PrintDim Sum at World Tong in Bensonhurst
When dim sum lover Zach Brooks recommended World Tong in Bensonhurst, he warned that it was popular and gets crowded early. How did my friends and I get a table so easily? We went at 10:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning.
The three friends (yes, a paltry three) who managed to roll out of bed were rewarded with fresh, mostly awesome dim sum with a few never-before-seen dishes thrown in. Here are the highlights.
My favorite dish was the rice noodle roll-wrapped crullers. Although I've had this dish before, World Tong's was the best so far due to the fresh ingredients: super soft, slightly chewy noodles paired with hot, crispy bread sticks. You can't go wrong.
The rice noodle rolls on their own were also some of the best I had for the same reasons. Soft as a baby's bottom. Not that I've eaten a baby's bottom, but I'm assuming.
Turnip cakes are always good, and World Tong's are better than good. Super crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside.
It's not going to whizz by on a dim sum cart, so make sure you order the crispy roast pork from a waiter. While the meat was moist enough, the main draw was the fat-tastic skin, crispy as thick potato chips, but way more delicious.
I'd recommend the tripe stew with daikon if you are fond of the chewy and spoingy texture of tripe.
One dish stood out for being something that I will never order again: duck tongue and taro. I'll try anything once—that was my "once" card for duck tongue. I had barely bitten into the tongue—my teeth just hitting the unexpected bone that ran down its center—when I was immediately reminded of my other "loved by many, loathed by me" dim sum dish: chicken feet. To my taste buds, duck tongue tastes a hell of a lot like chicken feet—I call it an "off" fatty flavor—just in a different shape. This may or may not appeal to you.
World Tong had a few dishes I had never seen before. This bean curd skin-wrapped meat dish, or Seen Jook Guene according to Chinatown expert Gordon, was...interesting. The bowl contained paper-thin tofu skin, ham chunks, chicken, fish maw, shiitake mushroom, and taro. It's like a grab bag of food scraps. Tasty with a variety of textures and flavors, but not something I'd be dying to eat again.
Another "what the hell is this?" dish was the sea sponge-wrapped bitter melon and meat patty topped with sliced abalone, or some other mollusk. Like the last dish it offered a surprising mix of textures and flavors in every bite: crisp sea sponge-substance (there's a Chinese name; I just don't know what it is); soft, mildly bitter melon; seafood-y, slightly chewy meat mash. Another interesting dish that I wouldn't necessarily feel like eating again.
I'm still dreaming about the mochi filled with green tea cream. The pillowy soft, smooth texture of the fresh mochi melded perfectly into the creamy center. Gray lumps filled with green goo may not look appetizing, but unless you hate mochi, you have to try this.
And then there was the durian pastry. Oh sweet lord. The. Horrors. Within. I could feel the stinging fumes invade my body halfway through my first bite of the diminutive flaky pastry-wrapped durian custard plop. The pastry was a bomb of concentrated durian flavor and immediately knocked me out with that not-quite-right rotting garlicky oniony stench. These are definitely well done durian pastries—great if you like durian, nearly poisonous if you don't. Luckily, one of my friends was on the "like" side and the pastries didn't go to waste.
World Tong
6202 18th Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11204 (at 62nd Street; map)
718-236-8118
Related
Dim Sum at 88 Palace in Manhattan Chinatown
Dim Sum Favorites at Jing Fong in Chinatown
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11 Comments:
I've seen a few recommendations of this place but I'll just say that it's the only dim sum place I've ever walked out of after trying 3 dishes. All were cold and just not fresh tasting. It was really bad.
chaevans at 2:18PM on 12/02/08
that's my neck of the woods! certainly one of the very few dim sum places south of 8th ave in brooklyn and it's pretty decent. Try going to the somewhat new dimsum place called East Harbor on 65th and 7th ave. The dimsum is delish!
fatrabbit at 2:50PM on 12/02/08
@chaevans - What time of the day were you there?
Zach Brooks at 3:36PM on 12/02/08
hey, was there anything (shrimp?) inside the rice noodles? i've never had the cruller version. i think i need it though. i like that kind of crazy.
ninalalli at 3:53PM on 12/02/08
@nina: OH yes, there was shrimp! I forgot.
You must get the cruller version! So good! As long as the cruller isn't...old or something.
Robyn Lee at 3:57PM on 12/02/08
but no shrimp in the cruller one, right?
ninalalli at 4:08PM on 12/02/08
@Nina: Oh yeah, no shrimp in that one, just noodle I think.
Robyn Lee at 4:27PM on 12/02/08
I'm with chaevans. I went once at about 9am on a Friday and the place was nearly deserted. The carts were scarce and the food was poor. Maybe the lesson is never go on a weekday?
Luther at 4:54PM on 12/02/08
yeah, went here a year ago, and could barely finish the food. It was terrible! I asked if they changed chefs, and they got mad, and said no. I would give it a definite THUMBS DOWN.
NYminknit at 11:17AM on 12/03/08
OOh The picture you have up, that's bean curd skin wrapped around a piece of chicken, ham, some spongy stuff(pork rind?) and sometimes taro. I think it's called chicken bundle in chinese. Seen jook guene is usually bean curd skin wrapped ground pork. Both are yummy!
wonders at 12:44PM on 12/04/08
@wonders: Chicken bundle? That's it? I was hoping it'd be more exciting than that, haha.
Robyn Lee at 4:25PM on 12/04/08