Walking around Mong Kok requires a lot of energy. As one of the busiest streets in Hong Kong and the world, there is so much activity, that it’s impossible to just stay still. After our side trip to Tung Choi street in Mong Kok where Mike, Paula, Eric, and I checked out the Goldfish Market and the Ladies’ Market, by the end of the night, all of our energy has been sapped and all we wanted to do was eat. All that bartering with the hawkers (and the many attempts to escape from the more insistent, arm-grabbing ones) made me hungry!
We made our way to a restaurant in Tung Choi Street called DimDimSum Dim Sum. DimDimSum Dim Sum! Try saying that ten times as fast as you can! Fun, huh? Anyway, before going to Hong Kong, I’ve been hearing good things about this restaurant and learned that it has garnered a few awards in the foodie world. It’s been named as one of the “101 Best Places to Eat in the World” by the 2012 Newsweek Foodie Awards. At the TimeOut Hong Kong 2011 Food and Drink Awards, the restaurant also received an award for “Best Dim Sum.” Well, what do you expect from a restaurant named “DimDimSum”? It’s not just “Dim Sum,” it’s “Dim Dim Sum”! Double the dim, double the yum! (I think.) Because of its good reviews, I made sure that a meal at this restaurant becomes part of our itinerary!
The restaurant was a little hard to find, and we made a few wrong turns before finding it. It was just a small restaurant with very simple and clean interiors, and it certainly did not scream “award-winning restaurant,” except that it was already very late at night and customers, mostly the young crowd, were still coming in to eat.
To order, customers need to fill out an order sheet like this:
Thank God they have an English menu. You don’t have to worry about ordering fish and end up being served duck!
Here are some of the dishes we ordered. Sorry I can’t remember the names of all the dishes!
I wouldn’t know if DimDimSum’s dim sum really is the “Best Dim sum” in Hong Kong but this Steamed Shrimp Dumpling is one of the best steamed shrimp dumplings I’ve had! Some shrimp dumplings contain puny shrimps, and they stick to the wrapper so they’re a little messy and pasty. The shrimps in DimDimSum’s Har Gow are plump and yummy, and the wrapper is moist and soft but does a good job at holding the shrimps together. This dumpling is really something!
Look how pretty these Pork Dumplings look! Those pellets of crab roe look like tasty little jewels. But the question is: do they taste good? I’d say they do! For me, meaty siu mai is good siu mai, and DimDimSum’s pork dumplings are stuffed with generous chunks of pork and shrimp. They’re not the most mind-blowing pork dumplings I’ve tasted, but they’re good enough for me.
If you want a full meal, they also serve steamed rice dishes with a variety of viands. We ordered chicken feet, sausage, and… something else I don’t remember the name of, but I think it’s octopus. The rice dishes are okay, but not something I would come back for.
What I will come back for, however, are these Piggy Custard Buns, a DimDimSum bestseller. I’m not kidding when I say this. I actually wanted to go back the next day, order them to go, and bring some back to Manila. I love Tim Ho Wan’s famous pork buns but DimDimSum’s cute little piggies are also worth lining up for. As you bite into these buns, sweet and creamy salted egg custard oozes from inside. I won’t judge you if you feel like pigging out on these Piggy Custard Buns! As the farmer in the ending scene of the movie Babe: “That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.”
I can’t remember how much everything cost (geez, I’m useless!) but I do remember everything to be really cheap. The dumplings only cost between HKD 21 – 29 per order. Yay for cheap eats!
A little tip about the house tea: it ain’t free! The waiters won’t tell you that – you’re expected to go there armed with knowledge (c/o Google).
Overall, the food was worth getting lost around Mong Kok for, the service was good (the waiters were actually smiling at us and not being surly folks), and they have free wi-fi! Make a dart for DimDimSum for your late night dim sum cravings or those delightful Piggy Custard Buns!
DimDimSum Dim Sum Specialty Store in Mong Kok
Address: Mong Kok: 112 Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon
Phone: +852 2309 2300
E-mail: info@dimdimsum.hk
Website: http://www.dimdimsum.hk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dimdimsum.hk.english
Instagram: @dimdimsumhk
Hashtag: #dimdimsumhk
Other Branches:
Jordan: 21-23 Man Ying Street, Jordan, Kowloon (Tel: +852 2771 7766)
Wan Chai: 7 Tin Lok Lane, Wan Chai, HK (Tel: +852 2891 7677)
Shatin: Shop 108, 1/F, Citylink Plaza, Shatin (Tel: +852 2285 8149)
