Dim sum pocket guide

When I walk out the front door of my apartment building, the first thing I see is the red-and-gold marquee of Empire Garden, a dim sum palace on the second floor of a former kung-fu movie theater. (Actually, one side reads Empire Garden, and the other side Emperor's Garden; I'll bet there's a good story in that.) Dim sum is a traditional Chinese meal made up of small plates of sweet and savory dumplings, sticky rice, chicken feet, buns, vegetables, pastries and other snack dishes, often served from carts that come around to each table. For tens of years, I would point to food on the carts that I thought I might like because I didn't know how to ask for them. Then, on a Boston Chinatown tour, our guide Jackie showed us a tiny pocket book that had pictures of the most popular items, along with how to pronounce the names in English. I bought a copy of Dim Sum right away. Now, although I've learned the names of some of my favorite dim sum treats, I always stash the little book in my bag, in case I need an assist.

Comments

[Kalyn Denny]

You're lucky to live right by all that good Dim Sum!