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Going for Christmas dim sum
with my colleagues last week inspired me to write this post about what
dim sum to order in a Chinese restaurant. Whenever I have dim sum with
non-Chinese friends, the task of ordering is inevitably left to me, but
I do actually enjoy choosing the food and generally being in charge of
the meal (which involves making sure everyone's cups are regularly
refilled and keeping track of what dishes have arrived).
Having eaten dim sum regularly since I was a small child, I've tried
most types, and by process of elimination, now know what I like and
don't like. Of course, everyone has his or her own preferences. When I
eat with family and Chinese friends, we each order the things we like
best, to be shared with everyone else. There'll be some things we all
like, and also things only a certain few will eat. The dishes I
recommend seem to be enjoyed by most people, so they're also the least
'risky'. By all means experiment with tripe and steamed chicken claws. Some love these more unusual dim sum, but others won't eat them, me included.
It's good to have a mixture of steamed, fried and baked dim sum. You'll
get a nice combination of flavours and textures. Below are just some of
the traditional basics that you can find in almost any good Chinese dim
sum restaurant. Modern restaurants will offer dim sum with more unusual ingredients, at higher prices of course. I like both types.
Steamed dim sum:
Prawn dumplings or har gau
are a classic that you must try. When well made with a thin,
translucent skin and fresh prawns, they are lovely, and are my absolute
favourite. A dim sum lunch just wouldn't be right without har gau. Prawn and chive dumplings are a close second. Roast pork buns or char siu bao
are wonderful - juicy roast pork pieces inside a fluffy white bun, best
eaten steaming hot. Use your fingers rather than chopsticks.
Steamed spare ribs in chilli and black bean sauce are very
tasty too (you have to pop the whole piece in your mouth and work off
the meat, then remove the clean bone from your mouth with your
chopsticks). Also delicious is the glutinous rice with meat, which is served as a steamed parcel wrapped inside a lotus leaf. Finally, if you see Shanghai dumplings or xiao long bao on the menu, do order them!
Cheung fun:
Cheung fun are steamed rice noodle rolls, filled with prawn, roast pork (char sui), beef or fried dough stick. These are the traditional four fillings, but modern Chinese restaurants have fancier versions now, like
prawn and gai lan, or three mushroom.
My favourite is the prawn, followed by the roast pork. I avoid the
minced beef at all costs, as for some reason, it doesn't taste like
beef at all. In fact, it's disgusting, and I rarely say this about
food. I've not had it in any restaurant around the world where I've
been able to eat it.
Fried and grilled dim sum:
Turnip paste or cake with dried Chinese meat is very tasty. It usually comes in three small blocks on a plate. Paper wrapped prawns are lovely too, if a little greasy. I used to eat these a lot. Cuttlefish cakes with coriander
have now replaced these on my personal list of favourites. And if you see grilled Shanghai dumplings, you must order them! I'll say no more. Drink plenty of Chinese tea, as it helps break down the fatty things you've eaten.
Baked dim sum:
Roast pork puffs are one of my favourites in this category. The
roast pork or char siu inside is very hot, and a little sweet, while
the pastry is light and flaky. The yam croquettes are also great - pork cooked with a thick outer layer of yam, then baked. I usually save my egg custard tart
for the end of the meal. If you order these when you're ready for them,
then they'll come nicely warmed up. Otherwise they'll be stone cold by
the time you've finished your lunch.
Fried noodles:
These are a common staple at the dim sum table, but I like to eat this after the savoury dim sum. Seafood with fried ho fun (flat rice noodles) is nice, although my childhood favourite is beef with fried ho fun
. If you don't want the noodles to get cold, order when you want them, otherwise they'll just arrive along with the dim sum.
Sweet dim sum:
If you like sweet dim sum, these should be eaten towards the end of
the meal, as the combination of sweet and savoury isn't that nice. The
classic Hong Kong Cantonese pudding to have is mango pudding, but some restaurants don't make it with fresh mango. I like
tapioca pudding with yam the best, served either hot or cold.
It's also a bit easier than it used to be to eat dim sum as a
vegetarian, as my husband will testify. Some places do now have a
decent selection of vegetarian dim sum
on offer. Dim sum can always be supplemented with a selection from the
main menu, including tofu, vegetarian noodles and fresh Chinese greens.
I hope this post will make ordering dim sum slightly less confusing.
You also don't have to order everything in one go. Try a few dishes at
a time, then you'll know how much more you need to order. And best of
all, you'll always have piping hot dim sum. As for how to eat dim sum, that's another story, which you can read about
here! |
