Hong Kong: The Way Things Were

The oldest teahouse in Hong Kong is hard to get into… there was a two hour waiting time during peak lunch hour in order to secure a table (which we made full use of by snacking around the area). Was it worth the wait? Well… yes and no.

The dim sum here isn’t outstanding in today’s standards where many restaurants have made it an art - offering freshly made cooked morsels with interesting twists cooked to order. What you get instead is a taste of what yum cha in Hong Kong used to taste and feel like. Traditional favourites of steamed prawn dumplings (Har Gow), steamed pork dumplings (Siu Mai) and steamed rice in lotus leaves are on offer here.

What you also get is great service – the waiters here have all done their jobs for a long, long time (some have spent their entire working life here) and it shows in their attention and unobtrusive care while you dine.

Sure the dumpling casings could have been a little thinner and the egg tarts could have had a more flaky pastry… but for a restaurant that gives you a dying bit of history and looks after you while you have it, Luk Yu Teahouse may just be worth a visit.

Luk Yu Teahouse
24-26 Stanley Street
Central, Hong Kong