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Xiao Long Bao [Soup Dumplings]

Xiao Long Bao [Soup Dumplings]
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  • Xiao Long Bao [Soup Dumplings]

    Post #1 - August 3rd, 2006, 4:50 pm
    Post #1 - August 3rd, 2006, 4:50 pm Post #1 - August 3rd, 2006, 4:50 pm
    I love dumplings. Any dumplings. Pierogis, kreplach, potstickers, shu mai, ravioli….. whatever. Name the culture, I love their dumplings. But what I’ve always thought of as the duke of dumplings is the great Shanghai delight, xiao long bao(小笼包) pronounced Shou (rhymes with “now”)…. Long…. Ba’ow. Xiao long bao literally means little basket bun, but is often seen on menus as soup dumplings. Make no mistake, this is a BUN (bao), actually called a baozi (包子), not a dumpling, even though to an untrained eye, they resemble a jiaozi (餃子) or classic dumpling.

    Xiao long bao is a steamed bun usually filled with pork, but can be made with any number of fillings such as crab, shrimp, chicken and sometimes even vegetables. In addition to the filling, it also contains a rich soup derived from a pork-based aspic. When you steam the bun, the aspic liquefies and creates the internal soup. The soup is further enhanced by fat coming from the pork filling. If constructed ideally, the soup will stay encased within the nearly transparent wrapper without leaking the soup. Unfortunately, many run-of the-mill places that attempt to make XLB fail miserably in this important aspect of construction. Traditionally, it should be close to a quarter in size so the soup won’t break out as well as being able to easily eat it in one bite. However, these days they are usually made closer to the size of a poker chip.

    What amazes me most about xiao long bao is the combination of the soup and meat filling inside. For me, eating them is almost like having a second Xmas. Well, really like having a first Xmas...I'm a Jew. Even the most average examples make me a very happy diner. Sipping the soup through the bun and having the filling/bun as a chaser is a unique type of eating experience of which I personally am unaware of in any comparable form anywhere else around the world. Xiao long bao is a culinary marvel.

    Proper technique for eating xiao long bao is simple; grab it from the top of the bun and place it on a soup spoon. Bite off a little piece of the top or side of the bun, and carefully slurp the soup, since it should be extremely hot. Insert a few julienned pieces of ginger inside and maybe lightly dip the remainder in vinegar, then finish it off. After a few hundred or so, you generally catch on.

    A good version of XLB literally sags when you hold it with your chopsticks and is so transparent that you can see the soup inside. In China, some say that when you lift a xiao long bao with your chopsticks, it looks like a Chinese lantern: when you dip it in your plate of vinegar, it looks like a chrysanthemum.
    ImagePhoto by Yutai

    Xiao long bao’s origin can be traced to the town of Nanxiang, just 30 miles outside of Shanghai and is believed to have been invented around 100 years ago at a place called Mantou Dian (南翔饅頭店) in Old Town God's Temple (城隍廟). Mantou Dian is still in operation today and last I read, you can get a basket of 16 xiao long bao for just under a buck. From its inception, xiao long bao was nothing more than a street vendor item in Nanxiang. Today, xiao long bao can be found throughout all of Asia and other parts of the world usually where large Chinese populations reside.

    When researching about XLB, the one thing that was repeated over and over again was the importance of an ultra thin wrapper. The most ardent lovers claim that if you can’t see the soup inside, the wrapper is too thick. Many claim that it is virtually impossible to find a REAL example anywhere outside Asia because almost everywhere dumpling wrappers are substituted for a proper XLB bun. Whether this is accurate or not, I cannot say since I have never eaten xiao long bao anywhere in Asia. Unfortunately for us, most of the best examples of xiao long bao exist in Shanghai and Taiwan. However, respectable efforts can be had in a few places around the world that have a sizable Chinese population such as California, Vancouver,Toronto, and New York as well as many places throughout Asia.

