In these few years, the dim sum restaurants are transforming silently.
I do the tour always with dim sum, no matter pure authentic dim sum with locals or dim sum in a decent Chinese restaurants. Today, there are more dim sum shops around which are quite different in the traditional operations.
Maybe Hong Kong dim sum is so famous, and there are more individual travelers from mainland and overseas. Dim sum seems to be a must-try in Hong Kong, and there are more and more small dim sum boutique dining shops near the new hotels. They do not charge less than a formal restaurant, but the way they served are much more faster, and the space around is limited but food is up to standard.
Just like the one we passed by today. I learnt that the chef came from a traditional Chinese restaurant but the operation of a real restaurant is too troublesome. This Kung Fu Dim Sum restaurant of course uses the improved version of food ordering form, we simply check the box and the waiters would follow the order.
The food is good, and they served until late evening and formal restaurant would not do. That means, it is a very innovative tactic to attract visitors as they could try dim sum even at the dinner which our locals will not do. The only big difference was the ambience, of course, people were still talking loudly, but we would not stay long for friends’ or family gathering. I could say that locals will be spending one to two hours staying around, chit chatting, reading newspapers, ordering dim sum again and again, asking for filling tea again and again. In this improved setting, we simply finish and go, and we would not spend more time in “building the bonds”. The world is changing, even the some of the basic habits among us is changing much as we simply take food and leave, those bonding among people is losing in a dim sum gathering. Time is too luxury to be spending just for sitting around the tables and take dim sum slowly. Maybe in the near future (it is now in fact), only retired people could afford to stay long for enjoying dim sum.
Of course, if simply for trying dim sum and make ourselves full, the new style really suits our needs.