At the peak of the weekend rush at Phoenix restaurant, when the dim sum service is in full swing, the wheels of progress can seem awfully slow. Especially if those wheels are pulling along a cart laden with puffy buns filled with barbecued pork, rice noodle rolls hugging little pink shrimp, or tender chive dumplings still glossy from the cooking oil.
Everyone feels ravenous when they’re taking part in this culinary custom, selecting favorite items with a pointed finger or slumping in disappointment after watching a nearby table take the last choice dumpling.
Dim sum, which translates loosely as “to touch the heart,” was originally a teahouse specialty of China’s Canton region. But for American diners new to dim sum, the food rolling by on metal carts is pure mystery. Just what are those rolled, stuffed and steamed goodies going by?
It’s time to take a peek under the covers, as more Chicagoans are delving into dim sum because of a recent boom in restaurants that serve the daytime-only meal.
“Chinatown used to have only one or two places that served dim sum, and when they sold out, too bad,” says Philip Chan, a spokesman for the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. “In the past year, we have had five new places open up that serve it, and they are all doing well.”
The restaurants range from the new Happy Chef, to the popular Phoenix, to Jumbo Seafood restaurant, which this spring added a second chef and kitchen in order to offer dim sum.
Jumbo owner Mark Lee remembers the old days in Hong Kong when people would start eating dim sum at five o’clock in the morning.
“They’d get the newspaper from the newsstand in front of each restaurant and sit there for hours. You could return the paper and exchange for a new one, sometimes going through four or five newspapers.”
You might not be able to linger that long over local dim sum; waiting customers eyeing your table pass from looking plaintive to looking dangerous if you sit too long. But everyone understands; it’s hard to leave when another cart is coming down the aisle.
THE SUM OF DIIM SUM
Here are some of the offerings you might see on a dim sum cart:
STEAMED
These items are served in stacked bamboo steamer trays.
Har gow: Shrimp dumplings of chopped shrimp, bamboo shoots and seasonings encased in a delicate, sticky wrapper of wheat flour and tapioca.
Siu mai: Dumplings that are open at the top to reveal a filling of pork or beef, shrimp and mushroom.
Char siu bao: The dough in these white buns has a cottony texture and a bland, if slightly sweet, flavor; a too-crumbly top may mean the dough is dry. The filling is chopped roast pork tossed in a sweet barbecue sauce. Bao also may have chicken or vegetable fillings; the buns also are served baked.
Chicken feet: Exactly that, served boiled and plain or in a glossy black bean or brown sauce. There’s very little meat; diners nibble the skin from the bones.
Sticky rice: Bundles of glutinous, sticky white rice are molded around a filling of various chopped meats, such as pork or chicken, or beans and hard-cooked eggs. The rice is then wrapped in green lotus leaves and steamed.
Chow fun noodle: Thick, slippery rice noodles are rolled into thin rectangles around such fillings as barbecued pork, ground beef or whole shrimp. The white noodles are translucent and very soft and are sprinkled with a spoonful or two of thin, or light, soy sauce for serving.
PAN-FRIED
Pot stickers: One of the most familiar items on the tray, these are pork and shrimp-filled dumplings crisped to golden brown on one side.
Turnip cake: Cooked, mashed white turnip, daikon radish or taro root is thickened with flour, seasoned, cut into squares and pan fried.
Stuffed peppers or eggplant: Bell pepper or baby eggplant halves are filled with pureed shrimp; the surface of the filling is fried until golden. You also may see blocks of bean curd topped with the shrimp mixture and pan fried.
DEEP-FRIED
Spring rolls: Crisper, lighter, smaller versions of the standard egg roll, fried spring rolls often have a filling of vegetables, pork and chicken.
Bean curd skin: Thin sheets of bean curd (or tofu) are wrapped around a vegetable filling and fried until crisp.
Salt and pepper shrimp: Whole shrimp fried in the shell with a wonderfully savory coating of salt and pepper. The shell gets very crispy and can be eaten, if you like.
Sesame balls: Mashed, sweet red-bean paste fills dough balls that are deep fried, then sprinkled with white and black sesame seeds.
