Soak dried mushrooms until they are fully hydrated and soft (like fresh mushrooms). To do so quickly, boil water in a heater and pour over mushrooms. This should take around 30-40 minutes to fully hydrate. Once mushrooms are soft, remove stems from shiitake mushrooms and slice the cap. Julienne the wood ear mushrooms.
Mince ginger, julienne carrots and bamboo shoots, and cut the tofu in strips that are about 2 inches long and ¼ inch wide.
Bring stock to a boil in a large pot. Add carrots, both mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ginger, and tofu. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add dark soy sauce, chili bean sauce, salt, and sugar.
Create the cornstarch slurry in a separate bowl. Stir the soup at a medium pace and slowly pour in the cornstarch mix to ensure there are no lumps. Let pot return to a gentle simmer. The soup should be thickened that it covers the back of a spoon.
Stir again and slowly add in the beaten egg to create beautiful egg ribbons.
Take off heat and add vinegar, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.