Friends suggested meeting for dim sum early this morning at 88 Palace Restaurant. When I arrived here at 9:30 am, I was one of five people sitting in a large dining area. This vast place is crowded over the weekend with people waiting to enjoy dim sum. It was lovely to see my friends and to meet their new born. The best part of having dim sum here is that ladies push carts that hold all kinds of delicacies. We ate sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, steamed shrimp dumplings, shumai, ribs, shrimp rice rolls and pork buns. The food was good but fairly standard. Over the weekend, there is a much bigger variety with different stations serving hot food à la minute. Then, of course, there are a great number of people and long wait times.
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Excellent Dim Sum. Unlike so many other restaurants in Chinatown, 88 Palace isn't readily seen from the street so the tourists haven't invaded it yet. The restaurant is in the 88 East Broadway mall on the top floor, literally underneath the Manhattan railway. When entering the mall, take the escalator to the top floor - 88 Palace encompasses the entire top floor. The layout is spacious to allow the dim sum carts to pass easily. The only drawback is that the restaurant is LOUD - don't expect a quiet, intimate meal.
The food was very good - the clientele are mostly older Chinese who tend to be the harshest food critics who want the best product at the lowest price. With one exception, all of our dishes were in the $2.75 to $3.25 range which is very reasonable. The pork and shrimp dumplings were excellent - light and flavorful. The baked roast pork buns were excellent as well - the size is relatively small but that's actually a benefit as this allows diners to sample more dishes without getting filled up.
All told, for 3 people, the bill was under $35 including 8 dishes, tea and tip. The next time I'm in town, I'll make an effort to visit again!!
Dim Sum Yum. This place is in an all Chinese mall under the Manhattan Bridge - amazing location to explore - and delicious dim sum off the cart but also from the little window in front. YUM!
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