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Dim Sum and then some

Dim Sum. You hear that a lot in Vancouver. Seeing as I am interested in food, I paid attention. I never did try it though. It was always one of those things that you intend to do but never quite got around to it. Well, that changed. I am moving away from Vancouver. So, I am in catch-up mode right now. I have to do all sorts of things before I leave.

Dim Sum is one such thing. So I went with a bunch of far more knowledgeable Dim Sum eaters to a place called Sun Sui Wah in Richmond. Before I get to the food, let me side track and tell you about why I am afraid of Richmond.

The only times I ever go to Richmond are to
a) take a plane out of the airport
b) to pick someone up at the airport

Otherwise, I avoid Richmond. I have a predisposition to getting lost in the myriad of highways and other such evil devices they have there. Seriously. I was late for a funeral once because I took the wrong exit from the Knight Street Bridge. If you go the wrong way, you have to pretty much go to Delta before you can get back. It happened to me again. I drove for quite a few kilometres on Westminster Highway going the wrong way. I had my trusty Blackberry with me (I have a love-hate relationship with that device) and Google Maps on it was giving me directions to get to the place.

I searched for the business using the interface, and then asked for directions to there from where I was. It generated a route and told me to turn here and there. I missed one exit, got waylaid in Delta and managed to come back. Once I got back to the civilised part of Richmond, I followed the route as google maps suggested. I ended up by the water at the very end of Number 3 road. For some reason, the mapping software decided to send me to the nether reaches of Richmond. Thankfully, CY called me around that time... and I was telling him how I was by the water in Richmond on Number 3. Of course... I get a surprise... there is water on either end of that silly street. So, with his directions, I drove back on Number 3 till I got to the mall area (and the million people who decided to go shopping on Saturday got in the way) and past that to the Restaurant. I was late and had a fun time trying to find parking.

Richmond terrifies me. I get lost there. I know how to get to the airport and back. That's as much as I want to know of that city.

So, onto the DS. A bunch of ex-coworkers, coworkers and I were there to meet up, enjoy a fun meal at apparently one of the best Chinese restaurants in the area. It was great seeing all those people who escaped the place, they have this happy glow on their faces. I ate all sorts of things I never saw before or even heard of, tasted delicacies I will certainly look for again and even saw meals at the next table that had pigeon on the menu. Their pigeon is so good that people allegedly fly into Richmond just for it. Urban myth, I am sure, but the food was _good_. I even tried chicken feet. Tastes like Chicken. And if you ignore the obvious shape, it is kind of like eating Chicken Wings.

What I don't get is how all these Asian folks (and I am stereotyping them, but forgive that for a moment) eat all that and not get plump! I mean, if I had to eat like that on a fairly regular basis, I would break the 200 lbs barrier! And its not just here... I went to the Night Market once and the food there was fabulous. I love food and I know this much: anything that tastes good has to be bad for you somehow. It will make you fat or kill you faster or something. That's just the way it is.

Anyway, the food was great, the conversations were light, the company excellent. The bill was not as substantial as I expected, so that was a bonus too. I will do this again, just not sure when. It is a great social environment to meet new people and try things only the regular DS folks eat...

The only thing that ruined the afternoon (and it wasn't that bad) was a call from my manager asking me to work on something. That just made me mad. Sometimes, the people you work for (and the ones you work with) are just out there to ruin a good sunny Saturday afternoon. But I was at least well fed and entertained.

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