From Fourier to Baudillard at Bao Dumplings, Valencia St., Mission District, SF

My children, born and bred in San Francisco, grew up eating Chinese food and could generally identify what food comes from which Chinese region. Like most young persons, my son, who prefers SzeChuan food also has a certain predilection for dim sum, a deliciously appetizing and very shareable dish similar to tapas. They are normally eaten during brunch hours until late lunchtime.

We headed out one summer day, where the fog might not be present, and to save on gas, we drove and ended up on Valencia Street, which is not, admittedly, an area where Asian food, especially dim sum, is widely consumed. So, as we wandered among the hipsterly crowd, we could not resist lolling in front of the only restaurant around where buns and dumplings and other dishes are freshly made to order.

To start, we ordered two pots of fragrant jasmine tea which should mitigate the meatiness of our brunch choices. Pretty soon, the fried squid appeared and we gushed over the soft, velvety texture of this spectacular dish. Needless to say, this calamari is highly recommended! They were the perfect amount of saltiness, the prefect crunchiness and crispiness of the outer layer and yes, we also ate up the jalapeño and the slices of onions that came with them!

Next to emerge were the shrimp dumplings, followed by siu mai and his all-time favorite--snowy-white, pillowy pork buns still piping hot and sitting inside their round bamboo steamers. We savored each and every one of them while he patters on about phenomenology, metaphysics (his friends, whom he conversed with beforehand majored in Philosophy and such; he's a Politics major), and the trials and tribulations of modern-day dating.

The siumai was fantastic, small yet powerful, not a simulacra at all, but actually the real deal, while the shrimp dumplings have the perfect amount of fresh shrimp with immutable wrappers, and the pork buns—definitely the stuff of what materiality was made of.

Bao must be your next destination whether you are seeking the fundamental truth about yourself or just thinking about where to get a light but satisfyingly spectacular place for your next meal.