The Art of Dim Sum

A short documentary on well-loved dim sum eatery, Sam Hai Yat, and the special craft of making these little bundles of joy.
Filmed in Hong Kong, May 2012 by Journalism and Media Studies Centre students.

[@vivienche5695]

"沒有新人入行年紀大的做做下唔做。試做d想話給人聽都冇人學。" I left the corporate world after working in banking and NGO at the age of 28. I have begun my journey to become a Dim Sum chef, partly to continue the culinary tradition of Hong Kong. This video is very touching.

[@TheRealToastman]

Are you still a Dim Sum chef. How can I get in touch with you. I have questions about this trade

[@HeatherSpoonheim]

Wow, decades spent waking up before many have even gone to bed, to work so hard in a humble shop - it can only be a labour of love.

[@jameschan6]

Dear Lareina: I've just discovered this short dim sum documentary. It is a gem. I will recommend this to my students who are about to travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong. The chef 發記 (Mr. Wong or 王璨枝先生) is a genuine person who is devoted to his lifelong knowledge of making quality dim sum. His shop, his friends, his trip to Japan and return to Hong Kong to care for his son and daughter is deeply indicative of his Confucian-Chinese values. I hope there are more younger Cantonese men and women who are willing to follow his footsteps than he expected. His dim sum business is not all about making money. Making and serving good dim sum is his life. He makes meaning for himself and his peers and customers. I respect that a lot. Thank you for making and uploading this video. It is one of the best I've seen on KZbin. I hope to dine at this restaurant when I go to Hong Kong next time. James Chan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

[@DocPetron]

This reminds me so much of my own life. My father was a successful banquet chef trained in the old traditional way as an apprentice in Hong Kong. He became a very successful chef and was truly a sifu in the craft, he has since retired. He insisted that I didn't follow his path and to go to school. I eventually became a doctor. While I have no regrets about my career path, I do lament that my dad's knowledge will not be passed on to us or anyone else in the next genration. I can definitely relate to this story. It's a very touching film. Great job!

[@Yogirliej4dee]

Peter Liu It is very touching! He doesn't seem like the father who would pressure his kid to follow him, but he did seem pleased when his daughter switched careers into culinary.

[@liverpix]

You could make some videos of him making dim sum so as to preserve his art.

[@TheRealToastman]

Thank you for sharing Peter Liu. I would still learn the trade so the skill is not lost. It doesn't mean you have to switch trades.

[@um9751]

You can tell how much he loves his kids. The smile when he looked at the photos is priceless

[@lareinahk]

Thanks for the kind words! This wonderful eatery is on Pokfulam Road, just a few paces from the Sai Ying Pun Post office (No.27). I hope those of you living in Hong Kong get to visit these 'sifus'.

[@MaZEEZaM]

I wish I could come, Australia is very far away though. I hope these tea shops and the art of DimSum do continue, they offer such wonderful food.

[@laineyfabriccio5984]

~In truth, I would love to learn the art of dim sum making

[@rusty1192]

Hello madam.i am really keen of opening a dim sum restaurant in India.will it be possible if I could train under them.it will be my greatest honour. Can you please guide me.

[@TimTams_64]

This is a beautiful and sad video, deserves some kind of award, wish youtube had more videos like this I love BBQ pork buns and Dim Sims, please film more of these guys and teahouses so the knowledge can be preserved.

[@mochiiiaguilar7830]

His humility is truly inspiring. You will always prosper with hard work and love. Well done!

[@heizecherie6518]

I just hope that this dimsum culture won't die. Niw all the dimsum chefs are old the newer generation won't continue this work. This is such a beautiful cuisine.

[@padaukpadauk751]

Awwwwwwwwwww God bless him and his family. He is a good father for his children as well as a good husband for his wife. He really did a great job not only for his family but also for the customers. May God give you long life and happy family...... God bless...... Thanks so much for sharing this video........... Its really encouraged a lot.......

[@shushuyu]

Nice words but can you leave "god" out of this?

[@jasonkok8316]

Thank you Lareina for making this short film on Hong Kong best culinary art of Dim Sum. This wonderful art is slowly disappearing. I'm sure this clip will make people appreciate Dim Sum more.

