Lin Heung Tea House, Central, Hong Kong - December 2009: Walking into the loud, crowded dining room is walking straight into a story being told by Cantonese elders about how dim sum used to be generations ago, back to its roots in Guangdong, predating even Hong Kong's modern establishment. Elderly men warm their seats all morning, reading newspapers as the dining companions flanking them cycle through. The chaotic cacophony of trolley pushers make their way through narrow openings, tirelessly announcing their freshly steamed wares. Dim sum carts are hardly seen these days in Hong Kong, although still present in diaspora communities in the West. Prospective diners circle like hawks, waiting for openings in tables. Most surprisingly, there are metal spittoons for loogies and bones by each table. Even as a lifelong weekly dim sum eater, I had never had as colorful a dim sum experience as this. What led me to step into this living museum? Leave it to the legendary Anthony Bourdain to allow even the most initiated to see the familiar in a new light.
Comments
Post a Comment