legant Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 ... dim sum with a group Try North China in Bethesda. You make take up the entire restaurant -- our group only numbered 10 -- but, on the two occasions I've been there, haven't been disappointed. FYI: they have dim sum on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Two entirely different styles of food. "Dim sum" is cantonese. North China does a northern Chinese brunch with some Taiwanese dishes thrown in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legant Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 Can you have Southern fried chicken North of the Mason-Dixon line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Can you have Southern fried chicken North of the Mason-Dixon line? That's not the right comparison. A restaurant not in the south serving Southern Fried Chicken still calls it Southern Fried Chicken. They don't substitute steak, and still call it chicken. Texas has a variant, Chicken Fried Steak, but they call it that, not Southern Fried Chicken. Eric isn't saying that a Northern/Taiwanese restaurant can't have dim sum - maybe the chef was trained in dim sum, or they just want to serve a wide variety. In this case, it's a Taiwanese chef running a Northern/Taiwanese restaurant. They might have some small plates which an American might associate with the dim sum style, but it's not dim sum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Dim Sum in Chinese has a specific meaning, and in English, it has been appropriated as a generic term. Some languages borrow freely and some bastardize freely. English is like that, just saying ya know. Telling someone A&J (whose food I know as opposed to North China which I have only been to once, note to self: and why is that?!?!) serves Northern Style Dim Sum says a lot more to the uneducated or unfamiliar than saying Northern Style Brunch with small plates even though the former is clearly not correct. I have head Masa 14 described as Latino Pan Asian dim sum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Can you have Southern fried chicken North of the Mason-Dixon line? No matter where you go, fried chicken is fried chicken. Dim sum denotes dishes served at a cantonese brunch. Dim sum doesn't mean any Chinese brunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Dim sum denotes dishes served at a cantonese brunch. Dim sum doesn't mean any Chinese brunch. Yes and no. If you take common knowledge of the Chinese word "dim sum," then it does mean little dishes served on carts or by order in Cantonese-styled restaurant. But, you know, as well as I, that the literal meaning is "snack," which I think can be applied to a smallish Chinese brunch (which, of course, the word "brunch," doesn't exist in Chinese vocabulary). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Yes and no. If you take common knowledge of the Chinese word "dim sum," then it does mean little dishes served on carts or by order in Cantonese-styled restaurant. But, you know, as well as I, that the literal meaning is "snack," which I think can be applied to a smallish Chinese brunch (which, of course, the word "brunch," doesn't exist in Chinese vocabulary). Diǎnxīn means snack in Mandarin (as in cookies and such). When has it ever been used in the context of describing the food served at North China? Why muddle up something that isn't muddled up? People should learn those foods are different - just as Sichuan cuisine is different from Cantonese cuisine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legant Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 Why muddle up something that isn't muddled up? Because this particular restaurant advertises that it serves dim sum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Because this particular restaurant advertises that it serves dim sum... I see your point. I don't think the restaurant should have advertised that it serves dim sum (it's trying to lure in some unsuspecting customers). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I see your point. I don't think the restaurant should have advertised that it serves dim sum (it's trying to lure in some unsuspecting customers). I don't think I'd call it false advertising - the restaurant is trying to explain to a wide audience what they serve. You and I know that just because they serve small plates doesn't mean they serve dim sum, but to less knowledgeable non-Chinese, it's a point of reference. FWIW, A&J does the same thing in their store window. "Northern Chinese Dim Sum". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I don't think I'd call it false advertising - the restaurant is trying to explain to a wide audience what they serve. You and I know that just because they serve small plates doesn't mean they serve dim sum, but to less knowledgeable non-Chinese, it's a point of reference. FWIW, A&J does the same thing in their store window. "Northern Chinese Dim Sum". I understand these restaurants are trying to capitalize on the popularity of "dim sum." I guess that's why this thread exists - to educate those who care the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I guess that's why this thread exists - to educate those who care the difference. [Or, to pacify those who do.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 [Or, to pacify those who do.] Think my blood pressure has already dropped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 For dim sum, I always enjoy A & J, which has two locations, one in Annandale and another in Rockville. The small plates are tasty and the food comes out fast. Tom Seitsema calls the food at A&J dim sum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 I posted and called him out on it, but he didn't take the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 "While the teahouse ritual is known as yum cha ('drink tea'), the dumplings and other 'small eats' that are traditionally served are known collectively as dim sum, the Cantonese dialect form of the Mandarin dian xin. Dian xin is a curious term that defies direct translation into English, but means something like 'touch the heart'. It dates back at least to the Song Dynasty, when historical sources mention it as a name for the snacks customarily served for breakfast. Though dian xin are eaten all over China, it is in Hong Kong and the Cantonese south that they are most dazzling and abundant." -Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper, a sweet-sour memoir of eating in China by Fuchsia Dunlop pp. 190-191 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Remind me not to waste any energy reading that dopey Brit's book. It's actually a brilliant book, and I join dozens of book critics who feel that way. You are welcome to ignore it, but I encourage anyone who wants to learn more about the regional cuisines of China and about travel in China to read this book. Dunlop is a wonderful writer and it's a great read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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