The first restaurants in a new chain offering dim sum have opened in London. Ping Pong Dim Sum Little steamed parcels of deliciousness. Three eateries are in operation to sample these under-appreciated Chinese specialities.
45 Great Marlborough Street Soho
74-76 Westbourne Grove
10 Paddington Street
If you cant get to one of these fabulous sounding places maybe you could try making dim sum at home. This article in the Independent has several recipes.
Over the weekend, I begged for some advice about dim sum in the Bay
Area, with only Yank Sing and Ton Kiang
as names that I had from Michael Bauer's List of the
Top 100 Bay Area restaurants. Thank you to all for your suggestions! However, I ended up at Yank Sing anyway
because our host couldn't stop singing its praises. He warned me that there would be some of the traditional dim sum
like shiu mai and chicken's feet, but there would also be what he called "gringo dim sum." I was worried, but
the new-fangled "gringo dim sum" was just as good as the OG. The photo tour is after the jump...
Egg custard tarts are one of the best things you can get at a good Chinese bakery and a great incentive to go out
for dim sum around lunchtime. They have a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth crust and a tender, eggy filling. I have never
before seen them in multiple colors like these tarts that Tien
Mao got at the Egg Custard King Cafe in New York. The tarts in the photo are flavored with almond, strawberry,
honey dew, and mango, but the cafe offers other varieties, including traditional, banana and egg white, as well. The
tarts are only 60-75¢, so be sure to pick up one or two if you're visiting.
A
while back I experienced a dim sum epiphany in the form of pear-shaped dumplings at a spot in Manhattan's Chinatown.
I'm pleased to report that the same place, Jing Fong, has
provided yet another surprise.
When my yum cha buddies
and I saw this dish rolling by, we wiped the drool off our chins and waved down the lady. At first glance, it
looked like a large open-faced dumpling. Digging into it revealed that it was a taro cake flecked with bits of meat
(perhaps Chinese ham) crowned with a mixture of ground meat, bits of lop chong, pieces of mushroom
and other goodies. As with all good taro cake, the interplay of the sweet, soft taro with the salty, savory ingredients
was spot on. But this version was exquisite: a taro cake fit for a king.
Although I do look forward to the weekends for the rest and relaxation, let's be frank here. I love the
weekends for the weekend-only food opportunities. Lazy Saturday and Sunday morning breakfast of pancakes fluffed at home,
brunches out at any of
the local cafes amongst the rest of the still sleepy-eyed Angelenos, and dim sum.
I'll have to admit that these days, working from home and onmy own time, the weekend brunch thing is not as special
because I can wake up at 10 am on a Wednesday and make French toast. However, dim sum truly is a weekend activity. Sure,
there are places in Chinatown that serve dim sum during the week, but culturally, and sort of personal/traditionally,
it's always been a weekend thing. Family members arrive two-by-two at the specified restaurant, we wait
impatiently for 30 minutes as we watch cart after cart go by, then finally, we sit down within the clanging
din of the dining room and eat. It's hurried, yet drawn out.
The thing that really whet my appetite about dim sum when I first
tried it was an umistakable sense of being immersed in a neverending cavalcade of cart-borne deliciousness. Alas, as
with all passions, this newfound chowlust abated.
That's not to say that I didn't still have my favorites
after the honeymoon was over. I like har gao, with their crystalline wrappers bursting with shrimp, as much as
the next guy. And I always try to save room for some creamy dou fu fa, spiked with a liberal splash of sorghum syrup
to sweeten the nutty, fresh hot tofu. I'm also always on the lookout for such special dishes as fried whole shrimp
showered in slivers of garlic and jalapenos. But for what seems like forever I haven't snatched up anything really new
with my chopsticks.
Until last week. My longtime yum cha
buddy and I were three-quarters through a meal at Manhattan's Jing Fong when a cart rolled by bearing the above delight. At
first glance we were sure that this dainty pear-shaped trio must be some type of dessert. I can't say whether we
thought this because we were nearly stuffed or because they were fruit-shaped.
As you've no doubt guessed
by now, there was nothing fruity about these pears. Encased within the golden crust was a savory mixture of chopped
porky goodness. Oh, about those stems, they're stems all right – cilantro stems.