BAKED
Char siu shao: Delicate, flaky pastry is the half-moon shaped wrap for a barbecued pork or seasoned chicken filling. Brushed with an egg wash, it comes out of the oven golden and very tempting.
Egg custard tarts: Golden custard fills these round pastry shells for a sweet ending to the meal.
WHERE TO GO
Following are just a few of the Chinatown restaurants that feature a dim sum menu. Call the restaurants for times and days of dim sum service:
The Phoenix Restaurant: 2131 S. Archer Ave., 312-328-0848.
Jumbo Seafood Restaurant: 2342 S. Wentworth Ave., 312-326-5779.
Happy Chef Dim Sum House: 2164 S. Archer Ave. (inside Chinatown Square Mall), 312-808-3689. (The restaurant is too small to accommodate carts, so dim sum is ordered from a menu.)
Hong Min: 221 W. Cermak Rd., 312-842-5026.
Furama: 2828 S. Wentworth Ave., 312-225-6888.
Three Happiness: 209 W. Cermak Rd., 312-842-1964.
Another option is choosing from a smaller selection of dim sum items at a Chinese bakery, with some tables and, often, lower prices. Or you can get the goods to go:
Chiu Quon Bakery: 2242 S. Wentworth Ave., 312-225-6608.
Feida Bakery: 2228 S. Wentworth Ave., 312-808-1113.
Happy Garden Bakery: 2140 S. Archer Ave., 312-808-9538.
DOING DIM SUM
Once you’re ready to dive into the dim sum experience, it’s best to keep in mind the following tips:
– When to go: Weekends between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. draw the biggest crowds for dim sum and are the times you’ll find the best selection. Because reservations usually are not accepted during dim sum hours, be prepared to wait with the rest of the hungry crowd. Your anticipation will build as the carts go past.
– What you’ll see: The dim sum menu can be limiting in that it is heavily oriented toward shrimp and pork fillings; if you don’t eat either ingredient, the pickings can be slim. That said, there are seemingly endless variations on those themes, as well as offerings that feature tofu, vegetables, beef or chicken.
– How to order: Once seated, flag down the servers as they roll past and ask them to lift the lids of any covered steamer trays so you can see what’s there. It’s also acceptable to chase down a cart that has accidentally passed you by, but try not to be a nuisance; it’s better to be patient and wait for the next round. You’ll see many items served repeatedly throughout the morning. As each dish is put on your table, the server will place a mark on your check next to the item ordered. Dim sum dishes typically cost $1.50 to $4 a plate; even when you select a lot of items, dim sum is usually a bargain for a group.
– Learn to share: Most dishes are served in portions of three, sometimes four. Small items are eaten a piece at a time, but larger items should be shared. Ask the server to break up or cut the food with scissors, or use the clean, square end of your chopsticks to divide into individual bites.
– Take it easy: One way to think of dim sum is as a rolling buffet. All kinds of goodies pass before your eyes, so sometimes it’s wise to slow down ordering until you get a sense of all that’s available.
BOOKS TO BROWSE
If you want to make dim sum at home, the following cookbooks should help
“Dim Sum,” by Vicki Liley (Periplus Editions)
“Have Some Dim Sum,” by Evelyn Chau (Hushion House)
“The Dim Sum Dumpling Book,” by Eileen Yin Fei Lo (Macmillan)
“Florence Lin’s Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings and Breads” (Quill)
“Classic Deem Sum: Recipes From Yank Sing Restaurant, San Francisco,” by Henry Chan (Holt Rinehart)
For wrappers: Look for noodles and wrappers at Asian grocery stores, or buy them wholesale at the Hong Kong Noodle Factory (2350 S. Wentworth Ave., 312-842-0480). Major supermarkets usually feature fresh egg roll and won ton wrappers in the produce or freezer sections.
SPARERIBS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 3 servings
This recipe, adapted from “Dim Sum,” by Viciki Liley, is a classic recipe that was traditionally cooked and sold on the street in China.
