Prince Seafood Restaurant (Dim Sum), Cerritos

Remember when we were kids and we used to begin reports with dictionary definitions? Well, this being the twenty-first century and me being a professional writer and all, I'm going to start this entry with a little help from Wikipedia: "Dim sum is a type of Chinese dish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate." (Before I move on, here's a fun fact from the Wikipedia entry's history section : "At first, it was considered inappropriate to combine tea with food, because people believed it would lead to excessive weight gain." Hello? Combining food with ANYTHING can lead to excessive weight gain!)

My friend Marlene, who's from Taiwan, introduced me (and our friend Tracey) to Prince Seafood, a Cantonese restaurant on South Street in Cerritos, at noon on a Friday. Dim sum is a daytime thing -- and typically a weekend thing. According to Marlene, Prince, like all dim sum restaurants, is much busier and noisier on Saturdays and Sundays, when they offer a greater variety of plates, and families pass the afternoon talking loudly and sipping endless cups of tea.

Still, we had plenty of food to choose from. Immediately after we were seated in the elegant, high-ceilinged dining room, a server came around with a cart heaped with small plates of appetizer-y things that looked and smelled good but that Tracey and I couldn't identify. For those without a Chinese-speaking friend on hand, a menu (with photos) provided guidance. Our server did speak English, though she was somewhat difficult to understand. Menu items not on the cart could be ordered from the kitchen.

Here's what we chose: shrimp dumplings ($3.50/4 pcs.); chicken and sweet rice wrapped in lotus leaves ($4.50/ 2 generous pieces); steamed shrimp and pork shu mai ($2.40/4 pcs.); curry chicken pastry ($3.50/3 pcs.); steamed bean curd rolls ($3.50/4 pcs.); seaweed salad ($4.50). Because we went on a weekday, dim sum was 20% off. Everything was tasty, though I'd give highest marks to the two healthiest-tasting items: the moist, flavorful shrimp dumplings and the tangy, crunchy seaweed salad, which also contained cucumbers and Daikon radish. None of the dishes was spicy, though Chinese mustard and chili sauce were available for those who like a little more oomph in their food.

We plowed through several pots of tea (which was unusually good). Marlene showed us how to ask for a refill: place the pot near the edge of the table, with the lid askew. Another fun tea tip: when someone is pouring your tea, instead of saying "Thank you" (or the more sophisticated "When") to tell them to stop, you should tap the table next to the cup. Who knew?

We all gave Prince Seafood high marks for food and ambience. The bill was a shock (in a good way). Our lovely lunch cost us eight dollars. A person. I'll drink (tea) to that.

Prince Seafood Restaurant

11828 South St., Cerritos, CA 90703, (562)809-1812

http://www.princeseafood.com/