yaokui: Luk Yu Teahouse

Address: 24-26 Stanley Street Central.

Phone: 852-2523-5464

Gan and I wanted to experience breakfast at a traditional Hong Kong teahouse, so we decided to go to Luk Yu, which is one of the oldest teahouse in Hong Kong, and probably one of the few remaining restaurant in Hong Kong that still preserves its original interiors from the 1930’s.

Since it was a busy Saturday morning, we did not get a table on the main floor, where most of the locals are. Instead we were sent to the second floor where it was noticeably quieter and less crowded. We also found out later that dim sums on the second floor were served by the waiters rather than by the cart ladies. But it turned out to be a good thing; we had a peaceful breakfast where we got to enjoy our morning paper while sipping some good Chinese tea and eating wonderful dim sums. We didn’t miss the classics and we had the Har Kau (shrimp dumpling), Shiu Mai (pork dumpling), Ha Cheong (shrimp rice noodle rolls), Char Siu Pao (steamed roast pork bun) and Egg Tarts and they were some of the best dims sums we have eaten. I can definitely imagine myself going there every Saturday morning for breakfast if I live in Hong Kong, or maybe not. The breakfast at Luk Yu was actually quite expensive.

Gan: When we decided to visit HK, the first thing I recalled from my first trip to HK with my dad and brother, Colin, was the flying saucers in the HK dim sum teahouse. They were famous, I tell you, and the attitude that comes with it just made it all the more so authentic. There's a reason why most of the more regular dim sum teahouse you visit in HK has cracked saucer plates and tea cups. Luk Yu is definitely more high end and tourist friendly.. I kept feeling the true essence of HK was missing there... until the food arrive.

The waiter and waitresses were quite friendly actually. Not at all grumpy like how some people would describe.

Gan: Tourist friendly. Weird.

Har Cheong (Shrimp rice noodle rolls)

Gan: Some of the dim sum dish here was presented in a manner which was quite unfamiliar to me. The really thick rice noodle on the har cheong. The really thick soy sauce. The bite size man tou (chinese buns) that comes with the pork ribs for you to dip the sauce with.

Har Kau - Shrimp Dumpling. Very delicate and delicious!

Gan: This is the real deal. No where else in the world can you find better har kau than in HK. Not Japan, Malaysia, US chinatowns or any other place. For some reason, this is the only one dim sum dish I crave and are never disappointed with when I eat it in HK.

Shiu Mai - Gan's favorite dim sum
Gan: All in all, quite good dim sum. Definitely better than all we had in NYC but I'm sure there's better ones in HK. We'll keep searching for them!