    If you seek out commentary about who makes some of the best xiao long bao, the name Din Tai Fung usually comes up. Originally founded in Taipei in 1972, they have expanded their operations to Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Los Angeles. Some claim that the Taipei operation is clearly their best restaurant but whether this is just sentimental judgment or not is hard to say. Trix and I have tried the xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung in Los Angeles and to my untrained palate, this was an amazing soup bun.

    Respectable versions can be found in New York as well although many Chinese ex-pats there complain vociferously about them.

    Din Tai Fung in Taipei is considered by many to be the best example of xiao long bao in the world (the New York Times said that Din Tai Fung was “among the ten best international restaurants” in 1993). I asked my Taiwanese friend, Ming-Mei, to check it out and give me her impressions on her recent visit home to Taipei.
    Image
    Imagephotos by Ming-Mei Lampe

    Ming Mei describes the XLB there as simply “fantastic”. Din Tai Fung claims to make exactly 18 folds for every bun.

    Image
    Image
    Assembly line of xiao long bao makers at Din Tai Fung in Taipei.

    Constructing a proper xiao long bao is an art. In the best places, a uniform number of pleats or folds are attempted by the bun maker for each and every one. trixie-pea attempted to make some the other day. Her exploits are recalled here.

    The thing that struck me at their Los Angeles location was the beauty of the small bun itself; thin enough to see the wonderful soup inside without the sense that it was about to break open at any moment. It acted as an enhancer instead of overwhelming doughiness that so often detracts from the filling inside when incorrect dumpling wrappers (for jiaozi) are used.

    My culinary foreign bureau chief and best friend, Senator James Mariano Marzo was kind enough to do a xiao long bao tour for me in his hometown of Singapore. Singapore has many branches of well-known dumpling houses that serve xiao long bao. (He’s not really a senator; it’s just a nickname. In our youth, we would call him the “senior senator from Morton Grove” because he was always so damn formal.)
    These are some excerpts from his findings there:

    Qun Zhong Eating House
    Hard to believe that such a mediocre dumpling can have a following. One of the weirdest I have had and probably one of the worst. The wrapper was thin and high quality, but maybe too thin as it fell apart easily. Sizing was perfect. The soup was weak and the meat quality was ok, nothing else. Again, strange how this place could actually have a following.

    Crystal Jade
    Soup excellent and more meat in the dumpling. The problem is that the wrapper is thicker and the sizing was a bit large and difficult to ingest. Nonetheless, a decent choice if you are not in a picky mood, and a good value.
    (note:This operation is one of the largest and most popular xiao long bao places in Asia.)

    Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant
    This place has a lot of history and is a direct outlet form the store in Shanghai. The dumplings looked the best when they came out, having a silky gloss (and created high expectations). The soup was the best thus far and they were full of meat flavor. However, I continue to have a "top heavy" problem. The wrapper was thicker than I was lead to believe, and they dried out rather quickly. Probably because the air-conditioning was blasting air all over the place.

    Imperial Treasure
    Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner! Thin wrapper that does not fall apart when you pick it up. Flavorful soup. Excellent meat flavor, but not overpowering. Most importantly, not top heavy at all! This was the best all around XLB that I have tried. I think the best way to describe them is that they are harmonious. They have mastered the balancing act of flavor and texture. Let's take this up a level...what wine would you serve...Grace Vineyards from China?
    (Note: The people who started Imperial Treasure in Singapore broke off from Crystal Jade. This is a highly-touted restaurant there.)
    Image Imagephotos by Sen. J.M. Marzo XIV

    Locally, here in Chicago, I have found relatively few places that offer xiao long bao. But if you are interested in sampling some traditional versions, they can be found at:
    - House of Fortune - 2407 S Wentworth Ave
    - Moon Palace - 216 W Cermak
    - Mandarin Kitchen - 2143 S Archer Ave
    - Phoenix (weekends only) -2131 S Archer Ave # 2
    - Yu-Tan Dumpling House (Westmont)
    - Ed’s Potsticker house - 3139 S. Halsted

