This gorgeous formal teahouse (c 1933) with original art deco decor was the haunt of opera artists, writers and painters who came to give recitals and discuss the national fate. The food is old-school Cantonese plus a variety of dim sum dumplings. Prices reflect the grand setting: come for the aesthetics, not a good deal on your dinner.
Today some of the waiters who served the tousled glamourati will pour your tea in the same pleasantly irreverent manner. Tea connoisseurs can order special teas served in a guk dzung (焗盅), a bowl with lid and saucer that better preserves the flavour of the infusion – perfect with the old-world setting of ceiling fans, folding screens and stained-glass windows.
