Dim Sum at East Harbor Seafood Palace

A bunch of us went to the East Harbor Seafood Palace (726 65th Street, between 7th & 8th Avenues, 718-765-0098) on the border of Sunset Park, Bay Ridge & Dyker Heights, in a bland, peach & beige building that looks like anything BUT a palace. We went on a recent, frigid weekend morning and stood in the windy entryway with our ticket in hand, asking the kind people around us what number the gentleman inside was shouting into his microphone. He eventually did yell out our number, in English no less (they write it down if you need such assistance when you get your number) and were seated, 45 minutes after arriving at a cozy table away from the action at the front door.

Immediately plates of Pork Spare Ribs were brought over (Bottom Center), along with some Shrimp Dumplings (Top Right) & Fish Balls (Top Left) (please excuse my ignorance at not knowing the proper names for some of these dishes, we were so hungry and frantic at first, I could barely stop to take a photo, let alone write down the name!). Happily and hungrily we dove into our food and were quickly put at ease. The ribs were cut into small pieces you had to eat with your fingers in order to scrape the meat off of the bone. They were fatty too, so I could only stomach 2 or 3 pieces. The Shrimp Dumplings were "fierce" as one of my dining companions exclaimed but the Fish Balls were my preference. They were of a soft consistency - sort of doughy, sort of mealy, but a pleasant texture overall and very tasty.



Next came some Flat Rice Noodles stuffed with Shrimp and doused in a sweet Soy Sauce. They were so steamy, I had to photograph them twice!



What are you eating?



Oh, there you are! These were wonderful. The sauce was sweet and a bit thick, the noodles were slightly sticky and gummy, yet pleasing to the palate and they had juicy, tender shrimp nestled in them.

Of course, it wouldn't be a complete meal without some Buns. Fluffy dough, slightly dry, with tender chicken meat inside - perfectly proportioned.



We also went out on a limb and tried a dish of Little Fried Fish. This was an "Extra Special" dish, and was the most expensive item we ordered, ringing in at $6.95. Tasting very garlicky and fishy, I ate a small handful before cutting myself off. Two of my dining companions couldn't stomach them at all, while my other friend seemed to enjoy them a lot. See their little eyes?



We also got some BBQ Pork in Flaky Pastry (Bottom Center) (YUM! saucy, flaky, delightful), Spinach & Shrimp Dumplings (Top Right) (so great with the spinach) and some Turnip Cake with bits of pork (Top Left) (not my thing).



MORE flat noodles with shrimp. So tasty!



Of course we had to have something sweet to round the meal out. Sesame Balls with Red Bean Paste are a must. So sweet, a little oily, but so delicious. Again, the consistency of the inner dough is slightly gummy but I love it. These were cut with a special scissors by our server!



We also had these really great doughy balls covered in coconut flakes. There was some kind of dark black/brown paste in the center that I couldn't place, but I really liked these too.



I haven't been to Dim Sum too many times so I'm not a reliable critic on this one. My friend who grew up eating Dim Sum regularly rated the EHSP passable. Most of the dishes were decent, but she's had better. It's definitely a fun option for a group wanting something different for Brunch some weekend morning. Seating is available until 3pm.