Sum Good Dim

Yesterday, Sandor sent me a text asking if I was up for lunch (By the way, did you read about Sandor?) and of course I was up for it. I was up for anything at that point, after having a wonderfully awful Friday evening (and a much worse Saturday morning) and lunch with someone with as developed a palate as Sandor is always an adventure.

He suggest Ala Shanghai for dim sum. I love me some dim sum and this was just what was needed to fill my soul with happiness (as well as my body with food).

Before I write about the food, please let me explain that it was some of the best and most attentive service I have ever had. I could be more effusive in my praise if you need me to be, but experience it for your self.

Sandor and I split a plate of cold appetizers that were tasty but required a little too much work. For the record, on the plate was smoke fish, salty duck, Shanghai dough, Aster salad, sliced pork shoulder, and spicy cabbage. The smoke fish and salty duck (as is traditional) were rough chopped and had bones in them, and while it did require effort, they were tasty. The Shanghai dough and spicy cabbage are worth the trip to Latham.

For the dim sum itself, we went with Steamed Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings and the Steamed Scallion Rolls.

I do not know what I was expecting with the dumplings (I had not read any reviews and I had never had soup dumplings before) but the shear explosion of flavors in my mouth made me weep that I had never had these before. They are rich and flavorful with an indescribable texture. Again, something that you need to experience for yourself.

The scallion rolls were what I was expecting. Now that make it sound like they were average or "ho-hum". That is so far from the truth. Nice and doughy, fragrant and well textured in the mouth, these rolls have become the standard against which I will judge all rolls, from dinner, to jelly.

See Table Hopping for Steve's snapshot review and Albany Eats has a wonderful post on this.