![]() ![]() ![]() The atmosphere is really generic and boring but nobody's there to eat the art on the walls anyway. ![]() But generally if they say No instead of offering you what's on their carts, or if they leave a dish out when describing what they've got, it's because it's a very very traditional Chinese dish that may leave non-adventurous folks a little stunned. My brother will try anything once and has made the dim sum ladies bring him the Not For Americans dishes and loved every one. If you're truly adventurous, feel free to tell them to stop anyway. Usually these are dishes that are not to American tastes a couple of examples would be pork stomach with black bean sauce, or beef tripe or stewed chicken feet. One last thing- occasionally a server will push a cart past and will simply say No when you ask what's in there. Why I am saying this is, the Phoenix seems to get really harsh reviews based on their service but it could just be that we're all "doing it wrong." This is not an Americanized Chinese restaurant- it's pretty authentic Chinese in both food and service, so instead of trying to force their service into our pattern of "good service," perhaps we should be trying to learn the efficient way to signal for things that we want and need. Now I can't guarantee that the chopstick placement has everything to do with how many dim sum carts stop by but there seems to be a link there, and I do know there are all sorts of other common cues in Chinese table service (such as tapping your fingers in such a way to indicate you'd like more tea). Finally, there seems to be a secret language of chopsticks which we are still trying to decipher but it seems like resting your chopsticks across the top of your plate is a signal that you're done eating, meaning the carts will not stop at your table any more a simple experiment with this on our last visit may prove my theory, as halfway through our meal we wondered why no one was offering us more, and when we rearranged the chopsticks to a different position, all of a sudden we had more dim sum than we could shake a stick at (or perhaps shake a chopstick at?). They will tell you if it's spicy or not, and what they primary ingredient is, but that's about it, and I think it must be done this way so the items on the cart stay hot till served. Also the ladies pushing the dim sum carts are very focused on their dim sum and don't tend to have a lot of English so don't expect long, detailed descriptions of what's in each package. They will get you what you need if you're patient or even better, ask for it all at once. The ladies pushing the dim sum carts won't stop midstream to go get your fork, and your assigned waiter probably has 30 other tables to oversee. Don't be afraid to ask if you'd like a clean plate or a fork but don't be surprised if these items take a few minutes to actually show up. That's just not an efficient way to do things considering you may try 8 or 10 small plates during your stay (or even more). You will be given a pot of tea when you sit down if you want it, but you get the job of refilling the cups they will keep your water glasses full but don't expect fresh plates or new sauce dishes with every bit of dim sum. The service can be a little troublesome but that's mainly cultural, from what I can see. The spring rolls are good but not worth filling up on skip them and have some extra dumplings. Actually almost all of the dumplings are outstanding and you won't be disappointed. The steamed BBQ beef or pork buns are also top-notch and some of the best I've had. Some of the servers call these "soup dumplings" so keep an eye out for them. The Shanghai dumplings are delicious with a nice lump of sausage-type pork inside the dumpling shell but also a good amount of broth and juice. Don't wander too far from the hostess stand- going outside isn't a good idea- they will not hold your table if you're not there to claim it! However, once you've been seated, you'll be able to enjoy some tasty treats. There are no reservations taken and dim sum is only served during certain hours so check their site for current hours and arrive early trying to do a noon dim sum brunch on a Sunday will mean you're waiting for a table, often with dozens of other folks the entry to the restaurant is small and crowded so this can be a turn-off right from the start. Having read some pretty harsh reviews on TripAdvisor and other sites, I'd like to clear up a few things, because this really is a fantastic place, but you have to be in the right mindset to truly enjoy it. My boyfriend and I visit the Phoenix every time we are in Chicago and it never disappoints. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |