I'm a first generation Chinese-American with parents from Hong Kong. Many good, authentic (read: not P.F. Chang's), Chinese restaurants can get away with things like water glasses with spots, smelly and filthy bathrooms, and harried and surly waiters because the majority of their clientele (native Chinese) only care about the quality of the food and price.

Please forgive me for extrapolating, but my parents, my relatives, and friends' parents who were born in China/Hong Kong don't give a fig newton about good service or sparkling clean facilities. Whenever I go out to eat with my parents at a Chinese restaurant, I'm offended that waiters treat my parents in such a rushed and rude manner. I'm also shocked that my parents would put up with it.

I took my parents to Lai Wah Heen at the Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto. I thought it was great. They thought it was a total waste of money.

My best dim sum meal has to be Jiang-Nan Chun at the Four Seasons Singapore. Exquisite and very imaginative dim sum, serene environment, and sterling service that is above and beyond the typical Four Seasons service in the United States. For US$30, I ate like a king.