AI Spot Summary
The harbor town tea house offers exquisite Cantonese dim sum, with each dish such as the roasted duck and crab roe chicken tofu pot providing an exceptional taste and quality ingredients that are irresistible. However, the tables are relatively small, which affects the comfort of dining.
The restaurant offers a relaxed atmosphere for guests to enjoy Hong Kong-style dim sum, but due to its popularity, seating is often in high demand, and patrons must be patient while waiting.
The overall service is good, but some young waitstaff may not speak Chinese very well, so it might be necessary to give them some time and understanding.
Reviews
"The Harbor City Tea House" is located on the third floor of the Hanh Pin Hotel in Kaohsiung, specializing in Hong Kong-style dim sum and is one of the most popular restaurants in Kaohsiung. 🤩🤩
They offer traditional Hong Kong-style snacks, primarily served with a pushcart service and online ordering, allowing patrons to enjoy freshly made delicate bites in a relaxed atmosphere.
Owing to its excellent quality and reputation, it's quite difficult to find available seating, and the restaurant is almost always full. 😭 If you want to reserve a spot, it typically needs to be done over a month in advance. For those waiting in line, the restaurant also opens up remaining seats, distributing number tickets at 10:30 AM, with official seating starting at 11:00 AM. Although waiting might require a bit of patience, it’s definitely worth a try. 👏
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Today, we came as a group of four and opted for a set meal for three, with the following dishes:
📌 Roast Duck
(It was so delicious that I forgot to take a picture before it disappeared.)
The roast duck had a crispy, golden skin, and upon taking a bite, the aroma was overwhelming; the meat was tender and smooth with a slight smoky flavor, enhanced further by a special sauce. This dish is not only visually appealing but also has an exceptional taste, making it a must-try classic.
📌 Crab Roe Chicken Tofu Pot
The umami from the crab roe paired with the tenderness of the chicken, with a rich and deep sauce, and the tofu absorbing all the essence of the broth made it smooth and delicious. Each bite is a rich blend of seafood and chicken flavors, so good that you can't stop eating, though… due to the high-quality ingredients, you will encounter quite a bit of crab shells. 😭
📌 Steamed Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce
You have to eat it while it's hot! The chicken feet are stewed until soft and flavorful, with the sweet and sour black bean sauce melding beautifully with the fragrant chicken feet. This dish may be a small appetizer, but it packs a big flavor and is full of traditional Hong Kong taste that lingers in your mouth.
📌 Fresh Shrimp Dumplings
The skin of the shrimp dumplings is thin and elastic, while the filling is packed with fresh shrimp. This dim sum features a refreshing and chewy texture that is simple yet delicious.
📌 Shrimp Rice Rolls
The skin of the rice rolls is thin and smooth, and the shrimp is large and tender, rich without being greasy. This dish has a variety of fillings, and each bite delivers the fresh flavor of the shrimp paired with the smoothness of the rice noodles. Whether eaten alone or with sauce, it is an excellent appetizer.
📌 Shrimp Siu Mai
The siu mai's filling is substantial and tasty, combining shrimp and pork for a rich texture. The skin is perfectly steamed – soft but not sticky – and the flavor is just right, not overly salty. This small dish, while seemingly simple, demonstrates high standards in ingredients and cooking techniques.
📌 Fried Chives Spring Rolls
The fried chives spring rolls have a golden and crispy exterior, and the filling of chives and vegetables is perfectly balanced, making it very refreshing. Whether eaten alone or as an appetizer, this small dish is delightful. The crispy texture invites you to take one bite after another, providing great satisfaction.
📌 Milk Char Siu Puff
The milk char siu puff has a flaky, crispy exterior and is filled with sweet char siu filling, emitting delicious scents of milk and char siu in every bite. This dim sum is light yet satisfying, with a savory sweetness that brings the traditional Hong Kong flavors to the forefront with just one.
📌 Taro Sago Dessert
The taro sago is incredibly thick, with chewy sago paired with the sweet aroma of taro, the broth rich yet not overly sweet. This dessert is light and tasty, providing a perfect, warming conclusion to this great meal.
📌 Overall Experience
This dining experience at Harbor City Tea House was very satisfying. If you encounter younger servers who may struggle with Chinese, please give them a little more time to allow foreign interns to practice.
Regarding the food, each dim sum was meticulously crafted, from the crispy skin of the roast duck to the delightful flavors of various classic snacks, they were satisfying. The only downside was that the table was too small; the dishes came out quickly but were large, so we had to squeeze them together. For someone like me, who easily spills drinks, having such a small table for dim sum was definitely a recipe for disaster. 😭
However, everything else was very satisfactory! Whether you want to gather with family or have a small meet-up with friends, Harbor City Tea House is definitely a place worth trying, where you can savor authentic Hong Kong flavors.
