Dim Sum

There's a delightful Chinese restaurant in the asian part of Scarborough that we frequent on a regular basis. In fact, when Corwin was only a week old, it was the first public place we took him to aside from being in the hospital. It is our favourite dim sum restaurant.

I introduced PB to dim sum during our first visit back here in Toronto when we were dating. Dim sum is Chinese for snack. Snacking is hardly what we do though. From 10am until 3pm, the restaurant serves delightful small plates of various steamed, fried and braised items. As with traditional dim sum places, women push carts around laden with their fare, calling out what's on their cart to those who may be interested. Foreigners who don't speak Cantonese, simply ask them to show what's under the covered bamboo steamers and point to what they'd like. I don't speak any Cantonese except for picking up all of the names of the dishes that we like.

Steamed dumplings are a favourite amongst many - har gau (shrimp enveloped in translucent rice flour wrappers) and siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings with a bit of flying fish roe on top) are the primary staples although there are other variations. Hau ba yip (beef tripe steamed with ginger) is a big favourite of PB's and he usually orders two plates along with his ma si ko bau (Mexican bun - filled with a sweet taro paste). My favourite lately is the ou chai quot (steamed beef short ribs in a black pepper sauce and garlic.

There is something very homey and comforting about the environment, although it is a cacophony of chatter and mayhem - perfect for bringing young children if they may become fussy and start crying. We've been going there on a regular basis for 10 years now and most of the staff know us well. The dim sum ladies have watched Corwin grow older and he is very flirty and friendly with them, unlike most strangers he encounters when we go out.

This particular restaurant also has a very distinct hierarchy of employees and knowing who's who helps in getting what we want. Ask the wrong person and the glass of ice water may never arrive. On the lowest level, dressed in a brick coloured jacket and black pants are the busboys that take all the plates and garbage that is cleared from the tables from the set up stations to the kitchen and they do not speak to patrons. Above them would be the dim sum ladies that push the carts - white blouse, red vest, black skirt. Next in line are the wait staff - dressed in an Asian style cream coloured jacket with black pants. They are responsible for clearing finished steamers and plates, refilling the tea pot, bringing an ordered beverage (soda, wine, beer, water) and setting up new tables and clearing off the used ones. Above them are the hostesses, dressed in an Asian style cheong sam dress, sometimes in blue and sometimes in a fuschia pink. Getting in good with these two ladies means priority seating. There is an unspoken "VIP Regulars" line at the back. Patrons crowded together at the front of the restaurant, watch as regulars such as us, bypass their line and go to the back of the restaurant and wait in an alternate grouping which gets seated faster. We used to be the ones waiting at the front and wistfully wondering what made the people in the back so special. Above the hostesses are the "suits" wearing black, either male or female. These are the major players - authorizing changes in orders, signing off for complimentary tea (otherwise there is a charge), taking special orders for the kitchen, handling bill transactions and can also get you bumped from the front line to the VIP line. They occasionally serve specialty items from the kitchen from a tray or cart - especially during a busy weekend where the chef is testing out a new potential menu item.

There is a cost to being a VIP client at this restaurant and receiving all of the privileges that it entails. Every year for Chinese New Year, I am busy handing out little red envelopes of lucky money to all of them - of varying amounts depending on where they are in the hierarchy. On Chinese New Year, they are like vultures scouring tables with familiar patrons, practically holding their hands out in expectation, their pockets already bursting with flashes of red. Dim sum ladies will remember and in the year to come will search for the best plate before presenting it to our table and some will even come directly to our table knowing that we will like what they have, bypassing other tables completely. Wait staff remember what kind of tea we like and how many glasses of water I need. They will also clear our dirty plates and refresh them with new clean ones midway through our meal. Thanks to our payment to the 'suits' we have never paid for tea and when we ask for menu items that have not come out on carts, they are quickly procured for us. Hostesses keep us in the VIP line and get us seated as quickly as possible, apologizing when there is an unusually lengthy wait.

Along with knowing the hierarchy, etiquette for dim sum is also important. Belching without saying excuse me is the norm. Be aware that hoarking loudly is also considered to be acceptable. Talking loudly is expected as it is the only way tablemates will be able to keep up with the conversation. Eating sweets one minute and going back to savoury is always part of the norm, as is eating strange things like steamed chicken feet. Pointing at another table and asking "what's that?" is also completely acceptable, whether you'll get an answer in English is a different story.
And lastly, the most important of all, if you need a refill for the teapot, simply lift the lid slightly askew and set it to the edge of the table. Within moments, a waiter or "suit" will collect your pot and return it with more hot water or will bring a pitcher of hot water to top up.