I am an unabashed fan of dumplings. I guess, this had a lot to do with the fact that our old house in QC was a short distance away from the original Ma Mon Luk Restaurant. I have always associated siopao, siomai, and mami with “celebration” – these (not McDo! Haha!) were my and my siblings’ reward for getting high grades in school, for not fighting with each other despite all urges to do otherwise, or a special birthday or occasion. And although I do love siopao, of all the steamed delicacies around (promotional items notwithstanding), the lowly siomai and its dumpling relatives always take the top spot for me.
As I grew up, my love affair with steamed goodies stayed with me, to the point where, if I see a steamer anywhere (like in our local asian farmer’s market, for instance), I’m liable to stop and sneak a bite of a dumplings or two. 
The Jjin Mandu. These korean steamed dumplings are stuffed with a mixture of tofu, eggs, glass noodles, some vegetables, and shrimp (or Kimchi or other kinds stuffing, if you like), served with dipping soy sauce and pickled radish.
Who would ever think that I can find freshly-made heaven (i.e. holy smokes, hehe!) at the grocery?
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If you want to join this weekly whetting of appetites, please do visit the Lasang Pinoy Sundays page HERE. See you there!