1 pound pork spareribs, patted dry
1 tablespoon each: cornstarch, fermented black beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon each: chicken bouillon powder, salt, sugar, sesame oil
This recipe, adapted from “Dim Sum,” by Vicki Liley, is a classic recipe that was traditionally cooked and sold on the street in China, giving them their name.
1. Cut spareribs with cleaver or butcher’s knife into bite-size pieces; toss with cornstarch in large bowl. Rinse black beans; drain. Coarsely chop.
2. Heat vegetable oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Add black beans, garlic, bouillon powder, salt, sugar and sesame oil to bowl with spareribs; toss to coat Marinate 20 minutes.
4. Place ribs on steamer tray over boiling water. Cover; steam until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 580 Fat ………… 46 g Saturated fat .. 14 g
% calories from fat .. 72 Cholesterol .. 140 mg Sodium ….. 1,265 mg
Carbohydrates ……. 6 g Protein …….. 35 g Fiber ……….. 0 g
SHRIMP AND CHIVE POT STICKERS
This recipe is a combination of inspiration — from a dumpling served at Phoenix restaurant — and adaptation, from a recipe in “The Dim Sum Dumpling Book.”
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 dumplings
Marinade:
1 1/2 teaspoons each: rice wine or sherry, oyster sauce, cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
Pinch white pepper
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
Dumplings:
5 tablespoons peanut oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons each: oyster sauce, cornstarch
1 teaspoon rice wine or sherry
3/4 teaspoon each: soy sauce, sugar
Pinch white pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 piece (1/4-inch thick) ginger root, peeled, minced
1/2 pound Chinese garlic chives or green onions
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
12 won ton wrappers
2 large eggs, beaten
1. For marinade, stir together all marinade ingredients except shrimp in medium bowl. Add 1/4 pound of the shrimp; marinate 5 minutes. Puree in blender to form paste; set aside.
2. For dumplings, stir together 1 tablespoon oil, broth, oyster sauce, cornstarch, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar and pepper in medium bowl. Chop remaining shrimp, toss with mixture, add to shrimp paste.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in wok or large skillet. Cook garlic, ginger, chives and salt over medium-high heat, until glossy, 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add to shrimp mixture.
4. Place wrappers on work surface. Place 2 tablespoons filling in center of each. Gather ends together to make a round bundle; dampen with water, squeeze shut. Place dumplings in steamer tray over boiling water; cover. Steam 3 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly.
5. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Dip bottom of each dumpling into beaten egg and place in pan. (Egg will fan out during cooking.) Cook until golden, 2 minutes.
Nutrition information per dumpling:
Calories ………… 165 Fat ………… 7 g Saturated fat .. 1.4 g
% calories from fat .. 39 Cholesterol .. 60 mg Sodium …….. 205 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 20 g Protein ……. 6 g Fiber ………. 0.7 g
COOK-AND-SELL DUMPLINGS
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Soaking time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 12 dumplings
This recipe, adapted from “Dim Sum,” by Vicki Liley, is a classic that was traditionlly cooked and sold on the steet in China, giving it is name.
6 dried Chinese black mushrooms
1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon each: cornstarch, oyster sauce
1 teaspoon each: sugar, sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Pinch white pepper
12 won ton wrappers
1. Cover mushrooms with boiling water; let soften, 10-15 minutes. Drain, squeeze out excess liquid. Chop fine, discarding thick stems.
2. Stir together all ingredients except wrappers in medium bowl. Place 2 teaspoons filling in center of each won ton wrapper. Gather edges, forming basket with filling exposed; gently squeeze center of dumpling to expose filling at top. Tap on work surface to flatten bottom.
3. Line steamer tray with parchment or wax paper; place dumplings on top a few inches apart. Heat water in steamer to boil; place tray over water, cover. Cook 10 minutes.
Nutrition information per dumpling:
Calories ………… 85 Fat ……….. 3.4 g Saturated fat .. 1.1 g
% calories from fat .. 36 Cholesterol … 25 mg Sodium …….. 180 mg
Carbohydrates ……. 8 g Protein …….. 6 g Fiber ………. 0.5 g
