One thing that is quintessential to the Cantonese is to have morning or afternoon tea.  Ocean City Restaurant caters extensively to Philadelphia’s seemingly insatiable appetite for tea and dim sum daily.  “Yum cha” literally means, “drinking tea.”  After 5,000 years of cultivating tea plants and brewing their leaves and herb, the Chinese can truly be said to have a tea culture.  Tea is more than refreshment in China and Hong Kong.  It is a tonic, a social stimulant, and a digestive aid-a way of life. 

The Cantonese proudly proclaim that they live to eat, not eat to live.  It is no coincidence that dim sum literally means, “to touch the heart”!  The unique culinary art of dim sum turn sedate teahouses into boisterous eating-places where dim sum creations make their presentation.  The artistry and ingenuity of dim sum chefs are astounding.  Some dim sum dishes seem to defy all the laws of physics and gravity.  Even the standard shrimp dumpling “har gau” is a minor culinary miracle whereby a wafer-thin rice flour wrapping cloaks a baby shrimp.  The skin of the rice flour is so translucent that the ingredients can be clearly seen.  While trying dim sum, you may choose to pass on the tripe or chicken feet; do not, however, pass up the chance to try dim sum desserts, which more than make up for the fact that Cantonese restaurant menus contain few sweet desserts.  Ocean City Restaurant offers quite a few selections for the sweet tooth.   

Dim Sum dining at Ocean City Restaurant, you should not be shy of summoning all the dim sum trolley ladies as they wheel their fare around the room.  Everybody else will be doing the same, or asking them what dim sum items are hidden in the trolley’s bamboo baskets or covered dishes.  You will be given a card which will be stamped each time you choose a basket or plate of dim sum.  Your final bill will be tallied when you leave based on the number of dishes you have.

Ocean City Restaurant offers a full range of special dishes prepared with the freshest ingredients in traditional Hong Kong Cantonese-style cuisine.  Our specialty is seafood.  Our fish, shrimp, lobster, and other seafood arrive fresh daily and many of our seafood are displayed in our tanks in front of the restaurant.   Ocean City will offer special dishes in addition to our regular menu items occasionally to accentuate a particular food or holiday.  These dishes are generally available on major holidays or based on the availability of certain foods.

Herbal Tonics

Herbal tonics have been commonly accepted and widely used almost everywhere in the world.  The Chinese have learned the secrets of living in accord with nature’s laws and have passed the classic formulas from thousands of years.  The Chinese have chronicled their discoveries and passed the knowledge along from generation to generation for over three thousand years.  Chinese tonic herb hold a special place in the Asian culture.  To live your life fully, successfully, healthfully and happily is a goal of all mankind.