I’m in NYC from around November 3 to November 16 and I really want to go to Flushing for dim sum. I was thinking Sat Nov. 7 or Sun Nov. 8 would work and try to get there about 10 AM to try to beat the crowds. I’d be willing to go later because bars close at 4AM and well, I’m in NYC so what the hell. I know that it’s mostly Chinese folk and I don’t speak the language, but I’m more than happy to take the chance on dangerous and strange Chinese dim sum.
It’s pretty much random seating type stuff, but we could try to get some seats near each other.
I’m unfamiliar with Queens dim sum, but looking at Chowhound, Jade Restaurant sounds pretty popular.
Do any of you guys have any favorites? I’m willing to go to Brooklyn or stay in Manhattan (I’ve been to most of the popular dim sum joints in Manhattan).
Can I convince any Dopers to chow down on dim sum?
I’m sooo in! I’ve been to Jade Asian Restaurant (as well as its forbear, Gum Fong). It is about 98% Asian people, but they are very friendly. There are a wide variety of foods - really something for everyone.
It is HUGE, and you’ve gotten some wrong information about seating. They seat entire tables together - it is only single people alone who might get stuffed in with someone else (actually though I’ve never seen that happen). You go up, tell them how many you have, they give you a number and when your number comes up they seat your table.
10 o’clock is an optimal time, it gets really crowded by noon and there’s a long wait. There is a municipal parking deck across the street, but it fills up fast!!
You can take the LIRR to within walking distance (stop is Flushing - Main Street). I can also take a couple people from Queens in my car if people need a ride. I can pick people up at either LIRR Kew Gardens stop OR Union Turnpike on the E/F subway. PM me if you need a ride.
I’m (um) an expert in Flushing history, have conducted many walking tours of the neighborhood, have made a film about some of Flushing history, and live in Flushing (actually “Forest Hills” but my mail comes out of the Flushing station for some weird reason.)
I’ll see if I can make the time because I really feel like I should show up. After all, I live in Flushing, grew up here too, speak Chinese and eat at Jade Asian (formerly Gum Fong) for Dim Sum regularly. In fact, my wedding reception was at Gum Fong 10 years ago. As recently as last year some of the wait staff recognized me and asked about my uncle (who was, shall we say, a Memorable Character at that wedding).
Parking in the two level Muni lot across the street is FREE on Sundays, which is why it fills so fast. (Except for the Red section on the lower level that’s reserved parking by permit only, don’t park there or you could get ticketed and even towed.) Get there by 10am and you should be OK. Most people only start showing up for Dim Sum around 10:30-11am as it’s really kind of a brunch thing. When I go with my parents they think I’m crazy to go as early as 10.
Hey pseudotriton ruber ruber, are you involved with Forgotten NY by any chance?
I work down by Jamaica Hospital, so I was thinking of parking in my usual lot, and hopping something to get wherever we’re going. Should be doable, right?
Excellent! My NYC friends aren’t much into dim sum. I don’t know what their problem is. I think it’s their conservative foodie Pennsylvanian upbringing. Let’s go for Jade Asian at 10AM on Sunday, November 8.
I hope you show up robardin, because it’s always a mystery to me what to order. The cheap dim sum places in San Francisco typically tell you what it is in English. In NYC I quite often end up with a ton of rice noodle doohickies
I’ll try to wear a garish '70’s polyester shirt and maybe bring a weirdo mylar helium balloon so you can figure out who I am.
I’m coming in from the Lower East Side, so I’ll take the LIRR. It looks like it departs every half hour at XX:19 and XX:48 on Sunday from Penn Station so I’ll shoot for an extra early train so when my inevitable fuckup occurs, I’ll still show up on time. Man, I’m hungry already.
Just a reminder! Are you guys still up for 10AM Sunday November 8 at Jade Asian? I hope so, because I’m pretty psyched. I hope the mylar balloon thing didn’t come off too weird. I can nix it if you guys think it’s a bad idea. I was at a dopefest and the group had a small sheet of paper attached to the wall with SDMB written in small unreadable letters in a dimly lit bar. I’m kind of a shy person and I didn’t feel like walking up to every group and asking if they were a bunch of dopers.
In any case, I’ll PM people with my contact info in another couple of days. Hope to see some peeps out there!
Yay! I managed to figure out how to connect up my rarely used linux netbook to my buddy’s DSL. I’ve scored a red mylar star shaped ('cause I’m a commie!) that I’ll bring if it doesn’t pop or get lost on the subway. I’ll be wearing a Russian Ushanka hat and the aforementioned garish (green pattern) polyester shirt. I’m a middle aged Japanese American dude, so I’ll probably look like a lot of those Chinese guys, but what can you do?
Now, if I can manage not to get too terribly hammered tonight, I should be at the restaurant at 10AM. Maybe someone can call me at 8AM to make sure I drag my ass out of bed. I hope to see some one there. I think i’ll recognize E-Sabbath’s T-shirt.
I was there from 9:30 until 10:15. I may have made eye contact with E-Sabbath–I was waiting in the lobby, up that flight of stairs, and came outside to see if the white guy on his cell phone was looking to meet people, but he (you?) didn’t seem eager to talk to me after I said “Hi,” to him.
Was I too punctual? I gave you guys 15 minutes past 10 AM to get your asses into the lobby of the restaurant, which seemed like the logical place to meet, then I had to go. To me, 10 AM means something very closely resembling 10 AM sharp–sorry. Also I called Darryl Lict on his cel at 8 AM, and got a message and no call-back, which wasn’t exactly encouraging either.
Blue shirt? I didn’t hear you say hi, sorry. And yeah, I was trying to get my phone to respond. Everyone else showed 1030 or so. I was wearing the skullhead shirt, I thought it would be distinctive enough. Next time.