Delicious Dumpling Tour
All I heard was dumplings
and I was in...
Met up with Six Taste Food Tours for their "Delicious Dumpling" tour in Arcadia, just East of Pasadena. This tour was to experience Taiwanese cuisine, culture, and a chance to meet other foodies. Our group was 8 people and with large appetites, we headed out to sample the best and most popular dishes in this Taiwanese neighborhood.
See What Jay Eats...
Our first stop, the world famous Din Tai Fung.
Our guide Michael Lin
giving us Din Tai Fung information
before attacking the dumplings.
Appetizer Course
Blanched cucumbers
in a sesame chili oil
Michael pointed out that in Chinese cooking,
vegetables are not served raw,
they're either stir-fried, steamed, or blanched.
Shanghai Rice Cake
Michael gave us a quick lesson on tea etiquette
and the correct way to flag down a server in a busy restaurant.
Pork Chop Fried Rice
This is one of my favorite Din Tai Fung
dishes, the pork chop isn't greasy
and well cooked.
Xiao Long Bao
Juicy Pork Dumplings
(soup dumplings)
The Specialty of the House!
Michael taught us how to properly eat
xiao long bao
without getting burned...
Shrimp & Pork Shao Mai
We also enjoyed
Juicy Pork and Crab Dumplings
Sweet Taro Dumplings
A nice way to end our dumpling stop
The Next Stop...
Explaining Taiwanese night market street food
and what to expect on the menu
Chicken Nuggets
Very similar to Japanese style karaage chicken,
marinated chicken dusted in starch and deep fried.
The Sinbala Sausage,
this one served with mango
They have one type of sausage
with 20 different condiments combinations.
Spicy Wonton (Dry)
with Szechuan peppercorns,
chili, garlic, peanuts, and green onions
Spicy Wonton (Dry)
One of my favorite introductions of the day,
loved the wonton with a bit of heat.
Cold Celery
Blanched with carrots
Goes great with the spicy dishes and different sausages
Michael explaining
the different regions of China
What I didn't expect to learn on the tour
was the cultural tie-in
and Taiwanese history.
It all makes sense now...
You'll just have to take the tour to find out
The Next Stop...
#17 Grapefruit Juice Green Tea
with Aloe Vera
Thick Toast
Peanut Butter Condensed Milk Toast
and
A Crowd Pleaser
The Next Stop...
Michael explaining the different baked goods
and what to look for in a good Taiwanese breads
I could tell you, but you have to take the tour...
Last Stop...
Dessert!
Shave ice with mango, clear jellies, and
topped off with mango ice cream.
This was a great way to end a food-filled tour
and meeting some really nice people.
All tours include at least 5 food stops
and we had more than enough food.
Besides the food stops that we made, Michael
stopped at other restaurants and pointed
out their specialities.
As someone in the food industry and in the
neighborhood, it was very much appreciated.
This is only 1/20th of the information presented,
you'll have to take the tour for more...
Michael being interviewed for
Michael has a lot of great food information,
follow his Stories of Food and Travel
I've been on food tours in other cities and they don't compare
with Six Taste. Not only do you learn about the specialties,
but also culture and how it relates to the big picture.
This tour is Highly Recommended!
Gift Certificates
make great holiday gifts!
Other food tours include:
Downtown Los Angeles
Little Tokyo
Santa Monica
Hollywood
Thai Town
New Chinatown
For tour information or to book a tour:
888-313-0936
Thank You!
Photos by Jay Terauchi
©Jay Terauchi
Jay Eats
Jay Eats
Comments
Thanks again!