Vancouver's top chefs in dumpling cook off
Nine of Vancouver's top chefs will steam, fry and boil their way through a cook off tonight in an attempt to make the ultimate bite-sized morsel — the dumpling.
The competition is part of tonight's Chinatown Night Market
Nine of Vancouver's top chefs will steam, fry and boil their way through a cook off in an attempt to make the ultimate bite-sized morsel — the dumpling.
Competitors from Chambar, La Mezcalaria, Wild Rice, Wildebeest, Pidgin, Cibo, Sea Monstr Sushi, Harvest, and The Parker, will have their dumplings judged by a three-person panel at tonight's Chinatown Night Market.
"Dumplings invite chefs to do his or her worst or best," said one of tonight's judges, Andrew Morrison, editor-in-chief of Scout Magazine.
Morrison said he expects the winning dumpling will satisfy the questions he asks of any dumpling:
- Is it a dumpling? Dumplings are at minimum something stuffed inside of a flour, potato or bread wrapping.
- Does it have a presentation that wows you? It doesn't have to be colourful, but it does need to be electric.
- Does it taste good? A good dumpling will kick you in the butt with a good broth or sauce to act as foil to what it has been stuffed with, and the dough will not be too chewy.
- How balanced is it? There shouldn't be too much air or too much "plump"
- Is it original? By far the toughest factor for a chef to deliver on, since chefs often reach too far to be original and when they over-reach, that's when the food goes to the dogs.
The dumpling cook off is tonight between 7 p.m. PT and 9 p.m. in the parking lot beside the Keefer Bar, 135 Keefer Street.