I love Sushi and I love Dim Sum. But, as much as I love them I can’t have them for dinner. The former is cold and doesn’t address my hot food craving while the latter comes in tiny servings and ergo falls into ‘Vada Pav’ snack category rather than a full meal. Not to mention the fact that, for most restaurants, Dim Sum starts and ends with Sui Mai, or at a stretch, some Chicken Bao.
Which is why I was intrigued by Shiro’s Dim Sum festival which has been running at the restaurant for the past month and aims to make the regular Mumbai food-lover play the field,so to speak, when it comes to Dim Sum with their extensive menu of 40 varieties. And boy, did I play the field by trying over 15 different kinds before my stomach gave up on me. Instead of boring you with descriptions of each that you’re likely not going to remember I thought it would be fun to instead make a list of the ‘Win’-sums aka the winners and the ‘Dim’-sums, their ‘dimmer’ cousins so you know what to definitely order and what to possibly skip if you do decide to head there soon.
The Win-sums:
Prawn Nest Dumplings – If you’re a fan of prawn and tempura then you’re going to love these black bean flavoured prawns that come encased in a delicate nest. While they are a bit clumsy to eat as they are a bit large, you’ll forget all about that as you take a bite into the prawns. I thought the marination was spot on and though it’s fried to create the nest it wasn’t oily at all.
Phoenix Eye Dumpling – This was the classic prawn dumpling and I loved the thin skin and the flavourful chunks of prawn encased within it. The dumpling was well seasoned and when paired with the fish sauce was one of my top ‘Win’-sums of the night!
Pork Ribs Barbecue – Though this one doesn’t fall in the dumpling category, so to speak, as it was served in a small basket, I’ll cheat and include it in my list! These ribs were incredibly tender and I loved the sticky sweet chili and black bean sauce that they came marinated in. I could have had at least three basketfuls of these if I hadn’t already eaten about 10 other dim sums before this one came along!
The ‘Dim’-sums:
Chicken Bulgogi in Bao – I must confess that I am not really a Bao fan so this could have something to do with it. Overall, I found the Chicken Bulgogi a bit bland and doughy for my liking. There wasn’t enough chicken in the bao and given another chance I’d skip this altogether and have a serving of the Oyster Chicken and Sticky Rice Dumpling instead which had a generous helping of chicken and an awesome umami flavour.
The Crystal Veg Dumpling – The Crystal Veg Dumpling consisted of shiitake mushroom, carrots and zucchini – a flavour combo that didn’t really go together in my opinion. Compared to the other great vegetarian options such as the Sweet Corn Dumpling, which reminded me of all the happy times I’ve had drinking my favourite soup, and the Steamed Cashewnut Dumpling, I found the Crystal Veg to be uninspiring and worth skipping for something yummier.
Indonesian Fish – I must be honest and declare that the jury was divided on this one. While #BawaGroom liked this one, I thought this lemongrass and galangal flavoured steamed fish was average at best. The fish was hard to eat as it was minced and lacked any texture. Given another chance, I’d skip this and order their classic Prawn Sui Mai instead, because sometimes it’s best to stick with the oldies but goldies!
Overall, I had a lovely time at Shiro’s trying out their Dim-Sum menu and there were some amazing options that I’ll likely keep coming back for. And, while the carnivore in me enjoyed digging into the pork and prawns, I liked the fact that they have a wide variety of vegetarian dumplings (don’t leave without trying the Sweet Corn) that went beyond mixed vegetables and paneer.
Ratings out of 5
Food: 3.5 | Ambiance: 4 | Service: 4 | Overall: 4
Meal for Two: Special price of Rs 4000 plus taxes | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes |
Timing: 12.30 – 3.30 PM, 7 PM to 1.30 AM | Wheelchair access: Yes
Address: Bombay Dyeing Mill Compound, P Budhkar Marg, Worli, Mumbai
Telephone: 022 66511207
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgment and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review; however readers may exercise their own discretion.