Continuing a review of Dim sum – using the menu on offer at China Palace, Reading.

Catergory: Fried and Grilled (usually shallow fried  in a grill pan)

Name: Yam Croqueuttes       

Chinese Name (Cantonese):  Woo kok                   

Price: £2.60

Description:

This is a must try dish. Finely chopped pork and mushroom is bound in a rich dark sauce. This is the covered in Yam mash and then rolled in finely shredded yam and deep fried – similar to what deep fried shepherd’s pie would be like.

 

 

Name: Fried Prawn Dumplings with salad cream                

Chinese Name (Cantonese):  Har kok                   

Price: £2.80

Description:

Prawns wrapped in a pastry case and deep fried. There are normally 2 versons. A normal pastry case or a rice pasta skin similar to Fun Kwor. Inside is similar to Har Gow (the har gow skin does not deep fry well).

 

Name: Deep fried spring roll Vietnamese style                     

Chinese Name (Cantonese):                 

Price: £2.60

Description:

There are several types of spring rolls – the difference is: the skin and fillings. Vietnamese’s spring roll and Thai spring roll uses rice paper as a skin (not as crispy as the Chinese version which is flour and water). They also contain rice vermicelli in the filling. With Chinese spring roll, it’s normally shredded meat (chicken or pork) with shredded vegetables. Sometimes prawns are used but this is a modern version. With northern spring rolls (e.g. Shanghai), cabbage is added. Curry spring rolls and chop sui rolls are western inventions and is normally only served in fish and chip shops. Spring rolls should also be thinnish – finger size. Chop sui literally means mixed bits and was invented by Chinese Coolies working on the US Railway several centuries ago.

 

 

Name: Minced Squid Cake                

Chinese Name (Cantonese):                     

Price: £2.80

Description:

This is similar to a Chinese fish cake – prawns, fish or squid. The “fish” is fincely minced and then made into a thick paste with flour and water + seasoning. It is then formed into balls or fish finger shape and cooked in boiling water or fried. The version in China Palace uses squid.

 

Name: Grilled Prawn Bean Curd Rolls                     

Chinese Name (Cantonese):                      

Price: £2.60

Description:

Bean curd is very versatile. You buy it in sheets (dried). After soaking in water, it becomes soft. You can the add any sort of fillings, roll it up spring roll shape and steam, fried or deep fried it.The fried version is crispy on the outside yet soft on the inner layer.

 

 

Name: Deep fried vegetable meat buns                    

Chinese Name (Cantonese): Shan cheen choi yuk paw                     

Price:£2.80

Description:

This is actually not deep fried but grilled (2 sides) of a bun with minced pork and pak choi filling. The shin is similar to char sui paw. Please note, in certain restaurants, this is served steamed – its is then simply called choi (vegetable) yuk (meat)  paw (bun).

 

Name: Mixed meat croquettes                      

Chinese Name (Cantonese):  Harm sui kok                   

Price: £2.50

Description:

This is a strange piece of dim sum – like char sui paw, it is both sweet and savoury. The skin is made of sweeten glutinous rice flour. The inside is a savoury meat mixture – similar to that used in yam croquette. The resulting product is crispy on the outside, sticky on the layer just beneath the crispy bit and savoury and slightly runny on the inside – work this one out!

 

 

Name: Won Ton (deep fried)             

Chinese Name (Cantonese):                      

Price: £2.50

Description:

Won ton is minced pork and prawns with chives, wrapped in a dough skin and is usually boiled and served with a broth or noodle soup. The deep frying produces a large crisp skin.

 

Name: Pan fried Turnip Paste                      

Chinese Name (Cantonese):  Law bat koh                  

Price: £2.50

Description:

This is made by mixing mashed turnip with flour and water. To this dry shrimps and Chinese sausages are added. The “cake” is then steamed, cut up into sliced and fried.

I have not come across many westerners that likes this first time – it’s an acquired taste.

 

Name: Grilled Pork Dumplings (pot stickers)                       

Chinese Name (Cantonese): War tip                   

Price: £2.50

Description:

Minced pork (can be minced beef or chicken) in a dough  skin that is fried in a frying pan.  In the case of China Palace, they add prawns to the pork mixture. After 5 minutes – do not disturb the dumplings, a small  glass of water is added, a lid is then put on the pan – this allow the rest of the dumpling to be cooked in the steam. The pan frying gives the dumplings a crispy bottom.

 

 

Name: Roast pork puff                      

Chinese Name (Cantonese):   Char sui sow                  

Price: £2.50

Description:

The contents of char sui paw in a puff pastry – baked.

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