Ethnic Eats – Sampling the World’s Cuisine Without Leaving Vancouver

Food can oftentimes be a daring adventure, but it is just as often a source of comfort and familiarity. It used to be that mashed potatoes were my default comfort food but while I still love them, there is nothing like a bowl of noodles to get me back to centre. And so I found myself at Lin’s the other day, with a bowl of tan tan noodles and some xiao long bao. The menu lists them as “Shanghai-style juicy dumplings” and they’re often referred to as either Shanghai dumplings or soup dumplings, but they all amount to the same thing; meat – usually pork , chives, ginger and spices sealed into a dumpling pastry along with a bit of fragrant broth.

There is a trick to eating xiao long bao. Proper technique is required so as to not burn your mouth or rip the dumpling prematurely and spill the soup. Pick the dumpling up carefully with your chopsticks, making sure it is not sticking to the steamer and plunk it gently in the dipping sauce. It’s crucial not to tear the dumpling because otherwise the soup will spill out. When you have it to your mouth, tear a little hole in the pastry with your teeth. Let it cool for a moment and then slurp up the liquid before eating the rest if the dumpling. Otherwise you risk scalding your tongue or spilling the “juice” all over your shirt. Trust me on this. I’ve done both.

The xiao long bao at Lin’s come 6 for $4.99 and this is unfortunately not really convenient for lunching solo. Six dumplings is a good snack and 6 dumplings plus noodles is way too much food. But I do love noodles and I was in need of some calm, so I ordered both.

The deluxe tan tan noodle soup is $6.29 for a bowl of hand cut noodles soaking in thick, peanuty broth with bits of pork and topped with scallion. It is the kind of meal that makes you sit back and close your eyes, completely comforted.

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Lin’s Chinese Cuisine
1537 West Broadway (at Granville), Vancouver