DIM SUM

[BJL]

I am sure there are posts about this already, but I can't get the search to work.

Anyway, can anyone suggest a good spot for dim sum on a Saturday in Chinatown. Also any other tips for a dim sum novice, it will be my first, yet much anticipated trip. Thanks

[Bux]

For a novice, I might suggest a place with carts so you can look at the offerings and pick and choose. I've liked Oriental Pearl just north of Canal on Mott Street, but haven't been there for a while.

[Pan]

Agreed. And other "usual suspects" for dim sum with carts include Golden Unicorn (East Broadway and Catherine St.), Jing Fong (20 Elizabeth St.), and Grand Harmony (Mott St. just north of Canal St.).

[robyn]

I am sure there are posts about this already, but I can't get the search to work.

Anyway, can anyone suggest a good spot for dim sum on a Saturday in Chinatown.  Also any other tips for a dim sum novice, it will be my first, yet much anticipated trip.  Thanks

HSF is also a "usual suspect" (although I haven't been there since 9/11). Used to go to Nom Wah's years ago. It was a dump then - and I suspect it's even more of a dump now .

When visiting New York lately - I have found it inconvenient to get to Chinatown. I've found that Shun Lee Cafe on the upper west side offers - to my mind - very adequate dim sum. With carts. The atmosphere is nicer than most of the Chinatown places - and when I'm trying to have a meal with family/friends I haven't seen in a while - it's nice that they don't try to turn your table over in 30-40 minutes.

With the carts - you can point. If you don't know even approximately what something is - you can ask - what is this. Don't expect to get a more complicated answer than shrimp dumpling or chicken feet - but you should be able to make up your mind based on what you hear. Brings lots of people and try lots of dishes. Robyn

[Pan]

HSF is also a "usual suspect" (although I haven't been there since 9/11). Used to go to Nom Wah's years ago. It was a dump then - and I suspect it's even more of a dump now .

I haven't been to Nam Wah since the 70s, I think. It's still open, but I never seem to see anyone there. I really don't know what's up there. I've been tempted to go back, but no-one ever has any recent information to share with me. Maybe I could tempt some person or persons to meet me there? It would make for a good post or three if nothing else.

HSF hasn't come in for any praise on these boards previously, from what I can remember.

My attitude is nix on all Shun Lee branches. Expensive and inferior to good food in Chinatown. And by the way, the last time I went to one - Shun Lee Palace - we got bad service with an attitude. My advice is spend your money elsewhere.

[alanamoana]

i second golden unicorn. their signs have pictures with names of everything in english and they are posted on the appropriate carts. so, it is easy to choose what you want and actually get what you expected. they have westernized a couple of offerings...heavy on the deep fried stuff. they have a deep fried shrimp wrapped in bacon served with mayonnaise...not exactly authentic, but most other stuff is...enjoy!

[herbacidal]

What does HSF refer to? Where is it?

[Pan]

Courtesy of www.superpages.com:

H S F Restaurant Inc

46 Bowery, New York, NY 10013

(212) 374-1319

I don't remember what H S F stands for or stood for.

[dumpling]

HSF stands for "Hee See Feung". Used to be a good place but haven't been in there in years.

Nom Wah never had any people in it and deservedly so.

Haven't been in Golden Unicorn in a while but was excellent albeit somewhat more expensive than some of the others.

Jing Fong is great, one of the places I like to hang,

but they will be closed for renovation from February 2 for three months.

Sweet and Tart(at 20 Mott Street, not the Sweet and Tart Cafe which is also on Mott Street), Oriental Pearl -both good and reliable

Could also try 88(used to be known as Triple 8).

Dim Sum after three- Sun Hop Shing(basic not fancy stuff but solid offerings and nice accompanying noodle dishes).

For your first time(be still my heart, a virgin!) there are certain classics that you must get.

Ha Gow-little transparent dough shrimp dumplings

Siu Mai-get a pork siu mai-"cook and sell" dumpling

Char Siu Bao-roast pork bun. You can get these steamed or baked.

Other things I would recommend- Sai Choy Ngau Yuk-Beef balls(looks like three meatballs) served with a piece of watercress and worchestershire sauce.

Pai Gwot-little plate of steamed spareribs with broth with black beans

Seen Joke Guen- Bean Curd skin wrapped around assorted meat and vegetables

Generally you would also have noodles at the end of the meal. Get a "pan fried noodles" that would come with chicken, shrimp, mixed seafood or beef. Also know as Guang Dong "Cantonese style" Chow mein.

If you can find it get the little soup served with a dumpling of mixed seafood in it(exact name of dish is escaping me at the moment), snap it up. One of my personal faves but goes very quickly. It's usually served with black vinegar.

