POV: White Girl Goes to Dim Sum

I have driven by East Ocean Seafood Restaurant hundreds of times during my life in Quincy, Massachusetts. I have wondered many times about it as it always seems busy, but to be completely honest, I never thought that I’d make the trip inside. When I finally did step outside of my comfort zone and into the bustling Monday lunch rush at this popular North Quincy dim sum stop I was shocked. I looked over a sea of families yelling at each other across huge round tables, enjoying dishes that looked like nothing I had ever seen before. My white, European family has limited Asian dining experiences, and the term “dim sum” in my vocabulary is limited to one experience in Chinatown when I was about three that I remember very vaguely. This was not a restaurant environment that I was used to in the slightest. There wasn’t an inch of room to stretch your arms or legs, a disconcerting observation for my 5’10” self, one of the tallest people in the restaurant, but that did not tarnish my excitement.

As soon as our thirteen-member group was ushered to a back corner, the rush began. Old women pushing carts toppling with food in bamboo steamers weaved between tables. Before we could even take our coats off, it seemed that the Lazy Susan consuming the middle of the table was covered with foreign looking dishes: a carousel of aromas and colors. Eager to jump right in, I started loading my plate.

First I tried a grayish, circular cake filled with vegetables. Unfortunately, due to my lack of fluency, or even simple understanding, in Cantonese and my weak description in my Google search bar, I am at a loss of a name for this magical vegetable cake. It was so moist and flavorful, and just chewy enough to give the dish texture, but not make it uncomfortable to enjoy. I taste-tested with a small bite, but before I knew it I had consumed a whole patty.

Two of my other favorites included the Pineapple Bun (Bolo Bao) and the Pork Bun (Char Siu Bao). Do not be deceived by the name of the pineapple bun: there is no pineapple involved in the making of this blissful bakery favorite. Instead it is a shiny round bun filled with sweet egg custard and topped off with a crumbling egg yolk, giving off the “pineapple” appearance. The filling melts in your mouth, and can’t help yourself from sneaking one into a small Styrofoam box for the road. The Pork Bun, I’ll admit probably more suitable as a lunch food, is absolutely irresistible with its soft, doughy appearance. Inside, the pork is bursting with unidentifiable flavors that keep you wanting more. Be careful not to fill up on all these delicious carbs, though! There is still a table full of dishes left to try.

Dim sum is a bucket list experience in itself, but I had a true bucket list check off during this lunchtime adventure, and a story to go with it: As I’m stuffing my face with a pineapple bun, face down, game mode activated, I notice a steaming dish carrying a smell like no other. As the cart makes it rounds, someone yells out from out table, “One of the chicken fingers!” My immediate thought: “Weird. We’re at dim sum, and we’re ordering chicken fingers?” But honestly, I was too invested in the pineapple bun in front of me to really care. It wasn’t until the table insisted that everyone take on for their plate that I realized there was unique about these chicken fingers. Shaped unlike any chicken I had ever consumed before, I stared at the food on my plate. That’s when it clicked: these are literal chicken fingers. I don’t think I have ever been more excited and scared to try a food before. However, this was a photo-op I was not missing out on. Right then and there I perfected the art of eating chicken feet: biting at the joint and spitting the bone out after sucking all the skin off. Surprise, it tasted like chicken! And it was really good! Highly recommend— a must try! Moral of the story: “Mom I’m eating chicken feet!”

The one dish that I will admit I was a little disappointed by was the shrimp egg noodles. I felt that the noodle was too soggy and completely overpowered the shrimp, making it difficult to enjoy. The soy sauce did not do much to better the situation. However, I couldn’t stay disappointed for long because there so many other options on the table waiting to be eaten.

All in all, I was incredibly impressed and satisfied by my dim sum experience. Though others more experienced in this field of food may have other opinions, this dim sum was pretty good according to this inexperienced, white girl. I look forward to much dim sum in my future, however, I’m not sure I could work up the courage to go without someone who at least understands some of what the servers are saying, as English is certainly not the first language of dim sum. Here’s to a future full of chicken feet!