Want Some Dim Sum

Generally, I don't have the dilemma of figuring out where to go for my birthday because of a small holiday called Passover. Yet, this year (by some miracle) my birthday came after the holiday, and thus allowed me to choose where I wanted to eat without any restrictions!

I had previously been to Ping Pong Dim Sum twice, but both were within a few weeks of their initial opening. I thought this may be a good time to try it again. When I had been there before, the service had been chaotic and left a bad taste in my mouth. Yet, every place deserves some time to get the kinks out of the system, and Ping Pong has now had a good 6 months to do exactly that. My experience yesterday was certainly an improvement, but it is still far

from perfect.

Ping Pong originated in London, and the trendy vibe fcarried over to the location here in the District. The music seems as if it is one continuous beat while the chic crowd discusses politics and other current events over the noise. I now realize that this is a place - more directly, a bar -where one goes to be seen.

The bartenders are so busy that they barely have a moment to stop and take your order. But waiting for that drink is absolutely worth it considering they are unique and ring in at $5 during happy hour. My roommate loves the Ping Pong, which is contains unusual ingredients like Yokaichi Shochu and lychee juice. I prefer the more traditional Vanilla, Lemon and Vodka.

Dim Sum is the Chinese version of tapas, so the portions are small and are meant to be shared with your dining companions. Our table of 8 chose to order what we wanted and then we could "barter" with people around the table to try other dishes. My favorite wound up being the Char Sui Buns; they are little fluffy buns filled with honey barbecue pork. There was also an overwhelming love of the chicken puffs and their slightly sweet aftertaste (courtesy of the pineapple they contain). For those of you who are fans of healthier things, there are plenty of vegetarian options. One of my dining friends was raving about the vegetarian sticky rice parcels.

Ping Pong wound up being the perfect setting for a birthday party, especially because all 8 of us were able to sit around a large, round table. It really facilitated easy conversation. Ping Pong is also group friendly because it's easy to control your spending. So, thank you to Ping Pong and all my friends for making this a very happy birthday!

images: readysetdc.com and foodphoria