Honolulu, with its large Asian population and strong ties to the East, is a good place to sample dim sum dishes. Whether you like them or not, you can't help but be awed by the artistry and ingenuity of the preparation. These translucent dumplings, usually made from rice flour wrapped around a tasty morsel of fish, chopped meat or vegetables, are like chocolates except you don't have to guess what's inside. The skin of rice flour is so clear that the ingredients can be clearly seen.
It is said that Cantonese cooks have acquired a dim sum repertoire of about 2,000 varieties and, in Hong Kong, the larger dim sum restaurants will prepare up to 100 of them a day. Considered snacks to eat with tea and typically served off carts pushed by wait help, an assortment of three or four baskets will be enough to satisfy most appetites. Perceptive diners will know the difference between one dim sum dish and another, just as connoisseurs of fine wine know their wine lists.
Some favorites are har gau (shrimp dumplings), cha siu bau (barbecued pork buns), tsun guen (real spring rolls) and taro gok (deep-fried taro puff). Fillings made from chicken, pork hash or spareribs with a fine mince of chopped vegetables are also popular. Dim sum is usually served in bamboo baskets containing three or four dumplings. It's inexpensive, an exotic treat and low in calories, which means you can sit for a long, long time munching and drinking tea.
There are plenty of restaurants in Honolulu, Chinatown and Waikiki that serve dim sum. We tried it at a Waikiki seafood restaurant where we worked our way through about six baskets of different varieties. It was a mini-adventure through Cantonese cooking, a great way to indulge in a long lunch and good conversation.