[@sockfooncmacdougall1708]

Thank you for a video full of heart. He loves what he does and this is reflected in his youthful and happy look. My late parents' cantonese sounded like his.

[@WonderDean]

As I grew older I could see the importance and the rewards of the journey. We see the passion in our lives for what we did appearing to come to an end and wonder why no one else takes up our cause,but we should always remember it was our journey. It never really ended, it just move on to something larger. His passion for his craft will be preserved in this video. Nice job!

[@freeis4me]

This was a fantastic video.

[@lareinahk]

Thanks!! :)

[@stoner12008]

please keep this art alive

[@VSL123]

+stoner12008 If you learn it and pass it on, then you can take part in keeping it alive. :)

[@yeastyeast]

At first this video made me hungry; in the end it made me sad...

[@andreatam3977]

the immense effort and attention to detail these chefs put into making dim sum everyday (despite the minimal rewards other than customer happiness) makes me proud to be from Hong Kong!

[@lyc8905]

I could cry for this! (I am actually). Full of history, full of sentiment. Individual path, could have diverge into many directions. The little stores in HK are just awesome. Hope it will lasts.

[@susieangelo6410]

What a proud-dedicated man Chef 發記 is to his craft and family. Old School Dim Sum are always the BEST Dim Sum! Thank you for this Artful Documentary, it gets you in your feels. 💜

[@waylandquon9534]

Thank you for sharing this. It has a lot of heart and pulls at my heart strings. I haven't been to HK since I was 5 but I appreciate this video.

[@capricorn1255]

What a wonderful film. l had my honeymoon in Hong Kong. Wish l had known about this place, would love to have eaten there. So sad that the tradition in the art of making Dim Sum will be lost and that the younger generation do not want to learn this craft. The gentleman in the film certainly loves his craft and it was a joy to watch. He certainly does not look close to retiring age. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@darepow]

Yum I do hope this tradition never dies out. And what a delightfully happy family man he was, his devotion to his work and children is to be seriously admired. And he looks so young - perhaps the secret is contentment in life. Many greetings from Australia, I loved this video.

[@ManishKumar-oq8qb]

1 dim some stuff GK1 unblock restaurant

[@themonohub5455]

This is so beautifully filmed. I wish more documentaries had this much respect for their topic. Thank you for posting.

[@NikkiA.Art.]

I have to agree, this was a beautiful insight to the life of a man who loved his work and loves his life. We could all take a page out of his book. Thank you for sharing this.

[@kalei7689]

aw shit decided to write an essay about dim sum due tomorrow morning and was doing research when it lead me to here honestly i don’t regret it, tradition and heritage need to be preserved for the centuries to come, it is priority that we keep these thoughts and ideas of the past as long as we can, with all this technology and such we still need to remember what lead to this and what truly matters in a future filled machines cooking dishes for us; it’s the same reason handmade clay pots and pans or crafted wooden tools, and even superstitions which you believed in as a kid may you still believe in, and why? because it provides the soul with warmth, todays world where everything is mass produced in a factory it’s a real beaut to see something made with the soul, to see stories and traditions passed down, those things fuel and power the souls, but what really fucks the soul up it watching those traditions die out. honestly cried at the end

[@dymaxionuk]

Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful film. I loved eating at this place, and would often stop by there in the morning on the way to work before catching the bus from outside the post office up the road... That was until I moved across to Kowloon earlier this year. I hope they haven't closed... I've gotta go back and talk to the guy. They are so friendly and old school... food is tasty too! It was wonderful to hear his life story and trip to Japan and dedication to his family. It really puts everything in a different light and makes me feel somewhat nostalgic of the end of an era. Your movie captures his dedication to a lifestyle and a past tradition which I can only glimpse into from afar and appreciate as best I can by sampling a 'spot of their hearts'

[@justtabme6917]

Thoroughly enjoyed the look into your life, and the amount of skill and hard work it takes to make dim sum. Thank you!

[@anitaswimmer]

incredible film!!! the dim sum chefs are truly experts of this art, and it's amazing to see how they skillfully prepare the delicious food. wonderful! they have such a modest lifestyle and enjoy their trade.

