Pair Dim Sum with Tea at Shanghai Dumpling King
The waiter brought out a kettle of tea, but Nancy Togami waved him back, asking for just plain hot water. Carefully, she used her thermometer to check the water temperature. One hundred and eighty degree Fahrenheit, too cool to steep the Baochong and Phoenix Honey that she brought. But Nancy brought her own water too, which measured close to 200 degrees, so we used her water instead. I’ve never brought my own tea to a restaurant, but it makes sense: people bring their own wine to restaurants, and when you have good teas, there’s no reason to refrain from pairing them with good food. The dim sum at Shanghai Dumpling King proved to be perfect experiment material.
Without Nancy, I probably would never have known of this hole in the wall way out on the west side of San Fran, and probably too lazy to get here because it’s not 2 blocks away from the BART and I’d doubt the dim sum would be worth anything farther than that. Now, dim sum are good. You have to really suck as a cook to make ground meat in a piece of dough taste bad (it happens, though), and I crave potstickers and xiao long bao at least once every other night, but the gap between the potsticker in my head and the potsticker in my mouth always ended up bigger than my head, so I can’t comprehend it. There’s some kind of epiphany reaction I want to get from eating dim sum that I’ve never gotten. But I think today came really, really close. Because of a duck and two teas.
The duck set the mood. We stood in front of the restaurant before it opened, so they had to rush setting up things to let us in. We were the first customers of a Sunday. Few minutes after we placed our order, the guy strode out asking if we would like some duck, the kitchen just finished steaming one. Yes, of course, we said. Out came small chunks of legs and thighs in a simple white bowl with a sprig of coriander, the meat still pink, the skin moist in a sunglow shade. It’s not chewing gum and it doesn’t fall apart like cornmeal, it has all the right tenderness, the right juiciness, the right saltiness. I couldn’t pry any information from the waiter except that it’s steamed. But they must’ve put something in the water.
The Hung Zhou crab and pork dumpling (Hung Zhou xie ruo xiao long bao) and the Shanghai soup dumpling (Shang Hai xiao long bao) both contain half a spoon’s worth of broth. They’re the juiciest xiao long bao I’ve found anywhere, and the Hung Zhou xie ruo ones are packed with enough savory sweetness on their own that they don’t need the vinegar and soy dipping sauce.
We got too absorbed in the xiao long bao that we didn’t pair any tea until the seafood and tofu eggdrop soup and the Tian Jing go bu li bao (steamed wheat dumpling with pork, mushroom and rice noodle inside) came. One one hand, Baochong, a light Taiwanese oolong, accentuates the chive in the bao, and the bao intensifies the Baochong’s floral note, so the pair just blooms in your mouth.
On the other, Phoenix Honey is a stronger oolong with a roasty profile and a sweetness of lychee, which complements the soothing eggdrop soup.
The spicy pork dumpling (xian shui jiao) kicked us in the throat, although we asked for “not too spicy”, but Baochong can sooth the spark away. The pan fried chive and pork dumpling (jiu cai xian bing) and Baochong made another floral pair, similar to their steamed smaller brothers. Phoenix Honey brought forth the nuttiness of fresh-but-need-more-salt peashoots.
Soon we figured out the rules: lighter tea with more flavorful dumplings, darker tea with milder ones. The sesame mochi in hot water (zhi ma tang yuan) is bland outside and intensely sweet inside, so neither tea had a noticeable effect on it, but the Phoenix Honey added a nice roasty finish that spotlighted the nuttiness of sesame.
The restaurant before 10:30. Half an hour later we got people sitting back-to-back with us and a line spewing out of the door.
After eating here, I regained faith in dim sum. I can look pass the obnoxious name. The duck helped. And the teas helped a bunch. Infusion after infusion, they kept their flavors and washed clean the dumplings’ grease, which was surprisingly scarce to begin with. Nancy was worried that the restaurant might not like us brewing our own tea. But we were seated by the window, our table filled with bamboo baskets, I was aiming my camera at all kinds of angles, Ken helped me rearranging the plates for the pictures, and Nancy was drawing in the aroma of a fresh cup. Old Chinese ladies walking on the streets kept stopping to look at our table with unhidden interest. I think we made a good window display. At the end, before politely asking us to leave the table for another group waiting, our waiter commented with much pleasantry: “You guys drink tea!”
