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China Pavilion
updated: Dec 25, 2010, 9:45 AM
By Ms. Lemonjelly
I didn't think I had it in me to go out in this rainy weather, but some friends pinged to suggest dim sum at China Pavilion. Immediately, I realized this was the perfect weather for it. Because this weather makes me want to drink tea, and the dining experience that most English speakers mistakenly call dim sum is actually yum cha. Literally translated: drink tea.
The real intent of this Chinese brunch experience is to drink tea, as the dim sum is just the small plates of food that is supposed to accompany the tea, not the other way around. There are some minor protocols to observe for yum cha, all related to being gracious at the table, rather than greedy. The first, you must drink some tea before eating any food. Second, serve tea to others before yourself, always. Third, if tea is served to you, thank this person by tapping the table while your tea is being poured, using anywhere from one to three fingers, depending on the level of respect given to the server. Three fingers is the higher respect, as it symbolizes a head and shoulders of a kowtow, or bow.
Tea protocols addressed, it's time to dig in! China Pavilion has an admirable selection of dim sum, much more than I was expecting. Fifty-one items, according to the menu. Honestly, I have avoided dim sum in this area, because I would reserve this treat for trips to the LA area or Bay area, which have large Asian communities to support a diverse range of wonderfully fresh dim sum in vast dining halls.
While people claim that "real" dim sum is served from roaming carts, it's not uncommon in many restaurants for it to be ordered from a menu at the table and delivered by the wait staff. This is how China Pavilion does it, and the menu has photos and a simple description of everything they offer. It's not possible to know exactly what everything is, based on the photo and title, but the prices are right, and if you go with a group it's easy to experiment.
I was part of a group of four, we sampled about 10 items over two pots of tea, and this worked out to be about $15 a person, after tax and tip.
This is photo heavy, due to all the small orders; I've labeled them according to the menu and the bill.
Tofu Sheet Wrap, $3.50.
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Shanghai Pan Fried Bun, $4.25.
Pan Fried Scallion Beef Pie, $3.95.
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Pan Fried Daikon (turnip) Cake, $3.25.
Shanghai Steamed Dumpling, $4.25. These have a little soup on them,
watch out, they're hot.
Steamed BBQ Pork Bun, $3.50.
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Lotus Wrap Chicken, $4.50.
Opened packet of the lotus wrap chicken. This is sticky rice and little goodies.
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Steamed Egg Custard Bun, $3.50. A dessert item.
Baked Egg Custard, $3.95. A dessert item.
Not pictured, due to their being massacred before I could get a photo:
Shrimp and Spinach Dumpling, $3.50.
Gai lan in Oyster Sauce, $5.50. This is a steam-fried leafy green
vegetable with crisp tender stalks.
My longtime favorites are the steamed bbq pork buns, the fried turnip
and the lotus wrapped sticky rice, and China Pavilion did not
disappoint.
My favorite tea for yum cha is chrysanthemum, followed by jasmine.
Yum cha with dim sum service is weekends only, 11 am - 2 pm.
China Pavilion
1202 Chapala St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 560-6028
china-pavilion.com
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