Interesting to know that the origin of dim sum carts dates back from Japan.
The last places that you can find them:
From being one of the earliest to serve dim sum in this way, Metropol is now one of the last. Very few tea houses still use carts. Including Metropol, there are likely as few as four: Lin Heung Tea House (蓮香樓), London Chinese Restaurant (倫敦大酒樓) and Maxim’s Palace Chinese Restaurant (美心皇宮).
I was in London last year, it’s on Nathan Rd. Really old school!! 
It’s a nice place, full of locals.
I’ve been to the other two as well but a longer time ago. Lin Heung has reopened again this year. I wouldn’t necessarily go to dim sum cart places for the qualitu of the food but the experience is just incredible.
Thanks so much for posting that very interesting link! I NEVER would have guessed that the cart system began in Japan! Though the best dim sum I’ve had there was indeed in Yokohama’s Chinatown one of Japan’s 3 true Chinatowns (the others being in Kobe and Nagasaki). However, saying it was the best I’ve had in Japan isn’t really saying much about dim sum there (not called “dim sum” ・“点心” or “點心” there but called “yum cha”・飲茶”・”drinking tea” there as in some other places…” 点心” or “點心” is read as “tenshin” and is actually the name of the bamboo steamers) because dim sum is IMHO rather exorbitant and not all that widely found outside of the larger metropolitan areas.
Oddly enough, my first experience with “conveyor belt” or “revolving” sushi has a dim sum twist to it. It was back in late 2001 or early 2002 in such a sushi restaurant in suburban Kawasaki. The place didn’t just have sushi going around on the belt, but smaller than normal bamboo steamers (without steam under them, of course) as well! I thought it was an ingenious way of “delivering” the individual dim sum dishes. The dim sum was good and inexpensive as well. Unfortunately, it didn’t succeed and has been gone for years.
Sorry if I strayed too far from the original post, but I do thank you for posting the article.
I have been to Maxim’s in Central, also been to Lin Heung, a cult place, ok food but there are better. Did have some conversation with the “cart pushers”. They are indeed people likes socializing. Never been to Metropol, nor London though.
(On my 3 visits to HK) I have tried a bunch of other dim sum places but always went back to Ling Heung. Nothing compared (in terms of atmosphere)! And when I, eventually, visit HK again it will be LH again every day.
Doesn’t matter what time or how early I went, it was always always ALWAYS packed.
Dim sum in Quanzhou and Zhaoqing, China was also great (and cheaper).
I always thought dim sum’s origin is Canton, Japan is so unexpected. Thanks for explaining the terms in Japanese and Chinese.
Maxim’s came highly recommended but I couldn’t fit it in on my trip.
That said I prefer menu ordered to cart generally, though some items don’t make the transition from old school to more modern menus.
It’s not very efficient and time consuming with carts, reason why it’s disappearing, as you need to wait forever the ones you want or need to fight with the others. Sometimes one need to run around the whole restaurant to search for the dim sum you want. Those most popular carts usually never move fast enough and sold out before arriving. The less desirable ones are the dessert carts.
Maybe since dim sum is high in calories, so moving around burns the extra ones.
By all means visit the ’ cart places ’ for a taste of the ’ old school ’ atmosphere.
However, in Hong Kong, for ’ quality ’ and variety of old School Dim Sum, IMHO, no one beats ’ Luk Yu Tea House ’ in central for authenticity and choice…and quality of their Chinese tea are top-notch, without one having to pay a premium for them!!
Pu-Erh tea for example uses 10 years old leaves!!
I’m not sure (actually it’s likely not) dim sum’s origin is Japanese, but per the article you posted, the cart system is. As for me writing the terms in Chinese, you’re most welcome❣️
Lin Heung
London Restaurant.
The last time we ate there, there was a shouting match between the dads of two families occupying tables next to each other. Apparently, the back of the chair at one table was too close and knocked against the one from another table. Both were local families - couples with young children. The dads from both families were threatening each other at the top of their voices. Their wives and children just looked annoyed and absolutely bored, probably thinking, “Here we go again.”
Oy.
Lol, yes the place is cramped!
But indeed, I wouldn’t be a regular there. In fact, over a decade ago, and while in between jobs, I rented an apartment on Hollywood Rd for 6 weeks, near the Man Mo temple. I basically had nothing to do other than to wander the city looking for food! And doing wet market shopping for home cooking once in a while. It was (and is) a food lover’s dream come true…
In those six weeks I only visited Lin Heung once, even though it is only a 5 min walk from Man Mo temple. Instead, I was to be found in also nearby (but non push cart) Dim Sum Square (their old location) multiple times a week. Haven’t been back to Dim Sum Square since then though.
By the way, are there still push cart dim sum places in Singapore and KL?
In Singapore, push-cart dim sum has regained popularity in the past decade or so - riding on a wave of nostalgia. You do find many places which offer that experience.
https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Push+Cart+Dim+Sum&find_loc=Singapore
It’s harder to come by in Kuala Lumpur, as most dim sum restaurants use the same serve-yourself formula where the customers bring their own trays to different dim sum serving stations in a restaurant to pick and choose the dim sum they want. Ditto in Penang.
We had a good (not great) lunch at Red Star in Singapore a couple of years back. Only Dim Sum cart experience in recent memory.
Have not sat down at a cart place in Hong Kong for at least a decade. Have been to Lin Heung 2~3 times, for dinner, not yum cha. The idea of jockeying for tables and rushing the cart ladies don’t appeal much to me.
Interesting how Lin Heung Lau went from closing down due to the pandemic in 2022 to emphasizing “trendy hand-shaken drinks” in 2024. What a whirlwind we all went through from March of 2020 until now!
So many cafes closed in the States in that time, it was gut wrenching to see so many of those family businesses close. I imagine Hong Kong went through a very painful time, as well.
Sounds much more organized than rushing cart ladies the moment they push through the kitchen threshold.
Don’t recall ever having Dim Sum picked from serving stations. I would like that!!!
Just as with hijacking a cart before it reaches your table, how does the serving station accounting work? Does the diner bring the ticket to be stamped?
