Luk Yu Tea House @ Stanley Street, Hongkong

Luk Yu garnered its own page on Wiki...it has been in operations since 1933. History sells for Luk Yu, that explains my visit there.



Emerald green signage.



It is nearly impossible to get a reservation on the first floor as it is unofficially reserved for the regulars. And I experienced that firsthand. A Bentley (I think) drove up, a prosperous looking man in suit gets off and the doorman holds the door for him. I arrive next only to be told "First floor is full, the second floor Mam". All the better though, having to dine amongst all the 粒佬 (dai lup lou i.e. wealthy bigwigs) means all the unnecessary airs and stress.

Up to the second floor it was!



Tea so concentrated.



China so fine, the fine artwork on them...all matching.



Order sheet!



Unlike Lin Heung, everything is much in order at Luk Yu, food gets served to you, the air-conditioner works so fine (it is nearly bone chilling), there is almost no noise (safe for our noisy chatter)..people still read their papers, chit chat but all these done in solitude and piercing silence.



Black slab that resembles 龟苓膏 but it is black sesamme jelly. Much like 黑芝麻糊 in a jelly form, not too bad.



Wrapped daintily in leaves...and sealed with a toothpick.



A soon kueh-like dessert?




Red bean soon kueh, the kueh's chewy and soft, like mochi. The red bean paste was not too sweet and tasted quite nice. A different kind of dessert I say.



We also attempted the chicken pau stuffed with as many ingredients as Lin Heung's, just that this is more refined, taste wise. Once again, the pau bread wowed.



Rice rolls stuffed with Chicken and Shoots. Flavours were well balanced, the fillings of the rice rolls were done so tastefully, one of the best rice rolls we tried.




Siew mai topped with fish roe, generous serving of pork and prawns. I tasted the same freshness and sweetness in the dimsum, almost made out of your own kitchen with such quality ingredients.




Har gao plumped with so many prawns and skin so fine, a culinary delight in itself!



Cha Siew Bao that must not be missed. Their char siew is not sweet, unlike Singapore. Hardly you will find fatty bits mixed in, all meat. The pau bread in Hongkong is seriously addictive, I fought to polish them off with every order of pau.

Service is top notch in Luk Yu, they attend to you almost immediately. For the morning crowd, certainly nowhere near "hustle" or "bustle" of Lin Heung, there is a fair share of natives, some working folk too (clad in business suits) and there are Japanese tourists, backpackers..and oh, I spied a group of Singaporeans too. Food surpasses in terms of quality, the ingredients used, the fine artistry of dimsum. It is worth that one visit, just to indulge in dimsum and soak in the Hongkong tradition.



As expected. HK 80 for tea, works out to be about SGD 4/pax, close to Shang Palace's charges! Nope, I am not complaining at all.

Luk Yu Tea House
24-26 Stanley Street

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