    Unfortunately, I don’t believe any of these places make a true bao. Most use a yeastless wrapper (as is used for jiaozi or gyoza). Some don’t even offer the standard condiment of sliced ginger in black vinegar (not a good sign). Others offer poorly constructed dumplings that leak soup (Yutang in Westmont). Although they are not of the highest quality, even a mediocre version is still a treat.
  • Post #2 - August 3rd, 2006, 5:09 pm
    Post #2 - August 3rd, 2006, 5:09 pm Post #2 - August 3rd, 2006, 5:09 pm
    That is the king of xiao long bao posts. In the future, when the inevitable newbie posts expecting to find great "soup dumplings"(these things seem to come in waves...or possibly memes) in Chicago they can be directed to the above. Kudos.
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #3 - August 3rd, 2006, 5:09 pm
    Post #3 - August 3rd, 2006, 5:09 pm Post #3 - August 3rd, 2006, 5:09 pm
    Loved the post.
  • Post #4 - August 3rd, 2006, 6:06 pm
    Post #4 - August 3rd, 2006, 6:06 pm Post #4 - August 3rd, 2006, 6:06 pm
    Pigmon, in revenge for creating in me a "long"ing for something that I cannot immediately have, I am going to correct your pronunciation.

    you wrote:
    Shou (rhymes with “now”)
    which is almost right, but not quite. In mandarin, that "xi" at the beginning of "xiao" creates a unique little sound; you create it by "smiling" as you say the "sh" sound. So it's almost like saying "shee-ow". Uh, but not really. It kind of comes out as shyow. Like Yeeow!

    So the Shou-rhymes-with-now sound is actually written in pinyin as "shao", which to a mandarin chinese ear is a very different sound than "xiao". I will demonstrate when next we meet. Aren't you THRILLED??? :wink:

    Also: Awesome Post.
    Anthony Bourdain on Barack Obama: "He's from Chicago, so he knows what good food is."
  • Post #5 - August 3rd, 2006, 7:50 pm
    Post #5 - August 3rd, 2006, 7:50 pm Post #5 - August 3rd, 2006, 7:50 pm
    Pigmon,

    Illuminating post, I'm starting to understand what you have been talking about.

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #6 - August 4th, 2006, 5:27 am
    Post #6 - August 4th, 2006, 5:27 am Post #6 - August 4th, 2006, 5:27 am
    Thank you so much for posting this.

    My wife and I just tried soup dumplings for the first time. They are the "signature dish" at Yank Sing in San Francisco. Biting into them for the first time netted for us one of those epiphanic moments of widened eyes across the table, each of us thinking, "Can you believe this?"

    I look forward to mining your post for Chicago soup dumpling info for a long time to come.
  • Post #7 - August 4th, 2006, 7:03 am
    Post #7 - August 4th, 2006, 7:03 am Post #7 - August 4th, 2006, 7:03 am
    I am but a traveler on a path to culinary delights - thanks for being a guide, Rob.

    It is one thing to have tried something, which I have.

    It is another to understand what it is, and what it could and should be in its variations. I have made a start now.

    And the pinnacle is to experience in its ultimate form, done as well as can be. I look forward to that with keen anticipation.

    You do a heck of a good job taking me through those stages. Never did quite understand how to eat those dumplings, get all the soup, do it in a reasonable mouthful, and not burn my mouth. Not to mention how to apply those ginger bits. That alone is worth the price of admission.

    Great posts, mon.
    d
    Feeling (south) loopy
  • Post #8 - August 4th, 2006, 8:10 am
    Post #8 - August 4th, 2006, 8:10 am Post #8 - August 4th, 2006, 8:10 am
    You never fail to amaze me with the depth of your research into the dishes you so obviously love.

    Suzy
    " There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life."
    - Frank Zappa
  • Post #9 - August 4th, 2006, 8:34 am
    Post #9 - August 4th, 2006, 8:34 am Post #9 - August 4th, 2006, 8:34 am
    I've been more than a little disappointed in not finding excellent xiao long bao in Chicago. I guess I have the opposite feeling to Pigmon's about mediocre versions--that they're fine and even really tasty for what they are, but ultimately disappointing for what they're not.

