Dim Sum Tray on Marble Table Before Dawn

Sterile fluorescent light washes over a rectangular metal tray holding eight distinct dim sum varieties arranged in neat rows. Steaming bamboo baskets sit alongside clear plastic containers filled with dumplings, siu mai, and sticky rice balls. The food rests on a polished grey marble table with white veining, its cool surface reflecting the harsh overhead glow. Deep shadows pool along the cafe walls where the light fails to reach. Late autumn air is suggested by the stillness of the steam rising in thin, vertical wisps. One dumpling wrapper glistens with oil near the front edge of the tray.