Hong Kong Dim Sim Kitchen

Every dim sim, dumpling or steamed bun from Hong Kong Dim Sim Kitchen is made in-house, from scratch using traditional family recipes from pre-colonial Hong Kong. 

Cooking to Make Ends Meet

The story of Hong Kong Dim Sim Kitchen is one of perseverance, hard work and family. It begins in 1956 with a 14-year-old Kok Ching Ho who fled the impending WW2 in Nam Hoi, China with his family to start a new life. To help them make ends meet, Kok worked as a pastry chef assistant in Yum Cha restaurants around Hong Kong.

“The yum cha cuisine originated in Hong Kong so when he learned, everything was handmade and everything was done from a grassroots level,” says Kok’s son, Jason Ho. 

As Kok’s culinary skills developed so did his reputation and in 1978, he was offered the head chef position of Yum Cha at Nine Dragons Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, Sydney. 

From day one, Kok planned to start his own business selling dim sims, dumplings, and steamed buns to Chinese restaurants. This would not only relieve them of the time-consuming and meticulous process to make the delicacies but allow him to showcase his original recipes to the people of Australia.

Kok’s dream became reality in 1982 when he and his wife bought a hole-in-the-wall shop in Haymarket and opened Hong Kong Dim Sum Kitchen. Word spread fast and by year three, their business expanded to a 500 sqm factory in Marrickville. This allowed them to scale production and make their products available for retail in grocery stores. 

The Second Generation

Kok’s four sons, Jeremy, Jason, Kerry, and Kenny are continuing the legacy at Hong Kong Dim Sim Kitchen and have been overseeing operations since 2012. 

“We basically grew up with the business meaning after school, we would come to the shop and help out,” says Jason, who is now head of sales. “From there, it just kept going until I officially joined shortly after I graduated uni.”

Jason says he feels “more fulfilled working in the family business rather than just working for someone else,” and finds it rewarding to “directly see the benefit of all the work that you put in.”

The recipes at Hong Kong Dim Sum Kitchen are the original ones that Kok started with over 30 years ago.

“When it comes to the recipe, one thing that we do differently is we actually make everything…,” Jason explains. “From the pastry skin that wraps the dumping to the filling… We make it here, we cook it here, we cool it here and even pack it here.”

“I'm very proud of the fact that I know what goes into our products, and it's exactly what we would eat at home,” he continues. “For many people out there, especially families with kids that are looking for something that's actually good to eat, they can turn to us… No matter how big we get, and we have grown a lot, we will never lose sight of that.”

Jason’s biggest advice for anyone wanting to turn their passion into something tangible is that “there really is no substitute for perseverance.” Learn from your mistakes and stay true to your character because this helps your business build a reputation that people remember for the next generation.

The Legacy Lives On

Hong Kong Dim Sim Kitchen was a pioneer of dim sim manufacturing in Australia and hopes to become a bespoke supplier to Yum Cha restaurants across the world.

Kok can still be seen on the floor overseeing all his recipes, and Jason and his three brothers are proud to stand by their father’s side.

“I feel like it's my purpose, and I want to leave my legacy on this business, just like my dad and mum did for us,” Jason concludes.