Dim Sum Photo Gallery — Handmade in Wan Chai
47 photos shot inside our Gresson Street shop, in five categories. Each caption gives the Cantonese name, the romanisation and what to look for, so you can order by pointing. Tap a photo to enlarge.
These photographs were all taken inside our shop on Gresson Street in Wan Chai. The food is what was on sale that morning — no props, no replica dumplings, no restyled plates. We caption every picture for a practical reason: in a small Hong Kong tea house, the fastest way to order is to recognise the dish and point at it.
If this is your first dim sum breakfast in Hong Kong, read the captions before you arrive, then use the menu page for prices. The kitchen starts folding at 1 a.m., the first baskets open at 5 a.m., and we switch the steam off at 3:30 p.m. Popular items usually sell out before noon — timing advice is on the visit page.
| Category | Photos | What to look for | When to order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buns & cakes | 23 | Proving, natural split on top, filling ratio, air pockets in the cakes | All day; widest choice early |
| Rice noodle rolls | 7 | Sheet thinness, rolls not fused together, soy absorption | Made to order, all day |
| Clay pot rice | 3 | Rice soaked with juices, faint toast at the base, topping coverage | From about 10:30 a.m.; allow 15 min |
| Lo mai gai | 7 | Lotus leaf aroma, separate grains, layers of filling | From 5 a.m. until sold out |
| Steamed fish | 7 | Flesh just parting from the bone, clear sauce, ginger and scallion timing | Depends on the day's market |
Note: photographs show typical portions. Availability changes daily, and what is in the shop on the day always takes precedence.
Buns & Cakes — bao, steamed cakes and the classic steamers
Buns are the hardest part of the morning because everything depends on the proving. Under-proved dough steams dense; over-proved dough turns sour and collapses. A correctly proved bun comes out matte white and springs back when pressed lightly. Steamed cakes are judged differently: the air pockets should be even, so a good ma lai go looks like a honeycomb inside rather than a solid brick.
The one item worth explaining is dai bao, the "big bun" of old Hong Kong tea houses — chicken, pork, salted egg and mushroom in a bun large enough to be a whole breakfast. Wan Chai's grand tea houses were once famous for generously filled big buns, and very few small shops still make them.
What to look for in the photos
- The split on top of a bun is made by steam pushing through proved dough, not by a knife.
- Filling ratio at the bite: handmade filling is loose and juicy, factory filling sits in one compressed lump.
- Cut surfaces: turnip cake should show shredded radish and cured meat; taro cake should show taro chunks, not paste.
Buns and cakes run all day, but the selection is widest early. Prices and full descriptions are on the menu; the story of the 1 a.m. start and our chef's years at Lung Moon Restaurant is on the about page.
Rice Noodle Rolls — cloth-steamed cheung fun
There are two ways to make cheung fun. The drawer method is easier; the cloth method — bo lai cheung — pours the rice batter onto damp cloth, steams it, then lifts and folds the sheet by hand. The sheet comes out thinner and silkier, but it must be served immediately: left standing, the rolls fuse into a single slab. That is why rice noodle rolls cannot be prepared in bulk ahead of service.
Ours are dressed in cooked sweetened soy. In the photos, look at the cut edges: a good roll is cleanly cut, holds its filling without tearing, and stays separate after the sauce goes on.
The usual four
- Shrimp: whole shrimp, visible as pieces rather than a paste.
- Barbecue pork: hand-chopped char siu; the honey sauce bleeds into the sheet.
- Beef: the juiciest of the three fillings.
- Plain: no filling at all — the honest test of the sheet itself, with soy or sweet sauce and sesame.
Rice noodle rolls are made to order and available all day. At peak hours (7:30–9:30 a.m.), tick your steamed items first and let the rolls follow.
Steamed Rice Bowls — clay pot rice, one pot at a time
Clay pot steamed rice, jung tau faan, was the lunchtime staple of the old tea houses. Raw rice and the topping go into a clay pot together and steam until done, so the meat juices run through the grains and a faint toasted layer forms at the base. Because each pot cooks individually, it takes fifteen minutes or more and cannot be batch-cooked — which is exactly why it tastes different from rice ladled out of a tray.
Our most-ordered version is chicken with dried shiitake, from about HK$39, and it is the single item regulars come back for most. In the photos, check the surface: the topping should cover the rice evenly rather than sitting in a small pile in the middle.
Three regular versions
- Chicken and dried shiitake: the mushroom perfume is strongest here.
- Spare ribs: black bean sauce runs straight into the rice; the boldest of the three.
- Salted fish and pork patty: an old-school, pungent favourite — balance it with iced lemon tea.
