Glimpse of glamourous old Hong Kong
- 24 Stanley Street, Central
- Open daily 7am-10pm
- +852 2523 5464
- Website
Living museum
A day is never complete without morning yumcha (飲茶). Opened in 1933, Luk Yu Tea House has always been a favourite of elite scholars, artists and intellectuals in the city. Its regulars included famous Chinese artist Chang Dai-chien (張大千) and Cantonese opera master Sit Kok-sin (薛覺先). With patrons’ precious paintings on the wall, Luk Yu is like a living Chinese art museum.
Esteemed establishment
From day one, Luk Yu has been a high-class restaurant. When other places priced dimsum (點心) at 20 cents, Luk Yu was selling at 60 cents. The Art Deco interior - wooden screens, ceiling fans and rosewood furniture - has kept the grandeur of old Hong Kong. Luk Yu was probably the first restaurant to employ Indian guards, to avoid non-regulars or casually dressed customers taking up the precious first floor seats.
Tea leaves are stored up to 15 years before they are curated by tea masters and brewed for loyal customers.
Tea master
Luk Yu is named after the famed Tang Dynasty poet Lu Yu, who was born in 733 and had a lifelong obsession with tea. His famous literary output includes The Classic of Tea, an homage to Chinese tea culture. Luk Yu Tea House lives up to this high standard. Tea leaves are stored up to 15 years before they are curated by tea masters and brewed for loyal customers. No wonder regulars keep coming back.
Weekly specials
Luk Yu’s dimsum menu changes every week, serving up traditional flavours hardly seen in the city anymore. Everything is handmade with the best ingredients, try old-school dimsum like pork liver with pork balls (釀豬潤燒賣) and shrimp cakes (蝦多士) and soak in the nostalgic atmosphere.