Address: Shanghai Dumpling King
3319 Balboa Street
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 387-2088
Big lunch for three: ~ $62
This post also appears on Tea & Mai.
Thanks for another fantastic article. Where else could anybody get that type of info in such an ideal way of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m on the search for such info.
1I like this website its a master peace ! Glad I found this on google .
2Real good information can be found on website.
3Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
4I am typically to running a blog and i actually recognize your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your website and keep checking for new information.
5Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m impressed! Extremely useful info specifically the last part 🙂 I care for such info much. I was seeking this certain info for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.
6I haven’t checked in here for a while because I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are good quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
7Greetings from Ohio! I’m bored to death at work so I decided to browse your site on my iphone during lunch break. I enjoy the information you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m surprised at how quick your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, fantastic blog!
8Simply wanna say that this is very beneficial, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
9Hi, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, fantastic blog!
10Normally I don’t read post on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice article.
11I like the valuable info you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently. I’m quite sure I will learn a lot of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
12Hey there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this site? I’m getting fed up of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at alternatives for another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
13horse gelatin for men
14horse gelatin trick ingredients
15horse gelatin trick ingredients
16An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers
17You really make it appear so easy along with your presentation however I to find this topic to be actually something that I believe I’d by no means understand. It seems too complex and very vast for me. I am looking forward on your next put up, I’ll try to get the dangle of it!
18you are in reality a excellent webmaster. The website loading speed is incredible. It seems that you are doing any distinctive trick. Furthermore, The contents are masterwork. you’ve performed a fantastic process on this topic!
19horse gelatin trick for men
20horse gelatin trick recipe
21You should take part in a contest for the most effective blogs on the web. I’ll advocate this web site!
22Great goods from you, man. I have be mindful your stuff previous to and you are simply too wonderful. I really like what you’ve got here, really like what you’re saying and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to stay it smart. I can not wait to learn much more from you. That is actually a tremendous website.
23I couldn’t resist commenting
24I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself? Plz reply back as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know wheere u got this from. thanks
25Very interesting info!Perfect just what I was looking for!
26Nice post. I study something tougher on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content material from different writers and practice slightly something from their store. I’d prefer to make use of some with the content material on my weblog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link in your internet blog. Thanks for sharing.
27hello!,I love your writing very a lot! proportion we keep up a correspondence more about your article on AOL? I require a specialist on this area to resolve my problem. Maybe that is you! Having a look forward to look you.
28I like the valuable information you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and check again here regularly. I’m quite certain I will learn a lot of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
29Hiya! I just would like to give a huge thumbs up for the nice data you might have here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for extra soon.
30I have been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or blog posts on this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this web site. Reading this information So i am happy to convey that I’ve an incredibly good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most certainly will make sure to don’t forget this site and give it a glance regularly.
31I am no longer positive where you’re getting your info, however great topic. I must spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thank you for fantastic information I used to be looking for this information for my mission.
32horse gelatin trick
33We stumbled over here by a different page and thought I might as well check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you. Look forward to looking into your web page repeatedly.
34Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was searching for!
35What’s Taking place i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively useful and it has aided me out loads. I’m hoping to give a contribution & aid other users like its aided me. Good job.
36Hi there, I found your website via Google while looking for a related topic, your web site came up, it looks great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
37Very interesting subject, thankyou for posting. “To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.” by G. K. Chesterton.
38We’re a bunch of volunteers and opening a brand new scheme in our community. Your web site offered us with valuable information to work on. You’ve performed a formidable task and our whole community might be thankful to you.
39I always was concerned in this topic and stock still am, thanks for putting up.
40Great post. I am facing a couple of these problems.
41very nice submit, i actually love this website, carry on it
42I used to be very pleased to search out this web-site.I wished to thanks in your time for this wonderful read!! I undoubtedly enjoying each little little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to take a look at new stuff you blog post.
43I’ve been browsing online greater than 3 hours as of late, yet I never found any attention-grabbing article like yours. It is lovely worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all web owners and bloggers made just right content material as you did, the web shall be a lot more useful than ever before.
44Great site. Lots of helpful info here. I’m sending it to some friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you on your effort!
45Hello! I’ve been following your web site for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Porter Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic job!
46I am impressed with this site, really I am a big fan .
47Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
48You made some good points there. I did a search on the subject matter and found most individuals will go along with with your website.
49Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I will certainly return.
50