Late to the party and all but at least I made it past the MSG derail.
I do not understand the trepidation with Dim Sum, the food is all there to choose in normal Dim Sum cart service. Just pick what looks good to you. I totally get the OP’s misunderstanding of the process, and trying something new by yourself can be confusing, but once you understand the process a la post #2, its simple. Certainly best as a shared meal Rather than individual - easier to have many different items. Maybe some people’s brains do not work the same but for me it all tastes pretty much as it looks.
I have been eating it for years and barely know the name of anything. I know I do not care for taro and do not bother with items with its particular translucent gray/purple pudge, so that’s one I had to learn. The crunchy fried stuff is pretty much crunchy fried stuff, gooey is gooey, sweets are usually obviously sweet items and savory looks savory. I guess one would also have to learn that the red (bean) paste is sweet, and the stuff in steamed banana leaves is sticky rice.
Is it really that hard to find proper Chinese food in huge metro cities like Dallas and Houston, or is the difficulty with finding Dim Sum in Texas just an issue for rural areas?