Dim Sum at Maxim’s Palace City Hall Hong Kong

I realised I seem to have skipped my whole Hong Kong travel food episode, which is a huge waste of wonderful food! I love food in Hong Kong – I love food anywhere – but Hong Kong is special because the food there is abundant and delicious! Here’s my spotlight on my favourite dimsum restaurant.

I always go to Maxim’s Palace at City Hall in Hong Kong. I’ve been to the other famous Luk Yu Tea House as well, but Maxim’s Palace at City Hall is the one I return to every single time I go to Hong Kong.

The reason for my obsession with Maxim’s Palace is the Char Siew Polo Pau (Pineapple Bun with Barbequed Pork filling).

A Polo Pau is called a pineapple bun but pineapple is not an ingredient at all. This is because the sugar crust on top of it looks like a pineapple hence the name. Usually, this sweet bun is plain without filling. However, at Maxim’s Palace, they have filled it with Char Siew (barbequed pork) which makes for a divine combination!

It is tremendously popular and always disappears once it comes out of the kitchen so I always place an order with the server so I get a plate once its ready. Best eaten hot and lip-smackingly delicious. I have even packed some to bring home and once heated up in the oven, the taste is not diminished.

You get the regular dimsum dishes as well which I will feature below:-

Chee Cheong Fun – Rice flour rolls filled with prawns, char siew or even fish, served with soy sauce and some XO sauce for flavour

Wu Kok – Deep fried Yam balls with char siew filling

Prawn Spring Rolls and Tau Foo Fa

Tan Tart - Baked Egg Tart (What is dim sum without egg tarts!?)

The dim sum portions in Hong Kong are larger than what we get in Malaysia and as can be expected, they are pricier too. On average, I’d say that you should be prepared to spend about RM80 per person for a hearty dim sum brunch. On the flip side, they are tons tastier than the dim sum we get here with a mind-boggling array of choices.

You can either order dim sum dishes or wait for a cart to pass by and pick your selection from the cart. I prefer to wait for the carts because I like seeing different things and trying different foods. Even the siew mai (steamed pork dumplings) and har kow (steamed prawn dumplings) are different because they are larger and bursting with meat and whole prawns. Makes it worthwhile to pay for quality!

The other thing I like about going to Maxim’s Palace City Hall is to people watch. Because so many locals eat there too, it is very interesting to see how the local people of Hong Kong interact with each other. It never ceases to amaze me how it always looks exactly like what I watch on tv in those Hong Kong serials. They speak and behave the same way and its like being transported into a tv show!

Eating dim sum is a leisurely experience that should not be rushed. So, when you go to Maxim’s Palace, take your time, relax and enjoy. When you are done in about an hour or two, its time to walk through most of the Central shopping area to walk off all that food!

Maxim’s Palace is located on the 3rd Floor of the City Hall building on Hong Kong island. Getting there from Kowloon is easy. Hop onto the Star Ferry for HKD2 to cross to the island then follow the signs to City Hall. It is open at about 11am everyday and it is a popular place for dimsum even among locals so be there early if you want to be guaranteed a table. Otherwise, be prepared to wait. This is especially true on weekends when locals go out to eat in droves. If you want to enjoy the scenery, try to ask for a window seat where you can see the skyline of Kowloon. However, these seats are usually reserved for larger groups so its not that easy to get one. Then again, you might just get lucky.

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4. Steamed Buns with Char Siew (roast pork) filling
5. Hong Kong Food Culture at Low Yat Plaza
6. A Taste of Seremban Siew Pau
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