This is Seattle: Dim Sum

A trip to Seattle would not be complete without a trip to the International District.  We just happened to be in the city on a weekend when they were having a Chinese festival.  Colorful dragons were dancing on the streets and people were selling all sorts of items from China at elaborately decorated stands.  Although the International District attracts a lot of tourists, it is also booming with locals going to get their fill of Dim Sum.

Before coming to Seattle I had no idea what Dim Sum was.  A friend of ours wanted to take us out to try it and I was convinced it was some type of dish.  However I soon learned that Dim Sum is more of a style of eating.  In the International District there are a few places to get Dim Sum, but we went to a small place called Harbor City.  After sitting down at our table a woman came by pushing a cart with small, round baskets filled with very odd-looking items.  They were some sort of dumpling, and after asking about them we found out they were filled with pork, shrimp, and vegetables, and were topped with a few fish eggs.  We selected a couple baskets of these dumplings, some rolls filled with pork and a barbeque tasting sauce, shrimp dumplings, and some green vegetables.  Each time you ask for items off of the cart, the waiter or waitress marks it on a little sheet at your table.  There are no menus for Dim Sum, just passing carts for you to view and select what you would like to eat.  Another important part of Dim Sum is the tea.  Your waiter or waitress will come by and ask if you would like some hot tea with your meal.  The answer is a definite YES!

I was definitely a little worried looking at the strange items on our table.  However, after putting all fears aside, I grabbed a pork dumpling with my chopsticks and sampled it by taking a small bite.  It was great!  In fact, all of the food items we had selected were surprisingly tasty.

So here’s to Harbor City and Dim Sum!

Bubble Tea!!
If you are looking for something cool to drink after a great Dim Sum experience at Harbor City, take a walk just a few blocks West to a place called Gossip Espresso and Tea and order a Bubble Tea!
A great choice… Strawberry Milk Tea with rainbow jellies!

Check out the website for Gossip Espresso and Tea to learn about Bubble Tea.

Travel Info and Tips:

• There is a free bus in downtown Seattle that you can catch and ride anywhere in the downtown area.  They will warn you if you are getting to an area outside downtown where you will need to pay for your ride.