Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in Durham

| Overview

Authentic Chinese dim-sum Pork Shumai is good Shrimp tofu is a must-try Improved ordering checklist is easy Only 2 small pork buns per order instead of 3 Chinese broccoli pieces are little Chili sauce + soy sauce was pre-served instead of letting us make our own Red tripe? Ambiance looks old. Expensive for the amount. Customer service could be better

| Full Review

It's been more than 3 years since we'd eaten dim-sum in Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant in Durham, NC, and that's because we've found a better yet farther dim-sum spot in Cary: Shanghai. My girl & I went here for lunch because it was close to an eyeglass shop that we had to visit.

This was the first time we went here on a lunch time weekday; the previous ones years ago were always on a weekend, which were usually crowded. This time, there was a good amount of customers but we didn't have to wait to get seat and parking wasn't a problem.

We were a bit surprised to see the paper menu with a checklist ordering system similar to Mr. Tokyo in Chapel Hill. There's also a larger, separate full menu, complete with photos of various dim-sum items, so even though there were no dim-sum carts going around, it was easy for us to order.

We ordered all dim-sum items: 5x Pork Shumai (4 pieces each) 1x Shrimp Noodle Crepe (3 pieces), 1x Shrimp Tofu (3 pieces each), 1x Chinese Broccoli, 1x order of Pork Bun (2 pieces), tripe & 2 small cups of white rice. Total came up to be around $64 - About the same price we pay for 2 people in Shanghai.

We had to wait for about 18 min. for all the items to arrive - Not as fast as we'd like but still faster than other dim-sum places we've been to. They were all served hot. My girl had to ask for chili & soy sauce for our Pork Shumai; the lady-manager who served us gave us a tiny saucer that already have the chili & soy sauce sauce mixed instead of letting us do it our own like how other dim-sum spots do.

$5 for 4 pieces of Pork Shumai is about the average price now; it's $1 cheaper here than Shanghai albeit smaller (less pork filling). Nonetheless, the Shumais here tasted as authentic as the other dim-sum items, but skin of the Shumais were a bit overcooked. The shrimp tofu was well-cooked though, and the sweet sauce with chives that came with it was enjoyable.

The shrimp rice noodle crepe was good with the soy sauce; and 3 pieces per order was fine for the price, but the 2-piece small pork bun was disappointing; Shanghai & other dim-sum spots usually have 3 pieces. The small cups of white rice were enough for us; the amount of Chinese broccoli with the oyster sauce was fine but the pieces were quite small.

The most surprising part of our dim-sum lunch was the tripe, which we expected to be white instead of red. This was our first time having this kind of tripe and we weren't sure at first if it would be as good as the typical white tripe. This tasted a bit spicier, more tomato-like, not too bad, but we prefer the white tripe we're used to.

There were no major issues with customer service here but our experience could have be better. We just didn't get the sense that the lady cared about our dim-sum needs such as the chili/soy sauce issue I mentioned.

It's quite rare to find a decent dim-sum place in Triangle NC; while Hong Kong is far from the ideal spot to eat authentic Chinese dim-sum, it's still authentic, and if you're craving for good dim-sum but are not willing to drive farther, this is still an acceptable spot. Just don't expect food to be cheap here (like most dim-sums).

For us, this might be our last visit in Hong Kong; this review felt like a bittersweet farewell to what my parents, brothers, and I used to go to for lunch after church years ago. My girl & I just won't settle for less when it comes to dim-sum, especially if we're paying more than $60 for 2.

| Overall...

If you've lived in Asia before or have experienced dim sum in HK before you will be disappointed. But if it's your first time eating dim sum or familiar with American style dim sum it might be alright to you.

To me it was a total disappointment. Nothing impressed me at all. I'm a big fan of Har Gow but it was just sad here. The shrimp roll had nothing special in it. They just put shrimps in a roll and pour some soy sauce on it. Shumai were meh. They also don't have dark sour sauce which was like a must have in dim sum restaurants. I had to ask for dark vinegar and mixed it with soy sauce to create my own sauce 🥲

We ordered congee and I was super excited to eat since coming from Thailand congee was one my favorite dish. But it tasted so bland. There was no taste in the rice it was like they boil rice in water not in broth. Pork came in strips not pork ball and of course there was no taste.

Service was mediocre. I pointed out at the shrimp roll and asked what it was. The old lady said something I didn't understand but I caught her saying shrimp so I pointed at the other plate (which was also shrimp) meaning to order. She picked the plate up and poured soy sauce over it and handed it to me. Then she did it again on the first plate I initially pointed. I think she misunderstood I wanted two plates. I told her I just wanted one. She scolded me back saying "but you said two". I was like lady I didn't say it you misunderstood. She gave me the look and walked away.

I'm 75% Chinese and I've lived in Chinese oriented environment all my life so I know how older Chinese people behave and I usually let it go because I'm used to it. However, from where I came from if you're in a service industry you don't usually scold back to customers so I've never experienced something like this in my life. I wasn't mad at her but I felt like she shouldn't do that to anyone.

We got seated on the left side of the restaurant and it's near the kitchen and bathroom. However, the push cart rarely came to our side. The first time the dim sum cart came to us was when we first sat down and another time when we asked for the check. Of all the time we sat there, the fried stuff came out the most and a lot of people complained they haven't had any dim sum at all.

The egg tarts were also sad. I couldn't finish it. To be honest, egg tarts from Lidl was better. The only thing good here was the rice on the leave.

We spent around 50-60 and it wasn't worthwhile at all. We will...

I rarely write negative reviews. I know running a small business is hard. But the way I was treated here was rude and dismissive. Sadly, it seems they don’t care toward fellow Chinese customers. I hope this feedback helps others make an informed decision.

I’m a Chinese American visiting Durham for some personal matters. I searched online for a good Chinese restaurant and came across this place—I was excited to give it a try, especially for dim sum.

When I entered, there were three quiet tables of customers, 8 or 9 people in total and no staff in sight. After a while, a lady finally appeared and asked if I was there for a pickup. I told her I wanted to dine in and have some dim sum. She was impatient and asked how many people. I said just one. She pointed to a table right next to the entrance and dropped some menus on it without a word.

I sat there for over 10 minutes without anyone acknowledging me, there was another shorter lady taking care of other table. There was no water, no checking in, nothing. Two other women walked in after I sit there around 15 mins and were helped immediately by the same staff who had ignored me. She took their drink orders while continuing to ignore me completely.

I finally spoke up and told her I’d been sitting there for a while without anyone offering help. She looked at me coldly. I told her the service was unacceptable and that I was leaving. She didn’t apologize or offer any explanation—she just grabbed the menus and handed them back to the front, where I assume the owner was sitting. Even then, no one...