Windsor Dim Sum Café - Boston

I love the sound of rumbling wheels on a dim sum cart as it whizzes by, and there’s no thrill like snagging my fave dumplings before the cart rolls away. The age-old appeal of food on wheels is awesome, but with the recent advent of far less elusive food trucks, the madhouse basement of Hei la Moon has gotten old.

Windsor Dim Sum Café sounded almost royal so we gave it a try. We started with Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, and other than that the skin falls apart easily if you’re heavy-handed with the chopsticks (or just plain clumsy like me), no complaints whatsoever. On the other hand, the U-Choy is what I call a necessary evil. Without a crisp veggie to break up the meat and seafood, dim sum becomes sickening long before you’re full. This is the only veggie they have and it’s clearly for cows…who like oyster sauce…

The Pork Bean Curd Sheet Roll is basically tofu skin stuffed with savory pork. Probably the best dish here – the texture of the bean curd is awesome, and the pork is a perfect balance. On the other hand, the Shrimp Rice Noodle is an unnecessary evil. Hei la Moon may make you chase it, but at least when you finally snag your prize, you don’t find it lacking in shrimp. One measly little chopped-up shrimp in 6 inches of rice noodle? That’s just WRONG.

The House Steamed Mini Pork Buns were pretty authentic, they just weren’t that good. A little heavy on the salt, a little light on…well…everything else. Skip these and get them at GDH.

This is the only place I’ve ever seen Red Bean Cake, and it holds its own against the flaky, oven-fresh Egg Custard Tarts. Like most romance novels, the best part of this dim sum is the end. Save room for dessert and make sure you spring for both.

So if you’re looking for royal treatment at Windsor you may want to look…well…anywhere else. The food doesn’t come on carts, but the brusque service is just a testament to its authenticity as a Chinatown establishment. But if I’m craving dim sum, Windsor just might head my list. Unlike China Pearl and Hei la Moon, they serve dim sum at all hours, and though you’re still squeezed into crowded tables with total strangers, it’s somehow quieter and a few rays of natural light in this non-basement location will do wonders for your sanity.