East meets West when the Valley’s top fusion chefs try their hand at dim sum-style dumplings.
Traditional Chinese dumplings are having a moment in the Valley of the Sun. You’ll find proof in the month-long waiting list at cult favorite Din Tai Fung at Scottsdale Fashion Square, joining a wave of mom-and-pop purveyors like Ni Hao Bao Dumpling House and Collagen Dumpling Dynasty (reviewed on page 201). The addictive wheat-dough pockets have even migrated to upscale steakhouses and molecular dining labs, where chefs alter their DNA in delicious and inventive ways.
At The Global Ambassador’s Le Âme Parisian Steakhouse (4360 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 480-697-6201, globalambassadorhotel.com), the pork belly dumplings ($19, pictured) enjoy a French twist, says executive chef Jason Hua. “As Asian influences continue to shape the cooking of many great French chefs in Paris, we wanted to create a dish that is both refined and approachable.” Presented crispy side up, the pan-fried dumplings present a tempting target for guests, who are instructed to break the pockets apart with a quick spoon thwack. Filled with tender shredded pork belly dressed and seasoned with two dozen ingredients, the dumplings are impossibly delicious, elevated both by a bed of cherry moutarde, a bright sauce that adds a touch of acidity and sweetness, and a swipe of mustard crème fraiche, a creamy punch to up the umami level of the dish. The brilliant combination of flavors, textures and presentation is a showstopper.
Asian-fusion legend Clever Koi (two Valley locations; cleverkoi.com) serves short rib dumplings ($16) as a sharing plate. The soft dumplings, five to an order, are dunked in a bright, house-made lemongrass broth, providing a lovely complement to the braised short rib filling, bound with hoisin-plum sauce. The broth is made more complex with shiitake tare, an umami-rich seasoning laced with soy, sake, mirin, shiitake and kombu (edible sea kelp). Gastrique onions – caramelized onions with sweet-and-sour overtones – float in the broth along with fresh cilantro, a splash of garlic oil and togarashi to seal the deal. According to Clever Koi executive chef Brandon Jedd, the next menu change will include a birria ramen. “We’ll also be offering these short rib dumplings with a birria broth as an additional option.”
The lobster dumplings ($28) at Maple & Ash (7135 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, 480-400-8888, mapleandash.com) are more than just pretty packets of dough. “It’s a fun play on a dumpling, and it’s French to its core,” says executive chef Cody Finch. While they might appear simple to the eye, the dumplings require myriad culinary steps and about 14 ingredients, Finch says. Filled with lobster, a smidge of Chilean seabass, egg whites, ricotta, and salt and pepper, the dumplings are served with a rich lobster bisque made with butter, heavy cream, housemade habanero sauce, shallots and garlic, and laced with Oloroso sherry. After cooking the dumplings in salted water, Finch tosses them in beurre monté (butter sauce), then arranges five dumplings on the plate with basil and a swipe of tarragon oil for more depth and color to the dish. At the table, the server pours the bisque over the top. Magnifique.
