dim sum adventure


What You Need to Know About Going on a Dim Sum Adventure

If you’re a culinary enthusiast ready to go on a food adventure of a lifetime, you likely know about dim sum as a choice to go on a fun palatable experience. If you have yet to make a trip to a real dim sum restaurant, your local Chinatown district likely has various choices for a food trip. However, Texas residents have access to Ocean Palace Restaurant, which has been around since the pre-2000s and is one of the best places to get dim sum in Houston. 

Dim sum is a traditional Chinese brunch that is very light on the stomach and has tons of flavor. It has links to the ancient art of drinking tea in teahouses, which had these small dishes of easy-to-eat snacks available to travelers and traders along the Silk Road. Additionally, they were served in small teahouses near the rural provinces, which were a common resting domain for weary farmers who wanted to have afternoon conversations. 

How Dim Sum Evolved

Eventually, the dim sum culture made its way to the western world naturally through immigrants during the 19th century. Chinese immigrants who came from the Canton region and moved to the East and West coasts put up their own “teahouse” inspired dim sum restaurants for the world to try. Many people enjoyed eating these snacks for brunch because it was light, yet filling enough to make it through to the afternoon and dinner time. 

These dishes were served with tea, which is warm, aids digestion, and cleanses the palate after each menu offering. Originally, tea time was never meant to be mixed with meals, but science prevailed and showed that tea would not lead to excessive weight gain when combined with food. Overall, the centuries of dim sum have developed it into a whole culture that is popular with many Americans, as Chinatowns all over the country are flourishing with various restaurants. 

What’s in Dim Sum?

Your local dim sum restaurant usually serves either steamed or deep-fried varieties of this snack. They come in small steamers that are enough for a single person. Steamed varieties include pork spareribs, pork buns, and shrimp or pork dumplings. Fried types include spring rolls and even dumplings. The more daring foodie can even try chicken feet and other more exotic variants and foods. After your meal, you’ll be given a choice of desserts. Some people love the egg custard tarts, while others love mango pudding. Depending on the teahouse’s specialty, they’ll serve their own respective teas. However, the standard tea used is a very tasty green tea. 

How You Order Dim Sum

You typically get seated in the restaurant and you have an order form that’s monitored by the servers of your table. Then, you’ll see a dim sum cart pushed around and you just choose from the menu, which will come with a steamer case that looks like a small woven basket. Dim sum is typically served in the order from lighter dishes to heavier ones until it’s time for dessert. Starting with deep-fried dishes isn’t always advisable because of the oil content making you full and having an effect on your empty stomach. Starting light will help you work your way to heavier dishes without surprising your body. 

Conclusion

Dim sum in Houston is a great activity to go restaurant hunting with friends. Overall, you can order your own respective dishes and enjoy them based on your taste buds. You don’t have to deal with dishes that don’t look appetizing to you, which is why dim sum is amazing for many people. It’s also very good for your health because the dishes are lightly cooked (sans the deep-fried items!) and are served with a good cup of tea. 

Ocean Palace Restaurant is the best place to get dim sum in Houston, Texas. If you’re looking for incredible seafood and hearty servings of these incredible snacks with tea, look no further. We’ve been serving the Houston people incredible food since 1999, and we’re ready to keep giving you the best Chinese food in Texas. Visit us today to go on an incredible tasting experience!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *