SAN FRANCISCO — When you come to Chinatown, I hope you're hungry.
"There's vegetarian food in Chinatown, Malaysian, there's Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese," said cookbook author Grace Young. "When you come to Chinatown, everything is reasonable, cheap, oh my God I could eat like a king for next to nothing."
It doesn't seem to matter if you're in New York, San Francisco or Chicago, there is one food that rises above them all.
"I love Dim Sum," said Livia Kao.
"Everything is small bites. And, I can have a little bit of everything," said Janet Chan.
"The word Dim means to touch, and Sum is your heart," said Grace Young.
There are Dim Sum restaurants everywhere, from casual settings to fancier places with white linens.
"I love when people push out the cart with the steam going on and they open up the lid and all the ready-to-go dishes," said Livia Kao. "They all look so yummy and so warm."
A Dim Sum experience is all about variety with bites that could include shrimp and spinach dumplings, steamed BBQ pork buns, sticky rice wrapped in Lotus leaf, chicken feet, black bean spareribs and scallop Siu Mai.
Experience Dim Sum
"They should have different aromas, textures, flavors," said Grace Young.
Dim Sum is the perfect culinary option for groups.
"It's a fun thing to do with friends," said Janet Chan.
We ate Dim Sum with new friends in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. In every place, the conversation and the Dim Sum were all memorable.
"So, you should eat little things that delight you," said Grace Young.
Dim Sum is ideal for people willing to try new things. The next time you're in the mood for Chinese food, give Dim Sum a try. You will be filled with the "Spirit of China" and great food, too!
The "Spirit of China" series highlights the culture of Chinese-Americans across the United States. Learn about the people, the history and the challenges of Chinatowns in Chicago, New York and San Francisco while the world focuses on the Winter Olympics in Beijing.