They Ran Out of Duck

Good Bite

Yummy House China Bistro, 1737 S Tamiami Trail, 941-351-1688 Pictured: From left to right: honey glazed BBQ buns, Shanghai-style dumplings, BBQ pork puffs, and baked pineapple buns. Photo by Andrew Fabian.

As is my custom, I scoured the menu for b-sides, those interesting dishes buried deep in a menu that hardly ever get ordered because they are preceded by safer choices. At Yummy House, like many Chinese restaurants, the offerings are so vast that nearly everything is a b-side. But, perhaps on account of the recent headlines coming out of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Style Roasted Duck caught my eye. Vaguely familiar with the distinction between Peking and Cantonese variations of roasted duck, the appearance of a third Chinese duck roast intrigued.

The problem is that Yummy House ran out of duck. “It’s been really hard to get our hands on it lately,” says Dan Hasty, manager of the Tamiami Trail eatery. He also says the price has gone up 30 percent, something to do with hiccups in the supply chain. Thanks, COVID-19. But Hasty had a better idea. He recommended I try an assortment of dim sum. Dim sum is part of a Cantonese tea brunch called yum cha that includes an assortment of small bites both savory and sweet designed to be shared family-style. Yummy House, when indoor seating is allowed, offers their vast menu of dim sum bites on a rolling cart, teasing diners with precious, golden-baked and breaded morsels as they dine on entrees of meat and rice.

Always a sucker for the meat and wheat combination, I went home with honey glazed BBQ buns, baked pineapple buns, Shanghai-style dumplings and BBQ pork puffs. The BBQ buns were like freshly baked Hawaiian sweet rolls stuffed with diced pork in a red sauce. With all the charm of a Cuban pastelito, the pork puff pastry offers a nice, flaky crunch to go along with its savory filling. Not quite exploding with broth like versions celebrated on TV, the Shanghai-style dumplings nonetheless provide the kind of simple, filling bite that nourishes the soul. The pineapple buns are a disaster for someone trying to cut calories from their diet. Stuffed with a sweet custard akin to Boston cream, these delights are best left for last.

They ran out of duck, but when life gives you lemons, you order dim sum. To-go orders can be placed from the Yummy House website Monday through Sunday, 11:00am-2:15pm for lunch and 5:00pm-9:00pm for dinner.

Yummy House China Bistro, 1737 S Tamiami Trail, 941-351-1688 Pictured: From left to right: honey glazed BBQ buns, Shanghai-style dumplings, BBQ pork puffs, and baked pineapple buns. Photo by Andrew Fabian.

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