[@vesnaslamka]

I am from slovakia.and respect to this man and his colegues.its pity that not so many people are like this man

[@ChiliHouseSanFrancisco]

Watching the video made me realize how much skill and artistry it requires for Chinese food to be cooked. Simply amazing.

[@wongfeihung1847]

It's really amazing to see the older generations, who work extremely hard and to rely on everything with their hands. Rather than now, how we all rely on technologies and machineries. As well, they are more hard working than the majority of the people in our generation right now, because they have faced through hardship and trouble in their lives. We don't understand because we've never faced it this is why so much of us aren't as keen and hardworking and to be able to go through stress.

[@matarikiherangi]

What a humble man...

[@draco003]

Great video! I might have been there back in the 1980s while living in Kowloon and New Territories. Now I live in the states and plan on moving back to H.K as soon as I find a job there. I was born in Kowloon and lived there and New Territories. I really missed the food there. Thanks for making this film and I hope to stop at this dim sum shop after I move.

[@MrJoshuayap]

So much work in a single bite of food. wonderful art!

[@tibabogdan9440]

this is such a great movie! i hope the art will not be lost!

[@haiboriver]

touched me not as a chef, but as a father..this is what real fatherhood is about..thumb up!!

[@nathanball5636]

Great to watch, I adore dim sum and now my mouth waters. I used to work for a Cantonese restaurant years ago and this brought back great memories. I'm off to investigate cooking dim sum... and daydream about opening a little Welsh dim sum eatery : )

[@Melmel0076]

He looks great for 63!! Happiness in your job must help that :)

[@ilfrigothefridge]

Thank you for sharing. I'm a dim sum enthusiast but what you showed us is really touching, a "touch to the heart", which is dim sum.

[@jerrywanimation]

he is the coolest man i ever seen ....honor and respect :)

[@swong705]

This is a great documentary

[@CTK725]

This was a great video. Thanks for telling his story. I felt kind of bad hearing him say how the art of dim sum is going to die when his generation retires. I hope not. I love dim sum. I hope new chefs take dim sum and make it even better in future generations.

[@chavitech]

That is an honorable man! Hard worker and humble! I wish I could meet him in person. Good Luck!

[@richyrich6674]

This is a great video, Nice job!

[@Christinandrearosamilia]

Loved this documentary. Makes me fell sad after and reflect. Wish I could learn more about the art of dim sum. I love them And I can imagine for old Chinese people is a tradition they don’t want to lose. Wish I could have visited chine in the 80’s. Thanks for sharing

[@jamieappleseed552]

I love how happy this man is. Good for him.

[@leonardpearlman4017]

That was really charming. I love that guy. I dream of living near such a restaurant (now that I'm retired) and go there every morning just as you see here.

[@buhxe4115]

what a humble and happy man! i would love to learn "the art of dim sum"! thanks a lot for the video. greetings from germany buhxe

[@Morfeusm]

Thank you for the video and also English subtitles! It was very interesting!

[@BLbenz]

Beautiful video! thanks for sharing!

[@zacksmith2227]

camera work is exceptional i can imagine this as a full length documentary keep up the good work.

[@debbyprameshwari5595]

really luv this documentary,,,,,

[@Paulysolo]

Great little documentary. I needed to learn about Dim Sum for a video for a local traditional restaurant I am filming. I learned more than I expected. Very well made.

[@Tiejocky]

Thank you for posting. I love dim sum very much. This video gives us the behind the scene of the hard work required to make them. I have to say the man you interview does not look his age

[@conservativepatrick]

Hello Ms. Lareina, this upload is a great piece of value. I've been into dim sum for quite some time and I put a lot of respect for the chefs. If the art of dimsum is gradually fading in your country, I can tell for the very least that people in my country have been more familiar with this art of cuisine. They just love it when they find a restaurant that actually serves a real dimsum. Greetings from Indonesia. ✨

[@johnanderson5806]

Awesome guy... Awesome story... Thanks to all who created this piece Thank you

[@drummerchef851]

This was a beautiful piece. Chinese cuisine and culture are so wonderful. I wish I would of gone to China to study.

[@steveraman4562]

excellent work old hands never retire wish all the best to you and your family thank you

[@AzngameFreak03]

Honest man living a respectable life.

