Alana: Alyssa made dim sum! First dish – Dollar Dumplings and Dipping Sauce. While these were tasty, they couldn’t compete with my grandma’s dumplings. But they’re a good option if you’re not a dumpling connoisseur 😉

Sheana: Perfectly chewy on the outside and meaty and flavorful on the inside. I never have the patience for small, labor-intensive items like dumplings, so I’m always excited to eat someone else’s handiwork.

Alana: Alyssa’s dim sum part 2 – Scallion Pancakes. These were yummy and I bet they were even better when fresh and hot!

Sheana: I love scallion pancakes, and these were no exception. Great minds think alike – I bet they would have been even better fresh off the griddle.

Alana: Breanna made the Ume Rice, which is rice balls with pickled plum mixed in. She used medium instead of short grain rice, so they weren’t as sticky as they typically would be. These were solid as far as pickled plum goes for me, but I prefer rice balls with meat.

Sheana: I’ve never had rice balls before. These were super popular, but I found the flavors unfamiliar.

Alana: Colin made the Tod Mun Fish Cakes. The sweet chili cucumber sauce nicely complements these. This was another dish I think would have been really great when freshly fried. Though fair warning – Colin said they stunk up his house for days!

Sheana: As someone new to seafood, a “fish cake” sounds like the worst thing I’ve ever heard of. But this was DELICIOUS! Packed with fresh, spicy flavor, these turned me into a believer.

Alana: I made the Roasted Squash with Red Glaze. These were a great combo of salty, sweet, and ginger-y zing. They traveled well and were good as leftovers. I admit I was afraid I was going to chop a finger off while I was cutting the squash, but I’d risk my digits to make this one again.

Sheana: Perhaps the only veggie on the table? A welcome addition!

Alana: Sheana made the Economy Noodles. These are very similar to a super quick and dirty noodle dish I grew up eating, only even simpler. So a great option when you need to throw together a side in a hurry.

Sheana: These noodles are so quick and easy, you can land at LAX at 4:30, deplane, grab an Uber, get home, clean yourself up, and still have time to make economy noodles before your 6pm dinner. Lots of savory umami and noodle chewiness.

Alana: Breanna also made the Jap Chae. This tasted very much like the jap chae I’ve had at Korean restaurants, and that’s a good thing because I love the chewiness of the noodles and the slightly sweet and sesame flavor of this dish.

Sheana: This was one of my favorites! Fresh flavor and chewy noodles. It didn’t feel like it had as much soy sauce as some of the other dishes (in a good way!).

Alana: Katy made the Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaves. As you can see, these are in fact wrapped in corn husks, as Katy searched in vain for lotus leaves. Sticky rice is another one of my faves so I’m a bit particular about it and wished that the rice was a bit softer, but the flavor was spot on.

Sheana: A welcome starchy addition to the vast array of salty meats! I loved hearing about Katy’s quest for lotus leaves and her final substitution: corn husks. Totally worked!

Alana: Robert made the Miso Claypot Chicken (No Claypot). I didn’t add the “No Claypot” – that is the actual name of the dish. Which is great, because really… how many of us have a claypot laying around? I liked this, and see myself making many variations in my rice cooker.

Sheana: I love that this is a one pot meal with your rice, your meat, and your veg all in one.

Alana: Nelson made the Lemongrass Chicken. I wanted to eat the skins off of every piece on the tray – crackly and savory with the hint of citrus flavor from the lemongrass.

Sheana: DAMN, this was great. The skin was super crispy and salty and the meat was juicy. I would make this in the future.

Alana: Anthony made the Massaman Curry. I am a sucker for the combination of coconut milk, curry paste, lemongrass, ginger. I could eat bowls and bowls of just the sauce on rice.

Sheana: So good! A rich, creamy sauce with chicken thighs and potatoes. Perfection.

Alana: Shayna made the Ms. Vo Thi Huong’s Garlic Shrimp. This dish uses the ingredients I typically throw together when whipping up a stir fry – garlic, shallots, scallions, soy sauce, sriracha. So while not mind-blowingly unique, obviously I enjoy those flavors, and you could substitute other meats and veggies to easily throw together and quick and tasty meal.

Alana: Robert also made the Kung Pao Shrimp. He must have been a fan of the Lucky Peach cookbook, because he didn’t let Halina make either of the dishes they brought. I’m not a fan of cooked peanuts, but I picked around them. Wished this dish was a little spicier!

Sheana: As a relative seafood-newbie, these were right up my alley. They were packed with flavor and didn’t feel overly heavy.

Alana: Katy also made the Fish Sauce Spareribs. These were tender, salty-sweet goodness. I ate several even though I was already stuffed from all the other food. I wanted to eat the whole tray.

Sheana: To borrow one from Emeril: BAM! Ain’t nothin’ wrong with some delicious, sweet, sticky ribs.

Alana: Alyssa’s third dish was the Egg Custard Tarts. This was supposed to be part of her dim sum trio, but her mini tarts didn’t turn out right. So instead she brought one large tart. And she added figs because they’re in season and she had some beautiful ripe ones. While perhaps not traditional as a whole, the figs went well with the custard (which was pretty close to what I’m used to) and made for a tasty treat.

Sheana: Alyssa said this was super easy to make and it was tasty too!