Swee Choon Dim Sum - Now this is what I call Dim Sum

What do I consider as good dim sum? Tons of variety and very cheap!

Dimsum is usually not very worth my money because usually most items contain shrimp which I don't eat, i.e. limited choices (basically it is the same stupid prawn-pork mixture that gets stuffed into everything and anything and steamed) and very oily and very boring. I like my food pretty too, which is why stupid me keeps wasting my time and money going to dimsum restaurants where I can eat only like 5% of the items, e.g. I was duped into eating at Swatow Seafood because of its pretty Goldfish (which contains prawn-pork mixture *nabei*).

So I was pretty delighted when I walked past Swee Choon again on my way back from my exhausting visit to the hardware stores and saw it packed. It had a closed sign when we walked past earlier in the afternoon. After seeing the shop earlier, I was determined to eat there (my alternative was Ming Chung, the supposedly famous White Lor Mee with the chef with the liberal hand when it comes to salt, because we had parked near it), my limitation of  5% of dimsum items not discouraging my greed.

We had to queue, and were given a order form and a nicely sharpened pencil. Me with an order form is a very bad idea. Growing up with my Vater means I tend to over-order, and B1 has tried to curb this behavior by punishing me with the bill everytime I over-order. The fact that he benefits from this deal is so hypocritical that it has influenced my desire to not feed him at all, I realize, sweltering heat notwithstanding. I used to be very nice and cooked his favorite foods, but I realized he is an unappreciative git who treats me like a kitchen knave. I am evilly thinking of cooking all the foods he doesn't like to eat, but I just realize that I am the fussier eater of the two. 

Swee Choon has an amazing array of food items, ranging from dimsum items, main dish items to even lamian 拉面, a more recent addition (the restaurant opened in 1962) I do believe with the influx of China migrants nowadays and their culinary influence shaping our diets as well. A true testimony to an excellent dimsum restaurant is the variety in Chinese teas it carries, and Swee Choon carries Pu Er, Tie Guanying, XiangPian and a interesting blend of Chrysanthemum (Ju hua) and Pu Er called Ju Pu. It also carries Chrysanthemum. 

I personally feel that for oily Dimsum, Pu Er is the best, but I don't really like the flavor so I chose Tie Guanying (my fav is LongJing, the most delicately flavored of all). 

Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) + Pu Er = Ju Pu

After a short wait, all the items came quickly, first the wine soaked chicken, then too many items... oops. You don't see the rest of the items in the photos I took, because the table became too crowded later. We had fried dumplings, boiled dumplings, steamed pork and xiaolongbao join us after the "communal" photo, for two of us. I liked the Lo Mai Kai (very excellent) with large pieces of chicken thigh meat, the chee cheong fun was ok (I was disappointing to find that there was no char siew wrapped inside), I liked the steamed chicken (the one that is steamed with imitation crab stick and egg slice), the steamed pork, the century egg porridge. The carrot cake was not bad, but a bit tough methinks (damn worth it, looking at how big the portion is, by contrast to the two miserable pieces of Har Kow). I think because I over-ordered, I wasn't able to fully appreciate the food because I was stuffed to the gills (I still do not agree with the punishment). I had to take away, especially those adorable pumpkins. Will update after I eat them tomorrow for breakfast =D.

At first I was shocked that Swee Choon only gave two items for some orders, like Har Kow, and Siew Mai (so expensive, I initially thought, but I realized that Dim Sum usually costs like that). I will definitely go back there, just for the steamed chicken, and the Lo Mai Kai. Maybe order some other stuff in the menu. I am thinking of bringing Mutter there for her birthday.