Tea and Tidbits

The stock markets on three continents plunged all week. But, on Saturday, Denverites went out for dim sum. It was high noon and the restaurant was packed—expected wait time—half an hour. Not bad business, and in a slow economy to boot. Superstar Asian Cuisine is not an overly large restaurant, and some people had to wait standing. Dim sum carts blocked the aisles between tables. All in all, the ambience was claustrophobic. But once we were seated, all that changed. After pouring the tea, the first dish arrived, and the mood changed. The restaurant may have been crowded, but our table was an island. And we had that island all to ourselves. The food did not disappoint. For the uninitiated, dim sum is small plates of toothsome morsels such as pork or shrimp dumplings, fried fish balls, steamed meatballs, stuffed buns and custard tarts. Servers offer dishes from their carts and you choose whatever looks appealing. If you always order sweet and sour pork in Chinese restaurants, dim sum is probably not for you—it requires a more adventurous palate. However, if you like to try new things, than try the chicken feet. There isn’t much meat on them, but they are good to gnaw on and the sauce is tasty. Superstar Asian Cuisine is located at 2200 West Alameda Avenue in Denver. Dim sum is served from 11:00 to 4:00 on weekdays, 10:30 to 4:00 on Saturdays and 10:00 to 4:00 on Sundays.