I was wondering if I would be getting a question on this.
It's kind of the Chinese version of brunch.  Often eaten on weekends or for special occaisions it is most fun if you eat with a group of people.  That way you get to try a bit of many dishes (and figure out what you like) and not get too full before you get to try stuff!

Most of the dishes are steamed and come in smallish metal steaming rounds-containing a huge variety of foods that are in 3-4 bites size.  there are also desserts.

Often they have 3-4 pieces, depending on the type of food.  Lotus steamed rice is one round.  Common dim sum is har kaw and siu mai.  Har kaw (pronounced har cow) is a shrimp dumpling in rice paper and siu mai (pronounced shoe my) is a pork dumpling in egg flour paper.  BBQ pork bun is also common.  If you get to go, try to take some one who has been before.  Often the people serving you (BTW, carts on wheels containing the steaming rounds are pushed from table to table) don't speak English well (Greek?) and won't really be able to tell you what stuff is.  Personally, I'd stay away from the chicken's feet, but my MIL loves them!  So there is some stuff most westerners wouldn't be keen on, but it's your adventure so Hey, why not?

It is quite an adventure eating Dim Sum.  If there's a china town around you you'll probably have a better selection/greater variety of dishes than if you go to a Chinese restaurant that sometimes has dim sum unless it is their speciality.

My hubby & I often introduce the uninitiated to dim sum.  So, if you find yourself coming to Arizona USA, PM me and maybe we can meet up.  Our Dim Sum restaurant has the best ds I've ever come across.  I'll bet the ones in Chinatown in California a only a bit bigger.

This weekend we called around town to see if any restaurants had dim sum... NONE! Absolutely NO Chinese restaurants in our entire area had dim sum!

Oh, i'm in the states. But it's a small city with very little minoriorities. (my term for minorities who are even more minor than.. you get the point)