July 6, 2010
Parkway Parade might not be 'in' as orchard, yet it remains 'hip' in its own way. How can this be? Its facade is demode without passé.
Here at Chaozhou Inn; it made up for the trips having left home for china, and the trips not returning china, Chaozhou. I put myself in the shoes of Gretel today.
Crystal Buns (Savoury) Chao Zhou Style (3pcs) (SGD 3.30)
With these stone-washed pebbles leading me home. The grass is greener on my side, I did not know that black dim sum would hail from the hole of my childhood! The semitransparent skins gave an indeterminate- black to the fillings, be it rose, gray, beige or green inside! The twist and turn-side of life. To all pastries with treated skins.
Right: Steamed Chaozhou Dumpling (3 pcs) (SGD 2.90)
I tried the 'dumplings' first. More precisely fun guo; white peng kueh or stuffed chwee kueh. Black exterior, it was cultural confusion inside! Cooked bolognese meat sauce with tofu, it had a sour rancidity of the curds and the crunchiness of peanuts! My taste buds were tickled pink from the medley of flavours.
This is the underside of the near perfect-sphere crystal 'bun'. Pleated, like xiao long bao(bun)! Plant starch and glutt'e'nized flour; just admit it-we all adore short-grained rice{to long-grained rice just like white refined rice to brown rice}! The skins gave me plenty to work on, like mochi. And the fillings were chock-full of garlic/chinese chives- riding-high if you adore chinese chives! And springiness from the segmented shrimps.
P.S. So generous were the chinese chives that it overrides filling/stuffing; a side-dish upon a 'bun'. Cross-sections of dumplings are no longer semisoft foods! Today, I am not a critic; but a sponge, cordial to any flavour being absorbed in my pores. Is this how our teochew tastes like? Teochew companion: somewhat no, and somewhat yes.
