Beef Siu Mai: Why Don't They Make This Anymore?
My family ordered in Chinese over the weekend from a new location of what is pretty much an Old Guard restaurant that dates back to the 80s - Pearl (formerly known as Pink Pearl). The first and original location is located at Harbourfront and up until the pandemic, was one of the only cart service dim sum restaurants left in the city. I think there still might be one and I can’t think of any in Markham or Scarborough, other parts of the Greater Toronto Area with a larger target clientele. One item I loved growing up was beef siu mai - beef dumplings made in the shape of siu mai, which is normally made with pork and shrimp. So of course, seeing it on the takeout menu, I HAD to order them!
This isn’t an item that you typically see at dim sum these days. Instead, you see san jook gnau yuk, steamed beef meatballs. I can’t, for the life of me, understand why they phased the other one out. It was as if it just…disappeared. I mean, if they can make it with pork and shrimp, why not beef? Or is one more popular than the other? Beef siu mai can’t be THAT hard to make! Or was it just some sort of trendy thing 40 years ago, kind of like cha siu chaan bao (pork buns (cha siu bao) using dinner rolls instead of traditional ones)? And once it’s not cool, you don’t make them. I liked beef siu mai more since it doesn’t sit in a broth which can be really salty to me. Plus I don’t like water chestnuts too much! Though it doesn’t mean that I WON’T eat it (okay, I haven’t gone for dim sum in a while since I’m mostly pescatarian before dinner. Unless the place has evening dim sum service, it’s mostly a no-go for me).
I’ve asked people, but I can’t seem to get a straight out answer. My dad thinks it might be complicated to make, but I don’t see why it would, as I mentioned earlier. I’m leaning more to it not being trendy, but I’m not sure if that’s REALLY the case. Confusion from people not familiar with dim sum? But if people ARE, they can always ask. Or is it hard to ask due to possible language challenges? Especially now that restaurants use order slips over cart service? I don’t know. And I don’t think I’ll ever get an answer. Maybe someone DOES know?
In any case, if you’ve been going to dim sum for decades, are there other items you miss? Maybe those sesame rolls? Those were dessert selections back in the 80s. I don’t see THAT around either. Though I’m more partial to egg custard tarts which most certainly STILL exists on menus.