More than the (dim) sum of their parts: the dumplings at Dian Xin
Dian Xin
One of my favorite dishes in the world is a steak and kidney pudding. Not pie. Pudding. They’re a specialty in my home town of Chorley in Lancashire, England - minced beef steak in gravy encased in a soft, spongey suet case. In some ways, it’s like a large, savory dim sum but mostly eaten with chips (fries) and mushy peas.
I think it’s gorging on steak and kidney puddings as a child (and every time I go back to visit) that has meant a lifelong love of dim sum. It’s the soft casing, biting into them and getting just that feint resistance and then the contents providing the flavor. Like unwrapping a present in your mouth. OK, that sounded way less weird in my head.
Since its opening in 2019, this Chinese restaurant—still something of a culinary rarity amid the Creole-laden eateries of the historic French Quarter—has enjoyed almost panoramic enthusiasm. In the early days, eating there always included a wait unless you could show up as they opened or camped out overn ight. A recent return to pandemic-friendly indoor dining has seen the lines return somewhat, but it’s well worth the wait.
The diners skew young and local, with even the notoriously hard-to-mobilize denizens of Uptown slinking on down to Decatur Street. It’s definitely a place for people looking for elevated but affordable Chinese food, and a menu that goes beyond the usual options. Quick note: the restaurant does not serve alcohol, but also very generously does not charge a corkage fee, and so it’s BYOB for booze. It’s a shame, though, not to sample their range of tasty fruit smoothies or premium Chinese teas.
The restaurant’s name means dim sum, and naturally, it flexes its culinary muscles in this arena: the Hong Kong-style delights come out delicate and chewy, surrounding crabmeat and crawfish, steamed pork and chicken. They bring a jolt of heat, but nothing intimidating, and there’s plenty of fiery chili sauce at the ready. Dishes such as salt and pepper chicken wings, jianbing (Chinese-style crepes), and walnut shrimp all stand up to the considerable hype. The menu doesn’t alienate the less adventurous, either, with egg rolls, honey chicken and shrimp fried rice (insert obligatory “Are you telling me a shrimp fried this rice” reference here).
The staff hold fast in their politeness amid the ruckus. They diligently make sure that safety protocols are followed, and patiently explain the intricacies of the menu with knowledge and charisma. The attention is focused, and the servers and owners have maintained a steady calm. The dining experience leans more towards tranquil than frenzied.
Simply put - this restaurant is an ideal place to step up your appreciation of Chinese food. It’s a down to earth and supremely confident presentation, and every accolade written about the dumplings is vindicated. I obviously intend to vigorously lobby for a steak and kidney dim sum option, but I’m not completely sure that it can sneak into even the most liberal definition of Chinese food, so for now, their menu will have to suffice.
Paul Oswell
Dian Xin website
One of my favorite dishes in the world is a steak and kidney pudding. Not pie. Pudding. They’re a specialty in my home town of Chorley in Lancashire, England - minced beef steak in gravy encased in a soft, spongey suet case. In some ways, it’s like a large, savory dim sum but mostly eaten with chips (fries) and mushy peas.
I think it’s gorging on steak and kidney puddings as a child (and every time I go back to visit) that has meant a lifelong love of dim sum. It’s the soft casing, biting into them and getting just that feint resistance and then the contents providing the flavor. Like unwrapping a present in your mouth. OK, that sounded way less weird in my head.
Since its opening in 2019, this Chinese restaurant—still something of a culinary rarity amid the Creole-laden eateries of the historic French Quarter—has enjoyed almost panoramic enthusiasm. In the early days, eating there always included a wait unless you could show up as they opened or camped out overn ight. A recent return to pandemic-friendly indoor dining has seen the lines return somewhat, but it’s well worth the wait.
The diners skew young and local, with even the notoriously hard-to-mobilize denizens of Uptown slinking on down to Decatur Street. It’s definitely a place for people looking for elevated but affordable Chinese food, and a menu that goes beyond the usual options. Quick note: the restaurant does not serve alcohol, but also very generously does not charge a corkage fee, and so it’s BYOB for booze. It’s a shame, though, not to sample their range of tasty fruit smoothies or premium Chinese teas.
The restaurant’s name means dim sum, and naturally, it flexes its culinary muscles in this arena: the Hong Kong-style delights come out delicate and chewy, surrounding crabmeat and crawfish, steamed pork and chicken. They bring a jolt of heat, but nothing intimidating, and there’s plenty of fiery chili sauce at the ready. Dishes such as salt and pepper chicken wings, jianbing (Chinese-style crepes), and walnut shrimp all stand up to the considerable hype. The menu doesn’t alienate the less adventurous, either, with egg rolls, honey chicken and shrimp fried rice (insert obligatory “Are you telling me a shrimp fried this rice” reference here).
The staff hold fast in their politeness amid the ruckus. They diligently make sure that safety protocols are followed, and patiently explain the intricacies of the menu with knowledge and charisma. The attention is focused, and the servers and owners have maintained a steady calm. The dining experience leans more towards tranquil than frenzied.
Simply put - this restaurant is an ideal place to step up your appreciation of Chinese food. It’s a down to earth and supremely confident presentation, and every accolade written about the dumplings is vindicated. I obviously intend to vigorously lobby for a steak and kidney dim sum option, but I’m not completely sure that it can sneak into even the most liberal definition of Chinese food, so for now, their menu will have to suffice.
Paul Oswell
Dian Xin website