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Pop go the dumplings!

THE rise of China will likely change the world in ways we cannot predict. I've talked about Shanghai's remarkable growth, and I have no doubt we'll see more of China's influence in the future. Might as well get used to it, but how hard is it to change? Step into Shanghai Bistro, where its dim sum is challenging the Hong Kong status quo.

My first taste of Shanghai dim sum was at New York's Shanghai Joe's, "Home of the Exploding Dim Sum." I didn't care for it, and was happy to return home to the familiar.

At Shanghai Bistro you can get that same "exploding" dim sum. Of course, the restaurant is much too refined to use such a coarse slogan, though it is more exciting than simply descrbing what it is, a pork dumpling.

To ensure your safety, the dumpling doesn't exactly explode, but if you're not careful, the won ton soup surrounding the lean pork center will gush out with a bite, earning you much laughter and derision from your table mates who warned you that would happen.

To avoid this, scoop the dumpling up with a spoon, and bite into it gently while sipping up the soup. You'll be surprised by how much these babies hold. I think it was pure kitchen genius for Shanghai chefs to have figured out that packing the dim sum with the jellified soup before steaming would result in this splashing novelty.

The dim sum menu opens with a choice of two set menus. Set A, $16.89, features the pork dumplings, herb and minced pork siu mai, choi sum with oyster sauce, chives spring roll and golden garlic butter rice.

Set B, $29.89, includes the first three items, plus fried shrimp balls and ginger sake crab on noodles. This feeds three easily, or four if a few more dim sum items are added. Given that the crab costs $25 a la carte, it makes sense to get the whole set if you're planning to order crab anyway, which arrives fresh and ono, although for some the strong sake flavor will be an acquired taste.

The pork siu mai is much leaner than you'll find in Chinatown, and also thankfully free of gristle. To compensate for flavor lost from the absence of fat, Shanghai Bistro adds dashes of ginseng and other Chinese herbs that cast a slightly medicinal flavor on the dumplings, but you might feel better after the meal.

If you like the herb pork siu mai, you might want to branch out to other herb dumplings. The menu features a page with eight selections, including ginseng herb tofu ($4.28) and spinach-shrimp dumpling ($4.28).

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NADINE KAM / NKAM@STARBULLETIN.COM Shown clockwise from top left are Shanghai Bistro dim sum offerings of ginger sake crab, won tons in chili sauce, crispy scallop seafood rolls and Shanghai's renowned pork siu mai that burst with won ton soup, catching unwary diners by surprise.

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I DON'T NEED to say much about the space itself, covered when Shanghai Bistro opened. Suffice to say that the interior is exquisite, but in this age of short attention spans, it's become known for its hands-off, automatic restroom features.

Such luxe decor doesn't come cheap, as you might have guessed from the prices listed so far. Those accustomed to $1.50 dim sum in Chinatown are certain to experience sticker shock in light of Shanghai Bistro's $3.68 selections, so it's been a struggle to lure people in to try something new. The draw is attentive service without the waiting, crowding and chasing of carts at a place like Chinatown Cultural Plaza, where every weekend the scene is reminiscent of a pond full of starving koi.

One of the best dishes, for those who like their food fiery, was a bowlful of won tons swimming in a spicy chili sauce ($7). For an alternative take on chow fun and its fat ribbony noodles, there is Shanghai-style mochi cake ($8), which featured vegetables stir-fried with chewy rounds of the rice cake.

Golden abalone egg ($6.68) delivered less than it promised as a mixture of egg, chopped shrimp and abalone so thready that its contribution was negligible. The egg "hash" was stuffed back into a half eggshell containing the egg white. A crispy scallop seafood roll ($3.68) comprised more won ton shell than seafood, but overall I enjoyed the menu.

The austere taste of Shanghai cuisine will require some adaptation on the part of all who grew up here with the Hawaii-Hong Kong aesthetic. Start getting acquainted.

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Shanghai Bistro Discovery Bay, 1778 Ala Moana Boulevard UL10 (enter parking lot at back entrance to building) / 955-8668 Food Service Ambience Value Hours: Dim sum served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; regular hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Cost: Dim sum runs about $24 to $30 for two without drinks