hipcooks west.

Husband surprised me a few months ago with a gift certificate to Hipcooks. I had been wanting to take a cooking class here for a while (no. 16 on my 101 in 1,001 days list) because of their class options (Persian Immersion, La Belle Epoque...). We decided on the Dim Sum and then Some class to get a head start on some Chinese cooking, and we definitely made the best choice. We had the best time learning to use different asian sauces and wrappers and making SO MUCH FOOD.  In between "courses," we ate our cooking at a big family-style table with the appropriate tea accompaniment. I was a teensy bit worried that I would get hungry since the class was so long, but there was plenty of food to go around. My fave: the sweet wontons... I'm already scheming about when I can make them again.

Our menu:

4 types of Chinese tea

steamed shrimp wontons

chicken cabbage dumplings

scallion pancakes with shiitake mushrooms

chinese-style green beans

seared sesame beef in rice paper

lotus flower pork puff pastry

seared scallop chow mein

sweet wontons with orange, walnut, and dates