Craving for Some Dim Sum

Hello, friends! I'm back again with a short post on a little ad hoc tea time treat. I was in George Town for work and ran into a friend and of course we decided to grab a bite. But where to go? Well, if you're feeling like some heat tea and Dim Sum (Yum Cha, for the Australians) in the evening, I have a place just for you. 

A local favourite for dim sum/yum cha in the evening is an old place called Tai Tong on Lebuh Cintra. You can find it on Google Maps here. This place has been operating for more than 60 years and has hosted a generation of local Penangites searching for a little evening snack before dinner. 

Most of the menu is in Chinese, but don't be intimidated. The dim sum is rolled around in stainless steel carts and if you don't speak Mandarin, like me, just point to what you want. Two separate carts travel along between the tables. One has steamed dim sum and the other, fried ones. 

A lot of the younger staff speak English or Malay, but on some days it's the older staff that only speak Mandarin or Hokkien. If I'm with a friend who speaks Mandarin, we'll get a pot of Chinese tea. But if I'm not, there's pictures of chrysanthemum tea advertised on the walls and I simply gesture for that. Often times, I can get help from the other patrons to translate. Most people are really helpful, especially if you're a visitor here. 

L: Siew Mai, R: Pai Kut

Some of my favourite dim sum at Tai Tong are the steamed siew mai and pai kut. The former is minced pork and shrimp wrapped like a dumpling and steamed. The latter is bits of pork trotters in sweet plum sauce. 

Tai Tong opens for breakfast and lunch, closes in the early evening, and reopens for dinner at 6.15pm. Drop by and try their dim sum!