Hong Kong Palace: Dim Sum ($25) Rating: 8

Mark Lim - Dim Sum is a style of Chinese dinning that brings you the excitement and varieties of eating street food without all that unpleasant walking around stuff.

Here's how it works: There are about a half dozen women pushing around multi leveled carts filled with all sorts of traditional Asian goodies.

Just simply make eye contact with them as they pass your table and they will stop and begin to show you the different kinds of food they have to offer.

(Deep Fried Tarrot)

After you point and choose which little dishes you want, the waitress will mark your ticket with their special stamp and be on her way.

(Fried Radish Cake)

The carts will keep rotating around the entire restaurants with new treats so don't gorge too fast!

(Waiting for goodies!)

There are many treats ranging from fried savory seafood dishes to the strange like chicken feet and duck tongues.

(Some sort of shrimp ball)

The quantity of food usually ranges from 2 to 4 pieces per dish. They're like little appetizers!

(Deep fried shrimp thing)

My favorites always involve some sort of deep frying of seafood served with sweet and sour sauces.

(Shrimp wrapped in rice sheets)

As you eat you begin to combat for the attentions of the waitresses because the other diners are also trying to call them to their table. Sometimes you have to raise your hand in the air and whistle so they know you mean business.

(Chinese Broccoli)

Everyone in the restaurant is always hectically moving around. It really fills you with an invigorating feeling as you dine.

(Deep Fried Squid)

You have to be on your toes and you always have to designate someone as a scout so you know what food is coming to your table next. You don't want to fill up on the mediocre stuff when the good food is just around the corner!

(Red Bean Jello)

There are also many dessert carts that have different items to satisfy your sweet tooth. Red beans, tofu, and almonds are usually the main ingredients of the desserts but they have other interesting things too.

(Almond Jello)

The best part of Dim Sum is that you can try lots and lots of dishes because they come in small quantities. You really get to experience the tastes and cultures of the Chinese.

(Almond Tea Dessert)

If you just can't wait for a cart to come around you can order special foods like this Almond Tea Dessert. I had never had it before but it was by far my favorite of the day.

(The inside)

They bake a sweet almond mixture inside a pastry which you break into and eat with the soupy concoction. It's absolutely amazing!

Hong Kong Palace: Dim SumTaste ------------ (8) I crave their little fried seafood balls
Presentation -----(8) I love the many different plates of food
Price ------------- (7) It all depends on how much you want to gorge
Quantity --------- (7) You can eat till your wallet is empty!
Satisfaction ----- (8) I always leave full but I stereotypically get hungry again in an hour :P

Rating: 8 out of 10

As far as Dim Sum places my favorite is Hong Kong Palace in Rowland Heights California. As soon as you walk in you are transported to a far distant land filled with little 5 foot Asians screaming in different dialects and scurrying around like mice. The restaurant is alive.

Hong Kong Palace
19101 Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

If you haven't gone to Dim Sum and like to experience new things I suggest you go. You'll be happy you did! :)

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