Swiss chef Nicolas Elalouf opened Man Mo Dim Sum 12 years ago to create a dim sum restaurant not bound by traditions or place
Nicolas Elalouf did not begin a revolution with his fusion dim sum, but he reckons Man Mo Dim Sum was Hong Kong’s first to break away from yum cha traditions in 2014.
“My main inspirations for creating Man Mo Dim Sum was when Din Tai Fung earned its first Michelin star in 2010,” Nicolas remembers, “and when every diner was crazy for their truffle xiaolongbao.”
After witnessing the dim sum chain earning awards for its truffle-powered dim sum dish, Nicolas “wanted to do something totally different” in the dim sum space.
The Swiss native arrived in Hong Kong to work in sales at a fine-dining food supplier in 2010, and later worked at a string of Western restaurants. For his first solo venture, and his first venture into Chinese dining, he took classes learning how to make Northern Chinese dumplings, as well as research conducted in Europe on what Western-style dim sum would look like.
“I signed my lease for the restaurant on Upper Lascar Row [in Sheung Wan] and I had no idea what I wanted to do.” The one thing he did know was to name his restaurant after Sheung Wan’s Man Mo Temple, dating 179 years old this year. His address may have been rooted in the neighbourhood, but his concept was anything but.
Nicolas signed his first employee, a former instructor at then-one Michelin-starred Din Tai Fung, and a sous chef from fine dining emporium Joël Robuchon to create Man Mo Dim Sum’s first experimental menu of boundaryless dim sum bites.
Man Mo Dim Sum’s menu takes shape with about a two dozen vegetarian, meat, and seafood dumplings and buns and an assortment of desserts. Two starters, soups, and fried rice dishes share space on the page too.
But, you will not see replicates or interpretations of traditional dim dum dishes. “My two rules for making dim sum here is that all dim sum must be handmade and we use no Chinese ingredients. It is nonsense for me, as a Western chef, to try and make better Chinese dumplings!” Nicolas jokes. “This is not East meets West food.”
The flavours of dumplings and buns are colourful: goat cheese spinach, French Peking duck, five spice lamb, tomato mozzarella, tom yum, Asia tuna tartare, truffle brie, chicken mustard, and wild mushrooms.
“I have Thai, Italian, French, and Middle Eastern influences on my menu, I do not want to limit myself to any cuisine.”
Not being bound by decades of traditions and tried-and-tested recipes has allowed the chef-founder to experiment with a host of international chefs that have worked at Man Mo Dim Sum.
Owing to Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun’s concentration of French residents, Nicolas’ French touch is evident on the menu with bites like the ratatouille, truffle Brie, and Reblechon dumplings.
Man Mo Dim Sum also adheres to a new dim sum philosophy. Nicolas has banned the use of soy sauce for cooking or dipping at his Sheung Wan restaurant, a bid to change perceptions of how umami and salt can take shape in dim sum.
For dessert, one can end their meal with egg lemon tarts, nutella ball buns, or a novel kung fu crème brulee.
“Many of my customers at Man Mo do not come for dim sum, there are many traditional dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong for that, but they come for a new experience. Our dishes may be more expensive than other dim sum restaurants, but this is unique.”
Nicolas credits his first employee, who has worked at Man Mo Dim Sum from day one, for supporting his journey to becoming a dim sum master. It took him three years to study the whole process, including four months just preparing handmade dough for dumplings.
“There are such few dim sum chefs in Hong Kong with less and less young people wanting to learn how to make dim sum. It was important for me to master the art so I can teach others the technique.”
In its 12th year of operation, Nicolas is planning for international expansion for Man Mo, but a second location locally is and has always been out of the question.
“Hong Kong has no space for two or three contemporary dim sum restaurants. It would be a big risk for me to open another Man Mo Dim Sum here, the temple of dim sum. I prefer my customers to travel to Sheung Wan and fine-tune this restaurant rather than diversify multiple locations.”
“I want to experiment with Man Mo Dim Sum overseas in another city like London or New York City, because they know what dim sum is and they can understand this concept directly.”
Book a table today at Man Mo Dim Sum for a fusion dim sum meal with something different.
