Maxim’s Palace Chinese Restaurant

My first dim sum meal in Hong Kong. Serious business, long wait! Got there around915 in the morning, they wouldn’t tell me how long the wait was. I was given#622 and they were servicing #589. Luckily, the wait wasn’t too bad. Sat down we did and feast we did. Standard fare for dim sum but quick with carts. I learned you need to be aggressive to flag down what you want as evidenced by regulars or do what they do. Chase after them with your check and tray, get what you want and bring back to your table. Overall, it was a satisfying meal.

Maxim’s Palace is a Chinese restaurant chain in Hong Kong. It serves Cantonese fare including dim sum. This branch is located at Sha Tin Town Hall which is across from New Town Plaza. I believe the restaurant previously had a location in the mall, but recently moved to this new space.
The restaurant décor is very elegant. The dining rooms in Hong Kong at dim sum establishments are on a different level compared with their counterparts in North America. The attire of some of the clientele does not match the setting however. You could dine here in casual clothing and not feel out of place.
I came here with my aunt on a Sunday morning. She mentioned that you have to come here early to grab a table. We did do that, but the wait was quite lengthy even though the restaurant is large. I think there were 40 – 50 numbers called before ours. Though at least you get your own table here, even if there is a 10% service charge. There are some dim sum places in HK where you are sharing space with others.
Usually at this kind of dim sum restaurant, you expect the dim sum to be made to order where you order from a menu. In the case of Maxim’s, they actually offer push cart dim sum. I was apprehensive at first since I perceive push cart dim sum to be not as good as made to order dim sum fresh from the kitchen.
But the fare here easily is the best push cart dim sum that I have had. It debunked my misconception. The standout for me would be the congee with pumpkin and crabmeat. The pumpkin adds a nice sweet flavor to this dish. All of the other items were great too including the fish maw and beef balls with shiitake mushrooms.
I did even try out fish heads. Usually that would weird me out, but I decided to give them a try and I enjoyed them. There were a lot of bones, but the fishmeat was tender. I did also like the accompaniment of chili peppers and tangy sauce.
If you are looking for a great dim sum spot in Sha Tin, Maxim’s Palace is an excellent spot. The push cart dim setup does not diminish its quality. Though be prepared for a lengthy wait for a table.