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Special Events Chinese Lakeshore East

What happens when you go all in on the best seat in the house? At Yum Cha Dim Sum, it means a striking view of Lake Shore East Park, fourteen decadent courses of dim sum-inspired fare and some seriously fun conversations with Chef Rodelio Aglibot. The experience is available through new restaurant reservation service Top-Top. We sat down to dig in and document the meal start to finish.

"Yum Cha was created to bring Dim Sum and Chinese cuisine to downtown Chicago."

The first hearty dish is congee, is a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. Chef Rodelio prepares this dish with braised ox tail, scallions and bits of fried shrimp.

Yum Cha Congee
Asian porridge with braised ox tail

Next up we sample a set of dim sum dishes from Yum Cha's regular dinner menu. These perfectly portioned bites feel more like a traditional dim sum brunch. Careful not to fill up, we're just getting started...

Yum Cha Dim Sum Sampler
The sampler including BBQ pork bao, steamed shrimp dumplings, crispy shrimp rolls, shumai with pork and shrimp, and a soup dumpling
Yum Cha Dim Sum Sampler
Up close and personal with a BBQ pork bao

Chef Rodelio loves to share stories about his life and culinary inspirations. The Top-Top experience includes some serious face time with the man himself. Shout to Chicago lifestyle blogger Kit Graham from The Kittchen!

Yum Cha Chef Rodelio
Kit Graham talks to Chef Rodelio

What dim sum meal would be complete without dumplings? Pile 'em on!

Yum Cha Ox Tail Dumplings
Ox tail and scallion dumplings

If you're a fan of BBQ, Chef Rodelio has a few tricks up his sleeve guaranteed to please. This char siu is like biting into tender, but crispy, burnt ends.

Yum Cha Char Siu
Char siu is a popular way to flavor and prepare barbecued pork in Cantonese cuisine

The main courses continue to come as we sample some crispy duck. The shredded meat is served with frisee, a runny egg, and turnip cake.

Yum Cha Shredded Crispy Duck
Shredded crispy duck

Yum Cha isn't all about Chinese cuisine. Enter the Filipino style roasted port with a crispy fried crust and a black pepper sauce.

Yum Cha Filipino Style Roasted Pork
Filipino style roasted pork

Follow up the Pilipino with braised octopus, fried daikon cake, green beans, and spicy peppers.

Yum Cha Szechuan Octopus
Szechuan octopus

The udon noodles with beef is served sizzling in a ceramic bowl. At this point it's tough to continue, but we think we can manage...

Yum Cha Udon Noodles With Beef
Udon noodles with thinly sliced beef

The meat has been plentiful, but now its time for something for the vegetarians to get excited about. Silken tofu is presented with bok choy and mushrooms in a sweet ginger sauce.

Yum Cha Silken Tofu
Lightly fried silken tofu with bok choy and mushrooms in ginger sauce

Coriander adds a unique flavor to the seafood curry. This classic dish is served with white rice incase you aren't full.

Yum Cha Seafood Curry
Seafood curry with scallops, sole, and shrimp in a toasted coriander curry

It's time for some desert! This mango pudding is made panna cotta style and has a unique flavor. Top it off with some tapioca and we're in business!

Yum Cha Mango Pudding
Mango pudding with tapioca

This dinner has been extraordinary in both quality and quantity. Let's cap it all off with warm egg tarts baked to a perfect consistency.

Yum Cha Egg Tarts
Warm egg tarts

This dinner experience is only available through the Top-Top website.

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