Chef's Choice Chinese Cuisine (Dinner Service)

So we all know how the pandemic has put damper on eating out as well as putting restaurants in precarious situations.  Well, I was a little surprised with the opening of Chef's Choice on Broadway right smack dab during the pandemic.  As soon as we were able, we visited the place for Dim Sum and came away impressed.  We vowed to go back for dinner with my parents (as soon as we felt it was safe to do so).  For those who don't know, Chef's Choice belongs to the Chef Tony group and to the best of my knowledge, the head chef from Chef Tony resides at Chef's Choice at the moment.  That is something we kept in mind as we headed there for dinner.

We decided to get the 2 courses of Peking Duck where the duck was carved table side.  Nearly everything about this dish was perfect.  The skin was crispy and stayed as such even until the very end.  It was also light and airy.  There wasn't an excess of fat underneath most pieces.  As for the crepes, they were thin and not dry.  I liked how there was an appealing elasticity to them. Some of the best crepes for Peking duck in the city IMO.

In between the duck courses, we had the Lobster in consomme sauce with a noodle base. This was also very good with buttery lobster that was cooked just right.  The lobster was also fresh as the meat was bouncy and filled the shell.  There was just enough sauce to coat each piece of lobster and to flavour the al dente noodles.  There was a good balance of aroma, saltiness and sweetness.

We decided on the Duck Lettuce Wrap as the second course of the Peking Duck.  There is also the option of having a duck bone soup as well.  The stir-fry was predominantly duck with bits of celery, carrot, water chestnuts and green onion.  There was enough seasoning and the ingredients were properly textured (crunchy veggies and moist duck).  The one thing that made this different was the puffed rice underneath.  A firmer, more long-lasting crunch than the usual fried vermicelli noodles.

One of the most iconic dishes from Chef Tony is their Black Truffle Free-Range Chicken.  In addition to the black truffle sauce, it was also dressed with green onion, cilantro and red onion.  The chicken exhibited the classic tender, but with bite texture of free-range.  The skin was nicely gelatinized. Interestingly, I found this version a bit underseasoned.  However, when we ate the leftovers the day after, it had soaked in much more of the flavour including the onions and cilantro.

Of course we had to get our veggies, so we ordered the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with garlic.  There was plenty of good wok heat going on as the pea shoots were cooked through completely while still retaining a crunch.  It wasn't overly greasy while the seasoning was just enough including the essence of garlic.  Not that this is necessarily their fault, but a few shoots were a bit old being stringy.

Our last savoury dish was the Sweet & Sour Pork Belly.   As much as this dish sometimes doesn't get the love it deserves, we nearly order every time.  This was excellent with crispy pieces of medium-sized pork.  The meat was juicy and tender.  There was just enough sauce to coat each piece and it was a touch on the sweeter side.  It possibly could've been just a tad more tart, but that didn't make or break the dish.

For dessert, we were served the daily sweet soup and also the Brown Sugar Sponge Cake.  We had this during their Dim Sum service as well and it was fantastic.  The brown sugar gave added a rich sweetness that wasn't overbearing.  Texturally, the cake was fluffy and moist.  Overall, the dinner at Chef's Choice was nearly flawless.  Food was carefully prepared and done properly.  Sure, the prices are on the higher end, but you won't go away disappointed, so it is worth it.

The Good:
- Excellently prepared food
- Attentive service
- Free parking at the back, a bit tight, but it's free!

The Bad:
- It'll cost you, but worth it IMO
- Restaurant is not big, so larger parties might be tight