Yank Sing Offers Gluten-Free Options

Our most recent visit to Yank Sing in San Francisco was wonderful -- with the added bonus of the staff working carefully with our table to choose gluten-free options as well as regular courses.

The visit was the perfect was to kick-off a week-long stay by the Bay -- and touring the culinary delights of the regions, including visits to the Ferry Building Marketplace, Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lys french restaurant, Fenton's Creamery in Oakland, and more.

The Rincon Center location was bustling on a holiday Monday -- with lots of traditional as well as new, more contemporary choices. There are those who believe Yank Sing is past its prime, but our experience in early January was anything but.

One challenge for some is the price -- it is easy to run up a pretty good size bill when your choices run $5 - $12.  Oh, what the heck. Go for it.

Dumplings to the World

You've got to love this.  The Ledyard Libraries are pushing dim sum (or its equivalent) to seniors as part of an outreach event.  This truly marks a tipping point in dim sum going mainstream.  Here's the story in the Norwich, Connecticut, Bulletin.

Ledyard Libraries seek teens to help with dumpling program

The Bulletin

Posted Jan 25, 2012 

Ledyard Libraries is looking for teenagers in grades 7 through 12 to help with its “Dim Sum to Modak: Dumplings from Around the World.”


The final event will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Ledyard Center Senior Center on Van Tassell Drive in Gales Ferry and will serve up to 50 guests. Teens interested in assisting can sign up for blocks of time from Feb. 17-19. To learn more call (860) 464-9912 or email teenlibrarian@ledyard.lioninc.org.

Trucking in LA

Finally, dim sum comes to you.  A new truck's rolling tomorrow morning in LA -- the dim sum truck. According to the post at Joshua Lurie's Food GPS:

“I want to make dim sum more accessible to everyone in LA.,” says Chu. “Distance has always been one thing that’s kept me from enjoying dim sum as often as I’d like, since I live by the Westside and really good dim sum is only in the San Gabriel Valley. If my truck can reach from the Valley to Silver Lake to Venice, everyone can enjoy my traditional and fusion style dim sum items whenever it’s near.”

Chu hired a team of cooks to make dim sum fresh each morning, including pork and shrimp shu mai, shrimp har gow, pan fried pork spare rib buns, baked BBQ pork buns, egg tarts and lotus sesame balls.

I'll be in LA next month -- and will hunt down the truck if it can't find me.  

Hungry in Honolulu

If you see four ladies from Ottoville, Ohio, wandering around Honolulu this week, point them in the direction of the Empress, which occupies space in Chinatown's Cultural Center. They may not know they want dim sum, but once they're there, they will head home happier and certainly more well-rounded than when they left. Master chef Titus Chan, here with lobster over yi mein, will see to it. (Photo by Nadine Kam/Star bulletin.)

I took a peek at Honolulu because my mom's in Hawaii for 10 days with three friends, escaping the Midwestern gray and cold for sun, surf and sum dim sum.  Sitting here in 14 inches of snow, it seems like they made a good decision. Not to mention Chinese New Year is upon us, it's time to dumpling up, ladies.  And, believe it or not, the more time you're there the more Tsing Tao tastes like Bud Light.

Stranded in Sarasota

WANTED: Dim Sum in Sarasota.

Okay -- call me crazy. I thought it would be a wonderful treat to have dim sum on New Year's morning -- in Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida.  We love that area, even though the Cincinnati Reds have hightailed it for Arizona beginning this spring.

There were no listings for dim sum, so I started dialing Chinese restaurants in the area.  After speaking with 16 different establishments (I wanted it bad), no one served nor had heard of anyone serving dim sum.  Some weren't even familiar with dim sum!  Finally (and this is cool), one called me back and suggested we check in with Lucky Star in Bradenton.

The people at  Lucky Star  were great.  They didn't serve by cart -- but off a special dim sum menu on weekends and holidays.  This is a typical strip mall store front, but reasonably done with a comfortable, clean and nice seating area and friendly (if not prompt) service.



My family and I plowed through pretty standard offerings like wonton noodle soup (a specialty), golden bags of dumpling deep fried with a seafood filling, some of the best spring rolls we've had in a while, and the usual offerings of sui mai, shrimp dumplings, chive dumplings, shrimp balls and more.  We did a second round of some of our favorites and a few other combinations, including scallops and mushrooms.

