Great Original Dim Sum From A Swanky Austin Joint. Veg Options Galore, And Subtle Balanced Flavors

Great Original Dim Sum From A Swanky Austin Joint. Veg Options Galore, And Subtle Balanced Flavors

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Great original Dim Sum from a swanky Austin joint. Veg options galore, and subtle balanced flavors and textures.

Great original Dim Sum from a swanky Austin joint. Veg options galore, and subtle balanced flavors and textures.

I love it; good food and sexual innuendo. I already knew I was going to dig this place.

I'll come clean; I'd never done Dim Sum (defined as “small dishes, like tapas, that are served steamed, fried, hot, cold, sweet, or savory. Dim Sum remains a staple of Chinese culture -- especially in Hong Kong) before. But as I was flying by this particular joint tonight, I had to stop.

Get Sum Dim Sum, a one-off location in Austin, is the brainchild of Foo, a small, bubbly woman who's been in the biz for over two decades. She's of mixed heritage; Mom and Dad were Chinese and Thai, so she ate well growing up. When she got out on her own, she immediately went to culinary school and learned to do it right. She runs Satay, a sit-down Asian restaurant in town that is known for good chow. This is her next foray into local chow, and I gotta say...she's doing it right.

Even with a steady stream of customers on this particular Monday night, Foo told me that this is always their slow night. She said that the rest of the week is busy and that Saturdays are "packed." I was there early enough to bumble my way through the ordering process, which is a little confusing for green newbies like myself.

One of the cute Asian girls came from behind the register, and with a smile, showed me that you're actually supposed to write on their laminated menu (it wipes off) to indicate what you want. Being vegetarian, my corresponding options were denoted with a little cartoon broccoli next to the menu item.

I went with a threesome; a steamed vegetable bao (bun), Salt & Pepper Seaweed Tofu, and Sesame Balls with Red Bean Paste.

The bun, made with a dense (rice?) flour and filled with a hearty mixture of shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and bok choy; all sliced and stewed down. Good start.

The S&P tofu, however, pushed things up big time. They wrap a long, rectangular block of tofu in seaweed, then season, batter and deep fry the whole thing. Terrific. A punchy soy flavor came out strong without dominating the the dish (and no MSG -- in anything on the menu). It's served with sliced jalapenos, green onions, and little fried crispies from the batter. The heat from the peppers was present, but since they were fried with everything else, didn't dominate. Just enough spice to remind me they were there.

Before I could move on to my Sesame Balls, Foo came out with a plate of Steamed Chinese Broccoli with Vegetarian Oyster Sauce. Apparently oysters have gotten so expensive that they make the sauce out of alternative, non-seafood ingredients. And it worked...very well. Chinese broccoli is far different than what we're used to; it's more like a hybrid of thick asparagus and leafy collard greens. The chef worked well with it -- the whole dish was tender but still crispy, flavorful, and balanced -- nothing overpowered. Towards the end, I started noticing a sweet ginger component to the broth left on the plate -- really added to it as well.

Finally, on to my balls.

Sesame Balls are one of the great enigmas of life. I'm sure sitting down and watching somebody prepare them would answer many of my outstanding questions, but as of yet, how they come into being is still a mystery to me. They are perfectly rounded, multi-layered Asian pastries that house a spoonful of sweet bean paste inside with an inner layer of what I believe to be oiled and sweet gelatinous rice flour, then finish with an seamless exterior of sesame seeds that crunch in tandem with the squishy goo of the rice flour.

The whole thing results in a simultaneous sweet and savory, light and heavy piece of goodness that just rocks my friggin' world. And at Get Sum, they did them very well. All the flavors and textures were there, along with a resounding sesame flavor that again, didn't overtake the taste, but added just enough to anchor all the disparate tastes. Yum.

Fun place, good eats. If you're in Austin, check them out -- Get Sum Dim Sum. Foo tells me they they make their noodles fresh every morning, and the menu boasts, "All handmade Dim Sum...One Piece At a Time."

And as long as I get a piece, I'm happy.

About the Author:
Characterized by his booming baritone voice and unending parade of often-inappropriate one-liner jokes, Benjy Portnoy’s existence revolves around a simple and powerful mission; to strive for humor, for connection, and enjoy every last taste, sound, smell, color, and experience that crosses his path. Driven by fierce loves of cooking, music, physical/emotional health, and travel/exploration, Portnoy creates podcasts, videos, and articles to help people learn how to enjoy their lives. His 5-day SavorSampler video series is available for free at http://www.SavorMyLife.com



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