Insiders Guide to Hong Kong

It’s 4:30 on a Saturday morning. My makeup is smudged across my face and my head is spinning. It’s been a crazy night. At this point all I want is something to eat and a typical kebab or slice of pizza just won’t do. I jump on a red minibus and hurtle from Central down to Kennedy Town. The driver pulls to a stop, turns off the engine and yells something indecipherable at me. I push ten dollars into his hand and start stumbling towards my destination.
The lit-up restaurant welcomes me with newspaper reviews plastered across its windows, the clatter of busy diners muted by the sliding-door entrance. Sun Hing Dim Sum is something of an institution in Hong Kong’s Western District. It opens at 3am and serves Guangdong-style dim sum till 4pm daily.
The place is full. The clientele range from party revelers ending their nights to university students pulling all-nighters to elderly locals just starting their days. I’m directed to share a table with two senior local women. I suppose it would be uncouth for a lone female to be seated with men. The women stare at me. They can probably smell the gin on my breath. I stare at their food.
After being served Chinese tea, I get up and start exploring the bamboo steam baskets stacked high on a table in the corner. Everything looks so good. I choose har gau (steamed shrimp dumplings), char siu cheong fan (rolled rice noodles with barbeque pork) and lai wong bao (egg custard buns), paying particular attention to avoid the fung zao (steamed chicken feet.)
As I return the two ladies stop their conversation. The looks on their faces give away their thoughts. “How does this gweimui even know what she’s eating?” I adjust the chopsticks in my hand. I’d been careless and burnt myself on the steam. The alcohol had only momentarily numbed the pain, but this meal of the Gods would certainly be worth the sacrifice.
The rice noodle rolls soak up the booze, the shrimp dumplings are perfect mouthfuls of flavor and the sweetness of the custard buns helps to restore some energy after my big night out. I’m sure my two dining companions find my sheer delight with the food as entertaining as I find their curiosity in me.
If you’re looking for an alternative after-hours meal, I highly recommend this local dim sum haven. However, the trick is to go with two more or people so you can sample more dishes. Dim sum, after all, translates to “touch the heart” and is meant to be shared. Just remember to watch out for the steam baskets. They’re hot!