Lin Heung Lau

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Lin Heung Tea House, representing Soho, is a dim sum restaurant. The name 'Tea House' comes from Hong Kong people drinking tea and then having dim sum (點心) as a side, which eventually became the main attraction, yet it still retains the name Tea House. The term 'Yamcha,' used by locals, is the Cantonese pronunciation of 'drinking tea.' Lin Heung Tea House can be translated to 'Lotus Scent Yamcha House.' Since its opening in 1926, it has maintained its original appearance and interior design for nearly 100 years. Most of its patrons are locals who dine, read newspapers, and socialize here. Among the numerous menu items, Xiao Long Bao, shrimp dim sum, Ha Gow, and chicken feet are particularly popular. Lin Heung Tea House stacks freshly steamed dim sum baskets on carts and navigates between tables for orders, charging based on the basket size, which ranges from small to special sizes. Customers stamp their order sheet and pick what they want. The tea served initially with the teapot is not for drinking but for washing the dishes before eating, a practice common among Hong Kong people. It's a 5-minute walk from Sheung Wan station, exit E1.