My Dimsum Break story

Every Sunday back then, my family and I would do some sort of bonding activity after going to church. One of the usual things we would do is to go bowling in SM Cebu. This was in the early 2000s, so options of entertainment for kids were quite limited during that time. After hitting pins for two hours, we would always go to a restaurant that Cebuanos love and patronize like crazy—Harbour City Dimsum House Co. Now I can’t remember if it was called Dimsum Break or Harbour City, but it doesn’t matter that much since it’s the same company.

I remembered there were fish tanks, and I thought back then if they used the fish in their cooking. I remembered the clanking of cups and the rolling wheels of dim sum carts. I, wearing my short pants and Winnie the Pooh t-shirt, was so excited to find a spot to eat. I’d defer to my mom to order for us, but I would always request the most important thing on the menu—steamed rice.

This is not the steamed rice that you might be familiar with. Dim sum steamed rice is stir-fried rice placed in a cup then is drenched with pork and shrimp gravy with lots of toppings. It usually includes pork chunks, shrimp, and green peas.

I asked my mother one time, after using spoons during our previous visits, to show me how to use chopsticks. I told myself that I want to do the whole experience of eating dim sum, and the best way to do that is to use chopsticks. My finger dexterity was pretty horrible during that time, and I would always drop the meat chunks when I try to pinch it with my chopsticks. I was frustrated.

So my mother told me to hold the cup with my right hand (I’m left-handed), close to my mouth, and let the chopsticks sink at the bottom of the steam rice and push the rice in my mouth like a shovel. I immediately pictured Goku from Dragon Ball Z when he ate mountains of food.

It definitely worked! My fat ass loved it so much since I could eat a lot in one bite and not get frustrated. And I still keep doing that until today. I’ve taught a few of my friends how to use chopsticks in Dimsum Break, and eventually, I taught my wife there too. 

Dim sum has brought a lot of good memories over the years, and it will always be my ultimate comfort food. It’s been a minute since I’ve had my Dimsum Break fix, and I’ll get one (or two!) soon when I come home.