Dumplings that are made for sharing

A FAVOURITE of Thais hungry for sukiyaki and hotpot for decades, Coca is setting out to change the perception that it’s not just a venue at which to savour meat and vegetables cooked in a simmering pot but also a great place to feast on Chinese banquet classics. To that end, it’s recently expanded its menu to include a wide selection of dim sum, both traditional and with a twist, and invites diners to order by the piece.

The dim sum selection is now available at two branches – Surawongse and Siam Square – and the Sukhumvit 39 outlet will be ready to serve the dumpling delights on October 8. I checked out the new lunch menu at its three-storey Siam Square outlet where a live kitchen to showcase the dim sum preparation on the first floor is under construction and the third floor boasts 10 private rooms recently refurbished in a modern Chinese style.

Pitaya Phanphensophon, chief executive of Coca Group, has invited three Hong Kong chefs to complete the line up of Chinese cuisine and assigned them to roost at each of the three outlets. 

The dim sum menus are surprisingly extensive, ranging from finger food and appetisers, through steamed, braised, pan and deep fried dumplings to vegetable, rice, noodles and dessert. And because the steamed dumplings are not coated with oil, it’s recommended that you eat them hot or risk having them stick to your chopsticks.

The “order by piece” concept will no doubt please the new generation of diners who prefer small portions and plenty of choice. Tradition is maintained for single servings with the dumpling arriving at the table in the ubiquitous bamboo basket.

Our appetites are teased with a dual serving of honey-glazed walnut and crispy salt and pepper whitebait (Bt88 each). Then comes the traditional choices of shiu mai or steamed pork dumpling (Bt38) and chive shiu mai (also Bt38), both equally tempting. The new takes on tradition include truffle dumpling soup (Bt128) that features chopped wood-ear and shitake mushrooms wrapped with egg white dumplings in a soup whose base is bisque and pumpkin, and ikura (Bt48), a steamed shrimp dumpling topped with salmon roe. Japanese plum sauce adds a sweet and salty taste that’s perfect with the steamed kurobuta baby rib (Bt68) and steamed rice noodle stuffed with prawn (Bt78). 

Among the pan and deep-fried delicacies are baked BBQ kurobuta pastry (Bt38), a terrific tasting morsel with tender meat inside the crispy pastry and the equally fine avocado spring roll (Bt48) stuffed with prawn and avocado and served with wasabi and mayo dip. My favourite, though, is the pan-fried radish cake topped with sukiyaki sauce (Bt68), which boasts a lot of radish but not too much rice flour, making it crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Also worth trying is batter-fried tofu, which is finished in a pan with salt and pepper (Bt98). 

Take a break from the meat with stir-fried green bean and XO Sauce, which is tasty and not in the least oily or heartier fare such as stir-fried rice noodle with lobster (Bt178). The meal ends with custard bun (Bt29), a steamed bun filled with melted salted egg yolk custard. A deep-fried version – the golden phoenix egg (also Bt29) – comes in a crispy golden brown bun. 

Coca also offers dim sum for high tea. The set costs Bt480 and is served on a three-tier stand together with a pot of tea made with Italian Almond, Valley King Ceylon Pekoe or Berry Sensation leaves. The top tier offers coconut pudding, egg tart and opera cake; the second bears a bamboo basket of shiu mai, steamed shrimp dumpling and BBQ kurobuta bun while the bottom presents baked BBQ kurobuta pastry and avocado spring roll. 

Three dim sum sets are available for dinner, ranging in price from Bt488 for five-course, Bt688 for six and Bt1,288 for eight – with a minimum order for two persons. Among the choices are abalone tart, scallop dumpling, foie gras sow, caviar shiu mai and chocolate lava bun. The high tea and dinner sets are only available at Coca’s Siam Square and Sukhumvit Soi 39 branches.

 

 

SHIU MAI FOR SURE

>>The dim sum menu is now available from Wednesday to Sunday at Coca Surawongse and Siam Square. 

>>The high tea set is served from 2.30 to 4pm while the dinner set is from 6 to 10 at the Siam Square and Sukhumvit 39 branches.

>>Call (085) 123 4575 or search for “coca restaurant thailand” on Facebook.