Dim Sum Rookie

>>7462503
It's pretty much just a bunch of small plates that you can share with everyone at the table. They'll either wander past with a cart and you pick what you want or you order off a menu. They usually just mark off what you order on a piece of paper and you pay for it at the end.

Just try a bunch of different stuff, it's all usually pretty good and you get a nice variety of different things to try..

>>7462503
Last I was at this running sushi bar they asked if everyone was familiar with how stuff worked. They might do the same here.

And if not, no shame at all in asking your buddies what to do and how to do it.

Probably a youtube video out there too if you're unwilling to do that though.

>>7464397
It's not a difficult process. You tell them what you want to eat, they give it to you, you eat it, then you pay for it.

>>7462503
Watch your receipt carefully. Some places will add an extra stamp to overcharge you.

>>7465859
In all the times I've had dim sum at dozens of places, I have never had that happen.

Sounds like completey irrational paranoia to me.

Things you should definitely seek out
>Glutinous rice in lotus leaf
>Roast pork buns
>Har gau
>Shrimp&chive dumpling
>Turnip cake
>xiao long bao, which are shanghai soup dumplings

Three plates should be about 10-15 USD at most places.

Most places are pretty used to non asians and have an english menu. Some places are still chinese friendly only so you will have a harder time ordering especially if they still only use the push carts

>>7462503
Get siu mai and har kau, everyone loves those. It is more expensive than fast food but not much more so than regular eating out.

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just get the top 5 first and then you can try the other dim sum that peaks your interest

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>>7465929
>xiaolongbao

Oh lawd they are fucking good

I need to get back to Shanghai

i love chinese food but dim sum is bland and predictable at every place i go to

like shu mai is literally just ground pork in a wrapper. what am i supposed to be doing, appreciating the fresh taste of the pork?

OP, get the chicken feet, turnip cake, cha siu bao and fried pork bun. everything else in dim sum is a meme

>>7466556
>like shu mai is literally just ground pork in a wrapper. what am i supposed to be doing, appreciating the fresh taste of the pork?
you've been having crap siu mai bro
the good stuff has chopped shrimp, mushrooms and a bunch of other stuff
its not just ground pork in a wrapper

>>7465929
That's a legit list. OP if you're still here, fried taro dumplings and rice noodle rolls are good too.

>>7462503
It's basically a smorgasbord of Chinese tapas.
There's a couple dishes you can't afford to miss:

>Har Gau
Hearty shrimp in a rice paper wrapping, eaten with vinegar
>Shumai
Pork dumplings in a yellow dough. Can also be mixed with shrimp. Eat with chili sauce.
>Cheong fun
Basically one giant rice noodle rolled on a plate with minced meat, served in a sweet soy sauce.
>Char Siu Bau
The quintessential bbq pork bun. Comes in two types: a fluffy white steamed bun and a brown egg-washed baked bun.
>Egg tart
Basically a creme brûlée without the brûlée, in a quaint pastry. These are for dessert.

Without question, you're not going to know the names of everything, especially if the place has a good variety.
Servers will come around with carts full of different dishes. It is perfectly normal to have them show you each dish before you decide whether you want it.

Just be adventurous and try all sorts of things.

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>>7466735
>taro dumplings

I would recommend against these. Well done taro is amazing, but I have only had it a couple of times in my life. Every other time it is has been overcooked, greasy, cold, just generally poorly made and disappointing.

>>7465929
>xiao long bao

Delicious but I have a hard time finding them outside of Chinese holidays like New Years.

>>7462503

http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/04/guide-to-dim-sum-dumplings-siu-mai-bao-chinese-steamed-buns-slideshow.html

This has a pretty good rundown of what's commonly available.

Don't be afraid to ask what everything is or to take chances on weird or interesting food items. At most dim sum places the portions are small and prices cheap.

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>>7468032
>Delicious but I have a hard time finding them outside of Chinese holidays like New Years.

Nigga what? Have you ever been to a chinese restaurant that ever served shanghainese food (read: a lot of them)?

>>7468462

Apparently not. All the dim sum places I have eaten at they were only sparsely available. I just assumed it was a result of the time and cost of making the aspic for the dumpling.

I rarely get anything besides veggie dishes like water spinach or chinese broccoli as an app at a full service Chinese restaurant.