Alright, so I wanted to talk about this dim sum buffet thing I did in Hong Kong the other day. I woke up feeling pretty hungry, you know? And the idea of just eating endless dim sum sounded like a solid plan. Didn’t really plan it much, just decided, okay, today’s the day for stuffing my face with dumplings.
Finding a place wasn’t too hard. I remembered seeing some signs around Tsim Sha Tsui before, advertising these all-you-can-eat deals. Didn’t go for the fanciest hotel one, just a regular-looking spot inside one of those commercial buildings. Looked busy enough, which I usually take as a good sign. If locals are eating there, it can’t be that bad, right?
Getting Seated and Figuring Things Out
Walked in, and yeah, it was noisy. Lots of chatter, plates clanking, the usual yum cha sounds. Got waved over to a small table pretty quick. They gave me this paper menu and a pencil. It wasn’t like the old-school carts rolling around, which I kinda missed, but the checklist style works too. You just tick off what you want, and they bring it out.
First things first, I ordered tea. Gotta have tea with dim sum, just feels wrong without it. Went for the usual Pu-erh. Then I started ticking boxes on that sheet. Tried not to go too crazy on the first round, but my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach at that point.
The Main Event: Eating!
The food started coming out pretty fast. Steaming hot baskets piled up. I kicked things off with the classics:
- Siu Mai (Pork Dumplings)
- Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings)
- Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Buns)
- Cheung Fun (Rice Noodle Rolls)
Honestly? It was decent. Not the absolute best dim sum I’ve ever had in my life, let’s be real. Some stuff was better than others. The har gow skin was a little thick maybe, but the shrimp inside was okay. The siu mai were pretty standard. Those BBQ pork buns, though? They were actually really good. Soft bun, sweet pork filling, hit the spot.
I kept ordering. More rounds. Tried some fried stuff too, spring rolls, taro puffs. They had congee, some veggies, even dessert things like mango pudding and sweet tofu. It’s easy to get carried away. You see something go to another table and think, “Ooh, I need to try that.” So I did. Just kept ticking boxes. The waiters were zipping around, dropping off food, clearing baskets. Pretty efficient, I gotta say, even if they weren’t super chatty.
After about an hour, maybe a bit more, I started hitting the wall. That feeling when you know you should stop, but you also want just one more dumpling. Yeah, that was me. Forced down a final custard bun and called it quits. My table looked like a dim sum battlefield, empty baskets everywhere.
Wrapping Up
Paid the bill. It wasn’t dirt cheap, but for the sheer volume of food I put away, it felt like decent value. You definitely need to go hungry to make it worth it. Left the place feeling incredibly full, almost uncomfortable, haha. Needed a long walk after that.
So, the dim sum buffet? It was an experience. Good for satisfying a massive craving. Would I do it all the time? Probably not. I think I still prefer ordering specific dishes I really love at a regular place. But for a blowout? Yeah, it did the job. Just gotta be prepared to roll out of there afterwards.