[@SonCNX]

Awesome! This is very peaceful to have breakfast with some hot dishes and tea in a small store of a neighbor. Their work is so mean. The boss talk about his job and smile happily. Untill they retire, I hope they'll have a good time in this job as present

[@grabotte]

Une bien belle personne et un beau reportage !

[@Markfamily11]

My respects for such a devoted man and his skills, he is doing what he loves, I wish I can say the same

[@wjpepper]

My wife and I will be visiting HK in November, hopefully we will have time to try this Restaurant. Great Video! Thanks.

[@NinaHProductions1]

Amazing little film - steeped in the art of dim sum making.....even if a little poignant and sad as the guy might be lonely without his trade and seeing all the customers on a daily basis.

[@gavlatennis2824]

Amazing. Absolutely love dim sum.

[@8bitbunbun]

I wish I could learn everything from these men. Their talents are incredible, and I wish I could be one of the few to carry on the tea house legacy.

[@juicyfruit669]

This was beautifully made. Thank you.

[@frankskillman1403]

Well done. Thank you, Lareina and crew

[@karolsandoval2708]

oww thank you for this story! I would love to have a father like him! Teaching me every one of this skills :D

[@JustAskingAndCurios]

nice documentary...dim sum is a favorite!

[@cillian3]

That documentary was really nice to watch. Unfortunately we don't have this kind of restaurants in France. I would love to have fresh dim sum and see the cook happy to prepare them, as Mr Sam Hai Yat ! Here, we have frozen dim sum from the industry. Dim sum are less known. Not as successful as sushi, and it's really sad because it's so good ! So, I'm begining to cook dim sum (har gau). It's really fun to do and the fold is artistic. I love it ! Regards from France.

[@Sethtipus]

I like that guy. I hope he continues to do well.

[@PictureboxStudio]

This is a lovely touching short documentary, which I found very intriguing. Well done :)

[@cookeeee1962]

I would be proud if this man was my father. Lovely nature and work ethic.

[@TheLittledikkins]

Thank you for this video, I'll bet their Dim Sum is marvelous.

[@incyphe]

wonderful video. thanks for making.

[@khoanguyen5810]

Its 2018 now, he might has retired. But in Vietnam, I have just started to learn Dim Sum. Dim Sum won't disappere, I believe in that. Thanks for your share, miss Choong

[@boticachinesa7929]

I loved! I really like to learn this art!

[@philipjaycachuela1584]

i'd learned a lot from dimsum..because i'd worked before and i want to continue and pursue it... i love dimsum

[@angies3057]

This was very beautiful it calm me down after a line bad day. Thank you.

[@johan55M]

Thank you so much for such a well made film. So sad too see these chaps go in a few years. Eating in HK is a great experience.

[@SugarRay2]

amazing! making me hungry and craving for some!

[@sushh1]

wow that was really well directed video. this style is very chill :D

[@DazzaBo]

Jesus christ, that guy does not look 62

[@TheAmazingTwist]

I thought he was in his late 40s, wtf

[@kennyginger5686]

THANKYOU FOR EXCELLENT STORY,RESPECT

[@nickstevens6053]

Great video , many thanks for sharing 👍

[@EvanHowell101]

This made me so sad. And it was well made.

[@Cultural.Enrichment.]

Hard working people living a simple life. Good memories & good relationship.

[@SamOnMaui]

Thank you for making this :)

[@Misaki_Chan6]

This is a beautiful !!!!!

[@stevenvo1284]

A beautiful story.

[@lesteroliva75]

Much respect!!!

[@marco878ify]

Thanku for your beautiful upload, I hope to visit HK one day

[@humblebeecreative5959]

I envy him, he work from his heart and with all his passion. It's not what people can do easily these days. Would love to visit him if I have a chance to visit HK, hopefully before they retire.

[@ckkhong6330]

When a man is happy earning his living honestly ,this is God gift to him,and joy for the rest of us.

[@maliszwska]

very nice movie! and nice guy.Thank you

[@whitedaisey2288]

I would like to learn how to make all these dim sum from him. Some day, if i have a chance to visit Hong Kong, i will go to his dim sum restaurant. Thank you for posting. Please up load more!!!

[@chaoyu6126]

awesome video!

thank you for this amazing video, greetings from holland

[@jude4021]

What a lovely man.