Dim Sum Romance

High-gloss color and steamed Chinese delicacies mix in photographer Norbert Schoerner’s new beauty series shot at prime dim sum eatery, China Tang. “I liked the idea of the girl being very much in her own intimate space with the food,” reveals Schoerner. “It’s almost a sensual relationship.” Makeup artist Sharon Dowsett paired this season’s maximalist trends with an assortment of dim sum from David Tang’s Michelin-starred kitchens, including Fried Shanghai, Har Kar and Chiu Chow—a mixture of chicken, scallop, prawn and coriander. “Eating dim sum is quite a romantic activity, it can be quite glamorous,” says Dowsett, whose backstage credits includes shows for Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton. “But I’ve heard that Chinese women don’t wear colorful lip gloss, to avoid getting it on the dim sum––they would concentrate on the eyes instead.” Aiming to echo the colors inside the bite-sized snacks, Dowsett sculpted peacock-eye looks, with berry-purple lips and coral-dusted cheeks. Originating as a Cantonese afternoon tea snack, dim sum is served throughout the day at Tang’s restaurant in the basement of the London Dorchester Hotel, as well as its outposts in Hong Kong and Beijing. Here, Tang divulges the secrets to one of its treasured bites, the steamed vegetable dumpling.

Ingredients for the pastry 

• 450g Wheat starch
• 450g Potato flour
• ½ teaspoon Salt

Ingredients for the ‘filling’ (chop very finely)

• 50g Chinese mushroom
• 50g Straw mushroom
• 50g Baling mushroom
• 50g Bamboo shoots
• 50g Sweetcorn
• 50g Celery

Seasoning (add small amount to taste)

• Salt
• Soya sauce
• Sesame oil
• Sugar
• Pepper

Method (for 120 pieces)

1. Sift flours and salt into a large mixing bowl with 500ml warm water, mix well and add 500ml hot water, then knead into a smooth dough. Place in a plastic bag and leave it aside.
2. To make the fillings: heat three table spoons of oil in a wok pan on medium heat and add all finely chopped vegetables until aromatic, then stir in the seasonings. Set aside and let it cool down.
3. Roll out the dough into a long tube shape. Cut into 14 to 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into a small flat disc with a rolling pin, each about 8cm in size. Wrap a heaped tablespoon of filling and pinch the edge. Repeat this step with the remaining pastry and fillings.
4. Steam the dumplings in a steamer over a high heat for three minutes and serve immediately.