My rant will rise again
So while writing about the fantastic frozen dim sum treats I buy in Costco-like portions from HT Oaktree in the comments of that report, it reminded me of my favorite rant about Seattle, and that I have yet to broadcast it to the MetBlog-o-verse. Why, why oh why, can I not get dim sum in the North End? I know that Chiang’s has ‘northern style dim sum’, I live across the street. But I don’t want to order sweets off a menu, that is not why I go to dim sum. I want carts rolling by me filled with steam racks full of a rainbow of dumplings, carts with little fried cakes and treats so bad for me that my heart attacks at the sight. I want unlimited tea, preferably just straight to the vein, though I’ll take it in a tea cup if I have to. Dim sum is all about the atmosphere, and while I’ll take the trek to the ID sometimes, I’d love to be able to wander in within 5 minutes of lifting my bedhead from the pillow. Dim Sum is the quintessential cure for a hangover. You don’t even have to order–you can just grunt and point. How much better can it get? With the recent demise of the Hakka House on Aurora, my roommate and I are on a quest to convince one of the many Chinese restaurants north of the ship canal (but not too far north, we don’t do suburbs) to start this service. Any suggestions as to which restaurant might take kindly to this suggestion? Chiang’s was not exactly thrilled at our suggestion, so it looks like we won’t be able to walk…
Also, is there any other meal that is so cornered into one section of this city??
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There are good reasons why the Dim Sum places are in the ID and Kent. The main reason is that the north end is white, white, white. If you go into a Dim Sum restaurant down south you will see a healthy mix of Asians and Anglos. You may want Dim Sum and some of your friends as well, but are you enough to make up for the relative lack of Asian customers.
A second reason is the relatively high rent in the North end. Dim Sum is fairly labor intensive, so you are asking folks to staff their restaurants at times when they must compete with brunches and other cuisines.
Just take the bus to the ID. It is good to leave the hood.
It’s unfortunate you don’t have any good Dim Sum places in your hood, but you can at least celebrate the awesome Korean cuisine you do have. Try Old Village Korean Restaurant on Aurora and 152nd. I live in Ballard and have neither good Chinese nor Korean food within 5 miles. (But I do have a decent Mexican restaurant).
I don’t understand the problem. The best Dimsum is always located in Chinatowns. Even in NYC and SF, you don’t find good dimsum outside of the core Chinatown areas. You want Chinese restaurants with Chinese cooks and Chinese laborers to pack up and locate in a tony white district where rents are higher, labor scarcer, and foodstuffs harder to find? Not happening.