Dim Sung 101: the First Timer's Guide
Dim sum is an old Cantonese culinary custom. Rendered as "to touch the heart," dim sum has become an increasingly standard option for a casual breakfast or lunch. An ever-present item in Chinese restaurants, dim sum are small portions of specialty food that are commonly served pushed on carts or trays and delivered to you by a server. The good thing about dim sum is that anyone can enjoy it, from a date of two, to a party of many diners. Dim sum offers one a chance to taste and sample from a medley of dishes. Here are some tips to make the dim sum experience more comfortable for first timers.
Selecting a Dim Sum Restaurant
For those new to eating dim sum, it is best to check friends and travelers for the best places to eat dim sum. Here's a fact - no two dim sum restaurants are alike. Dim sum foodies tend to scour the place for the best, reserving the best places for special food trips. The rule that 'what is most crowded must be the best, seems to be the law in dim sum. Many restaurants serve dim sum throughout the day, while a number only serve it in mornings, only on afternoons, or on weekends only. These restaurants can be very hectic on the weekends so be prepared to wait for a table. Although most restaurants share a common, staple sampling of dim sum, each will have it's own unique touch to the preparation and presentation. Further, a dim sum place may present specialty dishes that can be found nowhere else.
Dim Sum Waiter
Since the restaurant servers are assigned to push food carts and carry trays to many different tables, there's one waiter for each table, from whom tea or other drinks may be ordered. Upon seating, the waiter will introduce himself and begin to fill the table glasses with water. Also, customers at this point can begin to ask the waiter for pricing and assistance in packing up leftover dim sum.
Prices of Dim Sum samplings
The most complicated part as concerns eating dim sum for first timers is the method of pricing. There is usually no menu that contains listed prices for food items and prices are also absent on the carts being wheeled around. Dim sum restaurants may have a price list beside the entrance to the place, categorizing prices by the size of the dish, but usually this list does not indicate which items belongs to which grouping.
Regulars are handed a tally the size of a brochure with boxes. The server ticks off the boxes to make a tally of what the customer has ordered. At the end of the meal, the diner takes the card to the register and pays the bill. It's rather difficult to have an idea of your running bill; it becomes known only when the card is taken to the register. To have an idea of the prices, ask the server about the pricing for specific items. Also, ask the billing clerk if waiter's tips or gratuity has already be included in the total.
About the Author
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