Posts Tagged ‘Dim-sum-couver’
The final restaurant on the December Dim-sum-couver (點心哥華) schedule was Sha Lin Noodle House (少林麵莊).
A brightly lit room was full of diners. In the back corner was a window into the kitchen where a chef kneaded dough, and stretched, cut and shaved noodles with much concentration and solemnity.
We ordered two dishes to share. First was pork pan fried dumplings (猪肉水煎包). Huddled together with golden crisp bottoms, these dense morsels were juicy, meaty and well seasoned. A dozen of these were too much for the four of us at the end of a day of eating and we were happy to pack the remainder in a container to savour the next day.
The second plate was hand shaved noodles with lamb flavoured with cumin (孜然口味炒羊肉手拉面). This was symphony on a plate. It was stir-fried with wok breath (鑊氣), the handmade noodles tangled with a mass of bean sprouts, studded with broccoli florets and strips of tender lamb were pungent with cumin. It was hearty comfort food.
It was an excellent introduction to Dim-sum-couver. Sincere thanks to Cameo, Naomi and Rachel for the frivolous company!
- In: Travelling | Vancouver
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Dim-sum-couver (點心哥華) was perfectly timed for House of Dosas‘ Wednesday special of South Indian hoppers.
Open twenty four hours, there is a rotation of daily specials of dosa, thali, hopper, biryani and crab.
After yum cha (飲茶) at Vivacity (名都), wife cake (老婆餅) at Kam Do Bakery (金都餐廳餅店) and dumplings at No. 1 Shanghai Cuisine (滬上), we travelled to the Subcontinent for curries, dosas and hoppers. I ordered a mango lassi, a sweet and refreshing iced yoghurt beverage.
We shared the Wednesday special of hoppers with lamb curry and the gunpowder masala dosa. I was expecting string hoppers which I’ve had in Sri Lankan cuisine but three bowl shaped crêpes were served with a mound of lamb curry. With a charred edge and dotted with air bubbles, there were two plain hoppers and one with an egg cracked in. We tore pieces by hand and scooped up the tender and spicy curry.
Potatoes and onions were wrapped in a tanned triangle of dosa and presented with a container of daal and two dollops of condiments. Crisp and well seasoned, we nibbled on the gunpowder masala dosa and wished it was street food here too.
We stayed a while for the complimentary Wi-Fi and breathed in the spiced aromas.
- In: Travelling | Vancouver
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A delicious yum cha (飲茶) lunch at Vivacity (名都) whetted our Dim-sum-couver (點心哥華) appetite. On the next block was Kam Do Bakery (金都餐廳餅店). A delectable selection of pastries and buns were displayed in glass cabinets. There were golden pastries filled with red bean, green bean, lotus seed, taro and date pastes. We each bought a paper tray to take home. Mine had their speciality, wife cake (老婆餅), and my favourite, pineapple bun with custard cream (菠蘿奶黃包).
Flat and round, wife cake is a traditional Chinese pastry filled with winter melon and almond paste. The disc was flaky and the glutinous winter melon and almond blend was mellow. Pineapple in appearance and not in flavour, the crumbly crust was the highlight of the pineapple bun with custard cream.
Sadly the third place on our schedule was closed on Wednesdays. The photo menu at HK BBQ Master (明家燒臘專家) enticed us to return at the next Dim-sum-couver for their Chinese barbecued meats.
It was a short stroll to No. 1 Shanghai Cuisine (滬上). I’ve visited Richmond several times and the blocks of malls still confuse me. I’m thankful for Naomi and Sally Simpleton‘s directions!
We were at No. 1 Shanghai Cuisine for their bao (包). We shared a serving each of xiao long bao (小籠包) and sheng jian bao (生煎包).
Steamed in a bamboo basket were six pleated xiao long bao or ’soup dumplings’. Dipped in black rice vinegar, I nibbled the top off the delicate parcel to release steam and carefully slurped the broth. The wrapping was a little thick but the pork mince was well seasoned in a pool of intense liquid. We ate these in silent appreciation.
Five large sheng jian bao or pan fried buns were sprinkled with black sesame and shallots. The seared bottom was crispy and these were doughy versions of the xiao long bao. The juicy bun squirted with each bite!
The Shanghai (上海) dumplings were warming and soothing on a wintry day.
