We scoured China Town for the best dim sum restaurant in preparation for our trip to China this October.  U & Me is rated number one and we concur.The restaurant is on the second floor, don’t be distracted by the glass doors that are in desperate need of washing, just open and climb.   Julie, a beautiful, cheerful young woman with porcelain skin and dark hair and eyes met us at the top of the stairs.

She seats us at the window overlooking Centre Street at a vintage aluminum table with matching chairs…you know the ones with the red vinyl.  We tell her we don’t know much about dim sum and want her recommendations….we order, sit back with our cans of sodas and straws and wait.

Through a tiny window near the hostess station I see the chef.  A middle-aged woman in profile.  She bends and sways, moving back and forward in a motion I remember when my mom was rolling dough for her famous apple pies.

A tray with bamboo steamers about 12″ in diameter arrive at our tables and with the flourish of a magician…the tops are removed…before us are small, neatly wrapped packages of steamed shrimp, steamed shrimp and pork and steamed shrimp and scallops.  Chop sticks are the only utensils.  I dig into the shrimp and pork dumpling  and find the little dickens slippery and difficult to get to my mouth on the first, second and third try…before I resort to my fingers, I’ve got it balanced and successfully to my lips.  The subtle flavors and soft textures are very pleasing…I want more.   Terry is much better with his sticks and has moved to the shrimp and scallops with a big grin.

We polish those off in no time and Julie explains more of the menu and soon we are enjoying Steamed Barbecued Pork Buns and Deep Fried Shrimp Dumpling.

U & Me is open 24 hours a day…..Wow!