Dim Sum in Hong Kong can range from modern refined luxurious venues with waiters in white gloves and where people speak softly for no apparent reason to noisy diners where you will most likely end up sharing the table with strangers and where you will need to compete with other guests to grab the latest dishes flying out from the kitchen. Sun Hing falls into the latter category. An authentic experience that was recommended to me by a local friend.
The visit
Sun Hing is located in the Western district. It is the store with the pinkish sign in the photo above. It is a couple of blocks down Kennedy Town metro station and further down do not miss the view of the harbor. As most of these traditional dim sum joints, it is open from the early morning to just after lunch time (in this case, to be precise, from 3am to 4pm). At peak lunch time (noon to one) a queue is quite normal.
I arrived before noon and I did not have to wait long. I was seated in a table near the entrance that I would soon share with two unrelated senior citizens. The staff helped me to wash the bowl and cutlery with hot tea, a tradition in Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
They have a bilingual menu, but only on the wall… it can be a good idea to take a picture and use it to point what you want to order, just in case your Cantonese is rusty.
Honestly I am not sure how I got my dishes… it was mix of pointing, nodding, and smiling. The best is to just look at what is coming out from the kitchen and go for the freshest dishes available. A number of dim sum baskets are always available in a corner of the cramped and lively dining room.
My first dish was a selection of their fried dim sum. They were delicious. The best was the fried milk dim sum, absolutely sensational.
I had to have a second one.
The classic suo mai was solid.
The other classic, the shrimp dumplings (har gar) were rich and almost transparent, which is a good sign.
The big dumplings with minced meat were one of the signature dim sum dishes of the store. If not mistaken I had one with pork meat.
The check
It is just a pity that I could not taste more dishes. But what I had was filling, fresh, and tasty. I did not mind the noisy surrounding. The staff was friendly and compassionate with the only foreigner in the shop. A very nice experience.
The mysterious check indicated just around 10 USD. A steal.
For a more relaxed experience you can also consider my other favorite old school dim sum in Hong Kong, Three Minus One Restaurant. However Sun Hing should not be missed.
Where in Hong Kong:
Shop C, G/F, 8 Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town, Western District.