Steamed Prawn Dumplings Bukit Batok does seem to be one of those neighbourhoods where there are quite a number of dim sum establishments that are hidden within the neighbourhood. While Ji Tuo Hong Kong Style Dim Sum 寄託港式点心 is one of more mentioned dim sum establishment that is hidden within the industrial estates of Bukit Batok, we had come across a social media post mentioning the existence of A Little Dim Sum 有一点点心 / Simply Steamed 全是蒸的 that is located in another nearby industrial complex named Bukit Batok Connection. A Little Dim Sum / Simply Steamed is located within the Fu Jiang Food Court 富江食阁, occupying the stall unit that is right beside Fu Jiang Seafood 富江海鲜 that serves zi-char. Despite the stall having its signboard split into two concepts, A Little Dim Sum / Simply Steamed is essentially the same concept and shares thr same kitchen space within the stall — the segregation of the brands on the signboard is likely to better reflect their offerings on their menu; the menu offers a mix of Hong Kong-style dim sum as well as various steamed dishes that includes the likes of fish, chicken, pork ribs, minced pork, and seafood just to name a few.
Being primarily here for the dim sum that they have to offer, one of the dishes that A Little Dim Sum / Simply Steamed really managed to impress us was the Steamed Prawn Dumplings. Having had a good number of Steamed Prawn Dumplings from various establishments all across the island all these years, the dish can be described as a staple at establishments serving up dim sum. With that in mind, A Little Dim Sum’s Steamed Prawn Dumplings managed to impress us the very moment that we went for a piece — the serving size of the dim sum at A Little Dim Sum are mostly in pieces of three (3) unless stated otherwise. Giving the Steamed Prawn Dumpling a bite, we really loved how tightly packed the dumplings were here and that the dumplings carried a really bouncy texture without being in any way wet or sticky — definitely gives a tactile bite that set a really high bar, while the insides were filled with prawns that carried a natural hint of sweetness of crustaceans.
Other dishes that also got us fairly impressed would also include that of the Minced Pork with Duo Eggs; this was a pork patty dish that would work well when paired with white rice on the side. Coming with fried shallots on the top, the minced pork patty comes with a pool of light soy sauce at the bottom — the soy sauce is similar to that of what one would get in a plate of Hong Kong-style Chew Cheong Fun. The pork patty comes with a firm bite and comprises mainly of minced meat of leaner cuts, while the duo eggs would include century egg and salted egg that gives it a very light contrast of saltish-ness against the meat — not so heavy that it would result in clouded tastebuds, yet also provided a good variance of textures as well. The Steamed Siew Mai Dumplings were pretty decent — these weren’t too meaty and provide a good bite and chew; we also noticed a chunk of shrimp added in the Steamed Siew Mai Dumplings to give it a slight crustacean sweetness. Whilst we aren’t usually fans of Steamed Beancurd Roll Skins considering how they often come in a gravy where the beancurd skin ends up being soaked in it, we quite like how well-filled the Steamed Beancurd Roll Skins is with meat filling that also came with strips of black fungus for an extra textural contrast.
The least impressive dish for us was the Steamed Jin Sha Egg Yolk Pig Buns — this item is just one of the many variations animal-styled buns that they have to offer. An item that should not be mistaken as the Molten Lava Salted Egg Yolk Bun which other establishments tend to serve up, the Steamed Jin Sha Egg Yolk Pig Buns seemingly carries a lotus-based filling that is seemingly infused with salted egg that comes with just a rather light touch of saltish-ness from the salted egg in the starting notes. We didn’t particularly enjoy the bun itself which we found it to be a little too thick and dense. The Steamed Teochew Yam Paste did come with a deep earthiness that we liked, though we did find the consistency of their yam paste to be on the denser side — mixing it in with the coconut milk didn’t really cause much a change to the consistency of the yam paste either. The version of the Steamed Teochew Yam Paste at A Little Dim Sum / Simply Steamed also comes with gingko nuts as well.
Overall, our meal at A Little Dim Sum / Simply Steamed is filled with both hits and misses — we do feel that these folks seem to do well more in their traditional Hong Kong-style Dim Sum and in their offerings of steamed dishes; at least these were the items that we found ourselves impressed by more so than that of their cutesy, animal-styled buns which felt more like something created for the ‘gram or to appeal to kids. Prices of the food here are surprisingly wallet-friendly despite the quality of its food — the only dishes priced above $5 at $5.50 are the Curry Chicken Cubes and Scallops with Vermicelli; likely something due to it being in a food court within an industrial estate. Coming here does require a bit of trek considering how it is located a slight distance away from a MRT station, though also a spot that is worth checking out at least once even for those whom do not reside around the area!
