For many, going to dim sum can be a formidable experience. Cart after cart of interesting-looking items go by, and for the uninitiated, trial and error is often the way to go. Even for me, though I've been dim summing ever since I could chew, it is still a not-so-comfortable experience since I'm not completely fluent in Cantonese and often forget not only the words for certain foods but also what is in that incredibly good looking fried thing. Thus, I also have to resort to pointing once in a while.
Golden Unicorn, which I've heard from many sources as the place to go for dim sum in Chinatown, takes care of the awkwardness. In front of every cart are pictures and English descriptions for the dishes, so you know exactly what you're getting. Also, the matronly ladies pushing the carts speak English pretty well, if a bit hurriedly.
We sampled the standards. Har gow, or shrimp dumplings, were round and delectable and not soggy like a lot of the ones in Boston's Chinatown. (They also did not emit the same incredibly fresh shrimp and outer skin smell like they do Hong Kong and China, but that's forgiveable.) Wu gok, or taro balls filled with vegetables and coated with a flaky fried shell, were very good as well. The pork buns were fluffy and not overloaded with sweet pork. Even the congee was good, and I'm not usually a big fan of congee. Fried wontons were nice and crisp, but I would have prefered the sauce on the side and not drenching the wontons, which made them soggy after about two minutes. My favorite was the siu mai, which is usually served with beef but here served with seafood.
The only thing that makes Golden Unicorn a good instead of great is the temperature at which things are served. Dumplings and buns at a truly great dim sum restaurants should be served piping hot, almost but not quite to the point of burning your mouth. Everything was so lukewarm that one wonders how long they've been out of the kitchen, and maybe they should do something about the temperature control inside those carts. And the traditionally piping hot towels handed out at the end? Cold as ice.
Golden Unicorn - 18 E. Broadway, Chinatown
Have you found a "great" place for Dim Sum in New York?
Posted by: Jacob | September 07, 2005 at 06:36 AM