Crystal Lotus: Signature Disney Dim Sum at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel

Before the month of March ended, my little sister, my boyfriend and I went to Hong Kong for the first time. Of course, we didn't miss Hong Kong Disneyland in our itinerary. But more than the attractions at the famous theme park, one other thing that made me so excited for the trip was the Crystal Lotus Signature Dim Sum I have reserved for our group of three.

The first time I read about the Disney dim sum was on Leslie's blog. Since then, I've always thought to myself that I won't miss trying this adorable set of dim sum when I visit Hong Kong Disneyland. As both a Disney fan and a foodie, a trip to Crystal Lotus was at the top of my list.

The entrance to Crystal Lotus

It ain't called Crystal Lotus for nothing!

Strictly by reservation only

Thanks to Rochkirstin, I found out a lot earlier that the Crystal Lotus Signature Dim Sum is strictly by reservation only. We didn't avail of the lunch set but ordered their Signature Dim Sum ala carte. However, we still had to place our order at least 2 days in advance. And so, I called up the Hong Kong hotline using my mobile phone, told them our orders, and was reserved for 12:30PM. Reservation is available only for 12PM or 12:30PM slots.

Signature Disney Dim Sum is available only for lunch. For weekend and public holidays, order at least 24 hours in advance. For Mondays through Fridays, order at least 48 hours in advance.

The waiting game...

We arrived a few minutes earlier than 12:30PM, but was promptly seated by a cast member. We already gave our orders in advance (via phone), so we only ordered hot chrysanthemum tea while waiting for our dim sum. We also browsed through the menu for possible additional orders. But since we were still quite full from the meal we had prior and during the flight, we thought we'd see first if our dim sum orders would already suffice.

Then, the waiting game began.

I think we already had 3 refills of the pot of chrysanthemum tea before our orders started arriving. And that was about 25 minutes after we got seated! Sigh... I normally wouldn't wait this long, unless earlier advised of the waiting time. No one informed me of this wait, by the way. But oh well, we toughed it out since I wanted to try the Disney dim sum so badly!

The Signature Disney Dim Sum

✓ Mickey's Seafood Glutinous Pancake (HKD 72)

First on the table was this Mickey-shaped seafood pancake served with hot sauce. I'm not usually big on seafood pancakes, but I really liked this. Crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. It was already pretty tasty on its own, but I found it even more enjoyable with some hot sauce, which is definitely hotter than what I'm used to.

"Mike" Minced Chicken and Shrimp Bun (HKD 68)

Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc. is both my sis and my favorite Disney character, so we were really happy when this basket of buns was served. However, we could only hope that the taste matches the cuteness. The bun itself was a tad dry, and the filling -- apart from lacking in quantity also lacked in flavor.

"Three Little Pigs" Barbecue Pork Bun (HKD 88)

We haven't seen Walt Disney's "The Three Little Pigs" yet, but they were definitely one of the most adorable buns on the Disney dim sum menu. Unlike the Mike bun, the barbecue pork filling within these pigs were tastier. However, there was only so much filling, and these buns also suffered from dryness.

"Little Green Men" Pork and Vegetable Bun (HKD 88)

As annoying as they are in Toy Story 1 and 2, these claw crane-worshipping aliens looked super adorable in the dim sum basket that I seriously had a hard time stopping myself from snapping more photos. But just like the other buns, the filling in them was so scarce that I couldn't fully appreciate the flavor -- although this is quite tasty, which is actually a shame. And I think by now it's already a given -- bun itself is dry.

"Duffy and ShellieMay" Steamed Sweet Bun (HKD 78)

Compared to the savory buns, these sweet buns filled with red bean puree seemed a little better. Even with so much filling (or less, rather), we can really taste the sweet, earthy flavors. It looks so nice too to have not just Duffy, but also his girlfriend.

"Olaf" Steamed Red Bean Bun (HKD 72)

What used to be the Chicken Little lotus seed puree bun was replaced with this famous character from Frozen, which seemed to have a problem standing upright either in the dim sum basket or on the plate. Similar to the Duffy and ShellieMay buns, these too were oozing with red bean paste flavor. Too bad them buns were unenjoyably dry.

Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel is a 10-minute bus ride from the entrance (after getting off at the Disneyland Resort Station). To go there, one can ride the Disney Resort Shuttle Bus for free.

The Verdict

These Disney dim sum are probably the cutest, most adorable little eats I've seen in a while. However, they were also sadly one of the worsts I've had so far. Flavor is actually not too bad, but the scarceness of the filling and the dryness of the buns didn't do these expensive, pretty dim sum justice. And hey, we waited almost 30 minutes for them! Like what Olive said on her review, "If you must go... Order all the cute dim sum, take your pics, and don't go back again."

However, while I don't think I'll have the Signature Disney Dim Sum for a second time, I'll definitely consider going back to Crystal Lotus. From reviews I've read online, guests actually rave about the dishes, sans the Disney dim sum, at this Chinese fine dining restaurant.

Taste 1.5/5
Ambiance - 4.5/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 2.5/5
Overall Value - 2.5/5

Crystal Lotus, Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel
G/F, Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
+825 3510-6000
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