Green Queen Foodie: Clean indulgence at LockCha Tea House Part 1


4 Mins Read

Dim sum, or yum cha as the locals call it, is made up of a selection small dumplings in all flavours and cooking styles. The bite-friendly sized dumplings make it easy to overindulge and before you know it, you have had a dozen pieces whilst happily chatting with friends! With regular dim sum, this can be a problem as the dumplings can be heavy on the meat and grease side of things. Once in a while, this is not an issue but could there be a healthier choice in the world of dim sum?

 

LockCha Tea House, situated in the idyllic surroundings of Hong Kong Park in Admiralty, offers a lighter and cleaner version of this breakfast and lunch tradition. They refer to their menu as purely vegetarian, and upon further inspection, it becomes clear that they are vegan too (with most dishes being gluten- free as well). The waitress proudly stated that the kitchen refrains from using eggs, dairy products and whilst we cannot confirm it absolutely, we did not see honey anywhere on the menu.

Lock Cha Teahouse wasabi peas cake 

We tried a variety of dishes and there were definitely some winners. The fried Wasabi Green Pea Cake is not a traditional dim sum dish but the fusion of Chinese and Japanese ingredients is a creative take. Though fried, the cake is not at all greasy. A slight touch of wasabi creates a refreshing and pleasantly spicy feeling, yet will not make you sweat a bit. The peas are nicely mashed and the flavors of the two components are a great match. 
 

We then had the Fried Green Squash Dumpling. Stuffed with peanuts, along with the squash, they offered a lovely texture contrast.

Lock Cha Teahouse Samosa 

Next came the Golden Mushroom Samosa. The translucent squash skin hints at what’s inside ─ golden mushrooms and carrots. The delicate squash contrasts perfectly with the juiciness of the vegetable filling.

Lock Cha Teahouse sticky rice dumpling

We gobbled up the Steamed Savoury Sticky Rice Dumpling. It is wrapped with lotus leaf, which infuses the rice with a fresh, clean taste. The diced shitake mushrooms, carrots, corn and peas offer a pleasant crunch that balances the heaviness of the sticky rice.
 

Our final dish was a bowl of Fried Rice Noodles, which had a variety of veggies like spring onion, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms and bean sprouts. The noodles were coated with soy sauce, though luckily it was of the light variety and didn’t take away from the sweetness of the vegetables. 

 Lock Cha Teahouse guan yin

With the goddess Guanyin’s statue watching over you as the enchanting aroma of the lotus leaf wafts throughout the Tea House. LockCha is a peaceful sanctuary to take a break from bustling city life. The healthy and refreshing dim sum selection enables you to eat heartily with no regrets. Definitely one to add to the must visit list!
 

By 1.30pm, most dishes were sold out so it is best to come early! LockCha changes its selection frequently, making use of the freshest seasonal ingredients and ensuring there is always something new to try.

 

Next week, we will cover the wonderful tea journey we embarked upon at Lock Cha Tea House- it’s not just food as the name very obviously implies. Don’t miss the chance to learn more about all the different Chinese teas on offer. 

 

 

LockCha is open Mondays to Fridays from 10AM to 8PM, Saturdays & Sundays 10AM to 9PM. Closed every second Tuesday of the month. Call +852 2801-7177 for more information.

Author

  • Sonalie Figueiras

    2021 Women of Power, 2019 GEN T Honoree, V Label Global Hero, 2 x TEDx Speaker: Serial social entrepreneur & trends forecaster Sonalie Figueiras is a sustainability expert, food futurist and eco-powerhouse who has been inspiring global audiences for over a decade with practical steps on how to fight climate change. Known as the Green Queen of Asia, she is the founder and Editor in Chief of the award-winning Green Queen - the region’s first impact media platform that educates millions of readers on the connection between health, sustainability and the environment and showcases future solutions. She is also the co-founder and CEO of organic sourcing platform Ekowarehouse and climate tech SaaS Source Green, which helps consumer brands quit plastic packaging thanks to proprietary plastic reduction software. In addition, Sonalie is a global keynote speaker and an advisor to multiple mission-driven startups and NGOs, and a venture partner to several VC funds.

    View all posts

You might also like