Okay, so last weekend I was craving some good dim sum. Like, REALLY craving it. I’d been seeing pics online, and my stomach was just screaming for those little steamed bundles of joy. So, I decided, “Screw it, I’m going on a dim sum adventure in London!”
First things first, I did some digging online. I mean, London’s got tons of Chinese restaurants, but I wanted authentic dim sum, not some watered-down tourist trap stuff. I checked out a few blogs, read some reviews on Google Maps, and finally settled on a place in Chinatown that looked promising. It had all the keywords: “bustling,” “authentic,” “ladies pushing carts.” That’s what I was looking for!
Next, travel. I hopped on the tube, jammed myself in with the weekend crowds, and headed straight for Chinatown. Walking out of the station, the smells hit me like a brick. All those savory spices, roast duck hanging in the windows… Man, I was already drooling.
Finding the restaurant was easy enough. It had a big, slightly faded sign in Chinese and English, and a line of people snaking out the door. Always a good sign, right? I joined the queue, and waited… and waited… Okay, it was only like 20 minutes, but when you’re hungry, it feels like forever.
Finally, I got ushered inside. The place was LOUD. People chattering away in Cantonese, the clatter of dishes, the shouts of the waitresses. It was exactly what I’d hoped for. I got seated at a small table, and almost immediately, a lady with a steaming cart pulled up. She started rattling off the dishes in Cantonese, which, of course, I didn’t understand a word of. But, hey, pointing works, right?
So I pointed. I grabbed some siu mai (pork dumplings), some har gow (shrimp dumplings), and these awesome-looking char siu bao (barbecue pork buns). Then another cart came by, and I snagged some cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) and some chicken feet (yeah, I’m adventurous like that!).
The food? AMAZING. The siu mai were juicy and flavorful, the har gow were perfectly translucent, and the char siu bao were sweet and savory perfection. Even the chicken feet were pretty good! (Don’t knock it ’til you try it, seriously.) I just kept eating and eating, cart after cart rolling by with more deliciousness.
I washed it all down with some jasmine tea, feeling completely stuffed and ridiculously happy. The whole meal cost me around £25, which, considering the amount of food I inhaled, was a steal.
Lessons Learned:
- Do your research! Finding a truly authentic place makes all the difference.
- Don’t be afraid to point and smile if you don’t speak the language.
- Be prepared for it to be loud and crowded – that’s part of the experience!
- Try something new! You might surprise yourself.
- Most importantly: go hungry!
All in all, it was a fantastic dim sum adventure. I’m already planning my next trip!