Guided Dim Sum Lunch in Hong Kong

We met Virginia outside of a subway exit this morning to begin our dim sum guided luncheon. She was on time with a big smile on her face and excited to help us experience what is considered by many a classic dim sum lunch. Since Virginia is Canadian born Chinese her English is impeccable which helped us in our conversations as we learned more about each other and about many of the cultural traditions in Hong Kong. The restaurant was a short walk from our meeting point. I somehow felt transported back in time as I looked around the dining area with the servers pushing their dim sum carts up and down the isles, stopping at the tables, and dropping off their delicious wares with their patrons. Virginia told us all about the traditional customary dim sum lunch and explained the various dishes available. She showed us how to wash our cups, bowls, chopsticks and spoon are using hot water provided at our table in a traditional manner. She explained how to steep the tea properly and how to serve it to one another, thanking the pourer with an age old tradition of tapping two fingers on the table. Once bowls and chopsticks were clean and ready and our cups of tea were poured we begin to explore the wonderful world of dim sum! Frankly, I cannot recall precisely the names of the various dishes we were served, but they were all so very, very delicious! The dumplings were rich and flavorful with filings made from pork and chicken and shrimp and other delicious stuffings. Virginia guided us through the various offerings each step of the way with an explanation of what we were enjoying. She also pointed out intricacies about our surroundings telling us about the locals who traditionally enjoy their dim sum lunch and how the entire process works. For someone only familiar with traditional American restaurants this was quite an eye-opener for us and a marvelous learning experience. I wholeheartedly recommend Virginia and her guided dim sum lunch experience! The food was phenomenal, the ambience memorable, and Virginia made the whole thing simply spectacular! In fact, I would endorse any tour which Virginia provides because she is a fun, professional and engaging hostess!