#dimsum

Best Chinese Restaurants in Chicago: Top Places for Dim Sum, Noodles & Sichuan Flavors

Chinese food has become one of those foods that has become a staple in almost any country. Everywhere you go, you’d be sure to find a Chinese restaurant that offers takeout and delivery. And here in the Philippines, there’s an abundance of Chinese restaurants. As for me, I love Chinese food, especially the dim sum. They’re the perfect snack or ulam. One of my favorite dim sums, one that I always…

I want say something briefly that I've been thinking about today.

I just watched this brief documentary video about dim sum culture by the New York Times: https://youtu.be/2f5ihGpBSC0

I want to so deeply thank Priya Krishna for making this because I definitely cried watching this. I appreciate so much how she makes the effort to speak Cantonese to the servers and dim sum cart ladies as well, and it is not the easiest language to pronounce.

I see the story of Sister Pik and Yin and I'm so deeply reminded of my own grandparents, especially my grandma, who woke up at 5 AM every day during my high school years to prepare breakfast for me. Like her, Pik and Yin are the immigrant stories essential to the stories of being Asian America, not being able to speak English, but making the best of what they had here with hard work and toil.

Even though I was born here, I am a person with a foot in two worlds. I cannot read or write Chinese. I speak conversation Cantonese, and at dimsum is where I still have enough to order and converse. It's a shame that Cantonese is a slowly dying language as well, and I can only hope that somehow we can find a way to keep the culture of the dim sum cart going. The memories of weekend dimsum are such a core part my childhood, despite me hating waking up early to beat the morning rush.

There are only two pieces of media that I have cried after watching, and I think it is no coincidence that they both revolve around dimsum. The second was the little documentary above, and the first was this relatively unknown short by animator Domee Shi.

Har Gow is a classic dim sum dish consisting of translucent shrimp dumplings with a delicate yet flavorful filling. These dumplings are a delight to make and even more delightful to eat!

Ingredients: 250g shrimp, peeled and deveined. 1/4 cup bamboo shoots, finely chopped. 1/4 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped. 2 tablespoons cornstarch. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. 1/2 teaspoon sugar. 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. 1 package of dumpling wrappers.

Instructions: In a food processor, pulse the shrimp until finely minced, but not pureed. Transfer the minced shrimp to a mixing bowl and add bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, cornstarch, salt, white pepper, sugar, sesame oil, and vegetable oil. Mix well until the filling is thoroughly combined. Take a dumpling wrapper and place about a teaspoon of the shrimp filling in the center. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water and fold it in half to form a half-moon shape. Pinch the edges to seal, creating pleats if desired. Repeat the process with the remaining wrappers and filling. Heat a large wok or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and arrange the dumplings in a single layer, ensuring they do not touch. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Carefully pour 1/4 cup of water into the wok and cover immediately. Reduce the heat to medium and steam the dumplings for 3-4 minutes or until the wrappers are translucent and the filling is cooked through. Serve hot with your choice of dipping sauce, such as soy sauce with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes