I can agree that nothing was transcendent. I really don't understand the lukewarm reviews of Cai now. Only so so item were the potstickers, which I don't really approve of at dim sum anyway, but it was an accommodation for my toddler. (I would like the shrimp dumplings a little smaller, but that is to some extent a matter of personal preference.) The chicken's feet were well flavored. The rice crepe and the wrapper on the shrimp dumplings were very well done. Just about everything was very well done. in Chicago, Cai has to be at the top of the list.
Show up at 11:30 on Sunday to wait for a table with a crew of hungover hipsters, and the experience may be different.Ĭompared to what is readily available to us for dim sum, i.e. My family and I dine so early that we always have the entire massive restaurant to ourselves, and the staff adores and dotes over my curly blond 18-month-old little girl. I should disclose that I probably get special treatment at Cai. In particular, the one made with homemade fish balls and greens is not to be missed.
They're probably right, but if so Cai's perhaps-inauthentic, well-seasoned congee that's cooked in flavorful stock instead of water is what my Gringo palate wants. More knowledgeable congee eaters than I suggest that the blandness is intentional, and that diners are supposed to season it to their own liking. Whatever the fixins, it always tastes like nothing - a massive bowl of mushy, unseasoned rice. I've ordered congee at much-loved dim sum places, and I never understand the appeal. Or swap it out for some almond paste to make the best damned almond croissant south of Logan Blvd. The bbq pork filling is nothing special, and they could leave it out entirely as far as I'm concerned. None are even close to a match for Cai's perfect pastry execution, creating multiple layers of very flaky, delicious crust. No matter, I crave the pure custard aroma wafting from that piping hot bamboo steamer for days after I eat it.īBQ pork turnover is a baked pastry that I've had at a number of places, MingHin most recently before Cai. The papaya is in almost too minuscule a proportion to even notice, so perhaps it's there just for color. It's the lightest, spongiest of sponge cakes, with just a whiff of sweetness to let the rich egg flavor shine. Papaya with custard cake, which I understand is called Ma Lai Go on some menus in reference to its Malaysian origin, emblemizes what I love about Cai. While other places may serve more robustly seasoned, exciting preparations, nobody betters the technical execution and subtlety one wants out of early morning cuisine. I mention that because the early hour affects the type of food I want to eat, and I think that's the type of food where Cai shines. As it is, I'm pleased that Cai and a few other places open at 8, when most other Chicago restaurateurs are still asleep (along with a more disturbing number of "modern" butchers, bakers and wholesale grocers). If dim sum restaurants opened at 6:30AM, that's when I'd be there.
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