Sarah J. Gim already mentioned that one of the food traditions for
Chinese New Year is to have dumplings, which are meant to bring good fortune in the next year. She didn't mention that
they also make a delicious snack or a quick lunch and, with some rice and vegetables, can make an exceptionally
tasty dinner. Soft, fluffy "bao" are steamed buns that are typically served as dim sum or yum cha in
Chinese restaurants and they'll be on my Chinese New Year menu. You can make them yourself, using any
filling you wish, or pick up a few at your local asian market. Good luck and a good lunch? How can you go
wrong!
With LA's official Chinatown in downtown, and large Chinese populations in the
San Gabriel Valley, Torrance, and the Rowland Heights area, there are options for Chinese food north, south, east,
west, and central. Though Sunday, January 29, 2006 is the first day of the lunar new year, the
celebration actually lasts for 15 days. What a great reason to have your fill of some dim sum all over LA!
The
Hang Ah Tea Room in San Francisco Chinatown is one of those hidden gems has been serving up great food for over 80
years. Located on an obscure side street, its one of the coziest dim sum joints in SF. Some of my friends were in town
for the weekend, and I was just dying to try this place.
My only complaint about the service is the lack of carts. The quintessential dim sum meal will include the hustle
and bustle of a multitude of carts carrying bounties of bites to eat. At Hang Ah, you have to order off the menu. But,
I overlooked this after I had a chance to taste the food. The dim sum at Hang Ah is among the best I have had. The
fillingsare flavorful and very fresh, and the dumplings are nice and crispy on the outside. The char siu baos are
extremely big, and filled with a glisteningly delicious pork filling.
In addition, they have bunny-shaped shrimp dumplings (pictured above), which are very amusing.
1 Pagoda Pl, off Sacramento St. between Stockton and Grant Sts. San Francisco, CA
This morning I got a semi-early start and headed over to my favorite
San Francisco dim sum bakery, Wing Lee, for breakfast. I ordered pork jook (a.k.a. congee or rice porridge) with
preserved duck eggs. I also ordered some steamed shrimp and leek dumplings and turnip cake on the side. I love getting
dim sum and jook first thing, when everything is at the peak of freshness. The jook was perfectly comforting, slightly
salty from the duck eggs, and very delicious.
Having already dropped the kidlets off at the the indoor park
with the baby sitter, I brought everything home and tucked in. Alone. Aaaah, to eat in peace and quiet. It's
rare in this house.
One of the best things about my Inner Richmond San Francisco nabe
is its proximity to the real Chinatown in the city. Not the touristic place where dollar store owners hawk fake jade
and shot glasses to tourists, but the bustling, neighborhoody area where Chinese and non-Chinese alike do their
shopping.
One of my favorite establishments in the Inner Richmond is Wing Lee Bakery on Clement and 5th. Not a bakery like you are
thinking (although they do offer up sweet treats), "bakery" is the traditional name for shops that sell dim
sum, too. The best thing about Wing Lee is that they serve fresh dim sum and other savory tasties for cheap. An order
(3 pieces) will cost you no more than $1.30, and if you just want a bite, they also sell their dim sum by the piece.
Today I shoved $5 in my pocket and headed off in search of lunch. I selected coriander dumplings, both
boiled and pan-fried leek dumplings (my fave), pork siu mai, a spring roll and a couple of baked char siu bao (pork
buns). Then I took it all home, brewed some chrysanthemum tea, and my daughters and I had a feast for
lunch.
Have you ever stashed a Coke in the freezer, hoping to chill it quickly, then forgotten all about it, only to have it explode all over your frozen peas?
The first restaurants in a new chain offering dim sum have opened in London. 
Over the weekend, I 
A
while back I experienced a dim sum epiphany in the form of 
With LA's official Chinatown in downtown, and large Chinese populations in the
San Gabriel Valley, Torrance, and the Rowland Heights area, there are options for Chinese food north, south, east,
west, and central. Though Sunday, January 29, 2006 is the first day of the lunar new year, the
celebration actually lasts for 15 days. What a great reason to have your fill of some dim sum all over LA!
The
Hang Ah Tea Room in San Francisco Chinatown is one of those hidden gems has been serving up great food for over 80
years. Located on an obscure side street, its one of the coziest dim sum joints in SF. Some of my friends were in town
for the weekend, and I was just dying to try this place.
One of the best things about my 
A fraking amazing Battlestar Galactica cake
Iced Tea 101
Pierogies + cheese + onions + kraut = Parmageddon!
