Reykjavík Grapevine - feb. 2021, Side 28

Dreamin%
Dim Sum
Handmade dumplin$s are reality at Reykjavik’s
only dumplin$ house
Words: Shruthi Basappa Photos: Art Bicnick
Restaurant
Visit the restaurant at
Bergsta!astræti 4. Make
reservations at
facebook.com/dimsumdragon
“If we did something well at school
when I was a kid, we would get a
dumpling,” Kunsang pauses as he
reminisces. “So dumplings for me,
have always been in my life.”
Chef owners of Makake and Ra-
men Momo Kunsang Tsering Dhon-
dupsson and Erna Pétursdóttir, and
Hrafnkell Sigur!sson and Eggert
Gíslason "orsteins-
son from Mat Bar
joined forces for
what was meant to
be an experimen-
tal pop-up that has
since become Reyk-
javik’s first dump-
ling house.
For those of us
long i ng for d i m
sum in Reykjavík,
cravings have often had to be satis-
fied with daydreams of visits past
to dim sum houses of Chinatowns
abroad, yearning for broader choice
at restaurants like Fine and Fönix
who still make their own—a pin-
ing especially pronounced when
confronted by frozen dumplings
and spring rolls that continue to
be peddled surreptitiously in local
‘Asian inspired’ restaurants. Sup-
port groups for those lamenting
this vacuum as we pleated shoddy
dumplings at home didn’t seem an
exaggeration given that the num-
bers of the dumpling deprived
seemed to be a growing reality.
Makake alleviated some of that
withdrawal with its weekly ‘Dump-
ling nights’ but it was obvious that
Reykjavík hungered for a more per-
manent fixture (if
you were a guest at
the Kaiseki pop-up
by Ramen Momo at
Mat Bar, that was a
definite foreshad-
owing).
H r a f n k e l l
echoes that sen-
timent. “W hen I
worked in London
for a year as a chef,
it was a weekend tradition to go to
dumpling bars,” he says. “Just the
enjoyment of that scenario—eating
dumplings and having a few drinks,
was something I missed a lot. I sort
of carried that idea to Iceland after
my stint abroad and wanted to see
if there was room for that [here].”
Dim Sum vs Yum Cha
While dim sum is enjoyed all over
the world today, it refers to a large
selection of small Chinese dishes
typically served for breakfast late
into lunch. Yum Cha, on the other
hand, is Cantonese high tea with
dim sum dishes.
It is believed that Cantonese
dim sum culture has its origin in
late 19th century tea rooms in the
port city Guangzhou, capital of
Guangdong, after opium dens were
banned in the country. Silk Route
travellers and traders would take
breaks and enjoy meals in these dim
sum joints and took the tradition
with them as they travelled, result-
ing in rapidly spreading popularity
in the region. Today, it can include
dishes and traditions from outside
of China, although the culinary
form largely remains the same. “It
is always about meeting people,
chatting and eating,” Kunsang ex-
plains.
For him, however, this food
isn’t token inspiration drawn from
a fortnight's travel in the region.
“I grew up making dumplings;
they are the connection between
family members,” he explains,
“We meet, work the dough, cut
the meat, shape the dumplings,
steam them, then eat them to-
gether,” he explains, offering us
a glimpse of family gatherings.
Nordic dumplings
“Every country has given its own
touch to dumpling culture,” Kun-
Crazy good dumplings and killer font game, Dragon Dim Sum has it all
Food
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SkólavörDustígur 23 • 101 reykjavík
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SALKA VALKA
15% discount of total bill, every day
IF you bring this ticket
“I grew up mak-
ing dumplings;
they are the
connection
between family
members.”
Laugavegi 28
537 99 00
sumac@sumac. is
sumac. is