As a Chinese, I am often asked, "What is dim sum?"
In Chinese, dim means "point at" and sum means "the heart."This describes what you do when you eat in a dim sum restaurant; you point to what you want, and enjoy the dim sum from your heart.
Dim sum is originated from Guangdong province in China. It has been described as the Chinese version of tapas, or small delicacies, in the Western world. These Chinese dishes are usually steamed, baked or fried. In general, these small dishes are displayed on a bamboo basket or put atop a steamer. The serving size is usually quite small and normally served as three or four pieces on one dish.
Chinese tea is served with dim sum. Dim Sum Tip: It is polite to pour tea for others before filling your own cup. If someone pours tea for you, it is tradition to curve your index and middle fingers and tap them on the table. This shows your respect to that person who is pouring tea because the shape of your fingers looks like a "bow".
There are two ways you can make food come to you. You can order assortments from the menu or you can "dim" (point at) the cart with food that is pushed nonstop across the room. When you point at the cart, the server will stop the cart in front of your table so that you can choose what appeals to you the most.
Dim Sum Tip: don't choose everything from the first few carts, there will be more carts with a wide variety of food coming around.
Dim sum is usually served from 8 a.m. until around 3 p.m. You can pay around $2.50 to $3.50 for a steamer or a dish. You can also pay around $6 for a specialty item which is only offered on Sundays.
The best way to enjoy the dim sum is to go with a group, because you can taste everything rather than filling up just by a few dishes.
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