adventure

Chinatown - it's a bittersweet place for me. Sweet because it's jam packed with delicious cheap eateries and I want to try every single one of them. Bitter because I'm not Chinese and I don't speak the ranguage. (AND I always get lost. Why did they just give up on the number system with their streets??)

But today I braved the streets of Chinatown (and the cold) with no assistance of a Chinese friend. I knew I'd face some challenges; a non engrish speaking server/not knowing what to order/speaking in all sorts of one word caveman sentences and body ranguage

Dim Sum - I put aside all my presumptions that big dim sum restaurants are run by the triads or that I can't go to a chinese restaurant without a chinese friend to help me order and decided to go with a few of my friends. You get to see your food before asking for it! what a great concept.

Minimal speaking is required (words needed - pork,tofu,shrimp,vegetable,yes,no). pointing/nodding/shaking head is sufficient. stamping of card is so cute.

Golden Bridge. Not the best "to die for" food but for a group of koreans just wanting the experience and to have some decent chinese food, it's a-okay! Big space, lots of variety, it's safe, every dish is pretty tasty but I dung lo if Chinese people will agree. Service was very good as well.



seafood dumplings.



Flavor was great but the peanuts weren't necessary. nonetheless, delish.

Taro and pork in a sweet and spicey sauce. Beware! lots of bones.

pork slices wrapped in chowfun like noodles with a sweet soy sauce.

up until this part of the meal, everything tasted as expected- like chinese food.

Then came the big guns.

Cha Siu Bao!!!! Pork anything is good. Pork in sweet hoisin sauce surrounded by soft, pillowy, slightly sweet steamed bun, China...we thank you. I've tried cha siu baos at almost every bakery in chinatown, looking for the perfect bao with pork to bun ratio. Golden Bridge was by far the best I've tried. They were delightfully exactly what cha siu bao's should be.





Same but with a flaky buttery crust. they seem to do this well =)

I was filled with food up to my throat but I didn't wake up early on a saturday morning, commute for over an hour and resist 4 women waiting for me by the subway staircase to sell me lewis vuitton bags just for one meal.

sesame paste dumplings at Green Tea Cafe

Rice cake/mochi like outer shell filled with black sesame seed concoction floating in a pool of sweet black tea with some ginger bits at the bottom. The dumplings are so sweet it feels like you're getting punched in the face by "sugar ninja" or something. After eating this, my bubbletea tasted like matzah. But nonetheless, the place is cozy, they don't try to rush you out even though it's packed, and I would definitely go back to try some other interesting things on the menu.