Hong Kong Zhai Dim Sum Centre
Block 151 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5






My husband and I heard some raves about a Dim Sum stall in Ang Mo Kio recently, so we decided to check it out.

At about 8.30a.m, the coffee shop was already bustling with life and there was a long queue at the stall. The queue was moving very slowly and with the stall assistants’ constant chatter and laughter, they were merely contributing to the long wait. It was a long 40 minutes wait. When it was our turn, instead of getting our food immediately, we were told to take a seat and wait for our food to be served. That was another 15 minutes wait.

We ordered the meat dumplings (siew mai), shrimp dumplings (har gao), char siew paus (steamed barbequed pork buns) and the century egg porridge with lean meat. The best dish was the meat dumplings, and in my opinion, they were only acceptable.

The century egg porridge with lean meat was disappointing. It tasted just like the Maggi instant porridge available in any supermarket. Only a few pieces of century egg were in the porridge and they were minuscule. As for the lean meat, I could hardly see any.

The shrimp dumplings were a letdown as well. To begin with, the skin of the dumplings was in an unappetising pale green colour, and it was stuck to the wooden steam basket. This was made worse by the absence of the crunchiness one should derive from biting into fresh prawns.

The final dish I tried was the char siew bun. Like the shrimp dumplings, the flaw was in the skin. The skin was too thick and not as fluffy as I would like it to be while the filling was miserably little. How I wished it was the other way round.

Personally, I think the wait was unnecessary and I would have derived more satisfaction from a Big Breakfast at McDonalds.

Like all things in life, palates and opinions differ. If you would like to give it a try, just make sure you reach early to beat the queue.