popplers

Dim sum!

To celebrate the nascent Year of the Rat, a group of us went to Chinatown on Sunday for dim sum. We converged on Framingham and took the first Commuter Rail train, arriving at South Station just before 11 a.m. A quick walk through the crowded streets found us standing at the doorstep of Emperor's Garden (a.k.a. Empire Garden). The restaurant is on the edge of Chinatown and the Combat Zone, just across the street from Penang. The building used to be the Center Theater, and you can really tell if you're sitting in the main room of the restaurant— just look up at the ceiling. We didn't even have to wait for a table; going early (and going to a place with lots of seating) really paid off. Lots and lots of sticky rice, dumplings containing shrimp, pork, or shrimp and pork, char siu bao, har gau, mango pudding, jin dui, shu mai, yu choy, and more, were consumed. We didn't come close to beating our all-time high of $14 per person; the bill totaled $100 for 9 people (6 adults, 3 kids), including lavish tip. Afterward, we wandered a bit, marveling at the ever-changing New England weather (sun, rain, sun, snow, wind, you-name-it…). Made a quick stop at Hing Shing Bakery for more char siu bao, jin dui, peanut buns, zongzi, yellow custard bao, etc., then headed back to catch the train. Unfortunately, it looks like the big celebration is next weekend.