Hong Kong Oldest Tea House Lin Heung Reborn!

Hong Kong Lin Heung Tea House, an icon of the oldest Chinese restaurant, will reborn. Existing staff of Lin Heung is taking up the operation for another 18 months. 

Hong Kong Lin Heung Tea House should say farewell to customers by late February. It’s one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong serving traditional dim-sum and Chinese dishes.

After negotiation, current restaurant staff will finally take up the venue and continue the operation.  The restaurant name will be different. But the food and service will remain the same.

Lin Heung is on the junction of Wellington Street and Aberdeen Street in Central. Its signage 蓮香 (Lin Heung) represents a part of traditional culture and restaurant history of Hong Kong.

 

 

About Hong Kong Lin Heung Tea House (蓮香樓)

Lin Heung Tea House was first in Guangzhou China in 1889. Its original shop in China is still there.

Yan’s family is the current owner and operator of Hong Kong Lin Heung. Mr. Yan has worked for the restaurant owner of  Guangzhou Lin Heung before he set up Hong Kong Lin Heung.

The first Central outlet of Lin Heung Tea House was on Wellington Street 117-121. This popular Chinese tea house was then relocated to current venue on Wellington Street 160-164.

Lin Heung took over the space which was originally occupied by Standard Chartered Bank. SCB rented the shop for 25 years since the building was built in 1970. It’s pretty rare in Hong Kong that only two tenants have rented for a shop for almost five decades.

The owner of Lin Heung Tea House is planning to close the restaurant on 28 February 2019. At last, current restaurant staff has confirmed to take up the operation and will then rename the restaurant from蓮香樓 into 蓮香茶室.

 

 

Character of Hong Kong Lin Heung Tea House

Lin Heung is one of few Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong serving authentic dim-sum in old style.

The traditional way of serving food and Chinese décor in Lin Heung attract a number of customers, especially for those who are looking for the ambience of Hong Kong oldies restaurants.

The character of Lin Heung is not only on its authentic dim-sum, but also the its traditional way to serve customers and the restaurant character:

• No host to arrange seating for customers
• Customers are required to share table with other people
• From kitchen to trolley, then trolley to table: customers will take their dim-sums from the trolley’s ladies walking around on the restaurant floor
• Waiters with traditional Chinese uniforms
• Waiters pour water into traditional tea pot in front of customers
• Traditional Chinese calligraphy and landscape paintings on walls as restaurant decor
• Bird’s cages hanging on ceiling: can tell the story of the oldies days when customers brought their bird’s cages into the tea house
• Noisy, crowded and friendly ambience: the way of oldies Cantonese restaurant culture
• Bakery shop in restaurant entrance selling traditional lotus buns, lotus seeds and Chinese tea: Guangzhou Lin Heung originally operated as a bakery shop

 

Lin Heung Tea House Reborn

Insider source told Lacrucci that restaurant staff of Hong Kong Lin Heung has confirmed with Landlord that they will rent the venue for 18 months.

New Lin Heung is called 蓮香茶室. It will open on 1 March 2019. Serving morning and lunch. No dinner. It’s actually back to the original business operation model of Lin Heung Tea House in old days.

We are glad to see the reborn of Hong Kong Lin Heung, an icon of Hong Kong oldies tea house!

 

 

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