Dim sum, literally 'small heart'or 'to touch the heart', is one of the mainstays of Cantonese cooking, Hong Kong's most widespread regional Chinese cuisine. 

A form of daytime snack, it features over 2,000 different dishes, though most Hong Kong dim sum restaurants - of which the city has many hundreds - offer around 150. 

Dim sum is usually served from early morning to late afternoon. Lunch and Sundays are the busiest times. Restaurants are usually large and brightly decorated, often in red or gold, colours chosen for their lucky associations. They are also usually fairly lively - dim sum is meant to be a noisy and enjoyable occasion. At your table you are brought either jasmine tea or the strong black Chinese bolay. 

These days you usually order from a menu, but in more traditional places you can still choose from food paraded on trolleys. 

Food is generally served in steaming bamboo baskets and you are charged per dish. prices are usually very reasonable.