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Tong Palace

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Wasatch
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5 out of 5
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Excellent Dim Sum, and that's hard to beat

  • September 6, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Wasatch from heber ctity, Utah
Excellent Dim Sum, and that's hard to beat

We went to San Francisco for dim sum, and once there, we went to the Tong Palace for dim sum. If you do not know what dim sum are, read on. If you know, you can skip to the Tong Palace heading below. The maître d' at our favorite dim sum restaurant thought for awhile when we asked him how Dim Sum translated into English. He came up with "little snacks to eat while drinking tea." The Appetizer section of a Chinese restaurant menu gives a good idea of what dim sum are– egg rolls, spring rolls (they are different), pot stickers, fried won tons– but this is just an intro to dim sum. A good dim sum restaurant will offer 30-45 appetizer like items, and instead of handing you a menu, the waitresses circulate around the dining room pushing carts piled high with servings of the various dim sum. Ask the waitress what they are. Sometimes they speak English, but don’t count on it at an authentic place. A dim sum lunch for two will require 3-5 different items.


Beginners and intermediates might want to avoid items like stuffed
chicken (or duck) feet, tripe, and whole baby octopus. Safe starters are
baked(browned on top) or steamed(pale white in color) roast pork buns,
egg rolls, spring rolls, pot stickers, fried won tons, shu mai(steamed
pork dumplings), Pineapple bun, and shrimp or scallop or crab steamed
dumplings.

A bit more exotic, but still enjoyable for the American palate are Beef
Balls, Sesame Balls(a terrific Chinese desert), bean paste or sesame buns, and the
several versions of rice noodles, a dish we christened "slime noodles". A
sheet of rice noodle is wrapped around some roast pork or beef or shrimp
or scallops. Then the whole thing is steamed, and served with dark(sweet)
soy sauce.


As dim sum are to be eaten while drinking tea, you will be served a pot of tea, but first, they will ask what kind of tea you want. Typical choices of tea include 1] Jasmine, mostly for the Caucasians. Because non-Chinese Americans think Jasmine tea is a exotic tea that is an essential part of an authentic Chinese meal, Chinese-Americans make a point of not drinking it, at least
not in pubic. 2] Oolong, preferably several types. This is the tea Chinese most often drink. 3] Chrysanthemum tea is Oolong with Chrysanthemum flowers in it. 4] Half-and-half, is chrysanthemum and Pulai. 5] Pulai is the great Chinese banqueting tea, so untea like in flavor that it is an acquired taste, but worth acquiring.

THE TONG PALACE

We found ourselves in New China town, where tourists are rare and Chinese plentiful, in time for a late lunch after a visit to the Legion of Honor Art Museum. Our local host was not familiar with the dim sum options in this part of town, so we went looking for a place for dim sum for lunch. The first place we passed failed the test, but the Tong Palace showed promise. The test is simple: lots of Chinese still eating lunch at 2:00pm is a good clue to a good dim sum restaurant, and the Tong Palace did not disappoint. A constant stream of waitresses passed among the tables bearing trays of dim sum or pushing carts stacked high with bamboo steamers full of morsels. Steamed pork buns were par for a good dim sum place, shu mai had an interesting taste spin, and steamed dumplings of spinach and shrimp were terrific, as were something like pot stickers.

Dim sum lunch for three with tea: $20.

Early in San Francisco’s history, the Chinese were only allowed to live in the old Chinatown on Grant St. With the end of discrimination and more money in hand, San Francisco’s Chinese largely migrated from the Grant St China town to New China town, centered on Clement St between 12th and 22nd Aves. It’s a longish bus ride from down town, but the # 2 bus goes down Clement and there are a load of Chinese restaurants between 12-22 Aves.

You can get dim sum in old China town, but these restaurants cater primarily to tourists. For an authentic experience, head for Clement St.

From journal Return to San Francisco after 15 Years

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