You are learning reporting with different verbs: you will read the scene it happens in, learn 10 words and phrases, take apart the pattern behind them (reporting verbs beyond said/told: claimed, insisted, warned, recommended, admitted), hear them in a conversation, rehearse them, and finish by saying one thing out loud to be graded.
Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Chinatown, dim sum brunch
According to a New York Times review, Nom Wah Tea Parlor is the oldest dim sum restaurant in New York's Chinatown. The article claimed it had been serving dumplings since 1920. A food blogger I follow insisted it was still the best place for dim sum in the city. So I had to see for myself.
I went with my friend Mei, who warned me that weekends were extremely crowded. She recommended going on a weekday instead. Smart advice. We arrived on a Tuesday at eleven and got a table right away.
Mei insisted that we order the original egg roll, the shrimp dumplings, and the pan-fried turnip cake. The waiter recommended the chili wontons too, but he warned us that the chili oil was intense. Mei admitted she had once eaten too many and regretted it.
Everything arrived quickly on small plates. The egg roll was crispy and light. The shrimp dumplings were delicate and fresh. I admitted to Mei that I'd been wrong to avoid Chinatown dim sum for so long. She insisted I come back next month. I agreed immediately.