Hang Ah / 香雅
Dimsum Tea House
1920
1st Dim Sum House in USA
(Chinese not transcribed)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Industry & Commerce.
Location. 37° 47.605′ N, 122° 24.442′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Chinatown. Marker is at the intersection of Pagoda Place (Hang Anh Alley) and Sacramento Street, on the left when traveling north on Pagoda Place (Hang Anh Alley). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Pagoda Place, San Francisco CA 94108, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Willie "Woo Woo" Wong (a few steps from this marker); Hang Ah Alley / 香亞巷 (within shouting distance of this marker); First Chinese Baptist Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Far East Café (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Watershed History (North Shore) (about 500 feet away); The Birthplace of a Great City (about 500 feet away); Site of Old St. Mary’s (about 500 feet away); Spofford Alley / 斯呂宋巷 (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
Also see . . .
1. Step Inside 98-Year-Old Hang Ah Tea Room, the Oldest Dim Sum Restaurant in America
this page online
2. Dim sum (Wikipedia). Wikipedia entry:
"Dim sum (traditional Chinese: 點心; simplified Chinese: 点心 ...) is a large range of small dishes that Cantonese people traditionally enjoy in restaurants for breakfast and lunch."(Submitted on June 15, 2021.)
3. Blob Joints: a history of dim sum in the U.S. Sampan website entry:
"It’s alleged that the first dim sum restaurant in the U.S. was the Hang Ah Tea Room in San Francisco, which opened in 1920, closely followed later that same year by the Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York City. Both of these restaurants are still open. However, there were not any newspaper references about dim sum at these spots during the 1920s and ’30s. It is possible that dim sum was initially something available primarily to the Chinese community, so they did not advertise to non-Chinese people."(Submitted on June 15, 2021.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 15, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 308 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 15, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
