Brussels’ Little Asia Part VI – Soup Dumplings and more at Dam Sum
At Dam Sum you can have a proper Dim Sum dinner, lunch or brunch. Whatever you prefer, because the place is open every day. In New York Dim Sum brunches can become very extensive with one leaving the place more saturated than expected. Those small dumplings and buns don’t look that filling at all. Well, they are, especially because you’ll want to try all of them, and each of each one you’ll want to order more.
At Dam Sum, we had a bunch of different flavours, such as pork with truffle, pork with shrimp and herbs, Sichuan beef and then those delicious steamed buns that are as fluffy as the clouds that cover the sky of Brussels quite frequently. They’re filled with a somehow sweet filling, made from pulled pork marinated in a sweet sauce and are then topped with another delicious sauce, just to land in your mouth shortly after. The soup dumplings of course are a must, too. As the name tells, it’s a dumpling filled with liquid that you can slurp out before enjoying the rest of the dumpling. For this, you:
- Place the dumpling on a spoon
- Make a little hole into it with your chopsticks
- Slurp out the soup
- Eat the rest of the dumpling
Easy, quick and very delicious. I was first a bit skeptical about some fillings of the dumplings, like the one filled with pork and truffle. I thought it was a bit “too much” for a dumpling filling, but I was proven wrong: the taste was great and the ingrediens were complementing each other perfectly. Nevertheless, I preferred some of the traditional versions. My favourite was definitely the Sichuan one and the steamed buns. Really, try them!
Their ‘normal’ dishes, such as fried noodles, lemon chicken or beef are ok, but nothing I would necessarily come to Dam Sum for. They’re decent dishes, but in my taste not enough spiced, whereas the dumplings are an absolute must-eat!! Another thing that’s a must too, is their dessert: the ice cream sandwich made from fried sweet buns, it’s very good. They also serve different cocktails, which are quite nice, but a bit too sweet for me.
The staff at Dam Sum is very friendly and nice, willing to help and recommend. If you’re curious how the dumplings are filled, you can observe them being prepared freshly at the entrance of the place – I stood there for a couple of minutes, it’s hypnotizing. The atmosphere is lively and buzzing, dimmed lights and some nice details in terms of decoration.
It’s a place where I would go on a Sunday noon, for brunch of a different kind, or during a weekday’s night for a dim sum feast with a bunch of friends.
Good to know
Address: Parvis de la Trinité 11, 1060 Ixelles
Prices: 5-6 Euro for 3 dumplings
