![]() Shangri-La is no grand dim sum hall just a modest space near Wayne State, a Detroit outpost of the original spot hidden all the way in Bloomfield. You're free to take it or leave it at your choosing. Servers open the steaming tops of bamboo or metal trays to reveal small treasures: the waxy white teardrop shapes of steamed pork dumplings against bright green cabbage leaves, golden fried shrimp balls in little paper cups, golden orb-like buns. In any proper dim sum restaurant, a cart approaching is an excitable moment. The concept already has found plenty of popularity in bigger US cities like New York, Boston, and San Francisco. Originating in Southeast China, it's a staple in Cantonese cuisine, traditionally served as part of the tea meal called Yum Cha often enjoyed as lunch or brunch. delivered to your table via metal carts circling the restaurant. Given the multitude of delicious things discovered during one blazingly hot lunchtime in the heart of Detroit, it looks like paradise exists in both classic novels and on Cass Ave in a little red storefront covered in ivy.įor the uninitiated, dim sum is essentially a meal made up of small plates - dumplings, fried balls of meat and seafood, tulip-like shumai (translating directly from Cantonese as "touch the heart"), small fried game birds, etc. Detroit can be that sometimes - the city has many houses that resemble 1920s castles - tudors and storybooks, especially. Here’s where I mention the 20th-century novel I haven’t read where the author invented the term for an impossibly lovely and inaccessible place. Shangri-La is the only Chinese restaurant on the block, and its tiny red-brick facade, scarlet awning, and custom red-and-gold star-tipped exclamation mark for a sign give it the look of a '20s hideaway. Many favorites on this side of Cass Ave, beloved afternoon/evening spots near campus, reflect variations on American food: there’s Sweet Lorraine’s, Slows To Go (meats!), and the Cass Café (veggies!). But as far as lunchtime options go, reliable choices are still sparse. When I moved here permanently in 2013, I asked around about good Chinese, and almost no one offered any solid answers - though these days, the newly opened Peterboro is certainly making a run for it. ![]() But loyal locals swear by it and keep it to themselves, for good reason. Although at least two local reviewers managed to find it, the place has had a quiet and unassuming existence. People struggle to find Midtown Shangri-La - literally and metaphorically. Yum cha here is a long but leisurely affair as your orders are steamed or baked only upon order, but that’s all right when they come fresh and piping hot.Detroit has exactly one choice for good dim sum, in a location almost no one seems to know exists. Don’t miss the crispy shrimp with red rice roll, where the prawns are encased in deep-fried vermicelli and then wrapped in silky cheong fun, or the buttery, flaky pastry with honey barbecue pork filling.Īnother highlight would be the pan-fried shrimp wor-tip – pot stickers with a base of springy pork, shrimp and chives, with an additional crispy edge for texture and an aesthetically-pleasing effect. The lao sar bao, with its flowing salted egg yolk custard filling, doesn’t disappoint either. The har gao has a bouncy texture, the mark of all good dim sum. The staples from Chef Chan Peng Wah’s dim sum kitchen, however, are brilliant. You might be compelled to order Grand Harbour’s cutesy signature dim sums – quail egg dumplings that look like little sparrows, piggy lotus paste buns, and durian puffs in the shape of swans – but they can be hit-or-miss. We say ditch the queues at their sister restaurant Oriental Pavilion and head here instead. In addition to the usual sticky sweet sauce and garlic chilli sauce available at dim sum joints, The Ming Room adds the signature Oriental house-made dip (a wicked concoction of cili padi, parsley, ginger and garlic that’s freshly made every morning) to the condiment line-up. One of the best executions of wonton we’ve seen so far is evidenced in their meat dumplings in wild mushroom soup – minced meat and shrimp (dipped in ice cold water for extra bounciness) encased in silky folds of thin wonton wrappers, served in a bowl of light broth with slivers of wild mushrooms and topped with a sprinkle of spring onions. The stylish Bangsar restaurant may be known for their Cantonese cuisine and variations on classic dishes, but their dim sum (all made fresh and steamed to order) – from the fried radish cake to the delicate prawn cheong fun with crisp filling – is top-tier. For a satisfying yum cha session, there’s The Ming Room by The Oriental Group.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |