Saving Hong Kong’s ‘endangered’ dim sum

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Hong Kong is known as one of the best places in the world to enjoy dim sum, but a small selection of the bite-sized delicacies has been vanishing from menus and dining tables. Post reporter Lisa Cam visited veteran chefs to learn the history of some old-school dim sum dishes. She tucks into the story of how they ended up on the “endangered” menu and why a younger generation of restaurateurs hopes to save them.
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[@jamesg90]

The efforts these restaurateurs go to, to preserve and pass on these dishes is admirable to say the least. It's unfortunate that so many people expect dim sum to be cheap when it's so labor intensive.

[@minxili3317]

If Man Yuen is smart they could advertise to foreigners and on social media saying they sell endangered dim sum to get tourists interested in his store. Then they would come and check out what it is. Plus they can give small descriptions and a little history lesson on why these dim sum are endangered. It can be both a restaurant and a museum lol This can even get young locals interested as well.

[@ephraimshambane2713]

66666

[@TsLeng]

​@@minxili3317tourists? 😂😂😂 What kind of tourists?

[@minxili3317]

@@TsLeng The whole world has tourists. Are you living in a cave?

[@TsLeng]

@@minxili3317 pretty sure the locals and mainlanders can support the business. What is so endangered about premium authentic food? Foreigners? The ones that take a look at chicken feet and run away?

[@bensumw]

6:37 You can see just how proud the dim sum chef on the right is, his face is literally beaming with pride at the opportunity to have worked with his seniors and mentors over the decades.

[@pawacoteng]

Or happy is on TV (or youtube)

[@schadenfreude6274]

Don't be so gullible. He is probably paid well to appear on KZbin. :)

[@ToniaV]

I always admire people who work in a restaurant. Their dedication to their job is really touching. Bet their food is the best 😊

[@dimsumyen4034]

Lived abroad for over 25 years. Finally resettled back in HK and have been on a yum cha journey trying to find the kind of old style dimsum I grew up with … have no luck with the real 灌湯餃though. Thanks to your video, now I know where to find them. Watching the chefs making these endangered dimsum brings back so many fond memories from my childhood. I will definitely go try out 鳳城 and 文苑 this week. As a HongKonger, I truly appreciate our beautiful (and delicious) tradition and am grateful to these dedicated chefs. 😋 ❤

[@rachellaw6275]

you can find 灌湯餃 in higher end dim sum places, try Lei Garden or Maxim Palace. In Singapore, the chef at Shangri-La (Shang Palace, michelin award restaurant) also makes 灌湯餃 as well as other rarer items like dried tangerine and salted clam paste. TBH I'll rather have a modern 灌湯餃 in soup, than a poorly made traditional one (this is a problem in Canada where a lot of HK chefs immigrated but not all of them have the same skills!)

[@bgunion]

This is such an insightful video and nostalgic growing up… I appreciate the chefs much more!

[@lmnoplmnop]

Some of these really bring back memories and I am not even that old.... it's sad to see so many classics disappear over the past 3 years

[@Tconomics]

Shout out to the host for the seasoned review of flavours, the chefs were delighted to.

[@alimfuzzy]

I still remember all you can eat yum cha for $15. They were the best.

[@bobbymoss6160]

Where? I've heard that before.

[@alimfuzzy]

@bobbymoss6160 In Sydney about 20 years ago. Silver spring.

[@Pd69bq]

imo yum cha restaurants and dai pai dongs are more endangered than giant pandas and deserve more attention and financial support from the government. they are places where people can come together to enjoy delicious food and socialize with friends and family and super important in our traditional culture that deserve to be preserved. I really really hope that the government can change their mind and take steps to support these private businesses

[@dialindsey]

I love the dim sum master's explanation. Growing up, I've seen some of these OG items. I love the call out on "chemical" ingredients as short cut compared to the OG fermented/technic focused/time consuming sensitive items. So many don't know the difference. I love traditional Dim Sum!

[@jaker3151]

Working in a kitchen with Hong Kong's heat and humidity is not an easy job.

[@SkepticalChris]

Many of these dim sum dishes, especially Baked Sago Pudding, are well preserved in overseas Chinese communities founded by Hong Kongers, like in Vancouver, particularly Richmond BC, where there is a huge thriving Chinese community and these dishes are still prepared daily in huge quantities. In fact I had it just two weeks ago at a restaurant, and it was superbly prepared, with the top layer just caramelized perfectly to enhance the richness of the flavor and the red bean paste complimented it perfectly!

[@clubjema]

I live in Vancouver too! Do you have any dim sum recommendations??

[@ChairmanMo]

The reason why a lot of the older dim sum dishes are dying in HK is because the rents are way too high. Thus restaurants are being priced out of making certain dishes and have to cut cost ruthlessly.

[@jeannechen7669]

I am from Vancouver and this is 100% true. I love the dim sum here!

[@SundaysChild1966]

Ohhh same in Toronto and York Region. My fav is when the little cart comes around with the choices, as opposed to ordering off a menu.

[@bryanh5728]

This is an important part of HK's Culture and heritage...Pls keep it going, esp for our future generations 🎉😊

[@juanritanjaya6254]

Awesome video about food and its history and connection to people memories. I’ll be sure to visit these places next time I’m in Hong Kong

[@Irenechangbritt]

Love this! I had forgotten about those soup dumplings that we used to eat in Toronto in the 1970’s. And malaigo! Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

[@kagekun1198]

This is an important cause. Dim Sum is also dying out in Malaysia and it'll be not long before it'll cost so much only the rich can eat this delicious food.

[@totot99]

as a malaysia dim sum is expensive

[@crazymatsuki]

I love their passion for these dishes.

[@ichigobagus]

Yes..pls do more to help preserve our Culinary Heritage, especially for future generations 🎉😊

[@algernon5776]

What a great vlog/peice of the history/future of dim sum in Hong Kong. If we lose our history, we lose a big peice of our future.

[@deanweaver4469]

Thanks for sharing this. 🤠 Minneapolis, Minnesota USA👋

[@RUHappyATM]

Wait. The reporter speaking in English, the chef replying in Cantonese. That's the duck talking to the chicken! LOL.

[@beowulf1312]

Very interesting show. Indeed, yum cha is dying out, not just some special dishes.

[@noxbobby7192]

in sg, many tradtional or old school stuff are disappearing as well

[@theleeclan00]

At this point, authentic dimsum is endangered, can we imagine how much has already been lost, decades and maybe centuries ago? Not only food but other things in general. How nice would it be if they are willing to take the time and let people shoot their traditional arts, to preserve these historical moments now that we have the technology to do so. There’s only a few decades left before the previous generations are gone

[@gp2779]

Meanwhile Dimsum is thriving here in Malaysia. Dai Baos are so common you can get them in food trucks. We also adapted halal dim sum for the majority of Malaysia’s Muslim population.

[@yungtrashlord]

that is true, a lot of these dim sum still existed here in malaysia however, some dim sum like the pork liver siu mai and sago pudding are essentially unheard of

[@rocko6439]

There will always be customers who want the basic dim sum menu selections and there will be restaurants who will cater to these customers.

[@EzekielDeLaCroix]

Oh no. I have to pay a 100USD to eat dim sum now since it's going through the phase of becoming expensive after being a poor person's food.

[@kevint1160]

Dim sum is not Hong Kong's. It is a CHINESE dish. It is everywhere. It does not need saving.

[@chorlauheung4920]

Baked sago pudding looks like creme brulee or Portuguese egg tarts.

[@wonhome2711]

Great topic!

[@DanBurgaud]

One thing I notice about the locals: they order a single dimsum dish then read newspapers until lunch time. That was one way to ruin the business.

[@rackoflam]

oh I never had tapioca pudding for dim sum. Looks delicious. Don't go away 🙁

[@Tummymunster]

Why is she speaking canto to one guy but english to another when the other person is speaking canto?

[@WarrenKLiu]

Probably because the chef understood English so easier for audiences to listen than read subtitles. There are many who don’t speak English in HK and unfortunately many western expat give wrong impression of HK English proliferation because the only HK they know are Central, Wan Chai, Happy Valley, Mid Levels and Repulse Bay and they think that’s HK.

[@WilliamCheung-h2c]

Yum Cha is not exclusively for weekend, it all day, everyday.

[@f.p.5235]

No worry, it is in Canada.

[@minxili3317]

If Man Yuen is smart they could advertise to foreigners and on social media saying they sell endangered dim sum to get tourists interested in his store. Then they would come and check out what it is. Plus they can give small descriptions and a little history lesson on why these dim sum are endangered. It can be both a restaurant and a museum lol This can even get young locals interested as well.

[@randomcow505]

my man, look at the comments, thats exactly what they have done

[@phifrom5]

it's working, im a foreigner who's going to check out man yuen next time I end up in HK

[@camlee2341]

pay them 50k to 100k a year..you will never be short of dim sum chefs

[@justinderrick8785]

subsidize by the government not the customers ;)

[@nigellei8591]

Dim Sum head chefs do make 100k USD a year, at lease here in seattle usa.

[@youtubehub8190]

7:29 there's hair on the right side in the filling

[@Soxial_credits]

No wonder they a school and not a restaurant💀

[@dashoverton1963]

It’s still common elsewhere. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@heizecherie6518]

yup but in 2-5 yrs you'll see it disappearing one by one.

[@gp2779]

@@heizecherie6518it’s thriving here in Malaysia lol

[@Kagrenackle]

I love sago custard pudding so I hope it doesn't go extinct.

[@Trund27]

It looks delicious. Would love to try it.

[@Spirit451]

Dim sum from elsewhere just looks nothing like the one in Hong Kong.

[@t.h.1784]

I will be visiting HK soon, would like try out the restaurants Name and Addresses of the two restaurants please ?

[@teaspoonful973]

Also looking for this!

[@hkpfalldie]

The first one is Fung Shing Restaurant, 62-68 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong Island

[@yeohliangim2939]

So nice dim sum so tempting real sifu😢😊😊

[@laiychan]

I remember the umbrella!!! I used to order jelly just because of it! Wow, time flies!

[@trueseeker262]

Dim chef like a sushi chef without the money.

[@tidusfantasy]

I dont see why she has to speak english when the interviewee is speaking cantonese. The 2 ways cantonese interview during the first segment is perfectly fine, why changed it for the 2nd interview? It's so inconsistent, and kinda annoying also. One moment i was reading subtitles, one moment i was listening. It's not like its a one off thing, but a full conversation... SCMP, pls just stick to one language during an interview

[@nigellei8591]

the interview wasn't done on the same day, and the interviewers were encourage to speak as much English as possible because this channel's target audience is toward the English speakers.

[@gracehlung]

baked sago pudding!!! love it so much

[@lmc2664]

💯! I had totally forgot this delicious dessert until I watched this video.

[@jasonng9415]

Who else spotted the long hair in the dumpling filling at 7:30 🤣

[@skimidot92]

Where exactly? I looked again and again and there isn´t.

[@crystalc8992]

They don’t wanna teach the youngsters and then worried about losing the tradition 😂

[@Spacemonkeymojo]

So weird the host talks to the old guy in Canto then the younger guy in English...

[@hkpfalldie]

Yea, so cringe

[@SolomonNwokenkwo]

Would want to visit Korea

[@edwinlowe2692]

Wonderful video

[@mikamariya1733]

Sago is from Papua, Indonesia. We call them Sagu.

[@lean_sumek]

بهترين أرزوها⁦🙏🏾⁩⁦🙏🏿⁩⁦🙏🏼⁩⁦🤲🏻⁩🤲⁦🤲🏿⁩

[@kenl6774]

I thought 鳳城酒家 had closed permanently? Only one of the locations closed?

[@Ddaedalus]

Host barely took a bite out of the liver. The look of disgust on her face was very disrespectful to the owner. Maybe find a host who’s not from Australia & not a picky eater next time…

[@hkpfalldie]

And get a host knows how to hold chopsticks

[@boxscorewatcher413]

Dim Sum is life

[@heizecherie6518]

This is a big real problem. the problem is that learning dimsum is not accesable and very limited info over the net,. I myself is very lucky to be able to learn dimsum with a professional chef with almost 50 yrs of expérience. The more i deep dive learning dimsum the harder and complicated it gets. The problem here is that it is not a high paying job and so much work. They should let the younger apprentice learn asap. ain't nobody got time for 3 yrs just doing basic work.

[@RUHappyATM]

I like Dim Sum, and I'm not even Cantonese.

[@thedude6810]

that jelly dish is from my childhood

[@nuomitang30]

Because they are dim sum, they dimsumper.

[@Zagaara]

I never saw rainbow jelly anymore....in SEA here, still had them till the late 80s and never saw them anymore..

[@skimidot92]

Indonesian here. Idk if it is the same, but here you can find "rainbow jelly" with the same appearance with the one in the video.

[@Michael20]

Why is the lady speaking English while the owner is speaking Chinese at the 10 minute mark? Very odd choice for a video

[@screenapple1660]

Travel to India... Indians can't even get a job without taking ESL. Same as other countries.

[@nigellei8591]

maybe the owner understands english but don't speak it,

[@cynthiachengmintz672]

Not sure if this was a Toronto thing, but anyone remember char siu chaan bao?

[@franciscajourney]

I love dimsum 😋

[@qvaerensveritatem9064]

so heartwarming.

[@TheSmokey1523]

Malay cake and black sesame rolls ❤

[@Nrylw-w6t]

Everyone wants to be the village chief

[@OrganizedSpreadSheets]

Kissinger 8:07

[@babyomegaplusultra6978]

I love Dimsum 🥟🥠🥡🥮🍥

[@comchadelalora]

Dim sum in danger. USA just sent its best boys onboard its bets war ships (and not rusted) near hong kong shores. Strategically to protect dim sum.

[@Sweetfeiyun]

No offense meant. But most should first know how to respect customers. Most restaurants in HK have rude servers. So others especially foreigners are hesitant to eat.

[@irenelee2277]

how did tim sum become dim sum and pao become bao?

[@lwh7301]

It's DEEM SUM and BAO in Cantonese.

[@irenelee2277]

@@lwh7301 listen to the voice of the chef ; Heis speaking cantonese and he pronouced it tim sum' Sadly pao is now bao all over the world'

[@lwh7301]

@@irenelee2277 I don't have to listen to the chef. I know how those words are pronounced. No Cantonese speaker says TIM SUM and PAO.

[@irenelee2277]

@@lwh7301 dim and bao do not exist in the cantonese dialect

[@lwh7301]

@@irenelee2277 It's DEEM, not DIM. Your knowledge of Cantonese doesn't exist.

[@legambaz]

You need to work on your pronunciation of the Tim Sum in proper Cantonese

[@JJ82IOE]

Endangered??? Your talking about food....

[@lwh7301]

Why was she speaking English to someone who speaks Cantonese?

[@redrobot8925]

chef working in a vest. bad hygiene standards

[@Iheartseattle1]

Does anybody know what the dessert on the plate next to the black sesame rolls are?

[@13thirteen87]

砵仔糕 / Red Bean Pudding & 椰汁馬豆糕 / Split Peas Coconut Pudding。

[@aldenteh9412]

Don't worry, Dim Sum is still preserved and local favourite in Malaysia. 🇲🇾

[@axeltech9914]

很快就沒有了😂

[@msshopaholic21]

Mostly is frozen and they don’t do it well

[@faimak848]

high cost, but low profit made from some kind of dim sum.

[@nulnoh219]

Still alive in Shen Zhen tho. They all went north.

[@Hkchinese888]

Pork Chop talks about Dim Sum

[@zacksmith5963]

I don't think anyone asked you cow 💩

[@JJ82IOE]

60yrs experience?? Or one year repeated 60 times 😂

[@hizokaairos]

here in cebu dimsum is our go to meal😁

[@___beyondhorizon4664]

I look a teaching job in Guangzhou during 2009-2013 party because of dim sum 😅 The chef at 5.3 is so skinny, you can see his collar bones through his Vneck shirt 😢 why so skinny when hes working at a restaurant 😢

[@ArceusRiver]

Protest Dim sum legacy!

[@shaduck06]

is this an ad

[@adis.g6569]

Answer: younger chefs are lazy

[@erwinlimawan3158]

Can someone who understands the native language explain griffin skin? I'm pretty sure that's not what they're actually referencing with the stripes on the cake.

[@RovingKegs]

Your guess was correct! The chef is referring to the striped pattern on the skin of the cake. It has been translated to 'griffin skin' here for simplicity, but the chef actually calls it 'Qilin' skin

[@erwinlimawan3158]

@@RovingKegs That's what I figured! Then they'd have to spend more time explaining what a Qilin is.

[@hkpfalldie]

The boss said 麒麟面，麒麟is a mythical animal having snake skin / fish scale like skin, 面 means surface

[@lean_sumek]

yεma wo akwaaba😚☺️🤗🤗🤗

[@rocketman3770]

Hair to the right @7:30

[@pjacobsen1000]

Eagle eyes!

[@iandroo888]

Oof anyone see that hair at 7:30

[@ShuiKiCheung-v5z]

點心其實可以增加家庭感情因為點心通常在早上吃所以父親通常早上帶母親孩子一齊飲早茶？Dim Sum in fact able to increase family emotional because of dim sum usually eat it on morning therefore father usually brings mother and children all together to drink morning tea?

[@lean_sumek]

لَذيذ😊🥰🤣

[@chilam2512]

They want a janitor for 3 three years, then take another 3 years to learn making dim sum before you will get pay as a beginner dim sum chef. Now you see why the young generation not interest in this profession. Then if someone willing to spend 5-6+ years to get a small wages that person is better off learning Japanese or French crusine for better paid and not to mention much less labor intensive.

[@johnjosephmoore7248]

0:08

[@TaigiTWeseFormosanDiplomat]

HK dish

[@bcatbb2896]

and the old chefs wonder why their skill is dying out... they keep kicking the younger kids out when they do it wrong so of course no one wants to stay

[@Sam_Hue]

You literally cannot make some of these with machines, a lot of these local treats here are all handmade. Also, they usually go for around 140 dollars. HKD by the way.

[@melodyparra2960]

Looks delicious