They say a prominent physician in the 3rd Century AD, advised that eating while drinking tea would cause unnecessary weight gain, but the Cantonese in southern China ignored the advice and transformed the calm and dull teahouse into a noisy and energetic eating experience, also it was discovered later, that tea can aid in digestion and that, they say, was how the term "yum cha" (to drink tea) became one and the same with eating dim sum.
The actual translation of dim sum is ‘to touch the heart’ and is more of a culinary custom. Not much different from Spanish tapas, portions are bite-sized, served in small quantities, usually three or four to a plate. It is said that since the 10th Century AD, the Cantonese have created approximately 2,000 dim sum varieties. Some larger dim sum restaurants will usually prepare up to 100 of them on any one day. Obviously, there is no way to have all the different varieties all in one sitting, and it is strictly up to the diner to make a meal of it or eat very little of it. As a child, Sunday mornings were always reserved for “yum cha”, like with many Asian families, it’s a tradition that we gather together and chat over tea – chat loudly at that.
Jing Fong Restaurant is a great choice to yum cha while experiencing the bustle and excitement over Hong Kong style dim sum. After a long escalator ride, you are transported to an enormous banquet hall, overflowing with people; there are red walls, ornate décor, recessed lighting, tables for 4 to 12 people easy. The vibe is hectic and full of energy, the host asks how many in your party and a series of hosts / hostesses flag you over as a way of guiding you to your table. Don’t be surprised if they seat you with others already enjoying dim sum, this is their way to fill the table to seating capacity. To avoid this, go in a large group or early enough to get a table of your own. After you are seated, the waiter would ask what kind of tea you would like. The most common choice is (bo lei)– a fermented tea in bricks and is robust, a tad smoky, with a nutty hint in flavor. You'll see many servers pushing trolleys, steaming and filled with goodies throughout the dining room, and you would keep an eye out for appealing dishes. The idea is to select dishes throughout the meal, rather than to serve all the food at once before eating. The sweet dim sum is mixed in with the savory items. Here is a little bit of advice, you should be a little prepared – do not be shy of summoning the dim sum ladies, sometimes you need to ask what is hidden under the bamboo baskets, if you cannot speak Cantonese, and it’s ok to lift up the lids of the bamboo steamers and dishes to see what is in them - if they are covered. They will color stamp your card each time you choose a dish, each dim sum type is color coded, for pricing and this makes it easier for the waiter to calculate your check. Although there is a huge variety to choose from, and being that this place is enormous and always busy, you need to muster up the energy to seek out your favorites.
Dim sum is categorized into 4 types: steamed, variety, deep fried and sweet.
Here are some popular varieties at Jin Fong to choose from:
Steamed dim sum like: (ha gow) shrimp dumplings, (siu mai) pork dumplings, (cheong fun) rice noodle filled with beef or shrimp and (cha siu bao) pork buns.
Variety dim sum like (law mai gai) similar to a tamale – stuffed glutinous rice with all sorts of ingredients in lotus leaf, (gee bow gai) parchment chicken, (fung zhou) duck or chicken feet, (pai gwut) steamed spare ribs in a black bean sauce, (char siu sou) flaky pastry filled with roast pork, (law bok gao) turnip cakes.
Deep fried and fried dim sum such as (cheun gyun) egg rolls, (haam suy gok) deep fried oval-shaped dumpling made with rice-flour and filled with pork and chopped vegetables. (wu gok) mashed taro, stuffed with diced shiitake mushrooms, shrimp and pork, deep-fried in crispy batter.
Sweet dim sum like (nai wong bao) steamed buns with milk custard filling, (dan tot) egg custard tart, (ma lai go) steamed sponge cake flavoured with molasses, (jin deui) chewy dough filled with red bean paste, rolled in sesame seeds, and deep fried, (mong gwo bo din) a sweet, rich mango-flavoured pudding.
A dim sum devotee knows to hit Jin Fong Restaurant early in the day for the best selection and the freshest dim sum – any time after 1 PM, the selections aren't quite as numerous or as fresh. The ideal number to share this experience with is 4-8 people, since most dim sum have either 3 or 4 servings per plate. Dim sum, as with any other Chinese meal, is shared among all who are dining together, family style - so be nice, don't hog all the fung zhou (chicken feet)!
JIN FONG RESTAURANT 20 Elizabeth Street (212) 964-5256
