Why do I have to push and shove

[Faithless]

It's been my experience in getting dim sum in Oakland and San Francisco's Chinatowns that if you aint on the ball, you are going to fall behind in line.

Some little old lady's gonna edge her way ahead of you, put in her order in Cantonese, get her shit and be done.

Is it me or does it seem like you have to be rude and step in front of others to order dim sum? :frown:

[thaite]

Yes.

I hear there are some spots in LA where if you ain't even Chinese you might as well go home.

[artsfartsyjanet]

Yes, you gotta be assertive in a dim sum joint. I'm used to it.

[Tao]

hey man, that's half the fun, otherwise you might as well go to PF Changs.

[blue hoodie]

Originally posted by Tao@Jun 4 2003, 10:48 AM
hey man, that's half the fun, otherwise you might as well go to PF Changs.
true dat.

And even if you're Chinese, it's still hard to get good dim sum service!

[Faithless]

Originally posted by blue hoodie@Jun 4 2003, 11:27 AM
true dat.

And even if you're Chinese, it's still hard to get good dim sum service!
Maybe, I don't look Chinese enough. :rolleyes:

But I'm aware of the drill. I just get tired of having to yell-out from behind the little old ladies to order shiu mai and sticky rice. :frown:

There needs to be a better system, like paper-numbers or something.

[lethal]

You mean at the take out places?

You know people in Asia don't believe in lines, they come here and they don't believe in lines either.

The SF places in the Richmond weren't too bad about pushy people though and I never went to places in Chinatown when it was busy.

[sOKaLiBoY]

Originally posted by ChottoMatte@Jun 4 2003, 12:51 PM
There needs to be a better system, like paper-numbers or something.
lol that's an american way. true asian places are too ghetto for that

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by lethalweapon@Jun 4 2003, 05:24 PM
You mean at the take out places?

You know people in Asia don't believe in lines, they come here and they don't believe in lines either.

The SF places in the Richmond weren't too bad about pushy people though and I never went to places in Chinatown when it was busy.
no way man. people in HK are lining up all the time. they have to line up for everything. it's so funny, they're always in a rush to go somewhere... so they can wait in line.

[Tao]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jun 4 2003, 05:55 PM
Originally posted by lethalweapon@Jun 4 2003, 05:24 PM
You mean at the take out places?

You know people in Asia don't believe in lines, they come here and they don't believe in lines either.

The SF places in the Richmond weren't too bad about pushy people though and I never went to places in Chinatown when it was busy.
no way man. people in HK are lining up all the time. they have to line up for everything. it's so funny, they're always in a rush to go somewhere... so they can wait in line.
yeah I noticed that too when I visited HK. And whenever you see a person jaywalking in japan, people always think the person is chinese.

[Chester]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Jun 4 2003, 01:55 PM
no way man. people in HK are lining up all the time. they have to line up for everything.
Yeah, Hong Kongers picked up queuing from the Brits, I'd imagine. It's mostly the Mainlanders who live by a Darwinian sort of code. It's as if life is a zero-sum game. If someone gets their order in first, it's not that you will get your order later, it's as if you won't get your order at all, will starve, and die.

Mainland line etiquette is so weird. I don't know what to do when there's a big cluster-fuck. It seems the most polite (yet still self-interested) thing to do is to quietly and steadily push forward...irresistable force in a passive way. When I actively block people off and defend my "turf," people give me dirty looks.

But maybe dirty looks are par for the course for everyone who doesn't let others just trample over them.

[Tao]

i think that sorta mentality became more pronounced under the communist regime, where if you don't fight for food, you'll die. So I can understand and cut some slack to the old folks who push ahead of me.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by Chester@Jun 4 2003, 08:39 PM
Yeah, Hong Kongers picked up queuing from the Brits, I'd imagine. It's mostly the Mainlanders who live by a Darwinian sort of code. It's as if life is a zero-sum game. If someone gets their order in first, it's not that you will get your order later, it's as if you won't get your order at all, will starve, and die.

Mainland line etiquette is so weird. I don't know what to do when there's a big cluster-fuck. It seems the most polite (yet still self-interested) thing to do is to quietly and steadily push forward...irresistable force in a passive way. When I actively block people off and defend my "turf," people give me dirty looks.

But maybe dirty looks are par for the course for everyone who doesn't let others just trample over them.
yeah it's like, you don't want to contribute to the chaos, but if you don't join the fray, you'll really get nothing to eat. or at least it'll be hours later until you get your food.

