dim sum!

[deleted account]

exclamation point!

I have a go-to hole-in-the-wall/ line-out-the-door takeout place in Oakland Chinatown that's dirt-cheap and very good, but I recently discovered a sit-down place with the carts in Alameda that's holy-shit good.  spent $40 on lunch before tip the other day like it was nothing, like a good sushi place.  if I spent $40 at the takeout place I'd have leftovers for 3 days.

I'm not too high on the bready/ ball-y/ dry starchy shit.  it's all about the dumplings/ shumai.

what say you?

[Lumpy]

I kinda hate it. It's really bland, and everything is a noodle/dumpling/starch bomb (plus, chicken feet). I guess it's good because it's cheap ($40?? WTF?). Other than that, fuck Dim Sum. I'm very close to agreeing with L.Ron that "Chinese food sucks", at least the kind we get here. Doesn't hold a candle to Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese or Thai cuisine, or Malaysian or Indonesian food either, for that matter.

[deleted account]

haven't had the chicken feet yet, and I must admit it's not real high up on my to-try list.  however, I must say, as a discerning fat man, that spending $40 in one sitting on "bland" is a logistical impossibility.  furthermore, I would posit that you and L. Ron aren't eating the right kind of dim sum/ Chinese food

[Lumpy]

There is a shitload of mediocre Chinese restaurants in NYC, especially outside the various 'Chinatowns' (Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn all have a 'Chinatown', maybe the Bronx too). The best thing you can say about the average Chinese restaurant sometimes is that it's edible. In the Bay Area, you have better situation.

Even so, I've had 'good Dim Sum' on the west coast (my asshole brother drags everyone there at Xmas) and the good ones are boring. Shu Mai, woo hoo! Pork or shrimp or pork AND shrimp? Mind = blown.

[deleted account]

*claps hands once/ rubs them together*

OK!  off to another rip-roaring start in the ol' food forum!

[NCR600]

You need to try the chicken feet. Gross looking, gelatinous awesomeness.
Lots of good dim sum places in Sydney, but at the better ones, the waiters pushing the trolleys are grumpy and kind of racist. They assume that because you're a gweilo, you only want fried gweilo food.
Saw some Chinese guy eating this terrine looking thing that looked good so I asked one what it was.
"You won't like it!"
Me: "I want to try it!l
"You won't like!"
"Bring me some!"

It was some sort of gelatinous animal product layered with shallots and ginger marinted in soy and spices. Really nice tasting, but odd textured. Turns out it was a sort of pig's ear terrine thing with an unpronounceable name. Once the ice was broken though, the waiters were cool and happy to answer questions, and bring me what I wanted.

[deleted account]

now ^^THAT^^ is a fuckin' dim sum post.  chicken feet, here I come

[ladysloth]

look at the olderish Chinese people in the restaurant, see what they have on their table- tell your sever that this is what you want sans what you already recognize

repeat at most 'ethnic' restaurants and you will be pleased, BOOM - new food experience

[Chovie D]

take out dim sum?

isnt the whole point of it the table service?

I like the dumplings, the other shit blows.

[Chovie D]

chinese food does not suck, tho there are many very shitty and gross chinese restaurants around.

Chinese lady here at work says to me "you like japanese food? not me, too much rice!!"

[ladysloth]

if just like shumai and need a bargain, you can try these. the tray is microwavable so you can cook as many as you want at a time and you don't need a steamer.



i also endorse this brand's gyoza, b/c i made them from scratch ONE TIME and that was more than enough.

[black]

I kinda hate it. It's really bland, and everything is a noodle/dumpling/starch bomb (plus, chicken feet). I guess it's good because it's cheap ($40?? WTF?). Other than that, fuck Dim Sum. I'm very close to agreeing with L.Ron that "Chinese food sucks", at least the kind we get here. Doesn't hold a candle to Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese or Thai cuisine, or Malaysian or Indonesian food either, for that matter.

I think you haven't been to a decent Dim Sum joint, Lumpy. There's one in my neck of the woods that does lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. The old mamas/grandmas in the kitchen really put flavor and quality ingredients into it and they have a house made hot sauce type deal that is sweet and hot and delicious. Goes especially well with the more "bland" items.

[Chovie D]

I kinda hate it. It's really bland, and everything is a noodle/dumpling/starch bomb (plus, chicken feet). I guess it's good because it's cheap ($40?? WTF?). Other than that, fuck Dim Sum. I'm very close to agreeing with L.Ron that "Chinese food sucks", at least the kind we get here. Doesn't hold a candle to Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese or Thai cuisine, or Malaysian or Indonesian food either, for that matter.

