Dine on Time App at Westfield San Francisco Centre
Once I was selected as a Westfield Food Tastemaker, I was anxious to hear which restaurant I would be matched up with. I had suggested two but was not sure who I would ultimately collaborate with. When I found out it was M.Y. China, I was so psyched. If you have been reading Misadventures with Andi for any length of time (or follow me on FourSquare to see my weekly check-ins or my Instagram or Foodspotting feeds) you will know that I am completely gaga for dim sum!
But I am not a chef, I don't cook. I eat.
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What was I going to bring to the table? Tony Wu is an amazing chef and I felt nervous about what my contribution could be. I studied the M.Y. China menu.
And then I had it.
I have eaten dim sum in cities all over the country and the world and there was one dumpling that I had in Beijing but had never seen it anywhere else. I loved that dumpling, it conjured memories of a really great trip despite freezing temperatures and endless pollution. It was the spirit of one local resident (along with the adventurous nature of a colleague I was traveling with) that has forever cemented that trip in my mind as exceptional.
The reason? Food.
Judy took us to a super local, I mean really local, hutong neighborhood where I had Uyghur food for the first (and only) time. She took us to some of the usual places as well – the Emperor's Summer Palace, Tienanmen Square, etc.
But she recognized foodies when she saw them. She took us to a very special dumpling place, one that had a millennium of history where we shared baskets of dumplings, one of which was a coarse lamb dumpling, that I had never had before.
I still think about that dumpling!
Spring in California means lamb. And when I met up with Tony and the M.Y. China team, I shared my dumpling story. I shared that I had never seen that dumpling outside of Beijing and that I noticed there were no lamb dumplings on the M.Y. China menu and maybe, just maybe that could be a potential dish?
Tony's face broke out in a huge smile (which I quickly learned is somewhat of a natural state for him!) and he told me he knew of that dumpling, that very few people knew it, and that he had actually been trained to make it! He loved the idea, in fact, he wanted to jump into the kitchen and make it right then!
Unfortunately, the dinner rush was about to happen and I had to head out to another commitment. We set a date for me to come back so that we could do a trial run together.
And so it was, a few weeks later that I found myself in the M.Y. China kitchen working with Tony to make lamb shumai.
First, they had me dress the part – I had about 4 layers on, along with a dumpling maker hat and I looked like the Pillsbury dough girl, but I had to dress the part to get into the spirit.
I begged Tony to have infinite patience with me, that I was better at eating than cooking!
I need not have worried. Tony is an amazing, patient, in fact, a hilarious instructor and we walked through step by step:
Like slicing the lamb without slicing my fingers off!
And then he added a second knife!
Although we were using exceptional quality lamb, Tony explained that lamb in China can be quite gamey so he showed me a trick for removing some of the gaminess.
We added that to the lamb which I mixed with chopsticks using a particular methodology that would allow the meat to remain smooth and creamy.
Next came the dumpling dough. I knew after taking the baguette class in Paris that working with dough was not easy. In fact, it is a lot of hard work. But Tony can do this in his sleep and he had quite a lot of fun showing me how he does it. I should also mention that we were doing this in M.Y. China's open kitchen, so if I was nervous about failing Chef Tony, you can also imagine my horror when people sat at the bar and started watching and taking photos of my efforts! No pressure!
I can see now how Tony stays in shape as he has a different exercise (or dance) move for each part of the preparation process, including rolling the dough out. I wish we had captured his little dance on video!
Here's Tony showing us what the finished product should look like. Unlike a lot of dim sum you may be used to seeing this one is a bit “rougher” around the edges, actually like a flower, we were reenacting the traditional one dating back to thousands of years ago.
Mine didn't quite turn out the same!
But I did manage to eventually make a few that were presentable and our combined efforts made a couple of basketful of dumplings to steam.
The best part of the whole day?
Sampling the goods!
The culmination of my misadventures in the M.Y. China kitchen is the lamb shu mai now available in the Westfield Dine on Time app, don't they look yummy?
So if you are shopping at the Westfield San Francisco Centre and get a hankering for food, more specifically the shui mai that Chef Tony and I collaborated on, then you simply need to download the Westfield Dine on Time app or by visiting westfield.com/food online or via mobile web and order it!
