[Pan]

Bux:

Big eating halls in Malaysia had the carts, too, but the small places didn't. The size of the place is a major factor, or at least it can be. I like the carts because they're fun, much like jackal10 explained, and despite the problems that have been mentioned.

For the record, I order fried shrimp/chives dumplings whenever I have the chance, and I've usually gotten them hot.

[weinoo]

Pan, on May 10 2003, 07:01 PM, said:

weinoo, on May 10 2003, 04:23 PM, said:

I think it's more Shangainese, which isn't really dim sum.

Why? Are you saying that there's no such thing as Shanghainese dim sum?

No, I take it back, I was wrong saying that...however, I do think that dim-sum was once a southern Chinese way of eating.

As Barbara Tropp said in her China Moon cookbook,

"The first thing to understand about dim-sum - that genre of Chinese eating typified in the great pre-WWII tea houses of south China, but found in snack places in most every region..."

And, gleaned from an internet web-site about dim-sum:

Originally a Cantonese custom, dim sum is inextricably linked to the Chinese tradition of "yum cha" or drinking tea. Travelers journeying along the famous Silk Road needed a place to rest, so teahouses began springing up along the roadside...Today, dim sum is served throughout China, particularly in Shanghai. In The Taste of China, Ken Hom shares his memories of enjoying regional variations in "small eats": jiaozi dumplings in Beijing, pearl balls and spicy wontons (known as huntuns) in the Szechuan province. But he agrees with the majority that the best dim sum can be found in Canton, with its wide assortment of sweet and savory dishes ranging from meatballs to sweet cakes.

[snowangel]

Bux, on May 10 2003, 01:18 PM, said:

Even in restaurants with high turnover, I've learned to ignore fried foods on carts. Rarely are they fresh enough to warant trying. Steamed dumplings are another thing and do very well as does tripe stew and duck blood.

The key is to eschew every table but the one closest to the kitchen door.

Every low-brow (read not high buck) dim sum place I ever went to in Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore always had carts. And, we learned early on to snag one of the tables closest to the kitchen.

And, I remember that most of the best dim sum places I ever went to required at least an hour visit, because they usually cycle dishes. There will often be a whole bunch of steamed dumpling carts. Wait a few minutes, and there will be a whole different set of carts. Wait a little longer, and yet another type of food will be offered. I think the food quality is higher (fresher) when they "cycle" the food. It does make sense.

[Bux]

It's not always easy to snag a table by the kitchen, especially when one has been waiting for forty minutes to have one's number called for a table in a large dim sum palace. I have turned down a table that I have considered all too far from the kitchen, but at some point I have to weight the time spent waiting with the chance that the next table is going to be significantly better. I have also been in dim sum restaurants where the food is picked up at different stations and I have seen fried foods recycled. That is to say, I have seem foods go back on the cart from a warming oven of sorts. When dim sum was regular part of our weekly shopping venture, there were waiters I could count on to get me fresh fried foods directly from the kitchen.

The comment about cycling the dishes is interesting, because we've seen that and learned to spot when the dishes we first saw upon being seated, come by again. That's when we know we've seen all that's being offered. We've also learned that some places send out a greater variety of items at peak hours. The idea was to get there just before the peak time, so the wait was least, but the selection was the widest.

[anil]

OK, here you go -

Triple Eight (No longer called that) East Bwy Below the bridge (carts)

Jin Fong (Elizabeth St - Between Canal & Bayard) (carts)

Harmony Palace (Mott - North of Canal) (carts)

But you really want -- Oriental Garden - Elizabeth (no cart) Sweet & Tart (no cart) Congee (Bowery South of Grand) (no cart) Mandarin Court - Mott (no cart ??)

[Bux]

anil, on May 12 2003, 04:12 AM, said:

Mandarin Court - Mott (no cart ??)

Haven't been to Mandarin Court in some time. It used to have carts. It also used to be terriific and then it seemed to slip considerably and after a few disappointing visits, we wrote it off. How recently has anyone been there for dim sum? Has it gotten better and do they have carts?

[weinoo]

Kinda the same way I feel about my recent visits to Sweet n Tart - slipping a bit.

