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Wei Hong demystifies dim sum
• by Lisa Tebbe - Photo by Allyson Mace
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As a dim sum novice, I was a bit apprehensive of writing about this Chinese custom. Dim sum (Cantonese for “heart’s delight”) is a selection of small dishes – both sweet and savory. Traditionally, it’s served from a cart, usually mid-morning to afternoon, with a variety of items presented by servers as they make their way through the room. My biggest worry was that I wouldn’t know what I was eating, which would make it tricky to describe. But my experience at Wei Hong Seafood Restaurant proved to be worry-free.
From the moment you step into this movie theater-turned-restaurant in University City, the mood is comfortable and friendly. The tiered dining room is bright and open, with plenty of gorgeous, dark wood tables large enough to accommodate friends and family (some with built-in lazy Susans to make serving easier). The movie screen still hangs at the end of the room and films are occasionally shown.
On our first visit, after inquiring if we’d had dim sum before, a server presented us with a pictorial menu. Although this quite obviously branded us as first-time dim summers, it was ideal for ordering several items as a well-rounded sampling instead of ending up with too many similar dishes. Items are grouped by preparation: steamed dishes, rice crępes, noodles, pan-fried or deep-fried foods, congee (a gruel of boiled rice and water with chicken, pork, seafood, etc.) and desserts. Instead of the usual cart service, we placed our order by completing a sheet that corresponded to the photos on our menu – perfect for newcomers.
A barbecued pork-and-green onion crępe started things off. Bits of pork were sweet and wrapped in a rice flour crępe that was heavy, sticky and a little bit slippery (nothing like a French crępe). Next was the salt-and-pepper squid – so simply prepared – just deep-fried and topped with browned garlic. It was absolutely divine.
A trio of steamed shrimp dumplings followed, with large pieces of shrimp encased in a rice wrapper. The beef balls with black bean sauce were dense and flavorful, with lots of ginger and green onion. Beef chow mein featured a rich sauce that was loaded with fresh peppers, onions, broccoli, snow peas and pineapple and served atop crispy noodles. On the sweet side was the egg yolk-lotus seed paste bun. Bright yellow yolks are spread with lotus-seed paste and surrounded by a mound of thick dough. I found these were better eaten warm (instead of waiting for the end of the meal as dessert).
On our second visit we were treated to the cart service (maybe we appeared more confident), which allowed us to try new items. We sat in anticipation as the server revealed what was inside each little dish. It’s hard for me to turn down food – especially when someone is standing next to me offering it with a smile – but I did pass on the chicken feet.
The barbecued pork dumpling was phenomenal. Wrapped in a light, flaky pastry, the pork was sweet and salty, a mouthwatering combination. Bite-sized pork dumplings were steamed and wrapped in cabbage and complemented by a tangy soy sauce. Sticky rice came wrapped in lotus leaves with bits of orange, chicken and sausage. It had a somewhat bitter taste and a faint tea scent (perhaps they are steamed in tea).
For dessert there were egg-custard tarts, layers of light pastry filled with rich custard – not too sweet and the perfect ending to our meal.
The atmosphere at Wei Hong is festive and communal. All around us, groups of diners – mostly Asian – were enjoying each others’ company along with the food. The servers are friendly and eager to explain dishes in English to the best of their ability.
Each item has a set price, and as they are served, the items are tallied on a check. Both visits were less than $25 for two people – tea included – with loads of leftovers. Although we were prepared to be mystified by dim sum, Wei Hong put us right at ease.
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