(Note: It’s probably best to look at this post AFTER you’ve eaten a meal!!!!)
It’s been said for ages that the way to a man’s heart— or a woman’s, for that matter — is through the stomach.
In that spirit, we set out with visiting fellow blogger and dear friend Jen of Random Acts of Writing to Oriental Flavor, the one and only dim sum restaurant in nearby Amherst. Jen had never had dim sum before, so we were tickled to be able to to introduce her to the delicious little snacks that are served as dim sum, a meal also known as yum cha.
(The literal meaning of dim sum is given by Wikipedia as “touching the heart”, as it was originally just a snack, not a full meal. My own personal translation of yum cha is yummy tea meal, although an actual Chinese-speaker would probably disagree.)
Here’s how our yummy tea meal touched our hearts that day, as Jen experienced it for the first time:
Chopsticks and a pot of jasmine tea, and we got down down to business, first plate:
Har gow, Crystal Shrimp Dumplings glistening in their translucent ivory rice flour wrappers around a chopped shrimp filling. Next came fried shrimp balls, same shrimp but very different taste:
and with them came pork shu mai:
In the twinkling of an eye, the view changes:
Yum Cha! Followed by crepes of tofu skin rolled around a pork, shrimp, and shiitake mushroom following:
I’m getting hungry all over again! But however willing the spirit, sooner or later the flesh has had enough. And so it was for us. Room enough for two desserts:
We shared a pair of omochi sticky rice balls wrapped around sweet lotus paste, and fried with sesame seeds. Then, for the grand finale:
Tender egg tarts in flaky pastry. We groaned a little, but polished them off anyway. And here are the happy friends, bellies full, hearts touched, smiling from ear to ear in our first ever selfie:
All’s well with the world!
Zaijian!
The meal, most certainly, ranks as one of my favorites. The adventure of new food things and the joy of good friends? It touched my heart!!
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That makes a pair of us!
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How very delightful…………oh what fun, wish we had been with you. I love, love, love the selfie with all the smiling faces. You are right……….I am off to the kitchen to find a snack!!!
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Wish you had been there also! Think of all the things we could have added to the feast!!!! Not to mention the superb company —
🙂
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Groaning with longing at the sight of some of my favorite things and lucky Jen to have such good guides!
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In my imagination there are a dozen of my favorite bloggers — including you and the Tin Man and Jen — around a big table in Chinatown or Flushing — and the carts come rolling by — more bliss!!!!!
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Let’s do it!!!
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I can’t imagine how — but once a desire is voiced, sometimes amazing things happen!
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Thinking cap on! 🙂
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Step #1!
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As you know with Virginia and Tin Man……..all things are possible, just click the heels of those ruby slippers together…………what joy that would be!
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A few people are already thinking good thoughts — including yourself, I am assuming!
🙂
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I’m in!
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But only if I can have more of those omochi! : )
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Anything you like — Just point!
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Ahh I’ve just had an amazing weekend with my blogging sister Christine of Dadirri Dreaming, isn’t it wonderful to be able to meet up?
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One of blogging’s special and splendid rewards!
Hi across the big pond, Gilly!
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The food yummy Especially, I love egg tarte 🙂
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Me too, cocomino!
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I do love dim sum and always but always eat too much.
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Well of course you do! It’s part of the experience!
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I love Yum Cha……and I didn’t heed your warning 😦
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Where are the dim sum of yesteryear —-
Still making us hungry today!
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It looks yummy! What fun to meet up with fellow blogger! I’ve met one too … the delightful Joss … briefly in an airport.
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By design, or by happenstance?
Either way, what a great happening!
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by design 🙂
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Good work, both of you!!!!!
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Touching the heart, I never knew that’s what it meant. That was a meal and a half…well worth eating. Lovely selfie….
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Well — good natured, at any rate!
🙂
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