NYC Tastes

There's nothing quite like starting the weekend with a crazy dim sum brunch in Chinatown.  It's loud and raucous with carts clamoring around the dining room and people shouting out orders.  It's a great way to kick off a Saturday morning and this time we enjoyed all the craziness at Joy Luck Palace on Mott Street. Here's a run down of our Saturday morning feast: Fried Tofu Skin Shrimp Rolls- always the first thing that comes to the table.  I love kicking off a meal with these delicious rolls. Spinach Dumpling- I was actually expecting these to be warm but they tasted like they were straight from the fridge. Delicious nonetheless. Crystal Shrimp Dumplings- one of Mr. T's favorite dim sum orders.  I actually don't enjoy the thick outer shell and just eat the inside.  Blasphemous, I know. Pork Sui Mai- these were actually not that great.  The dough stuck to the bottom of the steamer and the just didn't have much flavor...

Dim sum restaurant Tim Ho Wan has dropped anchor in the East Village and the excitement for these cheap, Michelin starred Hong Kong eats has been non-stop.  The line on 4th avenue stretches around the block most days with waits often quoted at one to two hours.  Inside the small, sparely decorated space buzzes with happy diners ordering an array of small bites from the picture menu like the incredible Char Siu Bao. Those even slightly familiar with Cantonese cuisine should know of this popular bun stuffed with slices of barbecue pork.  Here at Tim Ho Wan the bun is baked with an outer shell that's both crisp and flaky with a slightly sweet flavor that reminded me of the egg buns my Polish grandmother used to bake. The inside is stuffed with thick pieces of chopped pork without the gristle or grease of other restaurants; just pure salty BBQ pork goodness.  I honestly never fully understood the allure of the Char Siu Bao until coming here and no...

Mr. T and I are finally getting back into the swing of Chinatown after a hiatus of much much too long.  We used to spend our entire winter rolling through the streets in search of steaming hot dumplings, crispy sesame pancakes and white pillow buns stuffed with pork.  Well we're getting back into again with the first stop at Jing Fong for some incredible dim sum like Pan Fried Dumplings stuffed with of pork and chives. Steamed Dumplings (Har Gow) packed full of juicy shrimp meat. And because we have a soft spot in our heart for the Americanized dish of General Tso's Chicken we added one of those on too. Jing Fong is best known for brunch where patrons literally line up for a spot at one of the many tables scattered across the ginormous restaurant.  This is an incredibly fun way to spend a weekend morning but for those looking to just have a good meal without the fuss head there at dinner time. ...