    A little off topic, but I would second the recommendation for Yank Sing in San Francisco. I thought the ones there were just about perfect, or at least as good as any I've had in New York, which is the only standard I've had experience with. I haven't had the opportunity to try the enticing places listed in the initial post, but hope to someday.

    I'd like to think the market is big enough to support a specialist xiao long bao restaurant here. I just wish the invisible hand would move a little more quickly...
  • Post #10 - August 4th, 2006, 8:51 am
    Post #10 - August 4th, 2006, 8:51 am Post #10 - August 4th, 2006, 8:51 am
    Rob, Great post! Thanks for inviting and motivating me to actually write down a few thoughts on something I eat every week.

    By the way, Geli is correct on the pronounciation.

    Enjoy the dumplings!
    Formerly of Morton Grove
  • Post #11 - August 4th, 2006, 11:33 am
    Post #11 - August 4th, 2006, 11:33 am Post #11 - August 4th, 2006, 11:33 am
    Rob,

    Very informative and enjoyable post on a most worthy topic. Excellent pictures as well.

    Many thanks.

    Antonius
    Alle Nerven exzitiert von dem gewürzten Wein -- Anwandlung von Todesahndungen -- Doppeltgänger --
    - aus dem Tagebuch E.T.A. Hoffmanns, 6. Januar 1804.
    ________
    Na sir is na seachain an cath.
  • Post #12 - August 4th, 2006, 5:02 pm
    Post #12 - August 4th, 2006, 5:02 pm Post #12 - August 4th, 2006, 5:02 pm
    Great job!

    I've ate at Din Tai Fung many times over the years and last year I was in Singapore and found an outpost there - I was soooo happy.

    Another place on the beaten path but still worth trying is Joe's Shanghai in NYC's Chinatown. There are many branches, but people seem to feel this is the best one. I took a bunch of "white people" a few weeks ago and everyone thought the xiao long bao were awesome.

    I also wish there was definitive place in Chicago. Sigh.
  • Post #13 - August 5th, 2006, 11:25 am
    Post #13 - August 5th, 2006, 11:25 am Post #13 - August 5th, 2006, 11:25 am
    Xiao long bao’s origin can be traced to the town of Nanxiang, just 30 miles outside of Shanghai and is believed to have been invented around 100 years ago at a place called Mantou Dian (南翔饅頭店) in Old Town God's Temple (城隍廟). Mantou Dian is still in operation today and last I read, you can get a basket of 16 xiao long bao for just under a buck.


    Interesting post. I have had this quite by accident at Mantou Dian when I visited Shanghai a couple of years ago. I didn't know anything about it, but I was doing the usual touristy thing of visiting Shanghai's Old Town and I saw this huge line outside the takeout counter of what I now know is Mantou Dian. The line was so long and full of local people (not foreign tourists) that I thought there must be something good here :). They were selling only one variety of fresh-made dumplings (what I now know as xiao long bao). I stood in line for more than half an hour because the dumplings at the counter get over very soon and they have to wait for a fresh batch to arrive from inside. But it was well worth the wait :). They also have a seating restaurant upstairs, but I didn't go there.
  • Post #14 - August 7th, 2006, 4:23 pm
    Post #14 - August 7th, 2006, 4:23 pm Post #14 - August 7th, 2006, 4:23 pm
    Brady wrote:Another place on the beaten path but still worth trying is Joe's Shanghai in NYC's Chinatown.


    I'll second the Joe's Shanghai recommendation. I tried out the soup dumplings at Ed's Potsticker this weekend and found them quite lacking, especially compared to Joe's. The dumpling barely had any soup in it! Joe's give you a double whammy.

    Haven't been to asia (yet) but looking forward to trying out the real deal one of these days!
  • Post #15 - August 7th, 2006, 8:59 pm
    Post #15 - August 7th, 2006, 8:59 pm Post #15 - August 7th, 2006, 8:59 pm
    The NY Metro is lousy with Joe's Shangai and Joe's Ginger outposts. I don't consider Chinatown NY any more off the beaten path than Chinatown Chicago, but there's a Joe's in the middle of Midtown, eg.
  • Post #16 - August 8th, 2006, 3:39 pm
    Post #16 - August 8th, 2006, 3:39 pm Post #16 - August 8th, 2006, 3:39 pm
    JeffB wrote:The NY Metro is lousy with Joe's Shangai and Joe's Ginger outposts. I don't consider Chinatown NY any more off the beaten path than Chinatown Chicago, but there's a Joe's in the middle of Midtown, eg.


    Chinatown (and Joe's) is only about a 10-15 minute walk from the WTC station.
  • Post #17 - August 8th, 2006, 4:03 pm
    Post #17 - August 8th, 2006, 4:03 pm Post #17 - August 8th, 2006, 4:03 pm
    Or a 2 minute train ride. :wink:
  • Post #18 - August 8th, 2006, 4:17 pm
    Post #18 - August 8th, 2006, 4:17 pm Post #18 - August 8th, 2006, 4:17 pm
    JeffB wrote:Or a 2 minute train ride. :wink:


    ok, i wasn't sure what you were getting at. You said "lousy"; I see now that you meant it in the "louse-infested" way, rather than the "terrible" way :lol:
  • Post #19 - August 9th, 2006, 7:32 am
    Post #19 - August 9th, 2006, 7:32 am Post #19 - August 9th, 2006, 7:32 am
    Spurred by PIGMON, trixie-pea, and their interesting and educational XLB posts, a handful of hungry LTHers spent last Saturday evening sampling these juicy little dumplings at four of Chicago's XLB purveyors.

    Perhaps we knew a little too much going into it, as our expectations of tasting a "real" XLB were muted. These were, after all, dumplings in a dumpling wrapper and not bao in a yeasted dough. But even a bad dumpling is still a dumpling, and I've never met a dumpling that I didn't want to eat.

    The first visit of the day was Mandarin Kitchen whose dumplings were reasonably soupy and had a nice flavor, but no ginger garnish. I've had these before and I'd eat 'em again.

    In this photo from MK, PIGMON demonstrates the proper technique for approaching a steamer of XLB:

    Image

    The XMB at Moon Palace were probably the most distinctive of the day. Large and meaty with a coarse filling and little broth (many of the skins broke), these were impossible to eat in one bite, barely in two bites. I liked the filling, but the size of these were unwieldy and made them difficult to enjoy.

    Moon Palace XLB:
    Image

    Stop number three was at House of Fortune, whose XLB were easily the least satisfying of the day. They were dry and gummy with little enjoyable flavor. This is the only place we stopped at that I've never had a full meal at, and it seems like a nice place with a big menu. They did win the award for most interesting garnish of the day: vinegar and chili oil.

    House of Fortune XLB:
    Image

    The last stop was Ed's Potsticker House where we had what I considered the most flavorful dumplings of the day. They were well seasoned with a reasonable amount of broth. Like MK, I've enjoyed these in the past and I intend to enjoy them again in the future.

    Since it was dinner time and all we had to eat at this point was about eight dumplings, we ordered some of Ed's eggplant, lamb in cumin, cigar potstickers (especially good that day), and smoked pork and scallion pancakes: a familiar and hearty meal to cap the tour.

    The only one in the area that we missed out on was Phoenix, since they seemed to require more direct advance notice than we gave them. I do have fond memories of the dumplings downstairs at the shuttered Phoenix Dumpling House.

    I probably learned more about XLB from reading PIGMON and trixie-pea's posts, and I had no expectation of tasting an authentic example of an XLB on this day, but it's nice to explore the landscape of any food item. It's also fun to spend a summer afternoon traipsing around Chinatown with a bunch of LTHers.

    A few more photos here

    Best,
    Michael

    Mandarin Kitchen
    2143 S Archer Ave
    (312) 328-0228

    Moon Palace
    216 W Cermak
    (312) 225-4081

    House of Fortune
    2407 S Wentworth Ave
    (312) 225-0880

    Ed’s Potsticker house
    3139 S. Halsted
    (312) 326-6898
  • Post #20 - August 10th, 2006, 6:27 pm
    Post #20 - August 10th, 2006, 6:27 pm Post #20 - August 10th, 2006, 6:27 pm
    eatchicago wrote:It's also fun to spend a summer afternoon traipsing around Chinatown with a bunch of LTHers.

