Okay, let me tell you about my recent trip for dim sum down in Chinatown, London.
Heading Down There
Felt a craving the other day, you know how it is. Specifically for dim sum. Decided Chinatown was the obvious place to go. Jumped on the tube, got off nearby, and walked the rest of the way. It’s always a bit chaotic around there, loads of people, especially tourists, but that’s part of the vibe, I guess.
Picking a Spot
Right, so getting into Chinatown itself, Gerard Street mostly. You’re hit with tons of restaurants. Honestly, loads of them look pretty similar from the outside. Some had queues, some didn’t. I wasn’t after anything super fancy, just good, solid dim sum. I walked up and down a bit, peeked at a few menus displayed outside. Didn’t have a specific place in mind this time, just went with gut feeling. Found one that looked busy enough – usually a good sign – but not crazy packed. Didn’t want to wait ages.
The Ordering Process
Got seated pretty quickly. It was bustling inside, lots of chatter, plates clattering. Proper dim sum atmosphere. They gave us the paper menu and a little pencil. You just tick off what you want. I prefer this sometimes to the trolley system, feels a bit more organised, though the trolleys can be fun too, seeing everything roll past.
We picked a few classics:
- Har Gow (prawn dumplings) – always gotta have these.
- Siu Mai (pork and prawn dumplings) – another must-have.
- Cheung Fun (rice noodle rolls) – went for the prawn ones.
- Some Char Siu Bao (BBQ pork buns).
- A plate of Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) with oyster sauce, just to get some greens in.
- And of course, a pot of tea. Jasmine, I think it was.
Handed the sheet back to the waiter. Didn’t take too long for stuff to start arriving.
Eating and Thoughts
The food came out steaming hot, which is exactly what you want. The Har Gow were decent, prawns tasted fresh enough, skin wasn’t too thick. Siu Mai were pretty standard, good flavour. The Cheung Fun was nice and smooth, good soy sauce mix with it.
Those Char Siu Bao were fluffy, filling was sweet and savoury, maybe a touch too sweet for me this time, but still enjoyable. The Gai Lan was cooked well, still had a bit of crunch.
We just took our time, chatting, sipping tea, working our way through the baskets. It wasn’t mind-blowing, world-class stuff, let’s be honest. But it hit the spot. It was proper, satisfying dim sum. Filled that craving I had.
Wrapping Up
Finished up, got the bill. It wasn’t too expensive, pretty standard pricing for Chinatown dim sum really. Paid up and headed back out into the busy streets. Felt satisfied. It’s good knowing you can just pop down there and get a decent dim sum fix without too much fuss. Did the job perfectly.