Lin Heung Tea House

We Google and Unilocal the heck up for a good dim sum and ended up at this place. One of the worst experience we have ever had; filthy dirty table, utensils, and rude waiters when you English speakers. The dim sum alone wasn’t that bad but the over all experience was disappointing.

Not worth getting stepped on or pushed unless that’s your thang.
I’ve been here a couple of times. Once to check it out and another time to bring some out of town family for shits and giggles.
As soon as a cart comes there’s already people standing and pushing to get to the front. Often times all the good stuff will be gone unless you are lucky or just one of the mob. Even when you do get it, yes there’s definitely a sense of pride but taste wise — I’ve definitely had better.
I think the only people who come here are the older locals who go really early and enjoying watching the mob or tourists hoping for an «authentic» experience.

On someone’s top 10 list for dim sum…
Should be called vultures dum sum or fight for your life dim sum. Lol.
Find your own table to share, find your own chairs, wash your own bowls, cups, chopsticks and spoon, and find your own dim sum! The struggle is real.
Food is gamey. All of it.
No customer service.
The end.

First and hopefully last one star review I will ever write.
Food: 2 out of 5
Ambiance: 0 out of 5
Service: 1 out of 5
Value: 2 out of 5
This place is so dirty I thought I was going to get food poisoning just be breathing the air. The floor is sticky, the bowls and cups have food still stuck on them and the tables get a hasty wipe-​down that makes them possibly more dirty than before the cleaning, if that’s even possible. The service is terrible which isn’t really an issue but since you have you have to find your own seat, it can be a frustrating experience since you can’t depend on any help from the staff. All this I can deal with had the food been good, but unfortunately, it’s quite mediocre. Will never go back and highly recommend that you think twice about setting foot in this establishment. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Known for their dim sum but decided to try it out for dinner.
Mapo tofu
Shrimp with vegetables and chestnuts– kind of expensive and small for the price
Beef with black bean sauce
Everything was pretty good and the service was awesome. The funny thing was the waiter clearly wanted a tip and let us know by pointing at the tip line when he brought over the bill.

Authentic, delicious, chaotic experience of potentially one of the best dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong.
After walking into the restaurant you are completely submerged in this local environment that provides an authentic feel to every inch of the place. The way the tea is brought out, the food is served and how the customers all seem to know each other brings a certain joy to the atmosphere.
Although chaotic at times due to how crowded it is and the not-​so clean environment, the food does not dissapoint. Food items are brought around in steam trays and you have to brawl with others in order to get what you want. Everything is amazing but some items may seem weird to foreigners. The pricing is all extremely reasonable and overall the restaurant was a great experience. Never have I been in such an authentic Chinese dim sum place, will definitely return and bring friends.

I wanted the authentic HK dim sum eating experience and I got it! Most likely, you’ll have to walk to the trolley, choose your plate and have your order sheet stamped. They won’t really go to your table.
Food was good but portion wasn’t the biggest. The shumai was small but packed with flavor. They walk around with a huge kettle of boiled water to refill your tea. This place was definitely a good experience though foreigners who don’t speak Cantonese or Mandarin will have some difficulty communicating to the servers.
I’d recommend coming for the experience.

Nice local restaurant in HK.
Mainly populated by locals.
Dim Sum (dumplings) is the speciality. If you come with a local or sit at a table with locals who speak English and could help you is better.
The dishes come on trolley and you chose what you want. The waiter afterwards indicates on a sheet what was taken and you pay to total at the end.
Price is cheap around 110HK$ for 1 person with tea and 5 different dishes.
Payment by cash. Not possible to book, you need to wait for an empty table if you are a large group or to share a table with somebody else.
Enjoy !!!

Authentic yum cha/​dim sum experience. Dim sum arrives piping hot and fresh as you order them off a trolley. Taste of the dim sum is flavorful as well.
Loved this old school place, really enjoyed the har gow and chew cheong fan. Definitely a must try!

I’m not a dim sum connoisseur, so I can’t speak to how the food here compares to the best or to any sort of ideal. What I can say is this:
1) The food was great! We were two people and ordered eight dishes. At the end we were broken, but satisfied. I don’t know the names of most of what we had. The red bean bao were poofy and full of, you guessed it, beans. The chicken feet were pretty tasty. There was one dish that was savory meat in a flaky, filo-​ish pasty that reminded me of Israeli-​style bourekas. And another dish that was just stewed chicken on top of rice, and it looked awful – the chicken was lurid pink and looked undercooked – but it was delicious, juicy, flavorful, etc. The jin deui were beautiful to look at, these three perfect little gold sesame-​covered globes. Thumbs up to everything.
1) Lin Heung opens at 6am, significantly earlier than any of the other widely recommended and/​or guidebook-​approved dim sum shops. This is really convenient if you’re trying to plan other things later in the day (such as a second breakfast at a cha chan tang, because time is limited and there is much to eat!), but more importantly it gives a tourist an opportunity to beat the crush that comes later in the day and, to boot, to sit among locals. We arrived at 7am and the place was bustling. It was nearly full but we were sat right away. We shared a large round table with an older gentlemen who was reading his paper. He didn’t pay us much mind, for better or worse, though at one point he noticed we were taking photos and then he played photo director with us for a minute, enthusiastically insisting we frame the Lin Heung menu and logo into some of our pictures.
3) Lin Heung has been in Hong Kong for ~90 years and I’m not sure it’s been remodeled or ever even modeled. It’s a big dining hall with white walls and ~50 large tables, a set of servers in white tunics, and dim-​sum trolley-​pushers in blue. The ambiance, or non-​ambiance, is made memorable by the crowd, which gives the place its energy and somehow makes it fun.
Tips for tourists:
* The dim sum trolleys won’t necessarily come round to your table. Don’t be afraid to walk up and get the dim sum yourself. Bring your order sheet to be stamped.
* Unless you come with you own big group, you will probably sit at large table shared with others. This might seem odd to someone from the US but don’t worry about it, just sit and eat.
* The staff pretty much speak no English. Just point and smile.
* They might offer you jasmine tea as a default but there are several others on the menu, if you want – pu-​er, oolong, etc.

We had a couple of hours in Hong Kong on layover heading back to Perth from Canada. Knowing we wanted to get our dim sum on in Hong Kong, I did a bit of research and Lin Heung Tea House seemed like our best option.
A bit hard to find but was worth our little hunt. They open very early in the AM so it worked well for our layover time (we arrived there at the restaurant at 7AM).
The place was packed, and the format was very different to dim sum back in Australia — which we expected.
You sit wherever there is space, we were kindly directed to a large table in the corner but normally there is no usher you just sit where ever there is space. Then you are presented with your utensils and a bowl of boiling water to rinse each utensil in before eating.
The trolleys do not go around to each table. So don’t be shy, get up and walk over to the trolley to make your selection.
It’s a bit pricier than we expected — 175 HKD for 2 people but compared to prices back home that is still very cheep.
It was a really great experience and one day, when we are back in Hong Kong, we will go back again!

Great atmosphere here, none of the fancy-​schmancy dim sum where everything is pre-​ordered and carefully brought. This is great, very traditional, dim sum that is wheeled out on carts and everyone rushes the cart to grab what looks good.
I highly recommend this place, for not just the great food, but the whole experience.

Best dim-​sum I’ve had in my life — ever! Its just incredible with the traditional trolleys and all. You see a true slice of life in HK. You’ll have to fight your way to the trolley to get the more popular items. Don’t ask questions like «What is in this?» A) you won’t get an answer B) the food will be gone from the trolley by the time you make up your mind
Eat first, ask questions later!

It’s a battle for brunch at Lin Heung Tea House! It’s one of the oldest tea houses in Hong Kong, and I’d venture to say… one of the deadliest! (It’s part of the fun!)
I came late on a Saturday morning by myself and was lucky to find a single open seat at a communal table. If I was here with another person, we would have had to wait because the dining room was packed!
After finding a spot… the battle began. Every 5 – 10 minutes, a dim sum lady would roll her cart out, and before she can get out to the diners, hoards of people would rush up and crowd over her trying to grab dishes! There was lots of shouting, pointing, and waving of tickets in front of her face… I felt bad for the poor dim sum ladies!
*TIP* It’s every man for themselves so be quick and assertive. Otherwise the dim sum lady is going run out of food, roll her empty cart back into the kitchen, and you’ll be left to starve!
I managed to get several dishes, but then I had to be very careful walking back to my seat. This was because other people were getting up and running to dim sum carts and waiters were running around with huge kettles of boiling water to refill tea pots. I watched in amazement as how no one got burned!
I fought successfully to try 4 classic items:
1) Siu Mai: Yum! These were big and meaty!
2) Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings): Big chunks of shrimp with lots of flavor wrapped in a translucent skin.
3) Char Siu Bao: Giant buns that were a bit doughy, but had tasty pork filling.
4) Gnuw Churng (Rice Noodle Rolls with Beef): Big portion, but the rice noodles were too thick and dense.
Overall the dim sum is solid, and the portions were very generous. However, I don’t know if I’d come back the next time I’m in Hong Kong. Dim sum should be a slow meal where you’re allowed to chat with friends & family while small plates are rolled over to your table… leaving your table to rush up to the carts to battle for dim sum takes away from that experience! It was fun though!

If you’re looking for authentic, hardcore old school dim sum, this is the place to go.
Warning to those of you who don’t speak Cantonese — I heard the staff here will make it incredibly obvious that they don’t want you around. Other places in HK are a bit more tolerant than this place, even if they’re not fond of tourists. So, come at your own risk. When I came here, I was with only Cantonese speakers, so it wasn’t an issue for us. If you’re going to come here anyway, it’s best to come with at least one person who can speak Cantonese, so at least they can deal with the staff for you.
This is the type of place where you get dishes off of a cart rather than order off a sheet. You’ll see carts maneuvering between the tables and the pusher shouting out what the cart has. You can either wait for them to get close to you and then pull something off the cart, or you can just walk up and grab it yourself (recommended). Just make sure it’s logged on your party’s card. This was the type of dim sum I was used to as a kid, when carts were common in dim sum restaurants in California, but nowadays most places in the US use the sheets. So it was really cool to see it done this way again. However, what sets this place apart from my childhood experiences is that you’ll have to fight for your dishes with other customers when grabbing things from the cart. It can be pretty chaotic.
I personally found that none of the dishes stood out, even the signature Malay cake, which wasn’t even the best I’ve ever had. You can get dim sum of this quality pretty much anywhere else in HK. But the thing with other places is that you don’t have to fight other patrons when reaching for items. Other places will be a lot more stress-​free.
You’ll see a line outside this place during the peak lunch hour. During the later hours before this place transitions to its dinner menu, you can get in pretty easily, but at that point the kitchen stops putting out many items, so your selection will be very limited at that point.
Come here if you’re looking for a venue with lots of history, or if you’re curious as to what an old school experience is like. Once you experience its atmosphere and mark it off your checklist, there are other places you can go to instead.

The place is a true traditional style of Dim Sum restaurant which has been in an existence well over a century year old. I appreciate the fact that LHL has maintained its tradition. However, if you are a foreigner and want to experience this place, it may be difficult if you don’t have one of the locals to help navigate the ordering process. I was glad I speak the language but battling the dim sum selection is like fighting off with your opponent to see who gets in front of the dim sum lady first. Otherwise you will be left behind without food because you weren’t aggressive enough to fight for the dim sum dishes.
The food was good but me being up so many times to fend off with others for dim sum kind of took my enjoyment away.

