Dumpling

So in completion of the all asian cuisine weekend, we drove up to arcadia
and got dumplings at the Din Tai Fung Dumpling House

I'm not entirely sure what we got, because the waitress kept saying that
they were out of things and making substitutions. Seems like it was at least
one of the following:
Juicy Pork Dumplings (10pc/order)
Shrimp/Pork Shumai (10pc/order)
Shrimp/Pork Wonton Soup (8 wontons in broth)
Red Bean Bun (2pc/order)

Doesn't sound like much, but you can't just inhale these things. Handy
instructions were printed on chopstick wrapper:
1) Pour vinegar into the small saucer with the ginger
2) Gently lift one dumpling and dip it into the ginger vinegar.
3) Place it on your spoon
4) Take a nibble on the dumpling skin and sip the juice
5) Drizzle some vinegar and ginger slices on top of the dumpling
6) Now enjoy it!

These sound nice and friendly, but you must understand that the place is
overrun with Type-A asian ladies, and they're very directive about it. For
example, the hostess at the front calling out the raffle ticket numbers they
use for reserving seats ("Number 4! Number 4! Number 4! Party of two! Number
4!")

Anyway, it was tasty and filling, and we got out of there for under 40
bucks.

Update: I'd forgotten a couple notable points. One, when you put in your
reservation, they give you a quarter-size clipboard with your order
paperwork. Bureaucracy at its finest. Not many eating establishments give
you the chance to order well before you're seated, much less in
carbonless-transfer triplicate. Shock. Awe.

The second was the serious panache shown by our server as she smashed an
insect crawling next to our paperwork. Granted, it was a flying insect, and
they had the front doors open, so I'm not suggesting they don't keep a
hygenic place of business, but surely there's something cinematic about
watching your waitress obliterate pesky vermin against the onion-skin
carbonless paper (now only in duplicate, as one copy had been forwarded to
the kitchen department) of your order. Seriously, this should be the average
dystopian sci-fi nerd's wet dream.