Clueless

I've seen this in a couple posts. Can some one describe it for me?

CF

You know, I'm glad you asked that. I was wondering myself. WE don't go to oriental restaurants and I see it mentioned lots of places. It must be good. LOL

Exactly what goes in it?

cg

Dim Sum is, I think, Chinese for "little treasure" or something like that. It's basically a meal of appetizers. Lots of little dumplings filled with pork, shrimp, cilantro, fish, and other yummy things. The waiters come around with carts and you pick and choose what you want. It's really, really good and San Fran is one of the best places for it. Most fun with a group of 4 or more.

dim

Another note: A lot of Chinese restaurants feature dim sum as a sort of Sunday brunch.

E.

Personally, I love asian food and will eat virtually anything, regardless of whether I know what's in it or not, but anyone going to eat dim sum for the first time should know that it is not always possible to find out exactly what's in a particular selection, usually because in a truly authentic place in SF, the waiters don't speak English. Don't let this deter you, go, eat bravely, and enjoy, it will all be tasty...but if you're REALLY finicky, well, take the opportunity to overcome your food fears! P.S.: dim sum isn't all dumplings, it can include little ribs or chicken wings, all sorts of little bites. YUM!

Robin

Can I recommend a place? Ton Kiang in the Richmond area has great dim sum (as well as other food, apparently, although I never got past the dim sum!) It's not a huge hall, and servers bring trays of stuff around, and always announce what it is. Besides being excellent food, it would be a good introduction to the experience. Don't miss it-- it's yummy!

Barb

Dim sum is really fun, but you have to be a bit adventurous and try to go with someone who is willing to venture beyond potstickers and eggrolls (those are generally available). You can even get duck's feet at dim sum! My favorites are the deep fried crab claws and the rice mixture that is steamed inside of tea leaves. I also like the sesame rolls with sweet bean paste inside. This is sort of a dessert. Also the peking duck on the steamed buns (these are at Yank Sing). Be aware though, the steamed bun with duck is about $6.00 per slice. You can end up ordering some things that get quite expensive. Once you have ordered something from the carts the server stamps your check with the price category for that dish. At the end, they count up the items in each category to tally your check. I really enjoy Yank Sing in SF for dim sum, although there are many places for dim sum that are less expensive. Check through past threads for some suggestions in Chinatown.

patty

According to a book I have, dim sum literally means "dot your heart" and my friend calls it having tea. Speaking of tea, I like the chrysanthemum tea with dim sum - it's sweet and light.

In addition to the yummy shrimp dumplings (steamed) and shrimp balls (fried), roast pork buns and spare ribs in black bean sauce, bok choy stir fried at your table (some places), there may also be tripe, beef liver and chicken feet (all usually stewed) but, who knows, you may discover a new love. Oh and I love stuffed bell pepper bits and rice noodles, which are kind of like crepes wrapped around whole shrimp with a sweet soy sauce put on top.

Many people like turnip cakes, square and white, but I don't. I do adore sticky rice. Then there's dessert: egg custard tarts, almond or coconut gelatin cubes, etc.

I live in NY so I can't make San Francisco recommendations, but have fun!

Betsy

Another vote here for Yank Sing. It's the best.

RB

I like to think of dim sum like a box of chocolates- it's so much fun to be surprised by your choices, and if you don't like the first bite, just move on to another selection! Ditto on Yank Sing- it was my introduction to dim sum. May be heading back to SF next month, so appreciate further recommendations for other dim sum restaurants.

Jeanne

My personal favorite is Harbor Village in the Embarcadero Center. One thing to keep in mind is that popular dim sum restaurants get really crowded on the weekends. If you want the best selection, make sure you're at the door by 10:30 or 11:00 AM at the latest (I'm not kidding). Otherwise, be prepared for a good long wait and not getting all the goodies.

