would be experts and have his or her favorites. It therefore encourages large parties to broaden experience. This is usually no menu. The staff brings the dishes out on plates or push carts. The guests would point to whatever fancies the eyes to succumb to the recommendation or dares. So that it could be even more gastronomically adventurous, Chefs love to innovate within the tried and proven ingredients, instead of trying new ones, to leave you wonder and savor the seemingly familiar, yet not readily identified, flavors. Of course, there are benchmarking dishes that every Dim Sum restaurants must offer.

This is where Hong Kong’s Dim Sum restaurants stand out. Their benchmark dishes are solidly made: steaming hot, full and balanced flavors, smooth texture, and appetizingly aromatic. Here I sampled tarot dumpling’s (芋頭餃) crisp shell with creamy tarot paste inside; tofu wrap with (腐竹捲) shrimp filling that had a wonderful chewiness; the shumai (燒賣) that was nicely juicy and tender; and, lastly, the sweet-rice chicken in lotus leaf (真珠雞, 就是荷葉糯米雞) that combined minced pork and chicken with a hint of grassy aroma off the lotus leaf. Unconventionally, I had Boddington beer instead of tea.

Oh, the Mango Tapioca (楊枝玉露) dessert was the best I ever had.
I dreaded for this flight that would take two days of my life away. Somehow, this brunch at Hong Kong’s airport hotel (Marriott, Skycity) made it less suffering.