The Dimsum Room

The Dimsum Room’s a sweet little ode to Hong Kong’s culinary diversity, but really, everyone comes here for the dimsum. And it’s the star dish for a reason, with over 40 variants to sample. 

Of course, The Dimsum Room’s not just about dimsum. The rest of their menu, crafted by Culinary Director Chef Mrigank Singh and Head Chef Malavika Pratap, delves into the aforementioned culinary diversity of the East – we’re talking xiao long baos, tempeh and bean dumplings, braised pork belly, twice-cooked lamb chops, sichuan-style crispy eggplant and more. My personal favourites include the butter dumplings, cheung fun, and xiao long baos.

The other major draw of The Dimsum Room is that it sits inside a 100-year-old building – reachable via elevator or through its sister HyLo’s alfresco area. It’s also got three distinct spaces: a dining room that doubles up as a state-of-the-art listening room (where I was seated), a private bar modelled as a speakeasy, and an open-to-sky terrace (scorching in the sun) offering beautiful views of Kala Ghoda and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya’s dome. Each section follows its own theme and is designed differently, but the overall design language finds a common thread.

The section I like the best is The Listening Room, where afternoons and nights have ABBA, Boney M, and more old-school hits spinning on their turntables. The acoustic setup is by Munro Acoustics, who have customised sound systems and even the large speakers for this particular space. The soundproofing is done masterfully in the room. Hong Kong’s golden vinyl age meets jazz and electronic beats here, and they regularly host listening nights and ‘analog hours’. Truth be told, I would simply side-quest for vinyl listening sessions, which is why it made it to Time Out’s list of the best vinyl bars in Mumbai.