The Diary
of
Anne Ku
24 September 2000 Sunday
raining cats and dogs, drenched to the skin!
DIM SUM ON SUNDAY
I was introduced to the DIM SUM (literal translation: little heart) during my study abroad year in Montreal. Every Saturday night we'd go dancing. Every Sunday morning we'd wake up late, but just in time for dim sum. In the afternoon, we would digest the dim sum by playing bridge or mah jong.
Dim sum is also called "yam cha" or drink tea in Cantonese. The Spanish have their equivalent of tapas. The idea is to order lots of little dishes and enjoy them with tea and conversation. The optimal number is a multiple of 3 and 4 = 12, else you'd have to split each parcel of goodness.
When I moved to Houston, a Shanghainese colleague introduced me to Shanghainese Dim Sum. It was so nice to hear Shanghainese being spoken. When I visited Hong Kong last November, my friends took me to a Teochew dim sum restaurant. That was even more delicious!
Today my friends North West London organised us to meet at the St John's Wood Royal China Restaurant for a birthday dim sum. To my knowledge, there are three Royal China's in London. The first one in Queensway, the second in the middle of Baker Street, and this one - previously the Lord's Rendezvous. Of all dim sum restaurants in town, Royal China has the best. I have to warn visitors to London that the best Chinese food is, unfortunately, not offered in London Chinatown!
YESTERDAY
TOMORROW
Another
dim sum
but in Hong Kong
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