Fu Lam Mum - Mountain View

Steamed shrimp dumplings.

Jenny first introduced me and Malia to dim sum back in Virginia. I will never forget the first time I tasted a bao. To me it was a little piece of heaven, and since then I have kept coming back for more. Dim sum is the chinese version of tapas. One of the reasons I love dim sum is the adventuresome nature of the experience. Carts of food are pushed past your table and you simply ask for what looks good. Even my friends who speak chinese often don't know exactly what they're eating until they've placed it in their mouth.

Shrimp and greens in a wrapper.

Our tried and true dim sum spot was Fortune in Falls Church, VA. With an abundance of Chinese restaurants in Mountain View, and the surrounding Bay Area, I was eager to find a good dim sum spot. AJ's coworker, Daisy, recommended Fu Lam Mum. Lucky for us, we didn't have to venture far to find it. Located at the end of Castro St, close to the train station, Fu Lam Mum is a two-story restaurant that is bustling at all hours.

AJ's first dim sum experience. I think he likes it.

AJ and I ventured into the restaurant at lunchtime on Good Friday and the place was packed. I was excited to share my love of baos with AJ (who was a dim sum virgin!) AJ was a little taken aback by the ordering style, but he got the hang of it. We started off with some steamed shrimp dumplings, steamed chinese broccoli, and shrimp and greens dumplings. The chinese broccoli was my attempt to include some vegetables at the table. I was promptly informed by AJ that I could keep that plate for myself!

steamed pork dumplings.

The shrimp was delicately wrapped and served with a sweet and sour sauce. The acidity of the sauce paired well with the sweet seafood. AJ thoroughly enjoyed the shrimp and greens dumplings. The crispy exterior opened up to sweet shrimp and slightly bitter greens. Served with oyster sauce, these were consumed quickly.

Steamed chinese broccoli.

Next we ordered steamed pork dumplings, pork baos, and pork pot stickers. Oh I had missed pork in my life! The steamed pork dumplings were tender with a slight hint of ginger. These soupy dumplings were best eaten in one bite, so as not to lose any of the salty broth. The potstickers were nice and crisp on the outside with great pork flavor on the inside.

Pork Bao - my favorite!

I was most excited for AJ to try the baos. I often liken baos to a southern pork bbq sandwich. These smaller more delicate versions, are my favorite part of dim sum. There have been a couple times when a restaurant has run out of baos, and it has about ruined my day. Lucky for us, they were serving up the steamed version. These baos were fluffy on the outside with rich pieces of pork in a sweet barbecue-like sauce. The filling had more spices than I am used to - perhaps chinese five spice? They were delicious, and AJ admitted he could understand why I had been raving about these!

Pork potstickers.

Stuffed with lots of meat and dough, we took our check and paid the bill. The prices are a little above average, with our bill working out to about $28 without tip. But not too bad considering amount and quality of the food we ordered.

seafood tank.

Bottom Line: If you have a craving for dim sum, this is definitely the place to go in the Mountain View area.

Fu Lam Mum

153 Castro St

Mountain View, CA