Sandy

Harbor View and Yank Sing are excellent! Another place to try is City View in SF on the alley between Montgomery Street and Kearny about a block from Clay Street. It's not in a particularly interesting neighborhood (although convenient to visiting Chinatown) but it is very nice inside (hardwood floors and linen tablecloths) and is a favorite during the week for lunch since it also borders the financial district. Dim Sum is a style of food service which is brought around on rolling steam carts by the waitstaff - they will have a number of different "offerings" for you to choose from, although some cart selections will be repeated as they circle around the dining room. Most will be main course selections, along with rice and vegetable dishes, but some will be traditional chinese desert items too. Most of the options will be in steam baskets with lids (which is usually the "mystery" food if your not familiar with the items, although they can usually tell you if it's shrimp or pork etc. inside), but some may be served on small plates, they will show you what is inside each basket or offer what's on the plate and you can look it over and decided if you want it or not. Don't feel you need to take something every time, but if you see several things you want to try, accept them all. Otherwise, just say no thanks and they will move on to the next table and you wait for the next cart to come by with something you would like to have. There are usually 3-4 pieces per basket/plate and you will be charged per selection (not per person)at a pre-set cost depending on what type of item it is. You can indicate you want more than one selection if you have more than 2-3 people at your table so everyone gets to taste it. The more popular items will be repeated so you can get another serving or two if you want. The waitstaff will have a rubber stamp and will mark your check for each item you select before they move on. At the end of the meal, the waitstaff will add up the stamps and that's what you pay for. Some foods you will easily recognize, and some you won't, but if you're adventurous, it can be fun.

kam

Yank Sing and Harbor Village are good places to start your knowledge of dim sum. Another is the Hong Kong Flower Lounge in the Richmond District or down in Millbrae near SFO. There is one in Palo Alto that actually has a "menu" which explains what each dish is. Once you get adventurous you can try hang Ah Tea Room, Gold Mountain and Pearl City. One important thing to remember is to pace yourself so you don't fill up quickly and then have no room for the next round of goodies. If you want a real dim sum education consider taking a WokWiz tour called "I Can't Believe I Ate my Way Through Chinatown." The guide will explain exactly what you are being served and how to eat it.

lizbeth

I second Ton Kiang out on Geary Street. If you go someplace else for dim sum, then try Ton Kiang for dinner. Their dinner menu specializes in Hakka dishes, a cuisine that is not as well-known as Cantonese or Hunan cooking. Try the salt-baked chicken or prawns cooked with ginger and scallion.
In any dim sum restaurant, be prepared for a high noise level - it's generally not a quiet experience, since dim sum lunch, especially on weekends, is a social activity and an opportunity for friends and family to get together. I've always found it a pretty jolly and fun environment. Some places serve soups as well as the tidbits described by previous posts. As for my favorite, it's a dessert: a type of fried sweet, almost a filled doughnut. The center has sweet bean jam, which is liquid when hot, the outside is sweet sticky rice dough, and it's all coated in sesame seed. Try a little of everything, have fun, and welcome to San Francisco.

E.

Kam, I had the most amazing experience at the Hong Kong Flower Longe in Millbrae! On a Sunday mid-morning, it was just packed, noise level incredible, long, long waits for a table, hostesses shouting out party numbers over a microphone, dining room filled with so many enticing aromas, carts flying everywhere, all the food delicious, and to top it all off, at one point, TWO gentlemen on opposite sides of the dining room were being worked on by EMT's, who added their gear and walkie talkies to the din. Whew! We were glad to have gone, but it was truly overwhelming!

just wondering

exactly what does this have to do with dim sum?

Faina

Clueless, dim sum is a chinese restaurant without a menu printed on paper. You sit at a table, and waiters bring you plates with food, you have only one option: take it or refuse. You can never know what's inside that dough wrap or under the vegies as the waiters don't speak English. This goes for SF, Las Vegas, and maybe for many other places. So if you are on a diet... you may consider to go to a regular restaurant. Dim Sum is good if you're ready to eat ANYTHING.

Kam

"Just wondering", what it has to do with dim sum is to illustrate what the typical atmosphere of a dim sum restaurant is especially on a weekend. Large tables of families, most of them Chinese with grandparents, aunts, uncles, kids, babies crying---just happy chaos. And, generally it's wise to bring a newspaper to read while you're waiting. The EMTs were a special addition though! Glad the dim sum was good. Close Chinese friend from Hong Kong thinks Hong Kong Flower Lounge is the best. She should know, I guess. We like them all.