Pick them up to take back home (or with our current gorgeous San Francisco weather, head outside) or dine-in, either way, it is super fast and convenient!
Here's an incentive: at the end of the Dine on Time pilot, the Tastemaker whose dish has received the most number of orders will receive a donation in their name to the San Francisco & Marin Food Bank.
Try out Dine on Time and order my Lamb Shui Mai dish, you'll LOVE it!
It's the home stretch! My secret menu item – lamb dumplings are only available until November 16th, so if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, get there by next week or miss out forever!
Do you like dumplings? Have you ever made them? What's your favorite kind?
I love this! Such a cool opportunity!
So kick ass. You look so cute in this outfit. What an experience 🙂
Look at you!! This is terrific, Andi. Congratulations. You’re wearing your favorite color, too. =)
@Jen, kizmet!
They look delicious! Did they taste like the ones you remember?
And you look adorable in the dumpling maker hat!
@Katie, they do actually! One improvement is a spicy sauce chef Tony created to dip them into.
These look INCREDIBLE – lamb and dumplings are two of my favorite things! Will have to try them out when I’m in the city.
@Tenae, please DO! Use coupon code: TRYDOT and you’ll got 10% off. Let me know how you like them!
So nice meeting you Andi, and your dish was great!
@Tara, thanks! Yours was yummy too!
It looks like you had amazing time! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Andi, this looks so fun! I want to see California some day.
very cool!!! glad I was directed to this blog
So I’m thinking “Westfield” malls are everywhere. Because I thought I went to the ONLY westfield one, until I went to Westfield Oakridge mall, now there’s a Westfield SF one too. Huh!
@Nancy, they are a franchise so there are malls all over. Since Oakridge is in SJ you are in the Bay Area and can get to the SF one for these dumplings!
Those dumplings are mouth-watering!!!! I NEED to go to that place and check it out! Thank you for sharing 🙂
@Cara, I can’t tell if you are in California, but I see you went to a food festival in San Francisco in 2012, so maybe you are, hope you get an opportunity to try these – they are unique and delicious.
Oh my yum! And this “I don’t cook. I eat.” Is so me!!! 🙂
What a cool opportunity! That Lamb Shui Mai looks AMAZING <3
@Angelic, it is out of this world!
This is so cool! Looks like so much fun. Next time I go to SF I’ll try M.Y China!
@Melissa, please do, they have amazing dimsum and food and you might even get a surprise visit from Martin Yan (the M. and Y. in the M.Y. China!)
How cool! What an awesome experience.
haha and now i must try this dumpling you had in beijing! that is so awesome you got to learn how to make these special lamb dumplings. it’s definitely an art.. and takes a lot of practice. my dumplings come out looking like ravioli bc i get no practice haha
@Esther, yes I would rather just eat them than make them (although I had fun) and that is exactly what I do every weekend when the hubby and I go for dimsum…like every weekend, we LOVE dumplings!
Those dumplings look delicious! So bad I don’t live near.
@Pauline, bummer! But there is great dimsum in Canada!
What an amazing opportunity. It looks like you had a lot of fun. The dish looks good too.
@Erica, it was a lot of fun, but I rather Tony did all the hard work and I just eat the fruits of his labor!
Well done you. The dim sums look delish.
Rosie
http://www.rosedogandco.blogspot.com.au
@Rosie, thanks! It is tough to make!
What an amazing opportunity! Dumpling…..yummy!
wow how much fun. Looks and sounds like you had a blast. I love doing stuff like this.
What a great experience! Welcome to a huge part of my life! Yes, dumplings are very tough to make. In a lot of parts of Asia, they tenderize their dough with ammonium alginate and the technique they use to portion each piece is amazing! I have very little restaurant experience with Asian cuisine in general, but it’s something I love to practice at home!
@Amby, Tony was amazing to watch, such a pro! Mine were hideous! I’ll stick to eating!
Oh those look yummy! That 2 knife technique, whoa. I would not do well trying that at home.
I love M.Y. China! My favorite is their Spicy Seafood dumplings. Did you get to try those?
This looked like a great experience! I love having dim sum, and I am with you I am much better at eating as opposed to cooking!
Those dumplings look amazing. I love this kind of food!
i am literally drooling over those dumplings!!!
great photos!
@Miriam, what is your favorite kind of dumpling?