Life> no use

Dim sum delights

By Jolene Ketzenberger (Indianapolis Star)
Updated: 2006-09-26 15:04

Egg rolls, fried rice, wonton soup, cashew chicken - maybe moo-shu pork or green pepper beef. Carried out in white paper cartons, typical Chinese restaurant fare is fast, filling and familiar. But step outside that carryout comfort zone just a bit, into the world of dim sum, and you'll find an array of dishes you might never have tried.

With more than 2,000 possible dishes - some restaurants offer 40 or 50 or more - browsing a dim sum menu can prove daunting. But don't hesitate to ask a server to describe a dish or recommend something new. While you can easily find familiar items such as calamari or crispy spring rolls, here are a few common dim sum menu items to get you started.

With names such as har gau, siu mai and noh mai gai, these might be easily passed up in favor of more familiar options. Why order something you're not sure you'll like? 

But what if you could try just a small serving? A little sample for a few bucks, something you could share with a friend?

That's what dim sum allows you to do.

The phrase "dim sum" means, depending on which translation you pick, "to touch the heart" or "heart's delight." And the little dishes, served, for example, with four small dumplings or spring rolls, offer a delightful way to explore Chinese cuisine, a world of food that goes well beyond that carton of cashew chicken from the corner carryout place.

"We have 10 different kinds of dumplings," says Yumei Lee, owner of Shanghai Lil in Indianapolis. "They have so many choices for dim sum. I put some from Shanghai, some from Taiwan, some from Beijing. And because I also have a Japanese restaurant (Mikado), I have a few Japanese dishes."

Indeed, the list of options on a dim sum menu can be overwhelming. What to choose? In some dim sum restaurants, servers wheel around carts loaded with the little dishes. Diners select something that looks good or simply wait until the next cart comes by.

At Shanghai Lil, customers receive a list to check off, as at a sushi bar. Simply pencil in your choices, order a pot of tea. Whether is green tea or chrysanthemum or jasmine, it is such a part of traditional dim sum dining that, says Lee, another way of referring to dim sum is "yum cha," which translates to "drinking tea." Morning or afternoon tea, especially on weekends, is a traditional way for families and friends to socialize and celebrate in China.

"The food goes with the tea," said Lee. "In the past, it was for the very rich. Now everybody can enjoy."

And that seems to be the key to dim sum - it is simply to be enjoyed. Some might wonder why bother with ordering half a dozen little dishes, some they might not like as much as others. Why not just get something to go and be done with it?

Why bother with dim sum?

Because it's fun. Little bamboo boxes or small plates arrive at your table, and everyone shares and samples, deciding which ones are favorites to be ordered again next time.

Many dim sum aficionados keep track of dishes they've tried and enjoyed, working their way through their favorite menus. While first-timers might pass on such traditional dishes as chicken feet or jellyfish or beef tripe, so many dim sum dishes prove tasty and appealing even for those who are unfamiliar with such offerings.

Shrimp and pork dumplings, crispy spring rolls and chicken wings, pot stickers and spare ribs - and the menu continues into desserts as well with egg custard tarts and buns, sesame balls and mango sherbet. It's easy to find favorites.

All it takes is a little sampling.