nyc dim sum

Don’t I know it. I was just there and my first order of business was to find a hotel near the two places I had to be (which were luckily not that far apart).

Golden Unicorn is on my list of places to try, but we haven’t been yet.

Are you back in NYC? I thought that you were on the West Coast.

No. I am still in West Coast. I moved from East to West about 4 years ago, but I do really enjoy (and therefore miss) the NYC scene. LA is different. In some aspects, LA Chinese food scene is better. In many aspects, NYC Chinese food scene is better.
Last time I went back to NJ/NY, I specifically went to NY Manhattan Chinatown just to have the wonton noodle soup from Noodle Village (ok, I did visit other places, but Noodle Village is what made me took the NJ transit and NY MTA subway)

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I’ve only been to the UWS one, can’t speak for WV

The friend who came with me had recently been to the UWS branch and also said that was way better. So I guess it is. Live and learn.

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i thought the food was pretty good uws but not for the price. for the same price I’d rather buy a ticket to Honolulu and eat at side st :smiley:

I don’t really care about hype, but the reason for the hype is that it’s uncommon to find reliably good Cantonese dim sum in Manhattan. The best dim sum I’ve had in the U.S. so far was in South San Francisco, and Tim Ho Wan’s fare wasn’t on that level, but it was still solid and right (a little salty, but certainly acceptable). In Hong Kong, its quality wouldn’t be notable, but we’re not in Hong Kong.

I never understand why people make a big deal out of Tim Ho Wan. It is not horrible, but I certainly do not see it is better than most local Dim Sum places. In fact, the last time I was there, it is fairly empty compared to nearby Dim Sum restaurants.
People can like what they like. Everyone has their preference, but certainly not a heck a lot of people flocking to Tim Ho Wan here.

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Yes, that was the conclusion after the early madness. No better than other good options.

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Which other options are you two thinking of, by comparison?

Here

To be transparent, the Tim Ho Wan I ate at is at Irvine, California. Maybe you people have better luck at the one in New York. If my Tim Ho Wan is representative, then I personally would rank Tim Ho Wan average at NYC dim sum scenario. NYC has much better Dim Sum places – my opinion of course.

Again, let me be very clear. I do not hate. However, it is not nearly as good as some of their supporters claim to be. In fact, not many people were eating at the Irvine. It is like 60% full, while other Dim Sum places are packed with lines.

We ate at Tim Ho Wan in Manhattan with some friends in 2018. None of us were overly impressed. And one dish, I don’t remember which one, was sweet! This was not traditional dim sum.

I suppose another thing I wasn’t too big of a fan of Tim Ho Wan. People there (at least the wait staffs) do not seem to care too much. They have these emotionless faces. Take the order and just walk away. Ask them a question and they use the “least energy” responses, like nob head and shake head and then walk away. As if they couldn’t wait to get out of work and yet they are clearly not busy because the Tim Ho Wan I was at were half empty. Just seem too “McDonald” to me, or it reminds me of some hostage situations.

Whereas Golden Unicorn, Jing Fong and many other restaurants, the staffs seem to be more lively. Talk with the customers a bit, make some dish recommendations, and other small talks. Again, let me be clear, I do not hate Tim Ho Wan. There is clearly a small group of people loving it.

It’s the BBQ pork bun, rather like a melon pan stuffed with sweet pork. I’m not normally a fan of things that ought to be savory tasting sweet, but to my philistine tastes, this is unusual but it works. The pork is rich, and the sweetness (to my tongue) balances it.

Yes, it was the BBQ pork bun. We didn’t like it.

That’s probably because they don’t know anything about the food.

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Wow… you are right. I never thought of that, but I think you are right. These are probably short term workers who do not know much about the restaurants nor the foods.

Do you know the name? I know not everyone is a fan, but we usually go to Yank Sing, but a few months ago we went to Harbor View as well. Harbor View had a nice atmosphere but Yank Sing no longer feel “fabulous” with pandemic seating.

Really, including Jing Fong? OK, chacun a son gout. Although I see from another thread that you like their UWS location, which I’ve never been to. My feeling about big Chinatown dim sum eating halls like Golden Unicorn and Jing Fong is that they’ve always been OK, never great. The best dim sum I’ve had in New York has generally been in Flushing or Brooklyn.