Dim Sum @ Magnolian Cafe & Bar, Daimyo, Fukuoka

 

It is actually pretty hard to find good dim sum spots within these parts. There are good Chinese restaurants in general, but dim sum, well that one is another beats all together. In fact, I have not had dim sum since moving to Japan. As such, it was a pleasant surprise when I was able to find Magnolian Cafe and Bar, which is located dead center in the city. 

Spotted!

The place is actually located in a refurbished dormitory block, which gives it a speakeasy type of feel. It was a bit hard to locate at the beginning, as it is at the end of the said block unit, but knowing you are at the right spot was pretty obvious as there was a classic Chinese style door. The premises itself is warm and cozy. But the main highlight is the food of course. 

First of many great treats in store

Unlike what I am used to, the dim sum is ordered based on portions per piece, compared to a basket. As such, you are given the freedom to choose what kind of combination that you like, as long you fill up 4 pieces of a basket. 1 basket of 4 pieces stands at 800 yen, which was not too bad honestly. So for my party of 2, we got ourselves 2 pieces of har gao and char siew buns. The har gao, or prawn dumplings in English, were just incredible. The outer shell was soft , chewy and had a great bite.

So delectable

 The inside was sweet, salty, delectable, and the prawns provided a decent kick back. This is one of my favourite Chinese dishes, period, and it was done very very well. The steamed buns were no slouch either. It had that classic fluffy exterior while the inside was sweet and savoury, almost honey-like. It was a bit too small for my liking, but then again its 200 yen a pop. Plus, its very different to the usual nikuman I have every other week. So this was a welcome entre. 

Another basket filled with joy

For the next basket, we ordered the classic shumai and rice dumplings. The shumai really looked and tasted the part. Each morsel was porky and had so much flavour that it was simply mesmerising. The porky aroma was quite evident, but it does not have that pungent overcooked bacon smell. For those who know, you know. It was so simple, but it was executed well. The rice dumplings, or chimaki in Japanese, were also pretty tasty. They were a bit hard to eat, as they were wrapped in bamboo leaves. But once you unwrap the leaves and attack the packed rice parcel, you are in for a serious treat. The inside of the rice was packed with dried seafood, giving this a nutty and earthy taste. The rice was sticky but was still somewhat manageable. Although not as good as how my father makes it, it is still quite decent. 

Simple, but good. 

Seeing that this is actually dinner, dim sum may not be enough to round out the meal. So for extra protein, we got ourselves a portion of cold cut chicken. it is essentially boiled chicken that is served cold with chopped ginger which stood at 700 yen a portion. It is a very simple dish. However, the chicken was very fresh despite its colder condition and the ginger mince gave it an incredible kick of zest and spice. It reminds me of what I usually have with chicken rice, but slightly different. 

Explosive!

For something hot, we got ourselves a bowl of spicy mala noodles which stood at 900 yen. This was a real firebomb. The spices were very evident here, providing something punchy to the meal, considering most of what we had were somewhat mild. The noodles were Vietnamese pho, but it was a good substitute to other forms of rice noodles. The nuts also provided extra depth and texture, which is always a welcome addition. This was really something special. 

Tea just makes sense. You are not going to have beer are you? 

Being a dim sum spot after all, one cannot have such a meal without some Chinese tea. So we got ourselves puer tea, which stood at 700 yen a person. The classic woody and aromatic tea was a real callback to all the past dim sum experience I had prior to coming to Japan. I know this sounds like some bombastic superlative, but having such a beverage really puts me back to a spot where I had dim sum. Each time was a good time, and this is no different. 

A peek inside. 

I was really happy that I have discovered this place and it is very likely I will return here in the near future. The food is decent, the place is quaint and cozy and the overall experience was like a time machine, putting me into a nostalgic state. So if you would like to have some good dim sum, a nice spot of tea, or just want to try something not Japanese in the heart of Fukuoka, the address is as follows: 

〒810-0041 Fukuoka, Chuo Ward, Daimyo, 1 Chome−8−5 養巴コープ 105

If you find this small alleyway, then you are at the right spot!