The Bean-Curd Roll at Yimin in Ottawa was stuffed full of tasty pork, and one of the best I have ever had. It deserved a Rating of 5 out of 5.
I ordered five different Dim Sum items at the Yimin Dim Sum House in Ottawa’s Chinatown when I visited to try the place out. The Steamed Bean-Curd Roll with Pork was not only the best of all those I sampled, but, as of that date, was among the very best of all the versions of this classic I have been served.
First of all, I typically find that many restaurants can be quite stingy with the filling in Bean-Curd Rolls, whether it be meat, seafood, or vegetable, but the rolls here were generously stuffed with pork, which was finely ground and mixed with minced celery and carrot.
Funnily enough, however, there was no bamboo shoot in these rolls. The menu at Yimin lists these in Chinese as 鲜竹卷, which translates as ‘Fresh Bamboo Roll’. This is actually a common name for the dish but I have found that in at least half the versions I have been served, no bamboo shoots, either fresh or canned, have been included. This actually doesn’t bother me, I have never missed them at all, but it seems curious that restaurants would use a name that is incorrectly descriptive.
Anyway, the filling here was very nicely seasoned, and even had a very slight, and somewhat curious citrus note, almost as though a little lemon pepper, or even lemon zest had been included. What elevated the rolls to first class, however, was the cooking process that left the bean-curd skin wrappers beautifully tender. As is common, the rolls were first fried, which generally browns and crisps the wrapping, and then later steamed for service. Bean-Curd skin has a unique texture however it is cooked, but it can sometimes be a little tough to bite through. These ones, though, were given a thorough steaming that did the job just right. I would happily go back to Yimin for these alone.