\""Meh. I've experienced better.\"" \nFrom the Cathay House of about 2 or 3 years ago, no less. I wonder what happened? Cathay House used to be a go-to for my friends and family, but somehow the overall quality has been declining, and this last visit made us realize that. \n\nThe dishes now have simple, fundamental issues with them, like very thick dumpling skin that sticks to the dish, and vegetables that are not very fresh and crisp. The tea was clearly oversteeped. The highlight of the meal was actually the tripe, which was very clean and had great texture. Have prices creeped up over the years? We racked up a $70 bill for what didn't seem like very much food, especially in between all the limp veggies and half-filled dishes.\n\nThe service and cleanliness have also gone downhill; where I feel like Cathay House used to clearly be the nicest dim sum place in Chinatown, I can no longer say the same. While the servers are fairly patient and accommodating as usual, one of our party observed that some of kitchen staff don't perform the required hand wash after a bathroom visit, and that they were talking on their cellphones in the kitchen! I'm not sure what to think, between being disappointed, and being hopeful that Cathay would return to its former glory, but I do know that for the first time we'll be looking for a new dim sum place.