iEat Sun Hing Restaurant

Neighborhood institution

Sun Hing’s first customers arrive before dawn to greet steaming baskets of dim sum served at 3am. It’s an unusual mix of early-rising old timers and party animals looking to line their stomachs after a night of drinking. Several hours later, the early birds and night owls are replaced by students from the nearby University of Hong Kong. Whatever their background, everyone is here for the same reason: fresh, handmade dim sum.

Touches the heart

Dim sum literally means “touch the heart,” and these heartwarming small dishes are a staple of Cantonese cuisine and social life. They’re usually consumed with tea, and going out to eat dim sum is referred to as ‘yum cha’ – ’drink tea’.

Serve yourself

There are two kinds of dim sum restaurants: large banquet hall operations where families gather and elderly customers while away the hours reading newspapers, and small neighbourhood joints like Sun Hing, which are packed and lively. There is no menu here, but keep an eye out for the house specialties: quail’s egg wontons (鵪鶉蛋燒賣), deep fried milk (炸鮮奶) and steamed black sugar cake (馬拉糕). Grab a basket of each as they emerge piping hot from the kitchen.

Chicken stop

For popular street food, go to 真滋味美食 Chan Chi Mei for deep fried and grilled chicken drumsticks (HK$29).