Dim Sum

We squeezed our way through the automatic sliding doors before they closed on us. Directly ahead was an immense fish tank filled with white and yellow carps and Tabitha. Oh, wait. On second look, Tabby was actually on the other side of the tank making fishy faces at me in welcome.

We were escorted past huge tanks of lobsters, fish and crabs into a large room, the size of a ballroom. Red and golden carvings of lions, brush paintings of horses and landscapes adorned the walls. Other families (almost all Oriental) sat at round tables throughout the hall.

As soon as we sat down, a man was filling our water glasses. A server came by with a rolling cart. "Pork rolls? Shrimp?" Anita, our hostess, nodded yes, and the plates were put on the lazy susan in the middle of the table. Another server came by with with rice, and another with shrimp stuffed eggplant. By the time Anita said no to anything, we must have had 20 dishes on our table: barbecue pork steam rolls, eggs rolls, noodles, stuffed bell peppers, oysters (way to go, Jessica!), pineapple-coconut rolls, tiny custards... There's no way we can eat all this, I thought.

The food in front of me kept spinning by as each person helped herself to something new. I learned to grab dishes as they went by if I wanted to taste something myself. Of all the varieties of food, I don't think I'd ever had any of them before. And they were all delicious. It was so fun to try something completely new.

So, if you've never had dim sum, I highly recommend it. (Though Mom would say you need to go with an Asian friend who knows what to order). A special thanks to Anita for a delightful and tasty lunch. And to Dad for having a tea party at the table with Tabitha.