Alright, let’s talk about dim sum. For the longest time, I just thought, “Yeah, Chinese food, small plates, whatever.” I’d see people raving about it, and I’d just nod, not really getting the big deal. Seemed like a lot of fuss over tiny snacks, you know?
My first proper attempt to “do” dim sum was, frankly, a bit of a disaster. I went to this huge, noisy place. Carts were whizzing by, people shouting. I just pointed at a few things that looked vaguely familiar. Ended up with a table full of… well, mostly stuff I couldn’t identify and a bill that made my eyes water. I remember thinking, this is it? This is what everyone loves? I left feeling more confused than satisfied.
But I’m not one to give up easily, especially when food is involved. So, I decided I needed to figure this dim sum thing out. My “practice,” if you will, started by just going more often. Sometimes I’d drag a friend along who seemed to know the ropes, other times I’d brave it solo, just watching what others did. I started paying attention to what people ordered, how they ordered it.
Slowly, things began to click. I realized dim sum isn’t really a “meal” in the way I was used to, like ordering one main dish. It’s more about variety, about trying a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Sharing is a big part of it, which I hadn’t grasped before. You get a few different things, everyone tries some. It’s way more social.
I learned there are basically two ways things go down: the carts, which is super fun and chaotic, like a food parade. You see something you like, you flag down the cart. Then there’s ordering from a paper menu, where you tick off what you want. The menu is great if you know what you’re looking for or if the cart for your favorite item hasn’t rolled by in ages.
Through this “eating practice,” I started to pick up on some of the stars of the show:
- Har Gow: Those shrimp dumplings with the see-through, chewy skin. Always a winner.
- Siu Mai: The open-topped pork and shrimp dumplings. Classic.
- Char Siu Bao: Steamed fluffy white buns filled with sweet BBQ pork. Oh man, so good.
- Cheung Fun: Rice noodle rolls, you can get them with shrimp, beef, or just plain with soy sauce.
- And then there are the tarts, the sticky rice, the turnip cakes… the list just goes on!
So, how did I get so obsessed with figuring out dim sum?
It’s a bit of a story, actually. There was this time, a few years back, I’d just moved to a new neighborhood. Didn’t know a soul. My tiny apartment was, no joke, right above this ancient-looking dim sum restaurant. I mean, the kind of place that’s been there for decades, always packed, especially on weekends. The sounds of clattering dishes and Cantonese chatter would drift up every morning.
At first, I was intimidated. But then, out of sheer boredom and a bit of loneliness, I started venturing down. I’d get a small table by myself. The first few times, I just pointed randomly, like my disastrous first experience. But the staff, mostly older ladies who’d probably worked there forever, started to notice me, the quiet guy fumbling with his chopsticks. One of them, a tiny woman with a surprisingly booming voice, took pity on me. She’d steer her cart over and insist, “You try this! Good! Very good!” She wouldn’t take no for an answer. So I tried. And she was usually right.
It became my little ritual. I’d go down, try one or two new things each time. I started to learn the names, what I liked, what I didn’t. It wasn’t just about eating anymore; it was like my daily adventure. Watching the families, the groups of friends, all sharing and laughing. It made me feel a bit less like a stranger in a new place. I even tried to make some, once. Let’s just say my kitchen looked like a flour bomb went off, and the results were… edible. Barely. That little experiment gave me a whole new appreciation for the skill involved.
So now, when I think about “dim sum,” it’s not just a list of dishes. It’s that whole experience. It means “touch the heart,” and I get that now. It’s about sharing, it’s about community, it’s about a delicious, sometimes chaotic, but always interesting, array of little bites. You just gotta jump in and start tasting. Don’t be afraid to ask, “What’s that?” Most of the time, you’ll be glad you did.