Hong Kong’s beloved dim sum carts on the verge of disappearing
With more restaurants using forms or QR codes for ordering, only a handful of restaurants in Hong Kong still offer dim sum the traditional way, with employees rolling carts through establishments so diners can select dishes.
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When Hong Kong’s 35-year-old Metropol Restaurant announced that it would fold at the end of September 2025, it was a sad reminder that only a few places in the city serve dim sum from traditional trolleys. The dim sum carts first appeared at traditional teahouses in the 1960s as a way to make it easier for staff to serve freshly steamed or fried food. The trolleys became a hallmark of Hong Kong’s yum cha or “drinking tea” culture. Today, as many restaurants turn to printed forms or QR codes for ordering as a means of cutting staff costs, dim sum carts are becoming an increasingly rare sight.