Sunday Brunch - Takeout Dim Sum from Rice and Tea

Dim sum
Originally uploaded by goyumcha

After a good run at the gym on Sunday mornings, we always like to treat ourselves to takeout dim sum from the Rice 'n Tea at Great Wall (in Elmhurst, Queens). It's crowded and at most times, dealing with the lines is super-stressful, but it's definitely worth it. It's also cheaper than going to a sit-down restaurant.

The must-buys are the har gow (shrimp dumplings), har cheong (rice noodles w/shrimp filling), lo bak gao (radish cake), char siu bao (BBQ pork buns), and the wu ti (fried pork dumplings). Other great buys are the stir-fried beehoon (thin rice noodles), not pictured and fresh-made buns in the pastry section. Don't forget your coffee or tea to go.

The second choice for takeout dim sum in Elmhurst is the Century Cafe located inside NY Supermarket on 45th Avenue and Broadway. They also serve the same great dishes but for some reason, R 'n T at Great Wall is just that much better - worth the drive and worth the stress.

Note that there's another R 'n T located on that same corner as NY Supermarket (in fact, right next door). I usually don't go there for dim sum, but rather, for "pick 3" takeout lunches/dinners - i.e., you pick 3 main dishes + rice. It's a good deal, but that's for another time, another post.

(Update: From a quick Google search, I found that R 'n T at the 45th Ave location has been cited for 4 violations, resulting in 31 violation points. See here. Tisk tisk. R 'n T at GW is also on the brink. A little mess in the kitchen usually doesn't deter me from my need to satisfy my dim sum cravings but I do hope conditions improve. For more info on NYC DOH restaurant inspections, click here.)