Each dish is cooked individually and came out hot, fresh and ready to go.  This was a welcome change from a few cart houses, where dumplings can tend to get stale and cool.  Don't get me wrong, the ambiance of being served from a cart is one of the unique benefits of a traditional dim sum house.  But the folks at Lucky Star made up for it in food quality.

If you'd like to check, here's another review from a few days earlier.  It's not worth going significantly out of your way to visit, but if you're in the area and have a craving -- definitely stop by.

Cincinnati's Back: Casual Wok Now W.J. Jan's

A new star in Cincinnati -- Casual Wok is being renamed after its new chef, W.J. Jan, who was a gold medal winner at last year's Culinary Olympics. Jan was trained in dim sum in Hong Kong and we can only hope that Casual Wok will have his skills in the carts and on our plates fast!  An opening reception is supposed to be scheduled in December. Here's the dim sum menu currently posted on their web site.  I don't believe it's been updated since Jan's arrived.

Any reports?

Motown now a Dim Sum Destination

Just when you thought the only food you can get in Detroit is at a freeway exit or from a buffet at a casino (sorry, that's not fair), along toddles Shangri-La.


According to its review in about.com, Shangri-La bills itself as having “authentic Chinese cuisine” and has a wide variety of dishes, including duck, Hong Kong eggplant, lobster and crab. While it is also known for its Sushi and Congee, its main claim to fame is its Dim Sum or "Chinese Brunch." In fact, Shangri-La is one of the few restaurants in the Metro-Detroit area that offers it. 


It does serve up some imagination -- garlic chives pan cakes, parsley and scallop kao, and pan fried corn cake with shrimp paste are a few. Don't let the cake thing fool you -- there's a full range of other options as well.


And, if the slots, Tigers, Pistons or Lions aren't doing it for you, you can find Shangri-La in West Bloomfield.  Click here to go to a map and address.

If you get there, let us know what you think.  And, if Ted Nugent or Sparky Anderson are occupying that corner booth.

MOCA not MOMA

A new museum opened recently in NYC -- the Museum of Chinese in America  (MOCA). And, what did they serve -- an evening of Dumplings, Dim Sum and Delectables.  This is worth checking out, not just for the food served on opening night, but a visit next time you're in NYC or if you're living there now. The Hungry Roach did a nice review at http://tinyurl.com/yzb2n94   Enjoy!  

Chowing at Tony Cheng's

After a respite, the dim sum diner is back.  Hopefully, with a passion.

Okay, there may be more interesting places to have dim sum in DC.  Or, certainly some that are off the beaten path, not that the three-block Chinatown is on everyone's short list.

But we were very happy with our experience (our second) at Tony Cheng's, a two-story Mongolian on the bottom and Chinese on the top dim sum house.  What we particularly liked, other than the fact the variety was good, the food hot and service smart, was that for the first time we were offered noodle dishes from the carts -- which made us happy and, as you can see, were nicely done.

This may not have been our most adventerous trip -- my son and I waded through what seemed to be (appropriately) a monsoon to get there and went for the familiar favorites.  Only when we stuffed ourselves with about eight versions cook'n sell dumplings did we spy a few new carts traveling the large dining room and vowed we'd go back and pace ourselves next time. to get the cart and the experience that we're truly going to remember.

Never let it be said that if you order crab or talapia it's not fresh, as the husky fellows here indicate.  Sadly, we did not go there this trip and, should the spirit move us, look forward to doing so next visit. You can't miss it -- just look for the big Tony Cheng's sign. 

Dim Sum Plays Political Hot Feet

Okay, so many timid folks don't order chicken feet when enjoying dim sum.

Well, it turns out our American fed birds are in high demand because of their plump and juicy-ness. (Kind of like us Americans who feast on them.)

Trade agreements between the Chinese and the U.S. notwithstanding, perhaps at the next State Dinner at the White House there will be a new appetizer on the menu. So I'm wondering, what's the polite way to eat chicken feet when you're dressed in black tie?

Sending Him off with a Bang

Bangkok Joe's, in Georgetown (DC)'s riverfront district, has a nice selection of dumpling and noodle dishes. In fact, while it doesn't serve traditional dim sum, it's dumpling bar is nicely inventive.

Taking my son to college, we decided Bangkok Joe's would be a great place for dinner with a college friend and his family. So, we loaded up on dumplings, noodle soups, and rice bowls.

Take the dumpling dive -- Panang Chicken Buns, Pork 'n crab shu mai (top left); lobster 'n pine nut dumplings, pictured top right (with taragon, Asian fruit compote, balsamic soy sauce and chili oil) and winter squash potstickers (butternut, sweet potatoes, onions and egg with spicy-ginger soy dip) and shrimp and crab goyza (pickled giner, daikon, sweek sesame-soy dip) and steamed shring dumplings (with shrimp, chicken, shitaki mushromoms, carrot, and ginger lime cream) were some of the be-noodled treats.

We also sopped up nutty seafood noodles (wok-fried wonton noodled with sauteed shrimp, scallops, spinsih, onion, mushrooms, pine nuts and rost tomoatoes in a basic cream sauce) among other, more familiar dishes (Pad Thai, chicken with cashew nuts, peking duck spring rolls, and chicken with basil.

The atmosphere was bright, lively and fun -- a mix of residents, parents dropping students at school, and the Georgetown/DC professional crowd, enjoying a Friday night before clubbing or dropping from another week of pounding it out. We liked it all -- the more familiar soups, appetizers and rice bowls were universally loved.

I also loved the idea of the dumplings, even if we didn't savor the flavors. In fact, for as promising as they appeared on paper, and they looked in presentation (okay, the shrimp 'n crab gyoza at left looks like someone dropped a bottle of teriyaki on it), they lacked in flavor. They were fresh, served steaming hot and cooked perfectly, but lacked the snap you appreciate when dim sum is well spiced.

Would we go back? Certainly for the soups, noodles and rice bowls.

But, we'd suggest the dumpling bar be sent back to the kitchen for a makeover. The only other disappointment was that while the Obamas were not there having dinner, we did go see their house the next morning.

Sometimes, when you go to dinner with your family, the food is great, the conversation not so much. When my daughter and I visited Uncle Yip's in Evendale (just north of downtown Cincinnati), the conversation was great, the dim sum not so much. Left -- variety on dim sum on display, labeled for those of us who can't read Mandarin.

The restaurant itself is small and nondescript, hidden in a corner of a strip mall. We arrived about 11:30 on a Sunday, sat and ate immediately -- the restaurant had only about 10 diners at that point. Service throughout was great, friendly, fast and courteous, a real bright spot. And, by 12:15, the place was getting crowded, steam carts were rolling faster and the happy, Sunday dim sum dining crowd was more animated and tables were loaded with a great variety of dumplings and entrees ordered from the menu.

The variety was possibly Uncle Yip's best attribute. Three kinds of sui mai --

beef, pork and of course chicken -- salted shrimp, tripe, chicken feet and a host of other items that fit your fancy for something new and different. For example, the menu boasts: pan-fried turnip cake with Chinese sausage; stuffed chili peppers with shrimp and steamed shark fin dumpling. At least on the menu, there are a more diverse set of offerings than other dim sum choices in this area. Right, chicken sui mai).

Unfortunately, while the service and variety was great, and the restaurant packed with enthusiastic diners by the time we left, the food generally was not to temperature and the flavors were somehow left in the kitchen. They lacked the freshness and snap we have come to expect with great dim sum. In fact, the frozen pot stickers from Trader Joe's were more flavorful than those plated for us. Above, steamed shrimp dumpling.

Vietnamese spring rolls, while fresh from the fryer, lacked any appreciable filling that would have made us want to double back and ask for another order. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was the crab claws, also fresh from the fryer, hot and steamy. However, the claw as a day or more past its prime and the careful cooking couldn't remove the tell tale taste of seafood that had seen its better day. Right -- the offending crab claw.

So what's a dim sum lover (stranded in Cincinnati) to do? If you haven't before, vist Grand Oriental and Casual Wok. Then, visit Uncle Yip's. And, when you go, appreciate the service, the friendliness and the roar of the dining room (but go after noon). And, hopefully, the food will be a bit fresher. There's no question Uncle Yip's has its share of fans. It's too bad our one experience wasn't better.

