“The restaurant fills up fast with the lunch time crowd”

The restaurant fills up fast with the lunch time crowd

Posted: 06 Oct 2010 05:16 PM PDT

Eat: In dim sum heaven

2010/10/06
PHILIP LIM
traveltimes@nstp.com.my

Hong Kong has been known as the Land of Dim Sum for ages. But to find the palace of heavenly delights involves patience and bulldog tenacity. PHILIP LIM enters the right door after several wrong turns

IMAGINE waking up one not-so-fine rainy morning to locate a dim sum restaurant that has been under the radar for many overseas Chinese for years.

The obvious solution in locating any place in Hong Kong is of course to hop on to a taxi. However, our young driver turns to look at us and says "huh?

That's after we tell him where we want to go. He then turns to consult his fellow driver at machinegun speed on one of the three handphones attached to the dashboard.

After worming his way through tight narrow roads, he seems lost. We then show him the address. More consultations follow with his "brothers".

Meanwhile, he knows we are not locals because we are yakking away in English with a mixture of Hokkien.

On finding out that we are from Malaysia, he exclaims: "Ah, you 'wah kieu' (overseas) Chinese are great. You all can speak so many languages!" he says.

That's the second time I have heard this remark from a non-Malaysian Chinese.

Anyway, to put an end to his embarrassment, we tell him to drop us off at the street corner because the restaurant is nearby.

Local specialty
About 30 years ago, dim sum was sold openly at roadside stalls but development and a deep sense of hygiene compelled Hong Kong to "clean up its act".

Hence, dim sum eateries have retreated to buildings that don't seem to advertise their business, and they are usually located on the first and second floors of a building.

Lin Heung Kui Restaurant looks like all the other eateries in Hong Kong. It is unobtrusive, elegant but unsophisticated.

Since it is Mid Autumn Festival, the ground floor is brimming with mooncakes and other cookies.

The waiters and waitresses pushing trolleys of dim sum are mostly elderly folk, much like the staff of KL's Yuk Woo Hin Restaurant in Petaling Street in the old days.

To a hardcore foodie, that's a good sign because loyal staff means the establishment looks after its people very well. It also translates to a sense of contentment in the premises which is often reflected in its food and services.

Yummy fare
One item that stands out with excellence is the radish cake that comes on a trolley and fried on the spot. It's definitely one of the tastiest lor bak kou that I have tasted.

We can't resist ordering a second plate because it would have been a breach of good conduct not to have a second helping.

A close rival of the radish cake is the fried yam cake. If ever Hong Kong had ever left an indelible impression on all of us, it's this dim sum restaurant.

We really can't believe our luck that we have stumbled onto such a culinary paradise. We have come with almost no expectations other than to fill our bellies.

Chinese tea which is in constant flow helps us to digest the dim sum readily and prepare ourselves for the next sumptuous delight.

For the next 60 minutes, our table conversation is limited to just "hmm...so good" accompanied by looks of ecstasy.

Not just for breakfast
Earlier, we arrived sharp at noon because we were forewarned about the lunch time crowd. Office workers in the vicinity tend to make a beeline for Lin Heung Kui for lunch.

It seems to be quite normal that dim sum is treated as very much part of lunch in this bustling city. After getting our fill with the xiu mai, we order chicken feet or kai keok.

Apparently, the restaurant has a very fine reputation with its chicken feet. We find out soon enough that the rumours are true. The kai keok is par excellence.

Next comes the chee cheong fun or rice rolls which is slightly different from the Malaysian version because in Hong Kong, chilli paste or the kind we are used to was non-existent here.

Our Malaysian tastebuds have been pampered by the spicy sambal chilli concoction that's found only in our own shores.

Nevertheless, the chee cheong fun has its own flavour which we can find no fault with.

Nice on the wallet
There must have been more than a hundred varieties of dim sum at Lin Heung Kui but we only have space in our tummies for seven varieties.

Before making our reluctant exit, we vow to return to sample the others. At the end of what's believed to be a highly successful gastronomic outing, the bill brings another big smile to our faces.

It's only about HK$209, roughly about RM80. Definitely more than fair, considering our table has the most dishes which draw stares from customers from nearby tables.

They are probably quite grateful that we are willing to part with our hard-earned money on one of their well-known offerings — dim sum.

We are still on the lookout for other highly recommended dim sum restaurants. The trick is not to eat too much in a single day. What a shame! So much great food and so little stomach space.

If it so happens that you are holidaying in Hong Kong and are in desperate need to have some unbelievable dim sum, the address is: Lin Heung Kui, 40-50 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

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