Dim sum trolley at Lin Heung Tea House, Central.

Lin Heung Tea House

Hong Kong


In the morning, this famous 1950s teahouse is packed with older men reading newspapers. Eating here can be overwhelming for the uninitiated: dim sum (from HK$15) is served from trolleys and servers are swamped with locals frantically waving order sheets as soon as they emerge from the kitchen. Little English is spoken; hover near the kitchen if you want to eat.

The har gow (shrimp) dumplings are coveted morsels, as are the chicken feet in black-bean sauce, but you may just have to take what you can get. This is the type of place where regulars have their own special teapots and get preferential service. For the rest of us, it's an eye-opening bun fight.


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