Now THAT makes me want to scream!!! “PRESTIGE” means nothing to me. Really less than nothing. The must-go-to-spots are the ones I’ll generally do not go to. Trendy makes me want to puke. Maybe I’m just at an age (71) where that whole thing has become a turn off.
Unfortunately, on aggregate, cuisines NEED prestige. Once a cuisine gains prestige like Italian-American and Japanese, overall quality goes up because there’ll be more demand and $$ to work with. This can then be followed by individual restaurants gaining prestige / accolades which further enhances the reputation of a cuisine.
Look no further than how the World’s 50 Best changed Noma’s life. According to Rene Redzepi, Noma was struggling to fill their restaurants before they went “No. 1” in 2010. Overnight, they received 100,000 requests for a reservation and they’ve been fully booked since. Did Noma suddenly cook better food overnight? No, but they’re now a “prestigious institution” where everyone will flock there.
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To this point, a single pound of glorious live shrimp is enough for 2 people to eat dim sum.
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And to this point, sushi bars charge $15/shrimp for the same SB shrimp and they don’t even cook it. And the Italian place charges $20/shrimp… sometimes they cook it sometimes they don’t.
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Exactly.
Using price to judge what to eat is both underinclusive and overinclusive. And akin to basically using the bluntest of instruments to perform a self-vasectomy.
And I find it stupid and incredibly snobby.
Shark fin is banned across the US? Since when? I was only aware of the CA ban…
Bill Clinton signed the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000 (SFPA), which banned finning on any fishing vessel within United States territorial waters, and on all U.S. -flagged fishing vessels in international waters. Additionally, shark fins could not be imported into the United States without the associated carcass.
Shark finning - Wikipedia
There are some things that shouldn’t require a ban 
I stand corrected. It’s not a nation wide ban. 
Clinton’s “ban” back in the days allows the fisherman to shark finning as long as they don’t discard the carcass in the ocean from what I’ve read.
So what I shared isn’t correct.
It is correct but there are loopholes around it.
How so?
this is dim sum in NE ohio (dad turned 95 yesterday).
one cart. you have to order cha siu bao for them to steam it.
the chicken feet were indifferently cleaned before cooking.
Due to the absence of dim sum here, a few years ago I took and Asian dumpling class of Andrea Nguyen in SF. She’s a great teacher, both IRL and in her books.
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It has definitely distracted many people from exploring the other types of Chinese cuisines and dishes available.
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i have acquaintances who think only “dim sum” when i mention chinese food. i liken it to people thinking ‘tapas’ when they think of spanish cuisine (vs. latin american). both have relatively humble origins though there’s a difference in that one accompanies tea while the other accompanies alcohol. everyone can’t be completely cosmopolitan.
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Hi @foodshutterbug,
Replying here because it’s easier to include my pics and descriptions on my last few trips to Sea Harbour. 
(See above.)
I’ve quoted / included some of the dishes we’ve enjoyed the most at Dim Sum for Sea Harbour. I’ve included a few more than 2 people can handle, but only because I wanted you to see some options. 
(a few different veggie dishes, get one of the Steamed Rice Rolls (I included a more unique Chicken & Bitter Melon Rice Roll, or a more traditional Beef Rice Roll above); you might like the Stewed Chicken Feet or maybe not, etc.).
Also if you happen to see either of the French Style Sweet Potato Bun or French Style Taro Bun, just order it! They are AMAZING some of the best Dim Sum desserts we’ve had over the years (thanks again @ipsedixit), but sadly they’ve been rotated off the menu for the last 3 quarters or so.
Enjoy!
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“i have acquaintances who think only “dim sum” when in mention chinese food.”
Gosh. That’s funny. And oddly, a good thing, As an ex-midwesterner, I had older jewish relatives were so happy to be able to get simple chinese dishes (moo goo gai pan, almond chicken etc.) that the idea of being able to judge, and take for granted, such an evolved, labor-intensive level as dum sum? Wow. THAT’S new world!
Not sure I would call dim sum “labor intensive”
Ah Ipse. If you are not skilled at it, or not trained at it, and, want to make more than one type at a time, on your own? Making the, oh I don’t know, just um, just saying, the potsticker/goyza skins on your own? While making black bean spareribs and a spicy stir fried cabbage? And maybe (again, just saying) you are oh um, 18, and doing it as a birthday gift for your dad? Many years ago? And you are primarily a baker?
It all turned out well (thank goodness!) but it was also asked for as, at that time, you could not get dim sum in Ohio. Too much work, not enough demand = instant cheap but hard birthday gift.
But also, seriously, at that time you just could not buy that in the midwest. You had to make it or live without.
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