    A few more photos here

    Michael,

    I, also, never met a dumpling I didn't like and agree an afternoon spent in the company of LTHers is always an afternoon well spent.

    Great pics!

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #21 - August 10th, 2006, 7:46 pm
    Post #21 - August 10th, 2006, 7:46 pm Post #21 - August 10th, 2006, 7:46 pm
    eatchicago wrote:Stop number three was at House of Fortune, whose XLB were easily the least satisfying of the day. They were dry and gummy with little enjoyable flavor. This is the only place we stopped at that I've never had a full meal at, and it seems like a nice place with a big menu.


    My wife, my two boys, and myself met up with the group at House of Fortune, amid some other errands on the afternoon, and when a walk to Phoenix turned into a trek to Ed's Potsticker House, the group left us at House of Fortune as well.

    I agree with eatchicago's characterization of the dumplings, but I was extremely pleased that both of my boys (age 2 and 4) who are intermittently picky eaters and often opposite in taste, were both extremely pleased with these puppies.

    After the group left, we stayed and ordered another steamer full, along with shredded BBQ pork with extra crispy rice noodles. This was okay, a bit on the oily side, and not as much flavor as I'd have liked, but still a decent meal and lunch the next day. Not as good as a similar dish had recently at Sun Wah.

    Very friendly and accomodating place, though, and I really appreciated the $3 Tsingtao.
  • Post #22 - August 11th, 2006, 9:40 am
    Post #22 - August 11th, 2006, 9:40 am Post #22 - August 11th, 2006, 9:40 am
    I have eaten at Din Tai Fung as well as Joe's Ginger in NYC. I can say that the meal I had at Din Tai Fung was probrably the best spent $10 f my life - 10 dumplings and dan dan noodles.

    great post, by the way.
  • Post #23 - November 3rd, 2006, 4:43 pm
    Post #23 - November 3rd, 2006, 4:43 pm Post #23 - November 3rd, 2006, 4:43 pm
    Pigmon:

    I want to revive this thread to thank you once again for your post. You inspired me to go on a XLB quest in Vancouver, and I ended up at one of the places praised by Yutai, the photographer of the sagging xlb you reproduce in your post above.

    For my report on Shanghai River in Richmond BC, and a couple photos, please see here:
    http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=98945#98945

    The dumplings there were amazing, and I wouldn't have sought them out if not for your post.

    Amata
  • Post #24 - November 4th, 2006, 8:53 am
    Post #24 - November 4th, 2006, 8:53 am Post #24 - November 4th, 2006, 8:53 am
    Amata wrote:Pigmon:

    I want to revive this thread to thank you once again for your post. You inspired me to go on a XLB quest in Vancouver, and I ended up at one of the places praised by Yutai, the photographer of the sagging xlb you reproduce in your post above.

    Thank you so much, Amy.
    From my perspective, I'm just returning the favor for inspiring me to visit the legendary Allen & Son down in North Carolina (as well as many other places); one of the great barbeque places anywhere.

    After doing my research on xiao long bao, it became apparent to me that Vancouver would make most anybody's short list of places to visit in the West to try this amazing treat.

    I just finished my Travelocity search for fares to Vancouver!

    Wonderful post.
  • Post #25 - November 21st, 2006, 10:38 am
    Post #25 - November 21st, 2006, 10:38 am Post #25 - November 21st, 2006, 10:38 am
    I'm jealous as hell! My friend, Ming-Mei, is in Taipei again visiting family and sending me pictures of xiao long bao from Din Tai Fung.


    Image

    Just look at the transparency of those wrappers!


