Dimsum reminds me of home - the home I share with my parents in the upper corner of the GTA and the figurative home I share all my childhood memories with in Hong Kong. It can be some siu mai in a black takeout container or a steamer of fancy spinach and scallop dumplings, but both evoke the same heart-warming, nostalgic memories of home.
I used to frequent the same few dimsum restaurants every weekend. They were the ones close-by and really, the only ones I had known about. But as I started to use Google Maps to explore and dig around, I began to realize all the new spots that were opening up in and around the GTA! There were so many new places just a half-hour drive away - it was a completely new world. As I began to explore more and more of these new spots, I learned about all their stories and backgrounds - and that dimsum in the GTA is effectively an oligopoly.
Funny how something as simple and common as weekend dimsum brunch has such interesting business dynamics behind it. Thanks to exploring Google Maps, I can now confidently say I’ve tried most of the dimsum restaurants in the GTA! Sure, I wouldn’t return to all of them, but I can definitely say I’ve discovered some true hidden gems, all thanks to Google Maps.
