Dim Sum photos

These photos are just a sampling of all the various dished that we tasted and tried at dim sum at Shanghai Restaurant over on Middle Fiskville. We arrived at 11:30 AM and the carts were already bustling around the restaurant. NOTE: They take reservations and I highly recommend making a reservation if you are a party of 6 or more people. Typically dim sum restaurants will have tables set up that hold up to a 12 people and there is a lazy susan in the middle of the table that facilitates the sharing of the dim sum dishes by a simple spin.

Shanghai is by far my favorite dim sum restaurant in town. There are a few other places to note - T&S Seafood on North Lamar, Chinatown on Mopac, and Pao's Mandarin House (which is a drive out to Lakeway) but all have their fans but Shanghai is tops in my book because it serves the traditional dim sum that I am accustomed to with a few unique dishes (such as the creme brulee).

At the top you have pictured two kinds of savory pastry morsels. The pastry is called sou - a type of flaky pastry - and the fillings for these two were curry chicken and barbecue pork (char siu - Cantonese style barbecue pork - it is magenta red and has a hint of sweetness). You will see char siu again inside a steamed bun later.

Next is a plate of shrimp fried dumplings. The filling is a shrimp paste and the outside is covered in crunchy strips. I should make mention that dim sum is usually eaten by dipping your dim sum items in a sauce that you make yourself consisting of soy sauce and sate chili sauce. However some people do not dip their items but prefer to eat them on their own. A pot of hot tea is also the beverage of choice for traditionalists to help aid digestion and also to cleanse the palate. Dim sum is also known as "Yum cha" which literally means "drinking tea" .

Chinese broccolli (gai lan) and oyster sauce is one of the vegetables that you will see being pushed around on the cart. The broccolli is cooked just enough to wilt the leaves but still allows the stems to be crisp to bite into. It's one of the few veggie dishes so I always try to order one plate to make myself feel better and also to satisfy the voice inside my head (my mom's) that says you need to eat your vegetables.

Pictured after the chinese broccolli are some pan fried dumplings that have leeks and cilantro in them I believe along with a bit of ginger and green onion. They are delicious and have a very delicate flavor.

One of my all time favorite dishes is pictured next and that is the lotus leaf rice. It is steamed glutinous (sticky) rice filled with meat - usually pork - some mushroom (shitake) and varying other ingredients (such as chinese sausage). It is steamed in the lotus leaf that is wrapped around it so that the flavor is steamed in - you don't eat the leaf however. Usually it is triangular or square in shape and differs greatly from another steamed rice that comes in a glass bowl. Try both kinds if you'd like and decide for yourself which one you like better.

Moving on to the next steam basket - and here I will digress and talk about how many restaurants now use the steel/metal steaming baskets instead of the traditional bamboo steamers. I do not think that there is a big difference between the two different kinds of containers. Obviously the metal ones are easier to clean and durable and more than likely cheaper than having all bamboo steamer baskets. Just note that the metal baskets are usually very hot so be careful to not touch them directly with your bare fingers or you will get burned. After they have spun for a few minutes, they should be fine to handle.

In the next photo you see two lovely char siu bau - steamed Cantonese barbecue pork bun. These are one of the most popular dim sum items and many a fight has been over who would get the last bun. Be sure to get enough so that each person at the table gets their own - unless you have some kind souls who are willing to share because these buns are the bomb! :P You might also see a similar item where instead of the bun being steamed and all white and fluffy, the bun is baked instead and has a smooth, golden brown crust. I prefer the steamed version but both are yummy in the tummy.

Next you have the double punch of two of the anchor mainstays of dim sum - the shrimp dumpling (har gau) in a translucent rice wrapper and a pork and shrimp dumpling (siu mai). Both are steamed and are a must-order for any dim sum outing. Be sure to get plenty of these as well because they are inhaled quickly as well.

The last of the savory dim sum dishes pictured is the shrimp ball with crab claw. What you see pictured is a shrimp fried ball of goodness that is wrapped about a crab claw that still has crab meat on it. It is an awesome creation that puts two of my favorite things together - shrimp and crab - very much like my favorite Vietnamese soup bun rieu. Definitely a must try as well if you like seafood.

The next few items photographed are from the selection of sweet dim sum or dessert dim sum. I am not a huge dessert fan but keep in mind that Asian desserts are much lower in sugar and sweetness than American desserts. The first picture is of silken tofu that is served with a light ginger syrup (dou fu fa). The tofu is so light and soft that it just melts in the mouth. I can never get enough of that tasty ginger syrup.

The creme brulee is pictured next and although this is not a traditional dim sum item, Shanghai makes a really great little cup of creme brulee. My friend says that this is one of the best in town and loves the mode of service - the tiny espresso cup. There is usually always some bits of fresh fruit on top and this time, blueberries were the topping. One of my friends had TWO of these because it was sooo delicious. If you are sticking to traditional dessert dim sum then you can't go wrong with either (or both) of the next two items. The red bean paste sesame balls are chewy dough filled with sweet red bean paste and then rolled in sesame seeds which are then deep fried. The egg custard tarts (dan tat) with the phyllo-like shells are creamy and sweet egg custards bits of heaven.