I am so thankful that I was taken here by a local, because I’m pretty sure I would have given up in frustration had I come here and not known «the rules».
We arrived just after noon and Lin Heung was heaving with people. There was a really great buzzy energy in the air as carts of steaming dishes were wheeled around and groups and lone diners nestled in to one of the dozens of tables. The space is huge and there doesn’t seem to be an obvious system for how to get yourself something to eat, so I can imagine it could be intimidating for first timers who can’t speak the local lingo.
Luckily here I am to rescue you!
1. Walk in to the madness and someone will kind of greet you, but not really.
2. Find some empty seats.
3. Use international sign language to ask the other people on the table if they are free. They probably won’t stop eating or pouring their tea to answer but a nod and maybe a smile will tell you if it’s okay to sit down.
4. Catch the eye of someone who seems to work here. Shortly after you will be brought a dish, a pot of tea, bowls, spoons and chopsticks.
5. Take the tea and hold a bowl, chopsticks or spoon and over the dish while you slosh the tea over to «clean» them. You’ll look like a total pro.
6. You will also be given a piece of paper to tally up what you order. If you’re sitting close to the trolly path you will be able to directly get items from the trollies. Otherwise you will have to walk across the room, find a trolly and then point at steaming baskets until you find something you like the look of.
7. Your piece of paper will keep «score» of how much your stomach has taken.
8. When you’ve had your fill take the paper up to the counter and pay.
BONUS TIP — It’s cash only, so come prepared!

This old school yum cha place is a must visit if you like dim sum. A truly authentic dim sum restaurant that has been around for over 90+ years. Once you step into this place, you are taken back in time. It’s very nostalgic with gigantic tea kettles, special tea cups that you steep and pour yourself and even spittoons by select tables. The last time I was there I was 18 months old according to my mom. Definitely come here for a cultural and historical experience, Be prepared to seat at some run down table with chairs that wobble back and forth and to share your table with strangers. It’s everyone for themselves here. If you can’t find a waiter to fill up your tea cup, you can grab a boiling hot kettle yourself to pour. As for the dim sum, although it is wheeled around, many people go directly to the dim sum cart and fight over the bamboo steamers to bring back to the table. It’s a very busy place, so if you really want a specific dish, it is best to go get it yourself before its all gone. They have many speciality dim sum items that you don’t see anymore at the modern dim sum places. Such items as pig stomach siu mai, and liver siu mai. The food isn’t bad. But it’s the ambiance that will draw you back to this old establishment if you enjoy stepping back in time.

This place is really «old school». We were taken here by a friend who could speak Cantonese which made things much easier! The menu is not written in English, so you’re out of luck there if you can’t read Chinese Characters.
Our host did all the talking for us. It’s very noisy here, and you need to «fight» for your seats. When you see people almost finished with their meals, there will be a group of people patiently waiting at the side of their table to grab their seats. Waiters don’t escort you to your table. Don’t expect a «Din Tai Fung» experience here!
We were told that waiters do not respond to you if you hail them down. You just have to wait til they come by, then communicate to them what you want. You can order from the menu or get up and walk over to the dim sum carts and grab what you want.
Also, our host taught us how to «wash our dishes» with the tea. Y
So, if you’re a westerner, like me, you probably may have a difficult time here.
But, I did enjoy my experience here. The food is good!

Who would have thought that in the middle of central food market area, there is one world acclaimed restaurant that looks like it is decades old. It is Lin Heung Tea House, Lun Heung literally means Fragrant Lotus. Opened since 1928, it has not been refurbished in any way so everything is well preserved from the old times. I personally cannot smell that scent there (its Lotus paste buns are just mouth watery) but people flock to here from around the world just to have its authentic Chinese food.
Be prepared to share the same table with strangers while sitting in shabby seats, this is the place where you can have a taste of the cultural and culinary authenticity of Hong Kong. So expect some grumpy looking Chinese guys talking loudly with their mouths full.
They are so many delicious dishes here but if I have to pick, I would, surprisingly, recommend Malay Cake. Yes, it is nothing fancy and of course they have dishes that are better than that. However, the fact that they still manage to excel a dish that is the common dish you can get everywhere in Hong Kong earns its reputation. Try it. Its sweet and refreshing scent. Also the texture is unlike anything else you have ever tried.
Notice that you probably need to acquire certain degree of Cantonese to be able to order. So better bring a dictionary or a Cantonese speaking friend. If not, you will still know the drill after observing others for a while.