| OUR GUANGDONG (CANTONESE)/DIM SUM RECOMMENDATIONS |
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While part of the fun of ordering dim sum overseas is seeing what is pushed by on the little dim sum carts, for efficiency and freshness, most restaurants including those in Beijing have moved to a simple ordering system. When you are seated, you get a dim sum list and a pencil. Simply mark the number of orders you want in the box next to the dim sum items you want. These will get checked off as they arrive and if you need to add more, simply add more orders onto you list and hand it to your server. Of course if you don’t speak or read Chinese, this is far more complicated than pointing at whatever looks tasty as the cart rolls by. But you can use our Dim Sum Highlights to get you started.
东城区金宝街89号金宝大厦3楼
Dongcheng qu Jinbao Jie 89 hao Jinbao Dasha 3 lou 3/F, Jinbao Tower, 89 Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng District Chaonan/Dongdan area Hours: 11.30AM-3PM; 5.30-10.30pm Tel: 010-8522 1212 $: Dim sum for eight (eating copiously but not including drinks), 671rmb. Cha shao bao/BBQ pork bun (15rmb); dan ta/egg tart (15rmb); shao rou/crispy roast pork (48rmb).
Directions: One block west of intersection between Jinbao Jie and Chaoyangmen Nanxiaojie, on the north side of the street.
What we think
Dim sum at Lei Garden revived my flagging appetite for dim sim. On our first visit, our table was graced with the presence of a long-time Beijing resident and Lei Garden veteran who ordered in great waves of deliciousness. It was like our stomachs were singing in the round, and the chorus was plates of tiny tender layered cubes of roast suckling pig (shao rou). Each item was excellent. Items at Lei Garden are crispy where they should be crisp (skin on said suckling pig), chewy where called for (a deep fried glutinous rice ball with savory filling, at once crispy and chewy) and memorable. The fluffy bun on the BBQ pork dumpling (cha shao bao) could be the best vehicle ever for the honeyed pork filling.
Dim sum often leaves you with a greasy, heavy overstuffed feeling. Lei Garden will leave you with the feeling that you must hurry back again for more.
Dim sum highlights
烧肉 shao rou: crispy roasted pork belly, cut into bite sized cubes
叉烧包 cha shao bao (char siu bao): fluffy honeyed BBQ pork buns
咸水铰 xian shui jiao (ham sui gao): deep fried glutinous rice dumplings with savory filling
Though the quality of the food does not match the Lei Garden standard (a bar set very high), the Deluxe is slightly less expensive and still a pleasant place for dim sum. A decent alternative if you can’t make it to Lei Garden. The private rooms are comfortable and well serviced and even have their own bathrooms. Dim sum highlights: 叉烧酥 cha shao su, or BBQ pork in a baked flaky pastry, a wonderful textural contrast with the filling and its usual soft steamed bun; 萝卜糕 luo bo gao, or fried shredded radish cake. This one was a bit rustic, with obvious chunks of radish and thickly sliced. Beware that the roast pork platter (港式烧味双拼) was two different cuts of pork which sacrificed the amount of crispy-skinned pork belly you got for each order, which is an intolerable sacrifice for most of us.
叉烧酥 cha shao su
Cantonese fast food with many dim sum choices. It’s not Lei Garden, but it’s quick, casual and nearly half the price. Macau Street is a decent compromise if you are eating on the run for fuel rather than eating for appreciation of the food, but still want to have Beijing dim sum. It is also located in the basement of The Place, not far from the shopping hot spots at Silk Street (Xiu Shui) and Ritan Office Park. |
