Just look at these steamed shrimp dumplings, the way they were meticulously folded. Steamed shrimp dumplings – 原雙蒸蝦餃, haa gau Judicious attention was paid to both detail and presentation. I think there’s a common thread in the observations I made of all the dim sum dishes I had. Steamed pork dumplings with shiitake mushrooms – 北菇滑燒賣, s iu mai The fun guo were quite delicate, unlike their normally overstuffed American counterparts. Fun guo are distinguished from Cantonese dumplings by a chewy translucent skin made of wheat flour. We ordered the staples, paying careful attention to avoid any deep fried ones.įirst was the fun guo, a type of dumpling native to the Teochew-speaking region of Guangdong. Then the main dim sum dishes began arriving in lovely bamboo steamer baskets. Steamed Teochew-style vegetarian dumplings – 鼎湖上素粉粿, fun guo It had a light refreshing crunch, almost like a palate cleanser. Apparently this helps the cucumbers absorb the marinade better. The dish’s Chinese name (拍黃瓜) literally means “smashed cucumber,” referring to the fact that the cucumbers are hand torn, not sliced with a knife. The second was cucumber marinated with vinegar. “Smashed” cucumbers marinated with vinegar – 拍黃瓜, paak wong gwa The first was wood ear fungus, soaked in aged vinegar. Next up came the appetizers, both soaked in vinegar. Vinegar-soaked wood ear fungus – 陳醋詹耳, chan chou jim yi The ingredients were scooped aside for consumption. In this case, the soup’s main ingredients were chicken meat, a variety of edible fungi, Jinhua ham, and winter melon, which formed a very light broth. The magic happens inside that glazed jar, which retains the moisture of the meat. Double boiled tonic soup – 老火湯, lo fo tongĪlvin’s mom also made an order of lo fo tong, a slow-simmered soup prepared over the course of a few hours, with delicate-tasting ingredients and herbs and often used as a medicinal tonic. I saw a lot of other tables also get the beautifully plated Cantonese roasted pork (燒肉, siu yuk), sliced into cubes, looking a lot like layered cake. The cha siu was succulent, sweet and moist to perfection, with a healthy amount of melted lard wedged between pieces of protein. The sauce was just asking to be slathered on top of a bowl of freshly cooked white rice. Now onwards to the food pics– The requisite of any dim sum meal: tea Cantonese-style bbq pork – 叉燒肉, cha siu yuk What immediately struck me was that the table didn’t come with any of the requisite condiments found at any American dim sum restaurant, mustard sauce and chili garlic sauce. Before we were seated, the waiters courteously covered our coats with plastic covering to prevent any unseemly food stains from passersby delivering food. We were seated on the second floor, whose ceilings felt quite low (the photo above doesn’t do justice). Surprisingly low ceilings on the 2nd floor I can see why Lei Garden is deserving of a Michelin star. Writing this and editing these pictures makes me yearn Hong Kong’s dim sum, no joke. I came out of the restaurant feeling refreshed, not satiated. Also in terms of seasoning, all the dishes were seasoned correctly. But it also confirmed my predictions: anything found in the San Gabriel Valley or even Vancouver-Richmond area pales by comparison–overly greased for faster cooking, less meticulous preparation, and the use of industrial steamer baskets, which just takes away from the whole experience. To say the last, my first dim sum experience in Hong Kong set a high bar for the rest of my dim sum meals to come. Prices typically hover between HKD $28-50 per dish Like most well-known Hong Kong restaurants, Lei Garden is a chain with several restaurants throughout the city (and even outlets in Shanghai and Beijing). Reservations came in handy because this place got packed during yum cha (飲茶). The main reason for our venture to Mongkok was to dine at Lei Garden (利苑酒家), a one Michelin-star Cantonese style restaurant, well known for its dim sum. Cantonese fare is characterized by its use of fresh unadulterated ingredients (especially seafood), and a preference for steaming or stir-frying.
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