A man without a pork bun in his hand can never be a whole man. That’s the eternal wisdom dished out by one of the street food merchants in the rather excellent Sleeping Dogs. Pork Buns aren’t just excellent Cantonese street food though; they’re one of many dishes that make up one of my very favourite Chinese food staples; dim sum.
Dim sum (literally, touch the heart) is a collection of small brunch-time snacks; delicious little morsels of the best Chinese cuisine has to offer.
The Pork Bun itself is a steamed white bun, containing bits of slow roasted Char Siu, a sort of honey-glazed roasted pork tenderloin in a wonderfully syrupy sauce. It’s both sweet and savoury at the same time. It is of course, just one of the many fine bits of gastronomy given us by dim sum.
Other favourites include Shu Mai, the common steamed dumpling. Made from ground pork, small whole or chopped shrimp, chinese mushroom, spring onions and ginger, seasoned with rice wine and soy – all wrapped in an ultra-thin dough. These little steamed bites, usually paired with chopped chillies and soy sauce are a delight.
While we’re on the subject of dumplings, this is one of the most popular with Chinese folk; Har Gao. deliciously decadent and tasty dumplings made of loosely minced prawn, in a smooth, translucent wrapper.
Chee cheong fan, or rice rolls are made of exactly that; rice flour mixed with a bit of tapioca. They’re steamed, then rolled up and filled with tasty things; usually pork, or shrimps – and served in a very light soy-based sauce. As a street food, they’re usually sold in bunches, bedecked in sesame seeds.
The last one I’ll talk about today is a fried dumpling called Ham Sui Kok, a deep-fried ball of dough made from gelatinous rice flour and stuffed with pork, shrimp, chinese mushroom and bamboo shoots. It’s crispy on the outside, soft, chewy and delicious on the inside.
That’s a handful of literally dozens and dozens of different dumplings, noodle, pastries and cakes that make up the dim sum experience. To mind there are two restaurants in JHB that do a particularly good dim sum spread; Shun De in Jhb’s new Chinatown, Cyrlidene (which is just an excellent Chinese joint overall) and Regal Palace in Linksfield. Go on a Sunday for brunch, have a cup of green Chinese tea and try something different.
Here’s the news we didn’t post because lei gong mat-yeh?
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Last Updated: August 26, 2014
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 26, 2014 at 16:03
“touch the heart”… because it’s chock-full of cholesterol? 😉
Sith JJ
August 26, 2014 at 16:06
You could’ve at least called NSFW before I opened this. Jeez.
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 26, 2014 at 16:11
Not Safe For Weight-loss?
Sith JJ
August 26, 2014 at 16:08
But where in Cape Town can I find such foodz?
Viking Of Science
August 26, 2014 at 16:13
Beijing Opera!
http://www.capetownmagazine.com/asian/beijing-opera-dim-sum-restaurant-in-cape-town/100_22_19290
I’ve not gone there yet…. but reviews look good.
Also, Lefty’s is opening a freakin Ramen Shop!
Sith JJ
August 26, 2014 at 16:26
Ooo
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 26, 2014 at 16:16
There’s a Chinese restaurant just down the road from me, but their food doesn’t look anything like what’s pictured above the couple of times I’ve tried it. The sushi on the other hand is not bad at all – R99 for a 24 piece platter NOM NOM NOM
Sith JJ
August 26, 2014 at 16:17
That’s quite a deal actually
Wraith
August 26, 2014 at 16:25
Give Beluga (town) or Sevruga (V&A) a try.
They’ve got half price sushi, dim sum and cocktails from 12-6pm (not 100% sure of times).
Sith JJ
August 26, 2014 at 16:26
Hmmm. Thanks.
ToshZA
August 26, 2014 at 16:48
Just bring a full wallet. Those 2 restaurants don’t come cheap. They’ve both got the same menu too, btw. Owned by the same company. 🙂
HvR
August 26, 2014 at 17:13
Best tuna sushi ever
Sk3tz0
August 26, 2014 at 17:15
1890 House in Obs.
Dutch Matrix
August 26, 2014 at 16:19
That food kind of looks… not so tempting…
hairyknees
August 26, 2014 at 16:40
I hate you. FEED ME ALL THE DIM SUM!
Alessandro Barbosa
August 26, 2014 at 16:58
I had some amazing Dim Sum from Arts on Main a few weeks back. SO GOOD
Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora
August 26, 2014 at 17:00
Dude. Now I’m hungry again
CAE9872
August 26, 2014 at 18:15
Man those look good.
Skyblue
August 26, 2014 at 18:50
Half that stuff looks like early concept art for the Alien movie franchise.
MakeItLegal
August 26, 2014 at 20:23
Lol what a epic fucking read that was , I totally forgot what website this was. Carried on reading …. Now I ve impressed my lady with a suggestion of where to eat … Boom
How’s some excersie tips tomoz Geoffrey ? O.O
Sageville
August 27, 2014 at 09:24
Eish, those pics look nasty, I feel my tummy running already…