And, where I understand the connection of New Green Bo's Shanghainese dumplings to dim sum, I don't quite get Congee's connection - though I've eaten there and loved it ('cept for the feeling of being in a police interrogation room!).

[dumpling]

Green Bo has great soup-real understanding of broth. Mandarin Court used to be good don't know now. Oriental Pearl was nice and had carts. Jing Fong has definitely been slipping. I don't know about 20 Mott; it's been a couple of months. It used to have great stuff. Golden Unicorn was very tasty albeit expensive. Tai Hong Lau has great con poy(dried scallop) soup dumplings.

[Bux]

dumpling, on Jul 7 2003, 01:02 AM, said:

I don't know about 20 Mott; it's been a couple of months.

At least. 20 Mott is gone. That's been Sweet 'n' Tart's address for some time now.

[dumpling]

Yeah I know. Sorry, Sometimes I still call it that; old habit.

[Bux]

Recently someone asked me where Sweet 'n' Tart was located and I said it was on Mott and that it must be near 20 Mott (the restaurant). In fact I said it must be the building just north or south of 20 Mott. Then I looked the address up and realized it had replaced 20 Mott.

[dumpling]

Bux, on Jul 9 2003, 06:00 PM, said:

Recently someone asked me where Sweet 'n' Tart was located and I said it was on Mott and that it must be near 20 Mott (the restaurant). In fact I said it must be the building just north or south of 20 Mott. Then I looked the address up and realized it had replaced 20 Mott.

Right. I mean technically it still is 20 Mott.

[Pan]

dumpling, on Jul 7 2003, 01:02 AM, said:

Green Bo has great soup-real understanding of broth. Mandarin Court used to be good don't know now.  Oriental Pearl was nice and had carts.  Jing Fong has definitely been slipping.  I don't know about 20 Mott; it's been a couple of months. It used to have great stuff.  Golden Unicorn was very tasty albeit expensive.  Tai Hong Lau has great con poy(dried scallop) soup dumplings.

In what way has Jing Fong been slipping? And did you go to Golden Unicorn for dim sum or dinner? I've never found it expensive.

[Elissa]

Ming Dynasty, on the southwest side directly under the Manhattan Bridge. Been there a year, but I went first for lunch today: pan fried scallion dumplings for which i'll soon return. Eggplant - not normally my dish - id also recommend and tofu skin with pork: divine. All for $7.

This post has been edited by Elissa: 09 September 2003 - 01:46 PM

[Swankalicious]

My boyfriend and I are spending the weekend in NYC. We'll be eating at Jacques Imo on Friday night, Babbo on Saturday ... and we're looking for a dim sum brunch on Sunday. We've already tried Triple Eight Palace, so we'd like to try something new. Any suggestions would be most appreciated! Thanks!

[PoorLawyer]

Golden Unicorn is my fave. It might be a buck or two more at the end of tallying it all up than some of the other places but I find it to be very consistent and good, unlike some of the others...

[Foodguy]

I love HSF!!!

[PoorLawyer]

Foodguy, on Apr 1 2004, 10:37 AM, said:

I love HSF!!!

HSF was my "unlike some of the others"

[Foodguy]

They can be inconsistent, but when they are on, they are on.. I go every Saturday with a big group and we used to rotate but have settled on HSF. One place I have heard good things about, but have not gone for dim sum is Ping's (regular meals are excellant)

As to HSF since the beginning of January, they have always been on...but as long as you go to a place with carts, its ok with me

[KHT20]

I went to HSF for the first time at the end of November and left absolutely starving! My pork shumai had hard things in it, my shrimps had the poop shoots full of... well, you know, and most of the other dishes were pretty unappetizing.
We did get a good fried squid and some leek and vegetable dumplings with toasted garlic that were tasty, but all in all I will probably stick to Golden Unicorn.

[foodgeek]

I like Ping's, and Dimsum go go the most. Then Jing Fong. I do not like Golden Unicorn.

Dimsum go go is order by menu.The otehr s are carts.

There is a Ping's in Chinatown, and one in Queens.

