Dim Sum

Dim sum in Hong Kong is not a meal — it is a cultural institution. Yum cha (drinking tea) with dim sum has been Hong Kong's defining social ritual for over a century, taken by families and colleagues in traditional teahouses (cha lau) every morning. The experience: arrival at a large, noisy, bustling teahouse; weak oolong or pu-erh tea poured immediately; bamboo steamers of har gow (prawn dumplings), siu mai (pork and prawn dumplings), char siu bao (barbecue pork buns), cheung fun (rice noodle rolls), and egg tarts arriving in endless succession from trolleys or ordered from paper slips. Hong Kong dim sum is the finest in the world.