Dim Sum: The food of my people

People are usually pretty excited to eat Dim Sum with me, as I can serve as the tour guide. Dim Sum has always been a part of my life. I half joke that it is the food of my people. Eating Dim Sum style as a child is likely why I have a tough time ordering food off of a traditional menu. Why can't everything be made in miniature size so I can have a little of everything? Makes sense to me.

Yesterday, we were very excited to have Dim Sum with some friends at Legendary Palace in Oakland Chinatown. They haven't had dim sum in 20 years! What? How can this be? We live 15 minutes from Oakland Chinatown. But I know, it can be intimidating and honestly, those ladies pushing the carts aren't exactly helpful, are they?

I often overeat at Dim Sum. Who can resist all these little packages of yumminess rolling around in carts?! And it's right there, ready for you! No ordering, no waiting. Instant gratification.

Let's see what we ate, shall we?

The chives in this dumpling is not the kind you put on your baked potato. They are less oniony and flatter in appearance. She is indeed cutting my Dim Sum so that I can share smaller pieces.

Shrimp and Chive Dumpling (ngau choi gau)

In the center of this strange looking dumpling is a bit of pork and mushrooms which is surrounded by mashed taro, then deep fried to golden perfection. It is hard to describe all these flavors to someone who has never tried one. Taro is a root vegetable and is very starchy. The texture is thick so the crunchy outside adds a good balance. Imagine eating a mashed potato ball that has been deep fried. Delicious, right?

Deep-Fried Taro Dumpling (wu gok)

I love these because the texture of the glutinous rice shell is a bit chewy and sweet to the taste. The sweetness plays well against the salty filling of pork, mushroom, water chestnut, and dried shrimp.

Glutinous Rice Turnover (hom suey gok)

Oh, Siu Mai aka Steamed Pork Dumplings ... one of the basic items of any dim sum meal. Legendary Palace's are tender and juicy.

Steamed Pork Dumpling (siu mai)

Cheurng Fun means long noodle. Ha means shrimp. Shrimp are rolled in large sheets of rice noodles, steamed so that the shrimp is nicely cooked, then a sweeten soy sauce is poured on top.  I always order this dish. It is simple and comforting to me. You can get Cheurng Fun with minced beef or with char siu (BBQ pork). Legendary Palace's noodles are not sticky and they hold together, not falling apart when you pick them up with chopsticks, a sign of skill in the art of rice noodle making.

Shrimp Wrapped in Rice Noodle (Ha Cheurng Fun)

When I judge a dim sum restaurant, I judge it on its Siu Mai, Ha Gow which is steamed shrimp dumpling (not pictured), and its Cha Siu Bao. In a Cha Siu Bao, I'm looking for a fluffy white bun that is slightly sweet, not too moist, not too dry. I want a good proportion of meat to bun. I want the cha siu to be tasty with a little sauce and not red (a sign of too much food coloring). Legendary Palace's Cha Siu Bao meets all the requirements and is my favorite in Oakland Chinatown. If the white flour bun was better for me, I would eat a dozen of these. I have banned Cha Siu Baos from my house because they are simply irresistible.

(The Magical) Steamed BBQ Pork Bun (cha siu bao)

Two little precious packages:

Sticky Rice with Pork and Mushrooms (lo mai gai)

Lo mai is glutinous rice also known as sticky rice. In this Lo Mai Gai (literally translating to sticky rice chicken), the rice surrounds a saucy mix of chicken and mushrooms and is wrapped in a lotus leaf. It is the leaf that makes it special, infusing it with a flavor that is very mild, but complex and hard to describe. But if you didn't have the leaf, you would immediately notice its absence.

Lo mai gai, unwrapped

In the middle of Dim Sum, it's wise to have a little greenery to remind your stomach and intestines that you care about their health. Gai Lan is also known as Chinese Broccoli. Oyster sauce is to Gai Lan as ketchup is to french fries.

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (ho yau gai lan)

This is one of my husband's favorite Dim Sum items. It is BBQ inside a pastry. Made well, it is flakey layers of dough wrapped around a slighty sweet and salty meat. These were certainly flakey but also a tad too oily.

BBQ Pork Pastry (cha siu soh)

A cousin to the Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, these Cha Siu Chan Baos are baked. On top a wash of sugary glaze which make the bun a bit sticky to the touch. I like the steamed ones more because I like soft, pillowy buns but you'll catch me eating one of these from time to time.

Baked BBQ Pork Bun (cha siu chan bao)

For dessert, we decide on Pineapple Bun with Custard, in Cantonese: Bo Lo Bao. Contrary to the name, there is no pineapple in these. They are named after the texture of the crunchy top which resemble the outside of a pineapple. These were awesome. Just out of the oven, the custard on the inside was still warm. The buns were warm and the top was crunchy.

Pineapple Bum with Custard (lai wong bo lo bao)

Hope you enjoyed this short tour of some dim sum basics.  If you've never had Dim Sum, you should try it! Have a little heart!