What comes to mind if you hear the word “champagne”? Oysters and raw seafood surely, nouvelle cuisine and starred restaurants, most likely. What if I told you we had champagne with Chinese food, instead? If you’re in disbelief, don’t worry, we felt the same when we tried Dim Sum, one of Milan’s coolest Chinese places. We were invited to try the special tasting menu that they are offering, in a collaboration with Perrier Jouet: the two have joined forces for years, to bring out the true flavour of these vey special dumplings. Yes, because this restaurant specializes in one of Hong Kong’s tastiest and best food specialties, that became as integral to Hong Kong’s food culture as tapas are to Spanish dining culture. Dim sum are special little culinary masterpieces that come wrapped in thin sheets of wheat or rice dough, and are called differently depending on their shape: shao mai for the open-top ones, jiaozi for the half-moon shaped ones, and shao long bao for the bun-shaped ones. They are then filled with high-quality ingredients, ranging from lobster to white truffle, and they can be either steamed or grilled. The result is very elegant and the taste refined: dim sum is just perfect with champagne. Our lunch was a true journey of the senses, an exploration of peculiar, enveloping flavors, and it was accompanied by two exceptional bottles: Perrier Jouet Grand Brut, and 2008 Perrier Jouet Belle Époque. We tasted at least 20 varieties of dim sum — and the chestnuts and Philadelphia cheese, as well as the edamame and truffle ones, truly won our hearts! Despite feeling totally full, we also refused to give up on their desserts, filled with pineapple and matcha ice cream. As we always do when we go for Chinese food, we left feeling full and very happy. This time, though, we also left with the feeling of having just had a high-class culinary experience, in a place that we would be glad to visit again, for a bubble-filled romantic dinner.
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