Depending on where you go you may also be able to find some soup dumplings, i.e. dumplings that you have to eat with a Chinese soup spoon because of all the juice inside when you bite into them. They are called xiaolongbao. But the best ones are usually not in the Southern dim sum houses. Rather they are in the Shanghai-oriented places.

Hope this helps.

Edited January 23, 2004 by dumpling (log)

[Pan]

I also like chicken feet; the spare ribs with black beans are tasty but I find them overly fatty.

If you've decided on a particular place, let us know. I have some particular recommendations of things to get at Jing Fong, for example.

dumpling, does your memory go back to the early 70s? Nam Wah was considered the place to go for dim sum in those days. Also, how recently did you go and have bad food?

[dumpling]

Actually it does go back to about then, maybe a couple of years after. Yes I do recall that at one point it was considered the place to go, but that was at least in part due to the fact that 1)they had some history being there for so many years and I think being the first to serve dim sum and 2) there weren't all the places serving dim sum that there are now so they had limited competition.

The last time I went in there was 1982 and I realized that there were things other than food happening there. It was dank and unimpressive at that point.

I've heard things over the years from friends that would suggest to me that it hasn't improved or attracted more clientele.

I might be inclined to meet up you with there and check it out to see for myself.

I've the morbid curiousity of whether they are still engaging in other activities. But if they suck, another twenty year kibosh on them! And we'd have to go to someplace good afterward.

[Pan]

Hmmmm...If there are "other activities" going on, that might explain how a place that seemingly has almost no clientele could continue to exist!

[dumpling]

BJL

Also be aware that if you go on a weekend it may be very busy depending on where you go. So for example if you were to show up at Jing Fong at 12:30 expecting to walk in and get a seat right away, especially at this time of year, I've got a bridge to sell you.

But you will usually get a better selection on the weekend. So my suggestion especially if you're going now is to get there early.

[Pan]

Good point, dumpling. On a weekend, if you get there at 10:30, you can walk in, but if you get there at 11:30 or later, expect to wait. At peak times, you may have to wait 20 minutes or longer.

[BJL]

Thanks so much, you all have been a wealth of information.

[jschyun]

For someone who definitely isn't a dim sum novice, where would you point them? I'm going to NY as well, in about a month or so, and I fully expect to try NY dim sum once while I'm there. I am looking to be wowed with novel dishes, wonderful preparation, as I am at my favorite CA dim sum joints.

Let's say distance from Manhattan isn't an issue. Let's say, Hong Kong style, but if they serve juicy dumplings (xiaolongbao) so much the better.

Also--

How about dessert?

My dim sum devirginized boyfriend loves egg custard buns, aka steamed cream buns, aka ni long bao (pronounce: nigh long bow). These are steamed buns (bao) that have a filling of rich eggy custard filling with a pastry cream texture.

If you're into sweets (like me), maybe you might like egg custard tarts. If they're good, you get to bite into eggy rich warm custard and a wonderfully flaky crust. I love them.

Another fave, if you can get it, is mango pudding which should be creamy and full of little mango bits. Yum. When it's been molded into shapes and then unmolded onto a plate, that's usually a sign that it will be at least decent. I think I've only seen it at Hong Kong style places, but I can't remember exactly.

Edited January 23, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[ludja]

I was looking up something and came across this link for Yank Sing in SF. They have a 'gallery' of dim sum foods with photos and descriptions. Maybe that will be useful.

click

A favorite dessert item for me is:

SESAME BALLS

description from Yank Sing:

"Light sticky rice-flour balls stuffed with sweet yellow bean puree, rolled in sesame seeds deep-fried until golden brown and crusty."

*I might describe the texture and 'crispy' instead

Edited January 23, 2004 by ludja (log)

[alanamoana]

For someone who definitely isn't a dim sum novice, where would you point them?  I'm going to NY as well, in about a month or so, and I fully expect to try NY dim sum once while I'm there.  I am looking to be wowed with novel dishes, wonderful preparation, as I am at my favorite CA dim sum joints.

to be honest, i don't think new york dim sum matches san francisco dim sum. i've also rarely found much creativity in the dim sum arena...same old same old. what i try to get is freshly made, flavorful standards.

rather than dim sum, if you want xiao long bao, go to "new green bo", very good, very fresh. they also have a killer luo bo xiar bing (shredded daikon cake).

but, this is very subjective...of course. in san francisco, my fave is ton kiang which a lot of people on the california board will pass up and instead rave about koi palace. i do think that koi palace is good, but ton kiang beats all in freshness, i feel. also, there's the "flower lounge" place by the airport...that's good too.

those are my comparisons, and new york doesn't measure up imho...

edited to add: i have never eaten at yank sing (always felt it was too touristy and hyped) but their web site is pretty cool. thanks for linking it ludja. if they actually do offer all the dim sum that they picture, and the quality is good...then they beat everyone hands down.