[sandra]

Originally posted by ChottoMatte@Jun 4 2003, 10:02 AM
It's been my experience in getting dim sum in Oakland and San Francisco's Chinatowns that if you aint on the ball, you are going to fall behind in line.

Some little old lady's gonna edge her way ahead of you, put in her order in Cantonese, get her shit and be done.

Is it me or does it seem like you have to be rude and step in front of others to order dim sum? :frown:
if you're talking about jade villa...my advice would be to just push and shove. you won't get your order in otherwise.

[Chris]

My god for me I am the only one of 2 people that can speak chinese. i have to be so aggressive for all the good stuff. I mean I will HUNT Those cart ladies down. Otherwise I be stuck eating the weird shitez.

[rakovlam]

Hehehe... no need for aggressive ordering around the NY metropolitan area.

[YuheiCarreau]

Originally posted by Chester@Jun 4 2003, 06:39 PM
Mainland line etiquette is so weird. I don't know what to do when there's a big cluster-fuck. It seems the most polite (yet still self-interested) thing to do is to quietly and steadily push forward...irresistable force in a passive way. When I actively block people off and defend my "turf," people give me dirty looks.

But maybe dirty looks are par for the course for everyone who doesn't let others just trample over them.
Maybe the glares are less about "How rude!" and more about "Damn, I wish I was standing where he is".

[Deadpool]

Damn.....Dim Sum is supreme here in Vancouver. I never heard of such competition for the carts before, LoL. When is picture it in my head it seems comical.
i have a solution though. next time you go bring one of those chicken feather dusters, you know the ones your mom or dad used to beat you with when you are bad, and start whipping people hogging the carts. :lol:

[deez nuts]

service is pretty good at the dim sum places i go to.

granted it's a little rushed and hectic. but that can be attributed to both the servers, dim sum girls and customers.

the customers are the main reason i don't like going to dim sum. they're loud and rude. typical cantonese people! hahahahaha

[maxdacat]

question:

we call it yum cha in Oz but everywhere else (including london) seems to be dim sum....why the difference in terminology?

also - pushcart vs menu?

i vote pushcart anyday but the space constraints tend to decide for you

[Faithless]

Originally posted by lethalweapon@Jun 4 2003, 01:24 PM
You mean at the take out places?

You know people in Asia don't believe in lines, they come here and they don't believe in lines either.

The SF places in the Richmond weren't too bad about pushy people though and I never went to places in Chinatown when it was busy.
Yeah, the take-out places.

It's funny for me to have to ascert myself in those places.

I've never heard of having to fight for a cart a sit-down place. For me, it's getting the ladies' darn attention. "Hey, girlfriend, I want some of that chicken feet, too!

[artsfartsyjanet]

it matters where you sit too at a dim sum place. you want to make sure you sit nearest to where the carts are pushed out most of the time so you can get first dibs. It's like survival of the fittest when you're in a dim sum joint. Yes, we cantonese people are the new yoikers of our culture.

[windup]

I thought being loud and aggressive was part of the dim sum charm. it just wouldn't be the same without the knife fights over chicken feet, right?

[ChairmanMah]

better get the ha gow quick or it'll be all gone...

[AngryABCGirl]

Those crazy loud Cantonese people! :lol:

I haven't really seen a need to push and shove to get carts for dim sum before and people just got numbers and waited if they wanted to get in. In my experience I think the people pushing the carts are told to get to everyone so they make as much money as possible because I always keep getting harassed by the same carts over and over again.

[tvbdude]

my mom use to be a cartlady and she would give some free dim sum to customers cuz she hated her boss.

[Faithless]

Originally posted by tvbdude@Jun 5 2003, 11:16 PM
my mom use to be a cartlady and she would give some free dim sum to customers cuz she hated her boss.
Hmmmm. Is she still doing this? Maybe, there could be a YM gathering at this place. :D

[Green_Circle]

Perhaps this should be a different thread but how about some of the rudeness dished out by the waitstaff at these dim sum establishments?! I can recall some outrageous things that have been perpetrated upon my being by these people. Thing is, their tips are pooled so they could care less if they treat you like crap. :pissed:

[Faithless]

Originally posted by Green_Circle@Jun 8 2003, 06:20 AM
Perhaps this should be a different thread but how about some of the rudeness dished out by the waitstaff at these dim sum establishments?! I can recall some outrageous things that have been perpetrated upon my being by these people. Thing is, their tips are pooled so they could care less if they treat you like crap. :pissed:
Ha! Speaking of which, I remember some dim sum waitress giving crappy service, and she had the nerve to demand a tip.

I told her straight-up that I didn't have to tip for bad service. :confused: