Last weekend I finally dragged my lazy butt out of bed at 7am because my dim sum obsession hit hard. Decided to hit up Golden Dragon, that always-packed spot downtown where you gotta fight for parking.
The Ordering Struggle
First thing – the server plops down that pencil and checklist menu while I’m still rubbing sleep from my eyes. My buddy Mike kept shouting “get the chicken feet!” but I remembered my last attempt eating those weird gelatinous things. Nope, not today.
Started scribbling fast before starvation mode kicked in:
- Har Gow (shrimp dumplings): Wanted to see if they nailed the translucent wrapper texture
- Siu Mai (pork & shrimp): My mandatory order every single time
- Char Siu Bao (BBQ pork buns): Needed that fluffy-sweet-carb fix
- Cheung Fun rice rolls: Went with shrimp filling cause the beef looked sus last visit
- Egg tarts: For “research” obviously
The Waiting Game
Sat there slurping tea watching carts zigzag between tables. Saw these gorgeous golden buns roll by and literally grabbed the cart lady’s sleeve. She side-eyed me hard but handed over the bamboo steamer. Worth it.
Taste Test Time
Dove into the har gow first – poke tested the wrapper. Success! Didn’t tear like that garbage place near my office. Shrimp had that perfect crisp snap too.
Almost choked laughing when Mike tried using chopsticks on the char siu bao. Bruh, just pick it up! The sweet pork exploded in my mouth anyway. Best I’d had since pre-pandemic.
Regrets & Wins
Biggest win: That silky cheung fun with soy sauce drizzle made me wanna hug the chef. Steamer juice dripped all over my shirt – zero shame.
Only regret? Not doubling the egg tarts. Crust shattered beautifully but we demolished them in two bites. Saw another table get the chicken feet… looked terrifying as hell with those wrinkles and claws.
Stumbled outta there three hours later smelling like soy sauce with sauce stains on my jeans. That’s how you know it slapped. Already planning next weekend’s dim sum revenge mission – Phoenix claws or GTFO.