Dim Sum Plays Political Hot Feet

Okay, so many timid folks don't order chicken feet when enjoying dim sum.

Well, it turns out our American fed birds are in high demand because of their plump and juicy-ness. (Kind of like us Americans who feast on them.)

Trade agreements between the Chinese and the U.S. notwithstanding, perhaps at the next State Dinner at the White House there will be a new appetizer on the menu. So I'm wondering, what's the polite way to eat chicken feet when you're dressed in black tie?

Sending Him off with a Bang

Bangkok Joe's, in Georgetown (DC)'s riverfront district, has a nice selection of dumpling and noodle dishes. In fact, while it doesn't serve traditional dim sum, it's dumpling bar is nicely inventive.

Taking my son to college, we decided Bangkok Joe's would be a great place for dinner with a college friend and his family. So, we loaded up on dumplings, noodle soups, and rice bowls.

Take the dumpling dive -- Panang Chicken Buns, Pork 'n crab shu mai (top left); lobster 'n pine nut dumplings, pictured top right (with taragon, Asian fruit compote, balsamic soy sauce and chili oil) and winter squash potstickers (butternut, sweet potatoes, onions and egg with spicy-ginger soy dip) and shrimp and crab goyza (pickled giner, daikon, sweek sesame-soy dip) and steamed shring dumplings (with shrimp, chicken, shitaki mushromoms, carrot, and ginger lime cream) were some of the be-noodled treats.

We also sopped up nutty seafood noodles (wok-fried wonton noodled with sauteed shrimp, scallops, spinsih, onion, mushrooms, pine nuts and rost tomoatoes in a basic cream sauce) among other, more familiar dishes (Pad Thai, chicken with cashew nuts, peking duck spring rolls, and chicken with basil.

The atmosphere was bright, lively and fun -- a mix of residents, parents dropping students at school, and the Georgetown/DC professional crowd, enjoying a Friday night before clubbing or dropping from another week of pounding it out. We liked it all -- the more familiar soups, appetizers and rice bowls were universally loved.

I also loved the idea of the dumplings, even if we didn't savor the flavors. In fact, for as promising as they appeared on paper, and they looked in presentation (okay, the shrimp 'n crab gyoza at left looks like someone dropped a bottle of teriyaki on it), they lacked in flavor. They were fresh, served steaming hot and cooked perfectly, but lacked the snap you appreciate when dim sum is well spiced.

Would we go back? Certainly for the soups, noodles and rice bowls.

But, we'd suggest the dumpling bar be sent back to the kitchen for a makeover. The only other disappointment was that while the Obamas were not there having dinner, we did go see their house the next morning.