Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
14
Kids' Guide to Dim Sum
For some reason, the whole communal aspect of dim sum seems t o make my
kids more adventurous. Waiters come with plates of food and everyone seated
decides whether or not t o go f or it. When a plat e is plac ed in the middle of
the table, you're all in on the fun of tr ying it together. Of course, it helps that
we've figured out what w e think our k ids will like and ha ve learned t o avoid
anything that c ould truly shock them. I' m passing this k nowledge on t o you
with a list of dim sum that most first-timers will definit ely enjoy. And if y ou
see fresh-steamed asparagus, snow pea shoots, or any other vegetables being
offered, order them as w ell. They are all ex cellent.
Har gau: Shrimp dumplings encased in a transluc ent wrapper and st eamed
Siu mai: Rectangles of pork and shrimp in a sheer noodle wrapper
Gau choi gau: Chives, alone or with shrimp or scallops
Jun jui k au: Rice pearl balls with seasoned g round pork and ric e
Law mai gai: Stick y rice with bits of meat and mushr ooms wrapped in a
lotus leaf
Char siu bau: Steamed pork buns—bits of barbecued meat in a dough y roll
Guk char siu ban: Baked pork buns—bits of barbecued meat in a glaz
1
ed
roll
Chun guen: Spring r olls—smaller, less cr owded versions of egg r olls
Gau ji: Pot stickers—a thick , crescent-shaped dough filled with g round pork
cuisine, y ou can do no better than
Antica Trattoria (2400 Polk St.; & 415/
928-5797 ). See p. 140.
Best Fish: At Great Eastern (649 Jack-
son St.; & 415/986-2500 ) your dinner
gets plucked fr om the fish tanks in the
back of the dining r oom, so ther e's no
question the fish is fr esh. S ee p . 118.
The longtime favorite of city hall mo v-
ers and shakers, Hayes S treet G rill
(320 Hayes St.; & 415/863-5545 ) uses
the Bay Area's finest pur veyors of fish,
meat, and produce and puts out bright,
simple plates of r ecognizable food. S ee
p. 132.
Best Mexican: Mamacita (2317 Chest-
nut S t.; & 415/346-8494 ) ser ves
ultra-fresh, flavorful Mexican specialties
and makes an ex cellent guacamole. S ee
p. 135. F or inexpensiv e M exican food
with a vie w, y ou could do no better
than Mijita (O ne Ferry B uilding, No.
44; & 415/399-0814; p. 161), created
by one of SF's most renowned chefs. See
p. 125. F or a humble but terrific bur-
rito, head do wn to the M ission to La
Corneta Taqueria (2731 M ission S t.;
& 415/643-7001 ). See p. 147.
Best Ice Cream: And the winner is . . .
Mitchell's (688 San Jose Ave.; & 415/
648-2300 ) for cr eamy, luscious ice
creams in flav ors both ex otic (bab y
coconut, sw eet corn) and comfor ting
(Mexican chocolate, vanilla). See p. 147.
Best Afternoon Tea: Treat the kids to a
special child-friendly tea menu at the
Fairmont H otel's Laur el Cour t (950
Mason S t.; & 415/772-5259 ). S ee
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search