I think you haven't been to a decent Dim Sum joint, Lumpy. There's one in my neck of the woods that does lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. The old mamas/grandmas in the kitchen really put flavor and quality ingredients into it and they have a house made hot sauce type deal that is sweet and hot and delicious. Goes especially well with the more "bland" items.

I'm guessing that Lumpy being a denizen on NYC has  eaten at sum of the best dim sum places in the United States.
he probbaly just doesnt like doughy gelatinous bland stuff.  I'm with him. Those pork buns? I  love a single one for lunch or whatever and nothing else, but at an all you can eat? they are kind of the last thing I want. a big doughy fill up my entire stomach softball

[deleted account]

same reason I don't eat garlic bread before pizza.

yeah, the take-out concept is weird, but it works.  it's like a donut shop but with dim sum

[ez]

You haven't had dim sum till you've cured a hangover with it in a seedy restaurant on the third floor of a non-descript building in the back streets of Hong Kong's Central district.

[Muffin Man]

Chcken Feet are a whole lot like Snails in that it's about the sauce and the weird mouth feel. Duck Feet are weirderer. I sure like me some Dum Sum! NYC, check, Vancouver, BC check, Portland Ore had the best in the PNW in the 90's. Seattle's Dim Sum is not too good as far as I can tell - been eating it for 25 years. We do have some BBQ Duck up here, a few other minor things. Vancouver is what I'm thinking in this area, gotta re-visit. Pretty big district up there..

Hong Kong sounds great, ez!

[NCR600]

look at the olderish Chinese people in the restaurant, see what they have on their table- tell your sever that this is what you want sans what you already recognize

repeat at most 'ethnic' restaurants and you will be pleased, BOOM - new food experience

This has held me in pretty good stead when eating. It's not hard to eat "ethnic" food here, with the exception of Mexican, because there is no Mexicans here. Most Mexican restaurants here are run by fat, white bogans, and the better ones are run by hipsters, who have at least been to Mexico, or at least America.
The frozen dim sum thing is good here too. Lots of little factories turning out packs of frozen dumplings and stuff for sale in Asian supermarkets, that are sometimes better than what you get in restaurants.

[ladysloth]

You haven't had dim sum till you've cured a hangover with it in a seedy restaurant on the third floor of a non-descript building in the back streets of Hong Kong's Central district.

shout out to Chungking Mansion (think Kowloon Walled City but smaller), tell me that's where you were!. i ate dim sum at least twice a day when i was in HK.

fist bump - NCR!

[ez]

I think the place I went to was called Crystal Jade. not sure though. I'll look out for Chungking Mansion next time I'm there.

don't know what NCR is short for but fistbumprightbackatcha

[ladysloth]

Chungking Mansions is like watered down version of the Kowloon Walled City, it's not really a nice place to go unless you like the grit and grime and underbelly of life in HK. it can be a little intimidating, but go with a group and keep your passport and money in your pants not your pockets and you'll be fine. it's full of money exchange places with different rates, the further off the beaten path - the better the rate. there are also super cheap guesthouses and any kind of store you can imagine and yes prostitutes. and that was a shoutout to NCR600 who posted before you. :-). but you get a fist bump too- if you're bored; bmail me about your HK trip, i wanna know more.

sorry for HUGE pics
from the outside

[ez]

Ah, I see. that's like the internet version of waving back at the pretty girl who's waving to the guy behind you.

I've been to Tsim Sha Tsui a couple times, but never to Chungking Mansion - though it looks like it's worth a trip.

[ladysloth]

HEY EZ



and i love the dim sum sweets too, like the peach things. look a lil like boobs, but surprise - sweet beans inside!

[Dr.Zayus]

Priest, what's the name of that Alameda joint?

Yeah, lots mediocre Chinese places around, but there's an amazing one in Oakland Chinatown that does hand made noodles and has killer dumplings. Good comfort food. Screw the haters. I don't historicism food by Taco Bell.

[deleted account]

http://www.eastoceanseafoodrestaurant.com/

what's the Chinatown one?

[MadJohnShaft]

All the Koreans opened sushi/Thai/Chinese places - there's 5 we can walk to.  Five.

There's a famous well loved dim sum place but we've never gone, I don't think I've ever eaten at one. Weird.