Yum Cha, in Seattle

There are no dim sum restaurants in Bellingham, WA.

Frequent family get-togethers in busy restaurants like the one above are a fond and vivid memory of my childhood days growing up on the east coast. After college I moved to San Francisco where there were dim sum places a-plenty, but since relocating to the northernmost corner of the Pacific Northwest, my dim sum splurges occur only when I fly out east every summer for family visits. Sure, I could get dim sum if I ventured to Vancouver, BC or Seattle, but, it just doesn't happen.

Today, however, we met several of Rich's co-workers at Joy Palace in Seattle for a wonderful dim sum brunch. The tradition of going out for dim sum is actually called yum cha, or "drink tea", and the dim sum, the delectable treats, comprised of dishes ranging from rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings, char siu bao, pork rolls, steamed beef balls, Lotus leaf rice, egg custard tarts, and much, much, much more is the food served at yum cha.

I just polished off the leftovers that we brought home with us while typing up this blipfoto post, and this last bit of lo mai gai (lotus leaves stuffed with sticky rice, chicken, scallions, etc) will have to do to tide me over until my next dim sum excursion!