Okay, so this phrase “dim sum funeral” popped into my head the other day. Sounds kinda weird, right? But it actually reminds me of something specific that happened a while back. It wasn’t a real funeral with, like, actual dim sum catered, thankfully. That would be… something else.
No, for me, it was about saying goodbye to a place. There was this old-school dim sum joint near where I used to live. Not fancy, kinda loud, carts rattling around, you know the type. We used to go there almost every Sunday. It was our ritual.
The Routine
We’d get there, usually a bit of a wait, grab a ticket. Then squeeze onto a big round table, sometimes sharing with strangers, which was part of the fun. Pointing at what you wanted off the carts as they rolled by. Har gow, siu mai, char siu bao – the classics. The ladies pushing the carts barely spoke English, we barely spoke Cantonese, but somehow it all worked. Lots of pointing and nodding. It just felt… right. Comfortable.
The Bad News
Then one Sunday, we went, and there was this notice taped to the door. Written in Chinese, and thankfully someone had scribbled an English translation below it. They were closing. End of the month. The landlord had jacked up the rent, usual story. Man, that hit hard. Felt like a punch to the gut. This place was an institution, always packed.
The Last Visit
We made sure to go one last time the weekend before they shut down. It felt different. Kinda somber, even though it was still noisy and chaotic. Everyone seemed to know it was ending. People were taking photos. We saw familiar faces, other regulars, all looking a bit down.
- We ordered way too much food.
- Tried to savor every bite.
- Talked to one of the cart ladies, managed to convey we’d miss the place. She just gave this sad smile and nod.
Eating those last few dumplings, it really did feel like attending a funeral, but for a place. A place filled with years of Sunday mornings, family chats, and really good, cheap food. It wasn’t just about the dim sum; it was about the whole experience, the community vibe.
It was the death of a routine, the end of an era for us. We found other dim sum places later, sure. Some fancier, some maybe even with “better” food according to critics. But none of them had that same feel. That slightly grubby, totally authentic, noisy, comforting vibe was gone.
So yeah, “dim sum funeral”. That’s what it was. A quiet little goodbye to a place that meant more than just food.