What a great treat to kick-off the weekend. With my wife, we visited
Ping Pong Dim Sum Restaurant anew at the Dubai Mall. We had our last food at 12pm and really starving already by half past seven. She's been craving for some 'authentic' Chinese cuisine and so I thought of dim sums. Was just wondering, I thought we'll have a heavy dinner; will dim sum satisfy our BIG hunger?
It's my 4th time in the restaurant and her 2nd. We already have 'favorites' - the steamed Har Gau and the Crispy Prawn Balls. We've tried some signature dishes, and their flowering teas, but we want to try more...
On the menu, there were about 15 categories (dumplings, veggies, rice, fried, platters, etc) and 8 sets to choose from. It's so hard to choose as we both love anything dim sum. Here's what we ordered all in all:
STEAMED DUMPLINGS
- 2 Har Gau (King prawns & bamboo shoots)
- Coriander Dumpling (King prawns in translucent pastry)
- Seafood Shu Mai (King prawns & scallops topped with carrots)
- Seafood Roll (King prawns & fish wrapped in cabbage)
STEAMED FLUFFY WHITE BUNS
- Char Sui Chicken Bun (Honey-roast barbecue chicken)
FRIED & ROLLS
- Crispy Hoi Sin Duck Roll
- 2 Crispy Prawn Balls
DESSERTS
- Chocolate & Banana Spring Roll
BEVERAGES
- Strawberry & Coconut Yin Cocktail
- Strawberry & Vanilla Bubble Tea
Did I say we're just 2? Haha, I know - because the way to order at Ping Pong is to tick the box of your choice on a lengthwise paper. We just couldn't stop. It took us quite to decide which to try ;-)
Anyway, the prices range from AED 12 to AED 25 only. It's not that much, neither cheap at all. There are 3-pieces of dim sums per order served in a traditional steaming Chinese basket (if steamed).
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| Har Gau, Seafood Shu Mai and the Char Sui Chicken Buns in their baskets |
The crunchiness of the flakes covering the savory king prawns combined with that translucent pastry, dipped in sweet and sour sauce is just so heavenly. Prawns are tender and not half-cooked (photo below).
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My favorite Crispy Prawn Balls (below) |
And... Har Gau - it's the king of all steamed king prawn dim sums. It's best when eaten right upon serving - while it is still steaming a bit. The Coriander Dumpling is as good as well. I guess it's the mix of bamboo shoots in Har Gau that made it more tasteful for me. Ping Pong's Steamed Dim Sums are not slimy and sticky. It cuts when you bite at it. Though they come in 'tiny' bits, these dim sums are tightly and heavily wrapped.
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| Har Gau - I forgot the traditional pork dim sums when I tried it. |
The Seafood Roll is again, king prawns and fish wrapped in cabbage (see below). It doesn't taste bad - maybe I'm just not a cabbage guy - but my wife appreciates it. It's best when dipped in chili soya sauce. Looks unique too!
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| Seafood Rolls - wrapped in cabbage |
The rest of our food are as sumptuous. What highlighted the dinner was... well, the dessert! Yeah we've tried various banana rolls a lot of times - but their chocolate filling in the banana spring rolls are out of this world. I never actually thought it would taste that good. A bite of this hot fudgy roll plus a scoop of cool ice cream equals a luscious finale to a palatial dim sum dinner!
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| Chocolate and Banana Spring Roll with Chocolate Ice Cream |
We've really had a lot, but there's a looot more to try. There's over 50 items in the menu and I've heard they'll be introducing more exciting dumplings very soon.
Service
I can't say a word about the service. Maybe it's the nature of dim sums that is easy to prepare so our orders came in no time - and always at the right time - not altogether. The crews are also very courteous, polite and hospitable. We were greeted and ushered to our table by a smiling crew, January - that's the way to set a great mood for dinner.
Ambiance
You'll feel a balance of a high-end and a cozy restaurant inside. I think the neon-blue on elegant black theme of the outlet is creative. You'll forget that it's inside a mall actually once you're in. The music was not loud - perfect for a hearty tete-a-tete.
Activities
Activities? Yes there are other activities happening inside other than dining. It was 3 days before Easter when we came and at one corner, some kids are busy painting Easter Eggs guided by a friendly crew. There are also boardgames during Sundays. I remember the last time there was a fun chopstick-oriented game too.
Tomorrow, Friday (Lazy Fridays), there will be unlimited dim sums for a very reasonable value. Who's with me?
So, did dim sum satisfy our BIG hunger? Yes. So much. Thank you Ping Pong Dim Sum for the treat!
