Post-run dim sum

When Billy, Winnie, and I get together for a run, we usually end up spending more time and energy eating than actually exercising. It was no different this time when we met up to do a 5K run for liver cancer and hepatitis B awareness in Golden Gate Park. We, along with Winnie's friend Tim, ran the race together through the rain and mud. We finished in about 30 minutes, a decent time though not great. I struggled a little bit with a hill and then a cramp, but I hit a stride just as we were nearing the end. I think I could have kept running.

Afterward, we were hungry and decided that dim sum was what we wanted. Nothing beats pork and shrimp and countless dumplings after a morning run. We made a stop at my house first. Tim took a bit of a nap on my couch, while Billy showered and then lied in my bed.

At Tim's suggestion, we went to Chinatown's Great Eastern Restaurant. I usually avoid Chinatown and have only ever had dim sum in Chinatown once. But, I was game to try a new place and possibly have a dim sum go-to in Chinatown. Winnie picked us up from my house, we navigated our way across the city, and found parking relatively easily.

Though were were four Chinese people, the folks at Great Eastern didn't give us the Chinese people treatment. We weren't asked what kind of tea we wanted; we were just given the pot of house tea. And, we were even given forks! Sure, we might have all be born in the US and, sure, our Cantonese isn't all that great, but we know how to use chopsticks. We blamed it on Winnie speaking to the hostess in English to get seated.

I took me a little while to realize that there were absolutely no dim sum carts and that we had to order everything off the menu. I have mixed feelings toward the menu system. Sure, you know what you'll be getting and don't have to anxiously eye carts that come around. But, they eying and the waiting is part of the fun, part of the leisurely activity that is dim sum. Plus, with the carts, you know when to say stop. With the menu system, I've noticed that my friends and I usually end up ordering way more food than we need or want. Our eyes are usually bigger than our stomachs.

That was the case this time too. We ordered tons of food and all the dishes that I grew up eating at dim sum: shrimp dumplings, chive dumplings, turnip cake, chicken feet, tripe, sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, pork and mushroom dumplings, Shanghai dumplings, taro puff, ham siu gok (which translates to salty water corner), steamed rice noodles with shrimp, steamed rice noodles with barbequed pork, eggplant stuffed with shrimp, bell pepper stuffed with shrimp. At one point, there was no room on our little table for more plates and steam baskets. The women made faces at us. But, we worked our way through all the dishes and took two little boxes of food to go, which wasn't too bad considering all that we ordered for just four people.

Generally, the food was good. It wasn't greasy and the flavors were on spot. The taro puff was especially good though, as it tasted of taro and was crisp and light. The ham siu gok was also particularly good. If I were ever in Chinatown and had a hankering for dim sum, I would go here again. Winnie also ran into one of her former student's mom.

And, because we are that ridiculous, we stopped by Golden Gate Bakery for egg custard tarts on our way back to the car.