Koi Palace offers loud, lively dining

Whenever my brother comes to visit, we dim sum.
It's becoming a brotherly tradition.
On his most recent visit, we hit Daly City's Koi Palace. The open, high ceilings of the 400-seat dim sum watering hole have been host to Bay Area families since 1997. Yum Cha, or teatime, along with dim sum, is traditionally a weekend family event.
So it was no surprise to find hoards of families looking for their dumpling fix, jockeying for position to get a table. A big crowd is good indication that a place is good.
Once seated, ladies from every corner, dim sum and red stamp in hand, made their way towards us. Everything from turnip cake, translucent shrimp dumplings (gao), to tripe soup was pitched to us.
And that's the fun in dim sum. You never know what's coming around. It's a surprise at every wagon. And if you pass up something, it may never return. Which leads me to my next point: Grab the baked and steamed buns while you can. Maybe even grab extra. These things go quick.

There came a point in the meal when my craving for those sweet, glazed, red cha sui buns tempted to the hunt for the lady who was truckin''em around. You don't wanna be that guy.
The meat of the roast pork literally slid off the bone while the skin retained that delicate potato-chip crunch. Six or seven bones, however, will cost you $18.
When it's time for dessert dim sum, I recommend the egg tart. The flaky puff pastry filled with bean paste is sure to please.
The 45 minute wait was well worth it.
Visit www.koipalace.com. for more information.