Clay pot rice is generally available from about 10:30 a.m. and takes around fifteen minutes. In a hurry? Order steamed items, or take a lo mai gai away with you.
Lo Mai Gai — a whole breakfast in a lotus leaf
Lo mai gai is the item that proves one piece of dim sum can be a full meal. Glutinous rice is soaked, then tossed with chicken, cured sausage and salted egg yolk, wrapped in lotus leaf and steamed long enough for the leaf perfume to reach the centre. Because the steaming is long, it goes in with the first round before dawn — so early-shift workers can pick one up and eat it walking.
Two things to watch in the photos. First, the colour of the leaf: properly steamed, it shifts from deep green to olive. Second, the rice: grains should stay distinct while sticking together, never collapsing into a paste.
Lo mai gai vs jun zyu gai
- Size: lo mai gai is the large version; jun zyu gai (pearl chicken) is the small one.
- Filling: lo mai gai usually carries more layers, including salted egg yolk and sausage.
- How to eat it: share one between two, or take it away — the leaf is the packaging.
Available from 5 a.m. until sold out. It is the quickest full breakfast we serve — takeaway details on the visit page.
Steamed Fish — the day's market, steamed plain
Steaming is the most honest cooking method there is: if the fish is not fresh, one mouthful tells you. It is also the hardest to time — thirty seconds too long and flesh that was just parting from the bone turns firm and dry. Our steamed fish depends on what arrives from the market that morning, so it sits outside the dim sum list and changes day to day.
Look at the eyes and the sauce in these photos. A correctly steamed fish has clear, slightly domed eyes, flesh that has just turned opaque next to the bone, and a clear rather than cloudy pool of sauce. The ginger and spring onion on top are finished with hot oil at the last moment, which is where the aroma comes from.
How to eat a whole steamed fish
- Start with the belly: the fattiest, best part, and best while very hot.
- Then the back: firmer flesh, good with the soy from the dish.
- Do not waste the sauce — spoon it over plain rice, the way the older generation does.
Steamed fish is market-dependent, so both the species and availability change daily. Ask staff what came in that morning.
How to order without speaking Cantonese
Nobody expects a visitor to read a Chinese tick sheet. Here is the whole process, which takes about a minute.
- Sit where you are shown. At peak times you may share a table with strangers. This is normal and not a slight.
- Tea comes first. Say “po lei” for pu’er, “heung pin” for jasmine, or just nod — a default pot will arrive.
- Point or tick. Show a photo from this page, point at the item on the English menu, or point at a neighbouring table's basket.
- Say how many. Hold up fingers for the number of baskets. One basket is usually three to four pieces.
- Eat as it lands. Baskets arrive when ready, not in courses. Steamed dim sum is best within three minutes.
- Pay at the counter. Cash, AlipayHK and Alipay are accepted; the tick sheet is your bill.
Roughly what things cost
| Item | Typical price | Serves |
|---|---|---|
| One steamer basket (har gow, siu mai, ribs, beef, chicken feet) | About HK$23–30 | 1–2 people |
| Plate of rice noodle rolls | About HK$23–30 | 1–2 people |
| Lo mai gai (lotus leaf sticky rice) | Around HK$30 | 1–2 people |
| Clay pot steamed rice | From about HK$39 | 1 person |
| Two people, four baskets plus tea | About HK$100–150 | 2 people |
Prices are indicative and change; the shop's own list is authoritative. Current items and prices are on the menu page.
If you have dietary restrictions
- No meat: turnip cake, taro cake, plain rice noodle rolls, steamed sponge cake, lotus seed paste bun.
- No pork: beef balls, chicken clay pot rice, steamed fish.
- Shellfish allergy: avoid har gow, siu mai and shrimp rice noodle rolls; ask staff, as shrimp appears in several fillings.
- Shared steamers: everything cooks in the same cabinet, so we cannot guarantee separation for strict diets.
Gallery FAQ
Are these real photos of the food you serve?
Yes — all shot in the Gresson Street shop, of dim sum sold that day, with no props or replica food. Portions match what reaches your table.
Can I order by pointing at a photo?
Yes, and it is completely normal here. Show the photo on your phone or point at the English menu.
Is everything available every day?
No. Steamed items are made in limited quantities and sell out; steamed fish depends on the morning market. Come before 9 a.m. for the widest choice.
Why does clay pot rice take longer?
Each pot is steamed individually for fifteen minutes or more and cannot be batch-cooked.
May I take photos inside?
Photos of your own table are welcome. Please avoid blocking the aisle or the steamers at busy times, and avoid photographing other guests.
Can I reuse these photos?
They are copyright of Kam Fai Dim Sum. For media or travel use, call +852 2520 0138 or +852 6829 9296 first.