飲茶 Dim Sum

Dim sum is probably the most commonly known type of Chinese food in the West. If you live in a large coastal American city美國海岸的大城市, you know what I am talking about. They are the large restaurants with a lot of noise 熱鬧 and lots of good food going around on carts that people can choose from. But these restaurants definitely have a place in Cantonese society.

These restaurants are definitely used as a third place, where people can go out and meet friends. They serve the same function as coffee houses 咖啡店 in some places or pubs 酒吧 do in others. Space is at a premium so a small party will just get a half a table 自己的人數少就要跟別的客人一起坐. For special guests, or if someone really has a lot of money, they reserve a room. Apparently, they started out as tea houses, as the name suggests in Chinese, but later all sorts of appetizers 點心 were added so that they have become the banquet houses they are today. 餐廳的客戶

We like them though I admit that they seem too lively to be a place to take friends for a quiet conversation. The meal first starts with a choice of tea, as is shown in the second photo. Then the dim sum is ordered from a menu. One of my favorites is the 榴蓮酥, or durian crisp. This place that we took my parents out to is quite elegant, complete with these two throne-type chairs you see in the background.