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| - Today I learned a new term: xiao long bao. It's definitely my culinary term of the week. (Term of the month is still "pintxo.")
Headed up to Markham for Sunday dim sum not really knowing what to expect, having gotten used to downtown / Scarborough Cantonese dim sum.
Found Ding Tai Fung after a few minutes of wandering up and down the crazy-huge strip mall -- a spotless, bright room, with nary a plastic tablecloth in sight.
Ordered way too much food -- about five kinds of xiao long bao and dumplings, which all come in orders of six, pancake stuffed with chives and pork, baby bok choi, Chinese broccoli, and Shanghai noodle soup. And yet the four of us finished almost everything, save for a little bit of the soup.
The steamed buns were superb. My favourite was the one with crab meat, but I wouldn't turn down any of them a second time. The Chinese broccoli was perfectly steamed, not chewy or fibrous, and not mushy at all -- and that's certainly not a sure thing downtown.
One thing this white boy learned: let the xiao long bao cool a bit so you can pop them in your mouth and really enjoy the broth, rather than burning your palate.
Oh, for another trip to Markham soon!
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