Hong Kong’s Best Vegetarian Dim Sum
Alexander Webb – The Wandering Writer
Image courtesy of Lock Cha Tea House
For vegetarians in Hong Kong, eating dim sum is sometimes depressing. You are dazzled by the wealth and quality of Hong Kong’s dim sum, but as a vegetarian, sadly cannot eat most of the menu items. It can feel like your friends are enjoying a feast that will never end, while you’re stuck with a couple veggie buns.
Yet, there are vegetarian dim sum options. Lock Cha, located in Admiralty’s Hong Kong Park, not only has great food, but they have the perfect ambiance. Inside the style is traditional, with wood panels and calligraphy. Increasing the traditional feel is its location by the K.S. Lo gallery of tea ware, allowing you to see traditional tea sets after your meal.
Tea is important here. No, you will not simply be enjoying the food while drinking jasmine as an afterthought. With a massive tea selection—including some rare and expensive vintages—you will never be wanting for something good to go with your dim sum.
Image courtesy of Lock Cha Tea House
The founder, Wing-Chi Ip, is a serious tea connoisseur. He began importing tea to Hong Kong in 1991, and currently owns several tea shops and also has a business in the United States. He is also the Executive Director of the World Tea Union, and the Founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Tea Association. That’s a lot of titles—but what really matters is that every meal at Lock Cha will be accompanied by truly great tea
But the food is also spectacular. With a rotating menu that frequently changes, even frequent guests will find it hard to tire of the 15 or so dim sum choices here. Breakfast or lunch is the best times to come—dinner is also served, but the full dim sum selection is not available, and some of the replacement options are just not as good as the dim sum.
Tea and tea sets are also available for purchase, making this not only a great place to enjoy dim sum, but also a good entry point into the world of Chinese tea culture. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Click here to find out more.
Alex Webb is a traveller who has visited over 30 countries and lived in Hong Kong, Japan, China, South Korea, and the United States. He has written for National Geographic Books and co-authored a book published by the Financial Times Press. When he’s not travelling or writing, he enjoys playing guitar and writing songs. Follow him on instagram at @alxndrwb