RESTAURANTING: GITLO'S DIM SUM BAKERY

Though I lived in New York for six years, I am deeply ashamed to admit that I never once ventured into Chinatown for dim sum. Actually, now that I think about it, I realize that I severely underate the entire time I was a resident of that city. I’m determined to change that in my new city: I will eat my way through Boston and its outlying area.

Aside from being lazy and expecting to have all the time in the world to explore the international cuisine of New York, I honestly never felt comfortable going to Chinatown because I would simply not know where to go nor what to expect. Sometimes it’s hit-and-miss and you just need to keep going back to different places, but when it comes to food, and especially food whose origins and traditions I’m unacquainted with, I want a recommendation. Dim sum didn’t happen for me because I lacked a guide, but Lady Luck seems determined to change that because not only did my new friend D of Clear Flour open the doors to a haven of bread, she also took me to Gitlo’s Dim Sum Bakery, her new favorite spot for dim sum.


164 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA 02134
 / 617-782-CAKE

Gitlo’s is small and modest, seating I’d say between 20 and 25 patrons. D and I went at an off time and had the whole place to ourselves, which was just as lovely as the owner, Gitlo. He was wearing a super-cool, Hawaiian shirt. “Straight from Hawaii,” he informed me.


I left the ordering up to D - here is a woman who is going to be my bosom buddy because not only does she make bread and like to eat, she is an ardent pork lover, just like me.

We had:

#33 Sesame pork buns
Soft bread rolls topped with toasty, nutty sesame seeds, filled with bits of moist port. Delicious.

#8 Char siu bao

Pea pod stem and shrimp dumplings. These gorgeous little purses looked like delicate underwater creatures. The pea pod stems were fresh and tasted wonderfully green.

#3 Seaweed shui-mai
The wrinkly exterior of these pork-filled treats reminded me of morel mushrooms. They were meaty and plump, like a baby’s cheek.

#15 Crispy daikon cakes
My favorite. The little square cakes came piled on a plate, straight from the fryer. They looked like home-style potatoes, golden and crisp, but when I bit into them, a satiny lava filled my mouth. It was like a French fry with an oozing middle, like those bubble gums with the runny insides. I was pretty full by the time the daikon cakes arrived at the table, but, you guessed it, each little square disappeared.

I’ll be heading there again very soon to continue my study of dim sum, as Señor O was quite peeved at not having been brought along.