Sherman's Food Adventures: Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant

Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant

On the morning before our flight out of SeaTac for San Francisco, we pondered what we should eat.  Initially, we considered brunch or some form of breakfast (despite already fueling up with the complimentary breaky at the hotel).  Yet, the kids seemed a bit indifferent towards it.  And those of you parents know - happy kids = enjoyable meal for the adults.  Hence, we went to an ol' standby being Dim Sum.  However, being in Seattle, that is easier said than done compared to Vancouver.  But we chanced it and drove up to Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant.

Since the place kicks it ol' school, there were 3 carts waiting for us as we settled into our table.  Therefore, we got practically all of our food instantly.  We started things off with the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) which were respectable.  Although the dumpling skin was on the thicker side, it was not too doughy nor dense.  It was a bit chewy with plenty of moisture.  Inside, the shrimp filling consisted of whole and chopped up pieces.  The trademark snap texture was there, yet the flavours were a bit flat.  Onto the Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings), it was pretty clear that it had been sitting in the cart for awhile as it was lukewarm.  Despite this, the texture of the pork was pretty good with a meaty chewiness accented by a light bounce.  Flavorwise, the dumpling didn't have much variation as it was mostly pork with only a few bits of shrimp.  Some shiitake or more shrimp would've broken up the monotony of the predominantly sweet pork flavor.

Appearing plump, the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) were not bad.  Over-steamed just a tad, the skin was slightly detached from the bone.  However, that also meant that the cartilage and fat underneath were soft and gelatinous.  These were well-seasoned featuring an appealing mix of sweet and savory including hits of garlic.  The same could be said about the Steamed Pork Spareribs as they were flavorful.  However, we would've liked to see even more garlic and some black beans.  As for the rib pieces, they were mostly meaty with only a few fatty cartilage bits.  The meat exhibited only a touch of rebound texture while being tender throughout.

Our one offal dish was the Steamed Bible Tripe which featured a good amount of chili flakes.  Hence, with the right bite, it ranged from mild to very spicy. Without the flakes, there was a noticeable gamy taste which would imply that the tripe could've benefited from more rinsing.  Texture-wise, the tripe did have a bit of crunch and chewiness, yet ultimately suffered from being too soft.  On the other hand, the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll was not too soft.  In fact, it was almost on point being slightly chewy.  I say almost because it was just a tad too thick.  As for the filling, it consisted of whole shrimp that were medium in size exhibiting a decent snap.

Of course the kiddies wanted the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice and not pictured) and who were we to deny them?  Happy kids = happy meal.  We found the rice to be quite sticky.  In fact, it stuck to the leaves which could be an indication of reheating.  The rice was a bit soft, yet still chewy while the pork filling was a bit one note since there was little-to-no shiitake nor any other strong ingredient.  The Preserved Duck Egg and Salted Pork Congee was not that great as there was barely any ingredients.  The broth was decently thick though while being mildly seasoned.  We also got the BBQ Pork Buns and they were a bit too sweet.  The pork was lean and tender though.  We did enjoy the bun itself as it was fluffy.

For dessert, we got both the Pineapple Buns and Egg Tarts.  The pineapple buns were pretty good with a crispy sweet topping.  The bun itself was soft, airy and light.  As for the egg tarts, the shell was flaky, yet probably needed a touch more baking as it was a bit underdone.  The custard filling was silky and purposefully sweet.  Interestingly, with our low expectations, the Dim Sum at Hong Kong Restaurant turned out to be more-than-acceptable given its location.  It's a bit old-school, but worth checking out if you had the Dim Sum cravings in Seattle.

The Good:
- Not bad for Seattle
- Well-priced
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Other than the window seats, the restaurant is a bit dark
- Limited selection of Dim Sum

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