If you've been to any of these three, post your perspective by clicking on the 'Comments' link below. Happy dumpling hunting.

Oma-Gosh: Dim Sum in Warren Land

Signs that dim sum is creeping in the from coasts are apparent every day. The latest is at Golden Mountain in Omaha, Nebraska. Forget the area is better known for Omaha Steaks, big money as in Warren Buffet or for cornhusking, when you're in Omaha closing your next deal, climb the Mountain. There are a few concessions -- it's not served on a cart, the menu is limited and it's not particularly inventive.

But, in the land of rib-eyes, how choosy can you be. Have you been there?

LA Means Lots A Dim Sum

In honor of a stint in Los Angeles for an extended work visit, here's a post from Victor Tang regarding what considers the best dim sum in the Southland -- he calls his work Tangtastic. Decide for yourself. He gives you a step-by-step instruction on how to enjoy dim sum -- and recommends Ocean Star Seafood Restaurant, 145 N Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park -- (626) 308-2128.

Or maybe just his myspace page is worth seeing.

Rise of the Phoenix

Someone likes what's happening on the Phoenix dim sum scene. Visit the Great Wall via a review by Phoenix New Times food critic Michele Laudig. She writes:

"Dumpings, rice congee and chicken feet; there's nothing not to love about dim sum. Ladies pushing the dim sum carts, stacked with metal steaming containers and rows of plates, pass by frequently, invariably bringing something new and irresistible that they didn't have the last go-round. On my visits to Great Wall, just when I thought I'd settled on a gluttonous number of dishes, I'd succumb to something too pretty to pass up, like flaky, golden pastries packed with mild curried beef, or a platter laden with roast duck, its shiny, crispy skin a deep shade of pomegranate."

It's Sunday morning. I'm hungry.

Get Sum Dim Sum

Who would have thought that Austin, Texas would introduce a great concept -- 24 hour dim sum, seven days a week. Are there franchises available?

Get Sum Dim Sum has been receiving great press after it's opening. The 45th & Lamar restaurant is the first of its kind in Austin, serving dim sum anytime, seven days a week. This site is still under construction, but I love its logo. Check it out.

Dim Sum Funeral

This is not about food -- it's about life. Well, maybe it's about both. A new movie, Dim Sum Funeral, is getting interesting reviews. Perhaps this is another sleeper along the lines of Eat, Pray Love, or Chocolat meets Six Feet Under. Here's a sample of four reviews...

Screen Daily: "The cast looks very uncomfortable at all the wrong moments." - Fionnuala Halligan

Asia Pacific Arts: "There's a twist towards the end, but by then you'll wish the movie was over." - William Hong

Frustrated blogger: "fkllllllllllllllllllllljjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjkkkkk" - M.D. Caigoy

Quote used on Dim Sum Funeral promotional fliers: "This could be the next SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE." - Amy Stoody, KNX 1070 News Radio, Los Angeles

Okay, maybe we're still waiting for the first great dim sum movie moment. Have you seen a great movie where food and life are a recipe for a wonderful film? Click on the "comment" link below to post your thoughts and read those posted by others, including reviewer Amy Stoody.

Dallas Does Dim Sum

The exterior isn't anything to write home about(what dim sum restaurant is?), but Dallas Texans love Kirwin Court  -- at least according to the reviews.  See for yourself.

Dim Sum Down Home

When you just can't find great dim sum out, have no time to prepare it from scratch, you still can satisfy your "fix". Trader Joe's offers a great selection of frozen dim sum selections -- steamed in minutes and served. Last night friends prepared chicken siu mai and served it with sauteed onions, cabbage and apples. Mark it down -- delicious! Share your quick solutions to a dim sum fix.

Digital Dim Sum

I really appreciate great photography.  And, when you combine it with shots of dim sum that make you hungry even if you've just finished a too-large meal, you really have to love it. That's another thing dim sum diner is all about. Flickr has quite a bank of great images to browse, including this one from Jason Perlow taken at Dim Sum Dynasty in New Jersey.  Enjoy.