Trying to make some soup dumplings and I’m looking for agar powder. Preferred in the West Hollywood area but willing to travel. TIA!
for sure any asian markets in the sgv…“A Grocery Warehouse” in echo park should have it. but on westside maybe check wholefoods asian section or healthfood stoes like gnc? or you can just boil pork feet, pork hock, chicken feet if you’re making your own stock or use gelatin.
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Marukai, Mitsuwa or Nijiya.
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Surfas has it, I’d look at one of the Thai town markets or call Erewhon they may have it also
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Yeah i called erewhon and unfortunately they don’t have it 
All asian markets carry it. It might be called agar agar on the packet instead of agar powder.
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Yeah but I need it tomorrow
I decided to go with gelatin instead as its easier to buy
Good luck with the XLB. I am planning on a second attempt soon - my first was a disaster.
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Try Target over by the Baking section next to the Gluten Free flours.
–Dommy!
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What was disastrous about it? Any tips would be helpful
My dough wasn’t thin enough, and I didn’t properly line my steamer so it stuck to the bamboo (usually recommend parchment paper, but napa cabbage leaves might be better) - and I didn’t pleat well. Other than that it tasted great. Live and learn.
Although it sounds like you are entertaining. So live and learn is not an option. Give yourself plenty of time, and don’t repeat my mistakes. Best of luck my unmet friend!!
Kudos to you both. Tried it and while it turned out ok, it’s not something I would want to try again. I realized it was so much easier to buy bag of frozen 50 xlb for $15 from dean sin world. There’s a reason why the pros make it so well -muscle memory and skill from doing thousands of xlb that I can’t ever hope to replicate. @ebethsdad
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+1 for Dean Sin World. I have four left from my bag. 9 min in the steamer. parchment paper works fine (never tried cabbage leaves).
When they’re SUCH a bargain and so labor intensive to make if you’re not making a regular practice of it, seems like a huge PItA.
Thanks for the tips. I know this is blasphemous but I’m actually making French onion soup dumplings, using caramlized onions and gelatin beef, mushroom, thyme broth as the filling and baked Gruyere chip with a crime fraiche bread crumb sauce on top.
I’m also making the wrappers myself so that’s gonna be a pain!!!
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Yes, but I have to try. I have made pastrami, bacon, smoked salmon, lox, baguettes, bagels, pasta, bbq, chili-garlic sauce, and several cheeses that are all much better than I can buy. I am not going to give up on dim sum. I already have great pot stickers, thanks to Ming Tsai’s grandmother’s recipe (it might be his mother’s), so I refuse to give up on XLB. They are the holy grail of Chinese dumplings (unless @secretasianman, @JThur01, @ipsedixit, or @chandavkl says otherwise - in which case I will still try to perfect them), and I love Chinese dumplings. It is what it is.
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That sounds great! Good luck and let us know how it turns out!!
Yeah I’m with you on trying to make things at home, I enjoy the process and the best part is you get to eat it afterwards.
Sounds great. Use a pasta machine and a good boiling water dough. Andrea Ngyuen, and Ming Tsai both have recipes. I am sure it will turn out wonderfully. Let us know!