Alright, so I’m gonna spill the beans on my Chicago dim sum adventure. It wasn’t just about eating; it was a full-on quest!
First off, I started with some research, you know, Googling like crazy. I looked up “best dim sum Chicago” and read through a bunch of reviews. Places like MingHin Cuisine and Cai were popping up all over the place. I figured I had to hit at least one of those.
Then, I grabbed a couple of buddies, because dim sum is way more fun with a crowd. We piled into my car and headed towards Chinatown. Finding parking there is a nightmare, seriously! After circling the block like five times, we finally snagged a spot. Victory!
We decided on Cai, since it had the most raves online. Walking in, the place was buzzing. Super loud, tons of families, carts everywhere… it felt legit, you know? We got seated pretty quickly, which was a surprise considering how packed it was.
Okay, the real fun started. We waved down the first cart that came by and just started pointing. “We’ll take that, and that, and definitely that!” We ended up with a mountain of food: har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork dumplings), char siu bao (barbecue pork buns), chicken feet (yes, we tried them!), egg tarts…the whole shebang.
Honestly, some of it was amazing, some of it was… interesting. The har gow was perfect, juicy and flavorful. The char siu bao was fluffy and sweet. The chicken feet? Well, let’s just say it’s an acquired taste. But hey, we tried it!
We kept flagging down carts, trying new things, and basically gorging ourselves. The servers were zooming around, shouting out what they had. It was chaotic but super fun. We probably ordered way too much, but we didn’t want to miss out on anything.
The bill came, and it was surprisingly reasonable for the amount of food we devoured. We were stuffed, happy, and ready for a nap.
Lessons Learned:
- Go with friends, it’s more fun and you get to try more stuff.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things, even if they look a little weird.
- Parking in Chinatown is a pain, so plan accordingly.
- Wear comfortable clothes, you’ll be eating a lot.
Overall, the dim sum experience in Chicago was a total win. I definitely recommend hitting up Cai or MingHin Cuisine if you’re in the area. Just be prepared for a crowd and get ready to eat!