Sometimes the weekend goes by so quickly, blink and we miss it. By the time Monday rolls around, I'm just ready to get my weekend started. This year we did something different for Mother's Day, and went to Vancouver's Chinatown for Dim Sum. It was fabulous. I think if I had my choice, I could eat Dim Sum 364 days of the year. (I would save the 365th day for turkey dinner...) With Dim Sum, everything is so fresh, and so ... yummy.
These little sesame pastries are my favorite Dim Sum dish. They are light and fluffy, and have a sweet, dark filling in the center. Some of the recipes use figs. According to Chinese tradition, eating this dish will cause your luck to expand like the light, fluffy pastries. Apparently they are supposed to be eaten between the savory dishes, to cleanse the palate. Well, I learn something every day -- I thought they were dessert. I found a recipe on line for them, but it's more fun to go to Chinatown and have them there.
This is one of the dishes we had -- a mystery dish. I was the only one not adventuresome enough to try them, but everyone else did, and even Marigold liked them. Some of you will probably recognize this dish, while others will have no idea. Just for fun, let's see if any of you can guess what these delicious-looking morsels are. Just to make it interesting, the winner will receive an
extremely ugly, rather interesting-looking candle I have hidden away in one of my cupboards.
Apparently Vancouver's Chinatown is the third largest in North America, after San Francisco and New York. Well, it's definitely one of my favorite places. We strolled through some of the shops, and I found a little blue and white lamp that matches my newly-found blue Delft lamp that I got last weekend. I absolutely love it, and it was only $9.99. I just may go back and get some matching dishes. There's no stopping me now.
If you're ever in Vancouver, be sure to pay a visit to Chinatown, and stop in at any of the restaurants that serve Dim Sum. Check out the mystery dish, and let me know if you like it.
32 comments:
Ha ha! The squirrel knows! But it is a bit unfair on the rest on account that I am an Oriental Squirrel. If it makes you feel better, I don't like it either but it is one of my wife's favorite.
Oh, that's easy. Anyone can see that the mystery dish is Sweet and Sour Right Hand. I would have passed on it too.
Those pastries will definitely make your waist expand, if not your luck. They look like some buns I had in Hawaii which had red adzuki bean paste in them, I think.
So glad you had a wonderful Mother's Day. I love Chinatown(s) too, both NY and San Francisco. Now I really have to sample Vancouver's, and I'll need a tour guide. Know anyone for the job?
Hi Jo,
I love dim sum too! I would definitely second your annual eating plan :) They look like...chickens' feet to me, and I have sampled such a delicacy - an acquired taste would be the best way to describe it :D
I agree with Sam; looks like chicken feet. My mum absolutely loves that stuff, though I have no idea why. And yes, dim sum is absolutely delightful! Lovely post.
Oh, yummy Dakbal(chicken feet)....!!
You know Jo, I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to food, but I'd have to pass on the chicken feet (if that's what it was). Eww!
The sesame pastries, Dim Sum, looks delicious. I sense the mystery dish is not for vegetarians?
What fun! Living in Bellingham, visiting Chinatown is one of our favorite things to do in Vancouver. The sesame things are filled with dark poppy seed paste, if I'm not mistake. Being a vegetarian, I have to be careful about mystery dishes! What a great weekend treat.
Like several other people, I'm pretty sure those are chicken feet, Jo. I've tried them, by the way and ...if those are chicken feet? It's not so much that they are good, but rather they are nowhere near as awful as you think they are going to be when you undertake to eat chicken feet.
I'm glad you had such a nice Mother's Day!
Aha, what made me laugh is that your readers thus far, are probablyl wondering what that 'winners candle' is going to look like after you have to cut it up and share with all of those who got it right (smile)......
Actually as a farm kid, I used to watch my grandmother pickle both pig and chicken feet; they end up looking 'real' and much more alive this way - I also stayed looking much more alive by never even touching the jars. However, grandma and grandpa thought these were a great treat.
Glad your mom's day was a fun one!
Oh yes. I absolutely love dim sum. And as an answer to your question the mystery dish appears to be chicken feet -yes, literally. My mum loves the stuff in fact but to me it just seems gross to see her sucking away and biting down and all. At feet.
But I suppose it's an acquired taste. I do like the sauce - really good if it's done well. Unfortunately as yet I have also been pretty un-adventuresome.
I have never had Dim Sum...sounds yummy.
I think those are chicken feet!
Although I love Chinese food and eat it frequently, I've never had dim sum. Mostly I eat mandarin chicken or such.
If I ever come for a visit to Vancouver, I will stay for at least 1 Month, so I can do the whole List! ;)
Chinatown being one of the points of interest.
The Lamp Gods are benevolent with you as it seems... first one lamp & now this other one :D
I don't like the mystery dish. I lost cousin KoolKat in one of those. ;-)
Mmmm...It all looks delish!!!! Lucky you to live in a place with such a fabulous China Town!!! So glad you had a wonderful Mother's Day!!! You deserve it! And the weekends do pass waaaay to quickly for me as well...sigh. Love your posts...you are such a fun person...I think if we lived near one another, we'd have load of fun...Love, Janine
Chicken feet. I have eaten them. My grandmother threw away nearly nothing when she butchered a chicken. I am afraid that I have no doubt eaten a lot of things that I would rather not know about!
You say tou could eat Dim Sum 364 days a year. Well, that reminds me that I could eat italian Tiramisu cake 364 days , at leat three times a day: at breakfast, at lunch, at dinner. No kidding. This cake is my figure's worst enemy, but my soul's kindest lover.
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I think the consensus is Chicken's feet, which is what I thought when I first saw the picture. I love dim sum...Portland has several really good places for dim sum.
Chicken feet? I'm not so grossed out, since in Poland the delicacies were tripe soup, pigs feet in aspic (my fave) and blood sausage (my second fave).
Been a while since I've had Chinese. Vegas doesn't have a Chinatown, more like a Chinabuilding.
This post is making me hungry.
Hello Jo
Love this post since i am a foodie.
I love the Tibetan Dim Sum called Momo very popular in India.
But make no mistake , those are NOT CHICKEN FEET.
By the way , here in my city too there is a China town.
But they sell a unique variety of Chinese food called "Indian Chinese".
Cheers
When my husband was living in Taiwan he was a guest at a Chinese dinner. I think he said there were seven entrees, one was breaded and unrecognizable. His Chinese friend assured his he would like that dish. Well-a what a great surprise when he bit into it and out popped chicken feet, claws and all. Good thing he has a sense of humor. That's what probable got him into that pickle in the first place
I love, love Dim Sum too! and I usually order the sesame seed balls to go, b/c I like them that much. mmmmmmmmmmmm now I want Dim Sum lol Let's go soon :o)
Ps. NOOOOOOOOOOOO chicken feet lol
So glad that you had a happy Mother's Day, Jo! I would have to pass on the chicken feet, but the pastries look delicious. And I think that you should definitely go back and buy the dishes! You're on a roll!
heartinsanfrancisco and I have the same thought. i thought it was ET's hand, though.
Chicken feet?
Now you're REALLY talking my language, Sistah Jo!
Just think of chicken feet as tiny wings :)
Aloha from Hawaii
Comfort Spiral
Hi, everyone...! Yes, those are chicken feet, and apparently -- I have it on good authority -- they are scrumptious and delicious. Um ... I think I'll pass. *heh*
Cheers!
Jo
I've never known any culture in the world that didn't like snacks.
I read the post; scrolled down hoping not to see anyone's answer about the mystery dish (I thought it was octopus or squid) and when I glanced up a few comment posts and saw that they were chicken feet - yikes! It does look yummy, but not for me. Sounds like you had a lovely time though!
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