THE BEST: Chinatown Dim Sum

[Ruby]

I'm meeting a friend for brunch and thought we'd have dim sum today but I'm bored with the same ole in Chinatown  (20 Mott, Golden Unicorn, Harmony, Mandarin Inn and Dim Sum a GoGo-which I didn't care for).

HSF was recently remodeled. Has anyone been there in the last few months? Any new discoveries? If you can't post today, that's okay. Your suggestions can always be used. Thanks,

[Bux]

There's a big place, I believe it's called Oriental Pearl, on the west side of Mott above Canal. We've been going there for years. On the whole it's been very good, with the exception of fried dishes which are often neither criisp nor hot. It's just not the kind of thing that can be served well on carts in a large restaurant. For a while we favored Madarin Court below Canal, but two visits in a row were very disappointing. One caveat, I like Dim Sum a GoGo very much--or at least I've liked the dumplings. I don't like ordering off a menu, nor am I fond of the decor. Oriental Pearl is huge and noisey with many families and large parties. You will share a large table.

[Jason Perlow]

Ruby I'm still a sucker for Ping's on 22 Mott Street. I'm boring, sure, but the place is reliable and good.

I'm very curious about Bux's place though.

[Ruby]

Oooh, I forgot about Ping's. I've been there for dinner and it's always good. Gotta try it for dim sum next time.

My friend, Pete, and I wound up at Golden Unicorn today and we only had to wait a few minutes for a table (though it was crowded) and we snagged a table for two. My friends and I usually sit with other people which can be fun too.

Dim sum was very good at Golden Unicorn but I must admit for two people, two beers each, we pigged out. One thing that surprised me, the management automatically added a 15% tip to the bill of ű.00. I've never had that happen to me for dim sum; especially for a small party. We paid it but both Pete and I were surprised but too well fed to make a fuss about the arbitrary tip. Anyway, I'm gonna try Ping's next time cause I'm sure their dim sum is really good too.

[Bux]

Two beers each? That's four beers and dim sum for ű? What am I missing?

I had a lunch place near the courts that catered to a non-Chinese clientele, but it was cheap and good. Once I discovered a tip added to my bill. I made a fuss and one of the waitresses who recognized me came over and straightened out my waiter. I went back once or twice, but kept noticing that it had unpleasant vibes and that there were plenty of other places to get a good bowl of noodles a block or two further away.

[Ruby]

Sorry I was unclear - the ű was the tip the restaurant added to the bill. The total tab was something like ๘ with tip.

[mikeyrad]

My personal fave is Jing Fong @ 20 Elizabeth St.  Huge, cavernous dim sum palace.  Large variety of dishes including lots of sea-food (clams, snails, etc.)  Dumps are served hot.  I'm always tempted to order just one more dish even after the check has been paid - my test for a good dim sum restaurant.

[Bux]

The total tab was something like ๘ with tip.

That is a robust tab for dim sum. Just knowing that you ran up such a tab makes me want to sample the dim sum there. ;)

[Ruby]

Mikeyrad - I've never had dim sum at Jing Fong but it sounds really good. Didn't they have union problems at some point where their employees were picketing them for really low wages?

Bux - yeah ๘ buckaroos is about what the dim sum came to. My friend Pete wasn't that familiar with dim sum so he ordered Lots of food. I usually stay away from the mixed pork/mystery meat dumplings - but Pete ordered that too and that's what hiked up the bill. Still, it was really good even though the tab was high for a dim sum meal.  Like Auntie Mame said, "Live, live, live - life is a banquet and most more bastards are starvin to death." Not us, we ate enough for six men!! :)

[Bux]

Well unless you ordered it all at once, I figure it must have been pretty good if you kept on ordering to reach that tab.

If it was good, I'd hardly criticize the final price. I love good dim sum.

[Ruby]

It was really good. I had just never seen a tip added to a dim sum check before. This is automatically done for large parties but they usually list somewhere that tips will be added for  6 or more people. We were only two people so I was surprised plus the service was just fair. We had to flag down our waiter for water, beer...This post isn't really a complaint-just that I'm surprised they added the tip. Maybe this is how it's done now because people aren't leaving enough of a tip when having dim sum.

[Fat Guy]

Anybody have an idea for a dim sum place that meets the following requirements:

--In Chinatown, with carts and all that (not a menu place like Dim Sum Go Go)

--Doesn't start to suck in the middle of the afternoon

--Has enough vegetarian stuff to satisfy the one member of the party who won't eat meat

These are not my preferences, but I'm stuck with them today. Any quick thoughts?

[Pan]

Obviously, I'm posting too late.

So where did you go, and how was it?

[Fat Guy]

We went to the Vinegar Factory. :)

Thanks for all your responses, INGRATES!

[Rachel Perlow]

Quote: from Fat Guy on 12:40 am on Feb. 5, 2002

Thanks for all your responses, INGRATES!

Oh come on! To be fair, you asked for a dim sum recommendation after noon on a Sunday. You know that eGullet traffic is pretty low on the weekends. I saw your post around one in the afternoon on Sunday, thought it was wierd that you were asking so late. I checked, there was a total of three people logged into the boards. Also, the only place I'd recommend to you I had no idea how it is later in the afternoon and don't know about vegetarian options. Also, I know you've been there, so you could have gone to Pings instead of Vinegar Factory. Your post indicates you didn't enjoy VF, or did you?

[Fat Guy]

You saw my post and didn't answer?

INGRATE!!!

[Rachel Perlow]

Quote: from Fat Guy on 09:45 am on Feb. 5, 2002

You saw my post and didn't answer? INGRATE!!!

as I said...

Quote: from RPerlow on 9:24 am on Feb. 5, 2002

The only place I'd recommend to you I had no idea how it is later in the afternoon and don't know about vegetarian options.

Since you specifically wanted a place that

Quote: from Fat Guy on 12:09 pm on Feb. 3, 2002

--Doesn't start to suck in the middle of the afternoon

--Has enough vegetarian stuff to satisfy the one member of the party who won't eat meat

I didn't know that what I'd suggest would qualify. Sorry.

[Fat Guy]

Hey, at least you're here now talking about this. You've earned your place among the good guys. The rest of you: total INGRATES!

[Bux]

I knew your time was precious and the last thing you needed was to have to spend time reading a post that apologized for not knowing a place with carts and enough vegetarian stuff to please a vegetarian after two in the afternoon. My advice is to get up early and lose the carts.

[Pan]

My advice is to get up early and lose the carts.

I certainly agree with the first part of that advice, but I like the carts and find dim sum at the usual suspects (Golden Unicorn, Jing Fong, et al.) quite acceptable, though of course not on the level of dim sum in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Bangkok, etc. I find that one must arrive no later than 1:30 or so.

Anyway, to Fat Guy: I posted when I saw your message, not later. But I wouldn't have been able to help you, anyway, given all your criteria.

IMO, it's too bad there aren't more posts on restaurants other than the usual list of expensive places on this board, however.

[Fat Guy]

Okay, Pan, you're not an ingrate either.

[Ruby]

Quote: from Pan on 1:46 am on Feb. 6, 2002

/quote]IMO, it's too bad there aren't more posts on restaurants other than the usual list of expensive places on this board, however.

I tend to agree with Pan. Love the eGullet site but I've also noticed the same 'superstars' are consistently mentioned here. This isn't a *bad thing but there are so many other places in NYC. I hope we'll get more chowcentric - *Zagat (big yawn) also lists the usual suspects like Gramercy Tavern, Babbo. They're great but like the old Peggy Lee song goes 'Is that all there is?'

As an avid restaurant hound, I'm always on the lookout for new, offbeat, off the beaten track restos and cafes where:

(1) you don't have to necessarily sit at the bar to eat because tables are always filled up; (2) dinner doesn't come to half a month's rent; (3) it hasn't been discovered by Zagat's yet; (4) it's not a mini chain and the chef and staff care

as much about food as I do. Guess you get the idea.  I've put out past recommendations on these boards and am always happy to share (even though word of mouth often ruins a place) but IMO that's what it's all about.  

[Fat Guy]

We don't list the usual suspects. We hardly list anything at all! We have maybe three or four threads in our archive where people made lists, and in every case where I noticed it I discouraged it. What we have is vigorous discussion and debate at the highest level, and that discussion rarely duplicates or even concurs with the conventional wisdom.

That being said, I'll repeat here what I think I've said elsewhere: Nobody waves a magic wand and declares that we'll talk about X and not about Y. I wish I could. I can't. What we are is an amalgam of contributed threads, and all any of us can control is what we ourselves post. I suppose the moderators in particular (and also some of the more persuasive users) can create an environment that encourages or discourages certain kinds of posts, but I don't think that has happened here. If I or anybody else has given the impression that we don't want to discuss any given type of restaurant, show me how that offense was committed and I'll both hang my head in shame and try to correct the error. Otherwise, if you want a particular discussion to occur on these boards, just start it for crying out loud, and then go tell whatever like-minded friends or acquaintances or contacts you have to come join in!

[Ruby]

Quote: from Fat Guy on 8:57 am on Feb. 6, 2002

We don't list the usual suspects. We hardly list anything at all! We have maybe three or four threads in our archive where people made lists, and in every case where I noticed it I discouraged it. What we have is vigorous discussion and debate at the highest level, and that discussion rarely duplicates or even concurs with the conventional wisdom.

That being said, I'll repeat here what I think I've said elsewhere: Nobody waves a magic wand and declares that we'll talk about X and not about Y. I wish I could. I can't. What we are is an amalgam of contributed threads, and all any of us can control is what we ourselves post. I suppose the moderators in particular (and also some of the more persuasive users) can create an environment that encourages or discourages certain kinds of posts, but I don't think that has happened here. If I or anybody else has given the impression that we don't want to discuss any given type of restaurant, show me how that offense was committed and I'll both hang my head in shame and try to correct the error. Otherwise, if you want a particular discussion to occur on these boards, just start it for crying out loud, and then go tell whatever like-minded friends or acquaintances or contacts you have to come join in!

Steven, I wasn't advocating 'lists' or trying to dictate what others post...not at all. I thought my post was clear but I guess not, from your comments.

As a native New Yorker, I do a tremendous amount of walking in Manhattan and also explore the other boroughs (except for Staten Island). During my walks my radar is always on high for new or unique restaurants, bistros, etc. I'll go into a restaurant, explore the room, get a business card and make a mental note to come back if it looks promising. I've taken great pride in introducing my friends to places that haven't been 'discovered' by Zagat and foodies. I like to share my discoveries and have listed some since I joined this site in September. However, I have noticed a tendency on these threads for discussions that go on and on about Babbo, Lupa, Gramercy Tavern, yada yada. If you'll read some of my past posts, I've tried to 'coax' (not dictate) others into sharing their favorites and guess what comes back?? Right! :)

I'm not saying other posts are not valuable or fascinating-I've gotten lots of insightful information about places I've wanted to try and haven't as yet.

You may notice some ex-Chowhound people on these boards now (myself included) and I can tell who they are just by how they share their dining experiences. Again, this is not a criticism or blowing our horn-just an observation.

In closing, I have started many new posts, for 'crying out loud' and if you'll look at the number of responses received, there are other likeminded people who have joined in.    

[Fat Guy]

"In closing, I have started many new posts, for 'crying out loud' and if you'll look at the number of responses received, there are other likeminded people who have joined in."

Exactly!