DECODING DIM SUM Y
ou enter the restaurant, and you find yourself at the back of a hoard of hungry people, in what seems like a loosely organized line. This is disheartening. However, you soon realize that the pack is diminishing very quickly, and soon it will be your turn to enjoy this delicious occasion. Once the tantalizing dumplings, buns, pastries, and desserts are in sight and smell, the small wait fades into a distant memory. For people who did not grow up fighting over the last har gow with a table full of extended family, dim sum can be intimidating. How do you order? What do you order? How does this all work? When it comes to dim sum, the more the merrier. That applies to both people and dishes. This is a hectic meal that you eat bite-by-bite between slurps of hot tea and gossip, chopsticks ready for the moment the food lands on the table. Penn AppĂŠtit has created a guide to help you navigate the massive yet bite-sized ordeal of Cantonese dim sum.
BY HELEN WU ILLUSTRATIONS BY DONNA LIU
