One of Toronto’s top chefs is giving dim sum lessons

If ever there was a way to beat the Monday blues, it’s with a dim sum lesson from one of Toronto’s top chefs. The new Dim Sum Mondays series at Akin invites guests to roll up their sleeves alongside executive chef Eric Chong as they learn the ins and outs of making dim sum.

Akin’s regular tasting menu is a meticulous multi-course meal where traditional Asian dishes are interpreted through a modern lens. Besides the significant price tag ($225 per person), dinner at the Colborne Street restaurant demands a time commitment that’s an extravagance in itself. Enter Dim Sum Mondays, a pared-down alternative for those seeking a sampling of what Akin has to offer.

“So many places are closed on Mondays. This gives us a great opportunity to do something fun and interactive,” says Chong. “We miss engaging with people, talking to them in a more casual setting.”

Related: What’s on the menu at Akin, chef Eric Chong’s new restaurant with a 10-course blind tasting menu

Taking place every Monday in June, the event includes a welcome glass of wine or house cocktail, a one-hour guided dim-sum-making session, a three-course dinner and some take-home dim sum. “The dinner is a variety of the dim sum we make at Akin, as well as a main dish and dessert. I want people to leave quite satisfied,” says Chong. “The current main is our Dungeness crab fried rice, which is from Akin’s tasting menu.”

As for the hands-on workshop, Chong says it will cover the fundamentals of crafting traditional dim sum. “We’re showing the classics, what makes dim sum so labour intensive and so special, and the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years.” Additionally, the event will offer insight into how Chong’s team makes their singular bites. “It’s a good opportunity to try what we serve on our tasting menu. They get a preview of some of our modern dim sum.”

Related: Where chef Eric Chong eats Cantonese fried noodles, chicken shawarma and Wagyu beef tacos in Oakville

“Wu gok is usually filled with ground pork and mushrooms. Ours is filled with Wagyu beef, Thai basil and a bit of Thai chili—almost like a pad kra pao–filled wu gok,” says Chong. “It’s definitely different. Nobody else is doing it that way.”

Meanwhile, lo bak go (radish cake) is reimagined as a diminutive crispy cone filled with dried shrimp sabayon and daikon compressed in conpoy broth. “If you close your eyes while eating it, you’ll get flavours reminiscent of traditional dim sum, but the ingredients are quite different,” says Chong.

The chef is also open to extending the restaurant’s Monday series and including more free-form gatherings. “It doesn’t just have to be dim sum,” he says. “If there seems to be a high demand for interacting with me and learning what it’s like to work in a professional kitchen, then I’m not going to say no.”