You’ve had Chinese food for breakfast before: cold and straight out of the half eaten carton. It’s a pretty desperate move (althoughStreet approved). The real Chinese brunch is called Dim Sum. And the experience is not for the faint of heart.
For the authentic experience, not the white carton hangover special, head ‘abroad’ on a ten-minute subway ride to…. Chinatown!
Not two seconds after we sat down at this authentic dim sum outpost, a team of Asian ladies pushing steaming carts filled with delectable dumplings and other unidentifiable plates descended on our table. Overwhelmed, but excited by the smells, we simply begin pointing at what catches our eye. No printed menus needed here; simply trust your nose and your eyes.
The steamed dumplings, shrimp and pork, were cooked to perfection. The one bite wonders were a good starting point. In attempt to balance out his shamlessly greasy feast, we ordered the steamed Chinese broccoli with sweet soy sauce. Like the dumplings this green was extremely tasty, but our chopstick skills were not refined enough to the only maneuver the slippery vegetable—a bit of a tease, so good but so hard to get.
The staff, although not the friendliest, were definitely attentive. By this point we had been seated for a total of four and a half minutes, and the attack team returned with new carts and more exotic smells. After a small language battle, we discovered she was trying to feed us shark-fin dumplings. When in Chinatown, why the hell not. It was delicately wrapped and a pleasant combination of seafood and pork.
In keeping with our adventurous streak, we sampled the salt and pepper squid. The room temperature seafood, tasted only of salt and had an unpleasant dull crunch One of our friends said he “struggled to get it down.”
To wash away the salt, the football shaped fried dough ball filled with minced pork washed away all the squid. The sweet rice flour wrapper made it seem like a dessert. We finished with the barbequed pork bun. Similar to the football but not fried, the succulent chunks of tender roast pork left us blissfully satisfied in terms of flavor.
This sinfully good, all you can eat, change-of-pace brunch costs a rather minimal $10. So if you're looking for a new experience and then some, head on down to Chinatown's Ocean Harbor.
Ocean Harbor
1023 Race Street
(215) 574-1398
Don't Miss: The pork bun
Skip: The salt and pepper squid
