Then you’ve got the Hong Kong–style scallion pancakes, which Chen’s crew shapes into pinwheels and lightly deep-fries until the shell is crisp, transforming the dish into something akin to savory elephant ears. It’s like a double-decker taco by way of Guangdong. A rice noodle enfolds a layer of crunchy rice, scallions, and a housemade soy sauce. And I’m still trying to make sense of the strange but undeniable appeal of the dish that came after: the rice crêpe. The first thing to hit my table: pan-fried dumplings filled with shrimp and corn, a delicate take on siu mai that gets its texture from a golden exterior far superior to that of the typical won ton wrapper-an outstanding rendition. During the daily dim sum service, the place overflows with a crowd slightly hipper than the ones you’ll find cramming into other dim sum palaces for gut-busting family meals. The exposed airplane-hangar ceiling, a striking golden-hued wall, and a bar underlit in neon purple feel especially un-Chinatown. Both times, a flat-screen TV in the corner looped an endless slide show of Dolo’s food. I’d describe the pleasant environs as “eclectic modern, plus televisions.” On one visit, I was installed in a cushy pleather booth on another, I was seated under a sleek, dangling light fixture that looked like an artichoke. And yet Dolo has elevated dim sum without ruining what makes the ritual so irresistible to begin with. Food arrives when ready, not on pushcarts stacked with damp steamer baskets. Instead of churning out dish after dish in a factory-like commissary, Ming Chen makes everything to order in a small kitchen and carefully curates the menu, narrowing it to a manageable number of standouts-unlike so many other Chinatown chefs. Dolo, a two-year-old Cantonese spot just off Chinatown’s main drag, has created a kind of boutique dim sum that’s changed everything for me. Tab does not include alcohol, tax, or tip. Star ratings range from one (above average) to four (superlative).Tab Dim sum $30 to $40 dinner $33 to $60.FYI The Cajun-style seafood combo, a citrus-tinged boil of crab legs, crayfish, shrimp sausage, potatoes, and corn, showcases a restaurant unafraid to go its own way.This weekend will obviously be crazy-busy, but you can also get dim sum during the week. This is obviously going to be a big weekend with Chinese New Year's here, and there are at least four or five different restaurants in the neighborhood that have dim sum service, but if you haven't been to Phoenix in a while, come back and take a look. So we are doing right now, whatever the people give us opinion or new item from Hong Kong or China or our own combination, we added on the new weekend menu," said Cheung. Cheung says with so many regulars, you've got to mix up the hundred or so different options each week, which is why they just added a Hong Kong original: so pei char siu bao a yeast-raised, barbecued pork-filled bun topped with a thin layer of sweet custard. There are sweets as well, including egg custard tarts, and sweet custard-filled bao. Shumai is another popular item, but consider various pork buns, which have been either steamed or baked in a flaky shell. The same, translucent rice flour crepe envelops shrimp, served with dark soy, or in its most basic form, the multi-pleated har gao. Yes, the décor is much-improved, but on the weekends, they're still coming for the dim sum, those little snacks of steamed, fried and baked items.īut the steamers get a workout, in one area a rice flour batter is transformed, first flecked with dried shrimp and scallions, then, after about a minute, it's removed, cut and rolled-up into thick batons. "Lately, a lot of other restaurants opening and people all like the new, modern trend new Chinese restaurant like China and Hong Kong, so our partner decide it's time for us to remodel the restaurant and look a little bit warmer," said General Manager Eddie Cheung. But competition forced them to hit the reset button recently. Since it opened in 1996, Phoenix has been one of the dim sum pioneers, packing them in on weekends.
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