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Dim Sum

Had Yai, Thailand – While perusing Had Yai’s sunny morning market, I got a call from June and my new friends.  They wanted to know if I’d like to join them for dim sum; I rushed over.  We ended up at Chokdee Dim Sum, 45/17 Lamaisongkraw (near soi 2), a bustling, open-air spot up the street from the Neo Hotel.

Now instead of ordering from menus or dim sum-loaded carts wheeled past your table, as I was accustomed to in NYC, you go up to a case of uncooked dishes, choose what you want and leave a piece of paper with your table number.  I got a little nervous when June started ordering plates of uncooked pork semi-traumatized by the time I ate raw pork of my own accord, but everything arrived in freshly cooked in steamer baskets.

And when I say fresh, I really mean fresh. This dim sum wasn’t greasy, laced with copious amounts of msg or overladen with salt.  We had cabbage-wrapped steamed pork, chewy brown rice with crispy pork, steamed buns, pork-stuffed bitter melon and tender, saucy spare ribs.  Alongside it all, was an invigorating light, soy-based soup made with enoki mushrooms and dark greens, which my friends told me was good for the health (something about Chinese medicinal herbs or something).  The flavors of this meal were clean and full, unencumbered by too much seasoning, and unlike my other bouts with the Chinese feast I didn’t walk away feeling hazy and overstuffed, ready for an aspirin, a bottle of water and a nap.  In fact, I was ready to take on the day.

Soup with Mushrooms and Medicinal Herbs