Dim Sum c/o Joy Tsin Lau

The Sunday morning after my grill fest found me once again on the deck. I may have even been blogging. I know I filled out a job application. At some point my phone rang and it was Mr. Ass asking if I'd like to join him and LBM for dim sum. I was skeptical about LBM, as I have been trying to get her to go to dim sum with me for five years and she never does, but Mr. Ass insisted that the chances were very much in our favor for seeing LBM in a dim sum context. I would have been happy to dim sum one way or the other, so I did not delay in accepting the invitation. Of course between that initial call and my actual arrival at Joy Tsin Lau, LBM had bowed out, which left just Mr. Ass and me to dive deep into dumplings. We were seated in a not-too-terrible spot, which pleases me given the number of times I've been put at a table that makes it impossible for carts to get to, or happens to be by a leaking fish tank. And all my favorites were in attendance. I'm always a bit fan of this shrimp and rice noodle dish, which is topped with a sweeter kind of soy sauce. I think some might be put off by the texture of the noodles, but I really dig it. Mr. Ass had a bowl of wonton soup. I don't think that in all my years of dim summing, which go back to my childhood, I have ever actually ordered a soup or congee on a dim sum day. Perhaps next time I'll try to branch out.

Mr. Ass is a bigger fan of these pork buns than I am. Perhaps it's the consistency of the bread/dough that surrounds them...not quite for me. I think when I was younger, however, they may have been one of my favorites...behind shrimp dumplings of course.

Here you'll see the bean curd wrapped mystery, shrimp dumplings, spinach dumplings and shumai coated with brown rice.

The brown rice element added to the shumai was something I'd never seen, but I must say it was actually a pretty good twist. The earthiness of the rice, which had a definite tooth to its texture, really complemented the salty meaty goodness of the hidden dumpling within.

While LBM was a no show, I was still glad to have a dim sum experience to counteract the shit show that was Ocean Harbor on Chinese New Year. I also walked to Chinatown and was glad for the exercise.

Disappointing Dim Sum c/o Ocean Harbor

Earlier this month I sent out the call for interested dim sum participants, of which there were a few. You can't really do dim sum without a critical mass of at least two, but really an ideal number is closer to four or six. With the help of BC's more extended social Philly network we got to four. Leave it to me to plan a dim sum outing on the Chinese Lunar New Year. Lines are always an issue with dim sum if you go much past 11, but on a holiday? Pissssssh, the worst. Of course I didn't actually understand it was a holiday until I was walking to Chinatown from Market Street and firecrackers were being lit all over the place. But thwarted I was not going to be. BC had arrived just a bit before I had, and already had a number in hand. Thus began the epic standing in the crushingly full lobby/stairs area waiting for our number to be called. We were joined by BC's friends S. and A. Eventually we got to the top of the stairs and our number was called. I'm not going to lie that I was pretty much entirely non-plussed and totally annoyed that we were then seated at the table immediately at the top of the stairs where a good 50+ people were all waiting for their numbers to be called. This crowd of humanity spilled up to the stairs and into the aisle between our table and another set of tables. Not only did this mean that people were constantly bumping my chair and generally breathing down my neck, but it also resulted in a complete barricade between the carts and our table. None of the cart ladies bothered to push through and we were simply sitting there sipping tea and craning to see what was going on. I get it, it's a holiday, space is at capacity. But seriously, why even have a table if the patrons are going to struggle and grump to get any service? Sigh. Between an arched eyebrow to the manager on C.'s part and my literally getting up and going to carts to get additional snacks and point out our unserviced table, we did ok, but I didn't see a number of my favorite treats. No shrimp dumplings. No sesame balls.

Not as large a variety of dumplings on display. My suspicion is that they were grabbed by folks seated right by the kitchen in the slightly less densely populated areas of the space. If I had been in such a spot I would certainly be pleased with myself.

Chinese broccoli was decent.

I know that this crowded madness was a result of the holiday, but this is the third time I abandoned my generally favored Joy Tsin Lau to give Ocean Harbor a shot and I was simply not impressed. Dim sum is always a pretty cutthroat process - you really gotta work to get those dumplings, or more tea, or a glass of water - and generally that's part of its charm. But this was not charming, holiday or no. That said, I was glad to get a little taste of dim sum after quite a lull. And it was good to see BC and meet some of her buds.

