My Favorite Dim Sum Place in Bangkok

[TotallyOz]

OK, you know I love burgers, but I also love Dim Sum. I have been to several places in Bangkok but my favorite is in Central World. There is usually a wait to get in but it is worth it if you like Chinese food. The boys and I went yesterday and had a nice meal. It was at least my 10th visit there. Each time, the food is great, the prices are reasonable and the service is fast and good.

 

I love being able to watch through the windows as they make all the food. There is an army of chefs and workers preparing the dishes.

 

My favorite is the Red Bean as it is a bit sweet, but the bf says he doesn't like to sleep with me the night after I eat that. LOL

 

We did spend 1300 baht for 3 people but we over ordered. I like the Pork Chop Fried Rice and it really is enough for a full meal but I wanted the boys to try some of the other dishes. You can see from the receipt that we had to much food and there was some left at the end of our meal. I would think 350 per person would be about the right amount for a group to eat there and share the food choices.

 

I love this place and highly recommend it.

 

 

CentralWorld Shopping Centre B704, B705, B706,

B717 Level 7 No.4, 4/1-4/2, 4/4 Rajdamri Road,

Patumwan,Bangkok 10330, Thailand

TEL:66-02-646-1282

[Guest fountainhall]

I adore dim sum, but I eat so much of it in Hong Kong that I rarely have it here. I noticed in The Nation today there is a special all-you-can-eat dim sum lunch promotion at The Landmark hotel’s Siu San Restaurant (on the 10th floor). A couple of additional dishes and/or dessert are included in the price – on Sundays these are either Peking Duck or Roast Suckling Pig. Prices are 450++ Mon-Sat and 520++ on Sundays. More expensive than Central World but it will be great quality and so sounds like excellent value.

 

Check this site – and click on ‘Promotion’

 

http://www.landmarkbangkok.com/suisian.html

 

When you go to any dim sum restaurant, make sure you check to see if Shanghai dumplings are on the menu. Like most dim sum dishes, these come in a bamboo basket, either on a bed of cabbage or on individual very thin slices of carrot.

 

The beauty of these dumplings is that that are filled with not only small balls of chopped pork but also – soup! They will be served along with a tiny sauce bowl with vinegar and very thin strips of ginger. The important thing is to make sure they get into your mouth without first puncturing them. So unless you are extremely adept with chopsticks, I advise using the chopsticks only to pick up 2 or 3 strips of ginger and some drops of vinegar to place on top of the dumpling. Then ‘gingerly’ use a spoon to lift the dumpling in to your mouth. Check that the dumpling is not too hot; then bite into it (literally!). Your mouth will instantly fill with the warm soup. Absolute bliss!

 

 

I will add a thread later on the China Board with some tips for where to find the best dim sum in Hong Kong, undoubtedly the best place for dim sum in the world.

[Rogie]

CentralWorld Shopping Centre B704, B705, B706,

B717 Level 7 No.4, 4/1-4/2, 4/4 Rajdamri Road,

Patumwan,Bangkok 10330, Thailand

TEL:66-02-646-1282

 

That's a great review. Nice to know Central World has recovered from last year's fire.

 

When you go to any dim sum restaurant, make sure you check to see if Shanghai dumplings are on the menu.

 

Check that the dumpling is not too hot; then bite into it (literally!). Your mouth will instantly fill with the warm soup. Absolute bliss!

Maybe Michael can comment on whether Shanghai dumplings are on the menu at Central.

 

Now I have the low-down on this delicacy, I reckon I won't need to be Shanghaied . . . I'll go willingly!

[Guest fountainhall]

One additional suggestion for eating at a Chinese restaurant - although definitely not dim sum. It's a dish called Beggar's Chicken. You need a whole chicken which has been marinated in a simple sauce, then stuffed with a variety of spices, finely chopped ginger, bamboo shoots, scallion etc. before being wrapped in lotus leaves and covered completely in clay. Ideally it should then be cooked in a very slow oven for about 8 hours. It is served on a platter with a wooden mallet for breaking open the clay before the lotus leaves are unwrapped. The beauty of the dish is that all the flavours delicately find their way into the chicken meat which melts in the mouth! Even with those restaurants who make this a speciality, because of the time required for cooking, you obviously have to order it well in advance.

[Rogie]

It's a dish called Beggar's Chicken.

I bet it got its name because you have to go down on bended knee and beg (or bribe!) the chef. The description is quite mouthwatering.

[Guest fountainhall]

As so often happens, there are several much more romantic stories attached to the name. This is one of the best -

 

A starving beggar in China during the Qing dynasty is said to have stolen a chicken and was hotly pursued by its owner. In his haste he buried the chicken in mud near a riverbank to hide it. Later that night he returned and retrieved the chicken, its feathers covered in mud. He started a fire of twigs and branches to cook the chicken. But not having any utensils he placed the entire chicken directly into the fire. A tight clay crust formed as the fowl cooked, and when the crust was cracked open the feathers came right off the chicken exposing juicy tender meat and emitting an incredible aroma. The roasted chicken was so delicious he decided to start selling his creation to the villagers. Unbeknownst to him he had just invented one of the greatest culinary traditions of China.