Ajooma

Ever since I lived in NY in my early twenties I’ve loved going to Dim Sum. It’s a great way to try lots of different dishes, and meet friends to compare past weeks. The large circular tables sits 8 with ample elbow room, and with over 100 dishes on the menu, the more the merrier. For those of you who don’t know, according to Wikipedia (okay I’m lazy) Dim sum is the name for a Chinese cuisine which involves a wide range of light dishes served alongside Chinese tea. It can include dishes based on meat, seafood, vegetables, as well as desserts and fruit. The various items are usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate.

I’m used to eating this early Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately everyone else wants to eat then too, so in really good restaurant the wait can take up to an hour. This time, I was going with 2 other couples, and one of them knew of a good place. Lido (41 Gerrard Street), in the heart of China Town in London.
Once seated inside, I was disappointed it wasn’t the authentic experience with women pushing trollies. Instead we had to mark them off on an order sheet, which is a bit of a hit-and-miss if you don’t have a native to translate. So we tried to navigate through the menu with the standard horrible Chinese menu translitteration.

It worked out in the end, because I was just happy to eat anything Asian. Even if it was a bit greasy. I really like the congee, which is like the korean 죽, and some fried vegetables wrapped in flat white translucent noodles, hilariously called fun, various dumplings steaming in small bamboo containers, chicken and rice, and many many cups of tea. The best part is picking and choosing what to eat. With more people, the more dishes you can order and try a bite off this, a nibble off that.

Of course meeting old friends is good too.