But since Canton Delights Seafood Restaurant opened in 1994, they can satisfy their craving for the taste and culture of Chinese food right in Cupertino.

"We don't try to please everyone so we don't change the flavor to accommodate Western tastebuds," says owner Simon Leong, 38. "We focus on what we do best: dim sum and seafood."

Chong-wai Ng, dim sum chef of Canton Delights, was hired by Leong from Macao in 1993.

"Dim sum is not only a tradition but also an art," says Ng, 43, who has made dim sum for more than 20 years. He starts his work routine by wrapping different ingredients in dough that is transparent after being steamed. The fillings include shrimp, barbecued pork, taro, sticky rice and chopped vegetables. The dim sum vary in shape, and they can be salty or sweet, cold or hot, steamed or fried.

Dim sum, which literally means "a little bit of heart," is similar to hors d'oeuvres. They are products of a yum cha culture—in Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong it is typical for friends to chitchat over a pot of oolong tea and dim sum.

It takes years to master the art form of dim sum. The shape, the size and harmony of ingredients, and the thickness of dough are the key to good dim sum. It takes Ng about a minute just to fold a ha gau.

"You have to be very careful when you wrap the shrimp because the dough is very thin and you have to make the ridges on the dumplings," Ng says.

Ng's dim sum has attracted many homesick immigrants.

Kim-yee Fung and her friend Yim-ming Chan go to the restaurant at least twice a week to savor Chinese delicacies.

"The dim sum here is authentic," says Fung while her daughters—Bonnie Light, 4, and Janette Light, 2—suck spicy chicken feet. "And the staff is really friendly."

The charm of dim sum doesn't appeal to just Chinese customers. Dennis Leitterman goes to Canton Delights at least once a week. His favorite dim sum is Shanghai dumpling.

"There is a lot of juice in Shanghai dumpling," says Leitterman, 50. A Hewlett Packard channel development manager, Leitterman often takes customers and coworkers to the restaurant. "You dip the dumpling in the sauce, place ginger on the top, and pop it into your mouth. There is nothing else like this," he says.

To introduce dim sum to Western customers, Canton Delights presents a bilingual picture menu on each table.

But dim sum makes up only about half of the restaurant's business.

Kit-fo Cheang, fry pot chef of the restaurant, is responsible for making soup, appetizers and clay pot stew, as well as all sorts of other dishes. His specialties are seafood and soup, two of the most important features in Southern Chinese cuisine.

Every day, Cheang, 40, fries, steams, and stews live shrimp, lobster and fish imported from Los Angeles, Australia and Boston.

"Making soup is the most time-consuming," says Cheang, who grew up in Macao and has been a fry pot chef for 10 years. "I prepare my soup according to the season."

Chinese people believe in the healing power of food. In summer, it is said that people should eat food such as melons to prevent heat stroke. It is believed that in winter, people should eat food such as lotus root to keep their body warm. Cheang makes different soups every day, and a pot of soup takes at least four hours to prepare and cook.

Owner Leong says all the efforts and time to make Cantonese cuisine serve only one purpose: to satisfy the customers.

"The Chinese name of our restaurant, chun yu, literally means to please the customers," Leong says. "That is our philosophy."

Canton Delights Seafood Restaurant is located at 10125 Bandley Drive in Cupertino. For more information, call 408.777.9888 or visit www.cantondelights.com.