Lok Hin Dim Sum Restaurant

I know I have been missing for a good old half a year. I’ve been busy with assignments and final exams and tuition classes. Furthermore, the generic boutique cafes mushrooming in Ipoh did not really attract me to try them, namely Burps and Giggles, EspressoLab, Something Brewing…. I better stop here as the list is extensive to over 30 names which is mostly harping on the ambiance rather than quality of food.  I have not been logging in to my blog quite some time and yet I have daily page views of 100-150 daily. This really somehow reignited my passion to write. I have been trying a few new places recently, rest assured that more posts to come as I have now finished my exams. And the first to be reviewed is Lok Hin Dim Sum. Situated at SOHO Ipoh, it is somehow overshadowed by the gargantuan Nam Heong food court. Lok Hin has a corner lot premise which can just sit almost 15 tables and they operate from morning till lunch only.

 

The Steamed Minced Meat Dumpling with Shanghai Style (RM5.50) or fondly known as Xiao Long Bao is a staple in a Shanghainese themed dim sum restaurant. Executed well then it will award bonus points to the chef’s culinary skills which is a level above most generic dim sum chefs. The one here met the mark in terms of the filling. The minced pork is fresh while the soupy broth was clear, flavourful and tummy warming. However, the skin was a bit too thick too my liking and the folding/kneading to encase the tiny morsel could have some room for improvement.

The Steamed Crystal Dumpling with Scallop (RM4.80) is actually similar to Siew Mai/ Har Mai. The ingredients were fresh, no special complements on this but there were no complaints. Most of the items here are made to order, which could be one factor that brings the best out of every dish. With a miniature sized scallop, I feel at this price, this item is a steal since generic dim sum outlets elsewhere would’ve priced their normal Siew Mais at least RM4.

Having said that, not only the steamed items are piping hot, but the fried stuffs are addictive and crispy too. The Deep Fried Prawn Dumpling (RM4.00) is actually Har Kok, filled with plump prawns. The mayonnaise dipping sauce seems to be infused with mustard, hence the orange hue.

Steamed Fish Meat with Ginger Sauce (RM4.30) is a twist to the generic Fish Paste Dumpling (Yue Mai). This was made known to me in Yoke Fook Moon whereby a slice of garoupa fillet with skin is topped on the minced fish paste with pungent grated ginger gravy. The fish fillet is missing here hence that explains the slightly lower price. However, I loved the ginger sauce here whereby white fungus is blended together with the grated ginger giving some “biting” texture to the conventional grated ginger puree  

The Pan Fried Radish Cake (Chao Lor Bak Gou, RM5) is executed near perfection. Infused with smoky aroma from the heat of the wok, minced pork, dried shrimps and choy pou (preserved radish), every mouthful is a clear winner. Juicy beansprout, chives and eggs complemented the cubes of radish cake has bits of charred corners.

Pan Fried Chives Dumpling (RM4.30) has similar meat filling like the Xiao Long Bao just tat it is not soupy Again my complaint is on the thick skin. Not that its not palatable, but it is just around average standard. If you wish to try, go for the Xiao Long Bao and skip this instead.

The Steamed Fish Dumpling with Special Sauce (RM4.30) is something like Yu Pei Gau (fish paste skin dumpling) whereby fish paste form the skin of the dumpling then deep fried before steaming, encasing a filling of minced meat with pickled/preserved radish/vegetables and condiments. By the way, the "special sauce" is actually bean paste sauce (tau cheong) sauteed with garlic and crushed peanuts

Pan Fried Bacon Rolls with Thousand Island Sauce (RM4.50) carried high expectation but in the end it was a bit of letdown. The meat paste somehow lacked the punch probably due to mismatch ratio of pork-fish meat or the grinding was too fine, resulting into a forgettable texture. The in-house-made bacon failed to give the characteristic smoky aroma that bacon should have. As mentioned, the mustard-yoghurt like mayonnaise did not appeal to me, I'm not about to other people's preference

Last but not least, the Steamed Salted Egg Buns (RM4.80) is above average. The cholesterol laden elixir will strike guilt in the soul of health freaks but it managed to give full satisfaction to food loves like me. The pau skin could be a bit fluffier as I need to "chew" a bit and have some stuck on the teeth. But the oozing filling kinda erased that minor flaw. Last but not least, they do serve desserts such as Pomelo-Mango Sago and other tong shuis too. Chinese tea are priced at RM2 onwards per pax. Fried rice and single serve hand made noodles (la mein) are also available in the price range of RM5-8. The slight drawback could be the 10% service charge. The meal came up to RM46+ but I ended up paying an additional RM5 for service charge (which can be easily translated into one item from the menu). I would definitely be back again! And I'm recommending this place to you dear readers! :)