Dim Sum c/o Good Fortune

Our last adventure in Maryland brought us to Good Fortune for dim sum. We were there quite early, but that only meant that the fried food was hot and crispy as opposed to slightly tepid after hours on a cart. We tried most of the standard things and a few newbies.
Meat and things.
Taro! Such a strangely pleasing mass of starch.
Good eating.
Dad left from Wheaton while I returned to the house with the T.s because I hadn't wanted to leave many of my new gifts in a car. As we pulled in we all had the collective moment of 'oh, well there's Milo the dog on the front porch ... wait a second, why is Milo the dog on the front porch!' It's a good thing he's straight up geriatric these days, as he was free of leash and could have done any number of dangerous unattended things. Luckily it seems like he probably just lay in the sun wondering what had happened to his collective owners' minds.
A great and deeply felt thank you goes to the whole T. clan. To B. for her great attitude and hosting abilities, to D. for his cooking prowess (not that B. isn't a good cook), and to R. for his affable nature. It was a great weekend and I'm so glad Dad and I were a part of it. Also thanks goes to all who gifted me presents for my b-day!

Dim Sum c/o Joy Tsin Lau

On Sunday morning we said our goodbyes and then Dad and I drove back to Philly. He had a desire for dim sum, so there we went. I was feeling pretty wiped so I don't think I fully enabled the dim sum gluttony he may have wanted, but the usual suspects were certainly chomped on. Shu mai, shrimp dumplings and the like.

Dim Sum c/o Good Fortune

On the Sunday after the Preakness, Dad and I went to Good Fortune for dim sum. The place, thankfully, doesn't really change. The same dude, greyer and maybe a little heavier, greets us at the door, and the food is still hot and continuous.

Mmmmm.

Boxing Day Dim Sum c/o Joy Tsin Lau

No visit from my father would be complete without dim sum. And dim sum we did do. This photograph was seriously photoshopped, but I like it better now.
This was tofu with shrimp on the inside.
Dad wanted to try the crawfish, but was disappointed, which wasn't too terribly surprising to me. I have found the larger, more expensive, plates at most dim sum places to be lackluster. The one exception to that general rule would be the broccoli.
The inner workings of the tofu/shrimp cubes, on display for everyone.
The taro was good.

Best of 2010, Meal Edition

This year hasn't been particularly kind to me in many respects. The loss of my mother remains a reality I must adjust to and I continue to be stymied by the rules of romance, but in spite of the terrific loss of this year and my own ineptitude, I managed to still have quite a good year when it came to good food and company. And that is not something to under appreciate. As always, I could have gone crazy and listed a lot more meals and experiences I valued over the last year, but I tried to narrow my favorites down a little. My final count is 11. And without further adieu, here they are, in rough chronological order.

My second visit to Modo Mio with L. was even better than the first in terms of food, service and company, and these scallops were particularly pleasing.
L.'s spring visit to Philly was a delight in and of itself, but our meal at Tinto and the wondrous properties of their chicken skewers definitely made a lasting impression.
There were many contenders for good times and great food from my many visits to J. and J.'s house over the year, but he-J.'s seafood paella and the spirits we were all in on that night made it to the list...though the gnocchi and sauce almost took over.
My spring visit to Seattle to see M. and A. and C. and T. was chock full of great times and delectable food, but the evening featuring fancy champagne, truffle cheese and coq au vin was one of my absolute favorites.
Most years dim sum gets a general nod in my round up, but this year it was the specific dim sum experience I had with T. and C. to which it is worth raising a ceramic cup of jasmine tea. The dumplings were larger, fresher and just altogether fantastic (I really only have three adjectives that I can use).
While my extended stay in Nashville in the spring wasn't under the best of circumstances, to say I didn't have any good meals during that time wouldn't be true. For example, eating rotisserie chicken from Calypso Cafe by the parthenon makes the cut. That chicken was delicious.
The soup and osso bucco I enjoyed at Miel with my father was another positive eating experience that took place in Nashville.
The surprising complementary properties of pairing strawberries with radishes became my go-to treat in the early days of summer.
Driving out of my way and searching for Bubby's Burrito's new location was absolutely worth the delay and effort. Bubby's burrito, I heart you.
While Supper didn't live up to my or Mr. Ass's expectations, the charcuterie plate at James easily exceeded my already rather high bar of what a charcuterie plate should be. Their selection of pickled veggies was a great touch.
My impromptu meet up with L. after a hair cut led to my introduction to a whole new level of burger , and a drink that I could happily sip upon for hours. Thank you Village Whiskey, for giving me the best burger of my life.
And that's a wrap. It has been eventful, this year of food. I can't wait to see what 2011 will bring! Feel free to look back at past years' 'best of' experiences: 2009, 2008.