    She's always been cruel as hell to me. :wink:
  • Post #26 - August 16th, 2007, 9:12 am
    Post #26 - August 16th, 2007, 9:12 am Post #26 - August 16th, 2007, 9:12 am
    I'm back in Hong Kong for a week, and while digging for any old posts on the same I ran across this one. I immediately reworked dinner plans to hit a Shanghaiese place downstairs (Ye Shanghai), figuring they must do a decent XLB. Though I'm not nearly as well-versed in these fellas as Pigmon, Ye Shanghai's were perhaps the best I've had to date.

    Image

    I've always enjoyed them immensely, but when presented with such a fine spicimen, my thoughts wander more in the direction of "whoever thought this up was seriously a freaking genius." Though not exactly a glass window, Ye Shanghai's XLB had a very delicate, barely translucent wrapper. They didn't achieve the remarkable sag-ocity of the photo upstream (more pork filling, perhaps?), but the bottoms had a pronounced, jiggly sag. My first was not very wet, but thankfully this proved to be an aberration as the rest were brimming with soup. Very delicately flavored, nicely balanced... just wonderful. This is one of those highly-evolved foods that I just can't imagine getting any better.

    Prepare yourself for further torture, Pigmon, as I expect to be in the neighborhood of Din Tai Fung's HK outpost on Saturday. Four is not nearly enough. I must have more.
    Dominic Armato
    Dining Critic
    The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
  • Post #27 - August 16th, 2007, 9:16 am
    Post #27 - August 16th, 2007, 9:16 am Post #27 - August 16th, 2007, 9:16 am
    Wow (no pun intended), so beautiful posed on the lime, I'll never think so highly of ones on a scrap of lettuce. Great picture.
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  • Post #28 - August 16th, 2007, 9:26 am
    Post #28 - August 16th, 2007, 9:26 am Post #28 - August 16th, 2007, 9:26 am
    Mike G wrote:Wow (no pun intended), so beautiful posed on the lime, I'll never think so highly of ones on a scrap of lettuce. Great picture.


    Ah... it might appear so from the photo, but that isn't lime. It was some manner of thinly-sliced squashy vegetable, present purely to eliminate sticking concerns (and look pretty).
    Dominic Armato
    Dining Critic
    The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
  • Post #29 - August 16th, 2007, 11:13 am
    Post #29 - August 16th, 2007, 11:13 am Post #29 - August 16th, 2007, 11:13 am
    Dmnkly wrote:Ah... it might appear so from the photo, but that isn't lime. It was some manner of thinly-sliced squashy vegetable, present purely to eliminate sticking concerns (and look pretty).
    It may be yue gua (yew-eh gwah), AKA oriental pickling melon or Chinese cucumber.

    The dumplings look wonderful. I am jealous. I wonder why such a universally popular Chinese dish does not have a greater presence in the US? I think in many cultures these sort of complex specialty dishes grew from the business model of the market stall, where an entrepreneur specialized in one or two specific dishes, that they did better (or differently) than anybody else. It is not unusual to find a restaurant in China that specializes in not just only dumplings, but a specific style of dumplings. Here in the US, it seems that the Chinese restaurants go more for the "all things to all people" approach. Instead of making one or two stellar dishes, they make many mediocre ones, which are often simplified versions of the originals.
  • Post #30 - August 17th, 2007, 6:22 pm
    Post #30 - August 17th, 2007, 6:22 pm Post #30 - August 17th, 2007, 6:22 pm
    d4v3 wrote:The dumplings look wonderful. I am jealous. I wonder why such a universally popular Chinese dish does not have a greater presence in the US?

    don't you know? Chinese food isn't "cool" like pad thai, pho, omakase, etc. anymore

    and this is really weird to be because... i'm back to eating "Chinese" food everyday. rediscovering Monterey Park/Alhambra/Rosemead, etc. after a 10 year absence has really re-opened my eyes. on Valley Blvd alone, you can now officially get: Taiwanese/ Shanghainese/ Beijinese/ Hunannese (previous 4 all within same plaza) / Fuzhounese-Chaozhounese/ Yunnanese / Cantonese / HK-style Western Cafe/ Szechuanese, etc. along with all the $10 foot messages you want.

    Yet no one seems to care about anything but "dim sum" :(

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