This post has been edited by foodgeek: 01 April 2004 - 11:11 AM

[Pan]

Golden Unicorn is sizeable but more intimate than Jing Fong. Jing Fong is pretty loud (just conversation) if you go at peak times. Try to get a table near the exit from the kitchen if possible, so you can snare things like the Kaya Buns for dessert (kaya is a delicious and very rich coconut custard jamlike thing from Malaysia, and if I remember correctly, some Malaysian friends told me that Jing Fong is owned by a Chinese Malaysian [or more than one?] from Ipoh). Harmony Palace can also be good. I like all of those places, though of course they are nothing compared to what you can get all over the place in Malaysian cities, for example. But we're not in Malaysia, Virginia (or Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Singapore, Penang, etc.).

But your best bet at any of these places is: Arrive early. If Jing Fong has reopened (they were closed for renovations for a while), I believe they open at 10 A.M. I'm pretty sure Golden Unicorn does, too. Harmony Palace opens at 9 A.M. or earlier, I believe. In any case, try to arrive before 11 A.M. Every place will be quieter, the food will be fresher, and you will have your pick of whatever you want and get more personal service more easily if you want to request items.

[Suzanne F]

AB Lobster King, at 2 Mott Street.

[jo-mel]

Gee -- I haven't been to HSF for aeons! Along with the Silver Palace, they were the only places for quite a while. Then came G. Unicorm, Mandarin Court and there was another one. HSF went thru upheaval after upheaval (gas tank explosion/family owner problems/ close down / reopening) and now the Silver Palace is gone. Things do change, don't they?

Triple Eight (or the "NEW" Triple Eight ---changes again!) has been my mainstay. I've never tried Jing Fong. Sounds like my kind of place. Loud, boistrous -- the way I like it.

Hope you give a report on where you go and what you had.

[LJC]

does anyone know if Jing Fong has reopened yet?

[Foodguy]

I am obviously a partisan, but give the "new" HSF a try and let us know

[PoorLawyer]

jo-mel, on Apr 1 2004, 10:52 PM, said:

Gee -- I haven't been to HSF for aeons! Along with the Silver Palace, they were the only places for quite a while. Then came G. Unicorm, Mandarin Court and there was another one. HSF went thru upheaval after upheaval (gas tank explosion/family owner problems/ close down / reopening) and now the Silver Palace is gone. Things do change, don't they?

Triple Eight (or the "NEW" Triple Eight ---changes again!) has been my mainstay. I've never tried Jing Fong. Sounds like my kind of place. Loud, boistrous -- the way I like it.

Hope you give a report on where you go and what you had.

I used to love 25 Mott street or something like that for dim sum. It may not have been 25 but I know it was just a number for the name. Then they closed it down and it is now some froo froo fancy looking place that doesn't look like it belongs on that street.
If you go to golden unicorn on sunday they have a great scallop dish with some sort of goo baked on top that is awesome. I think they only do it up on sundays though unfortunately.

[phaelon56]

I liked Golden Unicorn but discovered that it's important to wait for awhile and choose very selectively. We spent about an hour there one Saturday or Sunday and despite passing up several carts entirely and choosing lightly from others, we saw some of the most interesting lookigndishes rol by when we were already sated (there were only two of us and that in itself was part of the problem).

[PoorLawyer]

phaelon56, on Apr 2 2004, 04:56 PM, said:

I liked Golden Unicorn but discovered that it's important to wait for awhile and choose very selectively. We spent about an hour there one Saturday or Sunday and despite passing up several carts entirely and choosing lightly from others, we saw some of the most interesting lookigndishes rol by when we were already sated (there were only two of us and that in itself was part of the problem).

always a problem at all dim sum. Just when you can't eat another bite and get the bill tallyed, something bacon-wrapped comes rolling by!

[Foodguy]

At HSF again, today table 11 of us gathered there including two of us who have lived in Hong Kong. All of us stuffed to the gills and total bill $175 with tax and tip e.g, $16 a person.

Tried just about everything: the tripe, chicken's feet, bbq pork in a sort of phyllo pastry, and the flash fried shrimp stood out

I am sure there are a lot of good places, but you can't beat that deal or the meal