Dim Sum c/o Good Fortune

On Sunday Dad and I both had plans to depart, but wanted to get dim sum in before we went. I also wanted to quickly say hi to RF before heading out of town, so D., R. and Dad went on to Wheaton while I had a quick coffee chat with R. and B. before making my way over. We also met up with J. and her husband.
Good Fortune continues to do dim sum quite well.
It was nice to have one more meal together before dispersing to the highways. I hadn't seen J. since I was, hm, maybe 15?

Dim Sum c/o Joy Tsin Lau

On Sunday morning Mr. Ass called me. I didn't answer my phone, as I had been asleep. But it did wake me up, and it was kind of late, so I texted him and asked him what was up. He suggested dim sum pretty much immediately, so I got dressed and we zipped on over (minus the zipping) to Chinatown. We had a relatively good spot, though the fry cart came awfully late and I never saw any pork shumai. Maybe it's time to switch it up and give Ocean Harbor, or one of the places that say dim sum in big letters on Washington Avenue a shot.
Full and dim sum coma-ey did we get. Thanks to Mr. Ass for getting me up and satiating a dim sum craving!

Dim Sum c/o Joy Tsin Lau

On Sunday S. and I went to dim sum. He insists that 'dumpling' was a foreign concept to him. I think maybe it's a joke I don't get. How could you not know what dumplings are?

I May be a Hater, But That Doesn't Make me Wrong

That Sunday (the day after Miel) the T.s and my parents and I met up and went to Lucky Bamboo for dim sum. The addition of dim sum to its menu was covered by many a Nashville foodie, and positively. But, and this is just the truth people, the offerings weren't nearly as authentic or delicious as the many accounts suggested. The shumai looked awful. Nothing like the many other pork dumplings with yellow egg noodle wrapping them and a little nib of carrot centered in the middles that I have eaten over so many many many years. Instead, there were these brown, dried out lumps of grey meat with pale white wrappers clinging too tight around the middle. The shrimp dumplings made me feel funny, weren't hot and didn't taste so good. What can I say? If this was the best dim sum option in Nashville, I would abstain. Their fried options were slightly better but, come on, it really is almost impossible to fuck up a fried thing. I'm a hater. What can I say? Also: the tea tasted like moldy seaweed. Maybe this is authentic dim sum and each and every other place I have been - be it in Wheaton, Maryland, NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia or Seattle (oh man, Seattle dim sum made many of my earlier experiences pale in comparison) - is the pretender, but I think not. Vitriol! I guess my point is this: if you have stumbled upon this blog looking to learn about Lucky Bamboo as your dim sum haven in Nashville, go, maybe your standards aren't as high or your palate as snobby...but in case they are, be prepared to be majorly bummed.
After dim sum we went to the craft fair being held at Centennial Park. I was quite taken with the look of these wooden chairs. Something to tuck away in my head as I continue to dream about my own little place, with my own furniture and whatnots and whozits.

Dim Sum c/o Jade Garden

On Sunday morning T&C and I went to the International District for dim sum. I think we went to Jade Garden, but maybe not? I have been eating dim sum for nearly ever, and I have long heard that west coast dim sum puts east and mid-west dim sum to shame, but I was skeptical of this truth.
Well, folks, it's actually pretty true. The dumplings were all plumper, the shrimp a little fresher, and the variety pretty good. I'd say this was some of the best dim sum of my life, though I'd say it with a little reservation. There weren't as many carts going around, which was a little sad. But I did try a crab topped dumpling, and consumed at least four shrimp dumplings with pleasure.
The Chinese broccoli was a marvelous little bit of green in a sea of dumplings.
This was a new dish I'd never seen before, and totally satisfying. Though I would have liked to get it when it was a little hotter.
And this was another great one. I can't remember what it was.

Dim Sum c/o Joy Tsin Lau

On Sunday C., L. and I went to Joy Tsin Lau for a round of lovely dim sum. Sticky rice was consumed.
As were these lovely fried taro ball things with mystery filling (I've had these countless times but I still don't really understand what they are).
Mmmmm gelatinous thick noodles with shrimpy shrimp on the inside and sweet sauce on the out...and now I want it.
And sesame balls for dessert.
Pleasing. Now if only I could make my Photoshop work these images wouldn't be so red. I'll stop talking about it.