Edited January 23, 2004 by alanamoana (log)

[ludja]

edited to add: i have never eaten at yank sing (always felt it was too touristy and hyped) but their web site is pretty cool. thanks for linking it ludja. if they actually do offer all the dim sum that they picture, and the quality is good...then they beat everyone hands down.

I've eaten at Yank Sing about two times; it's nice but expensive, relatively. They do seem to have some 'creative' dim sum in addition to more traditional things. Haven't tried Koi Palace yet, but Ton Kiang is one of my favorites. Agree that the freshness there is a big draw.

[robyn]

Hmmmm...If there are "other activities" going on, that might explain how a place that seemingly has almost no clientele could continue to exist!

Interesting. Last time I even bothered to look in was maybe 1982-83 - and there were maybe 2 people eating. I mostly ate there - like you - in the 70's. Robyn

[jschyun]

I actually don't like Yank Sing. They have a nice website though. I've been at the sit down area and the to go place next door, and I prefer the togo place because at least by the time it gets to you, it's still warm. They are not so much creative, as they offer cute little shapes, like dumplings in the shape of frogs and fish and such. Still you have to eat it, and I don't like the quality there. The carts at the sit down place aren't refilled fast enough, IMO, and what they do have is better prepared elsewhere, at Koi Palace, if you will, or at many of the Monterey Park places, which really do have some innovative things.

alanamoana - Thanks for the NY vs SF dim sum opinion. I thought as much. But it would be interesting just to try and see the differences for myself. Maybe I'll try New Green Bo and compare it with Din Tie Fung when I get back home.

Edited January 23, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[Pan]

jschyun, if you want to go to a Shanhainese place, I once again recommend Yeah Shanghai Deluxe over New Green Bo. Best juicy buns I've had in New York so far. It's not a dim sum specialist, but neither is New Green Bo: They're both full-service Shanghainese restaurants.

I agree that dim sum generally is not great in New York. I like it anyway, but after spending a month in Malaysia last summer and having great dim sum at Xin in the Concorde Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, I can't say any dim sum specialist place I've been to in New York is more than merely middlingly good at best, by comparison.

[robyn]

My attitude is nix on all Shun Lee branches. Expensive and inferior to good food in Chinatown. And by the way, the last time I went to one - Shun Lee Palace - we got bad service with an attitude. My advice is spend your money elsewhere.

I was at Shun Lee Palace once - so many years ago that I can't remember anything about it other than I ate there and that it was a big deal restaurant. Never went there again. Not sure why. Perhaps I didn't care for it - or just found better places.

Shun Lee Cafe for dim sum is a different animal. The dim sum is pretty good. Has lots of carts. Not great - but no dim sum in New York is great compared to what I've eaten on the left coast. It is more expensive than what you'd spend in Chinatown - but not that much more. It's certainly cheaper if you happen to be/live midtown or uptown and don't want to pay cab fare to go to Chinatown. And it's more convenient if you want to spend the rest of the afternoon going to the numerous museums in that general area, do a little shopping, or - if it's a nice day - just spend some time walking in Central Park.

I do agree that anyone who has never seen Chinatown in New York should see it - spend at least some time there. Particularly after 9/11 - when it especially needs the business. My husband and I have spent lots of time in New York over the last 35 years - and - when we were younger - we used to delight in finding and returning to all kinds of downtown places - from Nom Wah's to Yona Shimmel's to Ratner's. We went through the development of places like Soho with friends in the arts community. We still return to some of those places. And I heartily encourage people who have never explored the many neighborhoods of New York to do so.

On the other hand - I can't and won't rule out places that are mid-town or higher simply because they're in those neighborhoods. That's what life is about - finding new places no matter where they are. Robyn

[Pan]

Robyn, I don't rule out places that are in Midtown. I love Grand Sichuan on 9th Av. between 50th and 51st, for example.

You made valid points, but we're coming at this from different angles. If I were within walking distance of Shun Lee West, I'd also be able to walk down to 9 Av. and the 50s and eat something I liked better. In addition to which, several eGulleteers have recommended some places a little further uptown on Columbus for brunch or lunch, for example @SQC, so I'd consider those. [Edit: If I'm eating out, I'd rather have something good that's in a neighborhood than have food in a Chinese restaurant just because it's there, if you get my drift.]

Edited January 24, 2004 by Pan (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Just want to add a comment on the sweets thing.

If you can, get a bowl of red bean soup.

Quite simply, one of the most sublime Chinese desserts around. Not for everyone's taste I should point out, but extremely simple to make and a nice, subtle taste that takes a bit to appreciate. If you like the texture of lentils, then you'll like red bean soup.

Remember, it's just red beans, rock sugar, water and sliced ginger.

Not usually served at dim sum, but well worth getting in any event.

Soba