"Already steamed dim sums that were put on a steamer to keep warm would end up overcooked, " Mr. Chan explained.

WSJ: The Best Dim Sum in Hong Kong | In Search Of

"Dim sums used to be bigger, heartier dishes that people ate to keep them full for a hard day of work, " explained Amy Ma, a local food writer and former Wall Street Journal staffer, when she introduced me to the restaurant.

WSJ: The Best Dim Sum in Hong Kong | In Search Of

One of the best examples is Lung King Heen, the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, where chef Chan Yan Tak has added duck liver and black truffles to pork dumplings, and invented new dim sums, like abalone baked in a cup of flaky puff pastry.

WSJ: The Best Dim Sum in Hong Kong | In Search Of