Where to get Dim Sum

For those of you who don't know what Dim Sum is, I'll post more information on the next rock this weekend. For those who do know:

We are so lucky that this rusted out burg has no less than TWO dim sum places that could hold their own in any big city on the coasts. (Not world class, mind you, but respectably delectable nevertheless.)

Litte Panda has better food and prices, but they only serve dim sum on the weekends at lunch. They don't have carts, and you may have to ask for the dim sum menu if you don't look Asian. They're on the west side of Lansing, at 5439 W Saginaw Hwy, across from Lansing Mall in the Target shopping area. (517) 323-2450. (They do have a few dim sum items on their regular menu for those evenings when you just HAVE to have the best and heartiest potsticker or green onion pancake in town.)

Golden Wok, on the other hand, serves dim sum for lunch every day. And on the weekends and on holidays, they have the carts (and each week they seem to have newer and better varieties). The ladies who push the carts are much better tempered than those in your classic Chinatown dim sum house, but they are still free with their opinions of your choices. Golden Wok is in East Lansing, at 2755 E Grand River Ave. (517) 333-8322. (At the corner of Northwind Drive, across from Oriental Mart, and near the E.L. Food co-op.)

(NOTE: Golden Wok has changed significantly. I think they are under new management. They no longer have carts on Sunday, and the new chef does not seem to be able to handle the translucent starch dough used for Har Gow or Fun Kor. Their pastries seem to be still good, and they are the only place to have "Bread Stick in Rice Roll" which is really good.)

Everyday Restaurant in East Lansing has a good, authentic, dim sum buffet on Sundays and I think Saturdays as well. (You may want to call first if you go on a Saturday.) Their new chef is a great Cantonese chef, and there are a lot of excellent other dishes on the buffet both on dim sum weekends an the regular weekday buffet. Some dishes don't take to the buffet style as well as others. The Fried Taro Ball is the best in town. Everyday Restaurant, is at 1375 East Grand River Ave, East Lansing. (517) 337-1882.

Dim Sum Primer, Part 1
Dim Sum Primer, Part 2
Dim Sum Primer, Part 3
Dim Sum Primer, Part 4