MU dimsum
When it comes to Chinese haute cuisine, one cannot fail to mention MU dimsum restaurant: located in Central Station area, it quickly established itself as one of the major landmarks in Milan.
Open since 2018 headed by Suili Zhou (also owner of the highly appreciated street food places MU corso como and MU paolo sarpi), MU dimsum offers traditional Cantonese and Hong Kong-style Chinese cuisine interpreted in a contemporary, refined and accessible way. The word "mu" means wood: for this reason the atmosphere of the restaurant is strongly material thanks to the imposing presence of natural wood, in fact, plants and gigantic windows that envelop the environment with natural light.
In 2021 MU dimsum was included in the Michelin Guide with chef Chang Liu at the head of the kitchen brigade. Originally from Yangzhou, he boasts a very respectable curriculum: after having studied traditional cuisine in China, he worked at Noma in Copenhagen alongside René Redzepi, then together with Tokuyoshi (chef of Bentoteca) in the restaurant of the same name and, subsequently, it distinguished itself at Serica for the refinement of the dishes resulting from the union between East and West. Thanks to the presence of windows in the imposing open kitchen (recently renovated and by Elettrolux), at MU dimsum it is possible to observe him at work.
As the name of the restaurant suggests, here you can enjoy dimsum, or saucers and delicacies that in China are commonly consumed while drinking tea ("yum cha"). This ritual, which dates back to the times of the Silk Road, is intended both as a snack and as a meal. Dumplings, baozi and cheung fun, in all their forms, make up the rich category of modern dim sum, while the rest of the menu allows you to take a journey into the rest of Cantonese Chinese cuisine.
To accompany the various delicacies there is obviously the freshly prepared tea at the table according to the ancient ceremonial. In fact, there is an entire dedicated card, which is why it is really recommended to be seduced by this formula. For those who prefer alcohol instead, I recommend trying the excellent cocktails prepared by Marcos, otherwise opt for the wines, the selection of which is curated by the maitre and sommelier Egidio Giovannini. Here you will find numerous local proposals and champagne - it is no coincidence that in 2021 the restaurant was awarded for the best proposal by the glass in the Restaurants of Italy 2021 guide.
To coincide with the Chinese New Year, chef Chang Liu presented a new tasting menu, the result of personal research and his creativity, which today can be enjoyed in the restaurant with new and intriguing variations.
The itinerary opens with an entrée consisting of quail egg with soy and green tea powder, tartlet with edamame, gelatin and mint, Belgian salad with caramelized walnut and mayonnaise, dragon cloud with beetroot, dill and black olive. All accompanied by an excellent martini cocktail with olive.
The first course consists of the curious drunken shrimp: red shrimp marinated in Maotai (famous Chinese liqueur) with soy and vinegar mousse. Followed by the huge and fun xiaolongbao stuffed with shrimp, crab and pork: the broth is inserted into the dumpling with a pipette and then drunk with a small straw.
It then continues with charsiu millefeuille (low-temperature braised pork), typical of Hong Kong, rice dumplings sautéed with vegetables, mushrooms and truffles and the crispy pork belly accompanied by pak choi and apple purée.
The desserts are preceded by a delicious cold jasmine-based tea; tiramisu with ginseng, red fruit and pistachio chips accompanied by kombucha, apple extract and osmanthus flower, mango mochi with coconut flakes and, lastly, the small pastry consisting of macaroons with soy milk and dry cane sugar.
The tasting menu option is in my opinion very valid, but if you have never tried MU dimsum's cuisine, let yourself be tempted by the à la carte proposals - of which I invite you to choose the Peking duck, one of the best ever eaten, and roasted potato ice cream, sage and rosemary powder, tempura, caramelized hazelnut. Many of the dishes on the menu are also available with home delivery through MU delivery.
What is further striking is the quality of the raw material used: the suppliers are in fact selected according to criteria of excellence (as demonstrated by the meat of the BordonaFarm organic farm in Valera Fratta and the flours of Molino Rosso di Buttapietra).
As you may have guessed, the overall experience is excellent, much more so because during your meal you will be pampered by the very young, attentive and never intrusive staff. The price is absolutely competitive and really allows everyone to enjoy the maximum expression of the new Chinese cuisine by Chang Liu.
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