Customer Reviews

Dim Sum: A Pocket Guide

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book at the check out counter as I was leaving the bookstore. I took it with me to China when I went to adopt my son two weeks later. I loved it and had so much fun with it. I was able to order all sorts of things. I was able to attempt Cantonese pronunciations and if all else failed I could point to the picture and characters. I loved the little book and it was so easy to tuck in my purse.

This little book packs so much information to help non-Chinese speaking dim sum lovers-- descriptions and photos of common ingredients and dishes along w/ both the Chinese names & pronunciations. It even covers the customs/etiquette of dim sum dining. I've seen it help even the most experienced dim sum enthusiasts. This probably goes without saying, but dim sum is a totally different experience when you can actually ask for things by name. And the book is small enough that you can hide it in your lap or under your leg, if you don't want to be completely obvious. Or, you can hold it out in full view and point to what you want.

If you've never eaten China's famed tea lunch, dim sum, this is a great guide; if you're a fan of dim sum (touch the heart) this is a great guide! Pocket size with excellent brief descriptions and good pictures, this little book covers virtually all aspects of eating and enjoying dim sum and identifies the major types of food. This is a guide to understanding, eating and enjoying dim sum and is not a cook book.

Though it isn't an all-inclusive encycolpedia of all things dim sum, It's a great portable primer, with many common favorites featured. It doesn't have my favorite custard bun in it (someday I'll find out what they're called...), but it pictures many of the items you usually find on the carts. It's great to have both a photo, a description, the characters and a shot at a pronunciation when you want to try something. A great help when broadening your cuisine horizons!

This is a great little pocket guide to Dim Sum. It offers beautiful photos of each delicious dumpling as well as the name of the item, a pronunciation guide and Chinese characters in case you don't feel comfortable attempting the language (but you should, it's a lot of fun and educational). This little book also offers a legend of how tea was discovered and the way to subtly ask for more when you dine. It also shows the newbie to eating with chopsticks how to hold them.

It's not comprehensive for everything, but it's a great start.

This book is a great size to fit into your pocket and take along with you to Dim Sum. It has all the usual offerings you will see in most Dim Sum restaurants. Very useful.

I ordered this book through Amazon and was surprised at how little it was - it's very cute! I suppose, it DID say pocket guide :P Anyway, I like the short amount of text in it as it makes for a very quick and informative browse. I bought it so I would remember what the food looked like to be able to make food models and also for my drawings and game designs on Sims2.

I love it because the pictures are lovely and detailed, and includes the way it's normally presented.

I really enjoyed the pictures in this book. My mother speaks Cantonese and I found the translations very accurate. I enjoyed reading the short intro in the beginning giving non-Chinese eaters what to expect when they eat dim sum. There were some dishes that I don't usually see during in restaurants and some that I wish were in the book. Overall, I'm pleasantly satisfied.

I have loved going for dim sum for years but the collection of tasty edibles has always been a varied crowd. Now I have a lot more sense of it and can both know what I will like better and even direct the waitstaff towards what I want. I was at first disappointed with the Cantonese pronunciations, but they actually seem to be more useful than the Mandarin I would prefer.

Expensive for size and information provided. I was very disappointed and do not recommend it.
Instead, I suggest purchasing Dim Sum: a survival guide by Liza Chu - it's a little bigger but
more comprehensive.