“A touch of the heart” he replied, as he bit into a baked bean bun. “What does dim sum mean?” I had asked him. My brother had spent years meticulously learning Mandarin in the heart of Beijing, and was as fluent in its understanding as he was silky in his delivery of it. Just a few hours earlier, my mom had texted us (her sons) and asked what we were doing for lunch, and if anyone was interested in dim sum. And there we were, at Asian Court in Ellicott City.

The kids and I had actually visited for the first time, about two weeks prior. We were treated by close friends of ours who wanted to celebrate birthdays and my wife’s recent graduation. They were longtime patrons of the well known restaurant, which had recently moved to this new location. It was a great time, with accommodating service and even better food. And this day was no less. Delectable food, a busy but excited ambiance and heartwarming company. While I love Chinese food in general, I have always been hesitant because I like to eat a lot (a lot of liking, and a lot of food) and there have been instances in the past where we were waiting between dishes, staring at empty plates. Asian Court was completely the opposite. We had an abundance of hot, high quality food, and a constant stream of new servings.

I don’t know all the names, but I did take some pictures. But trust me, if they look good they taste even better. For the best dim sum around, head to Asian Court. Talap talap!