For awhile there, I was visiting New Mandarin for dinner and dim sum regularly. However, with me being out-of-town frequently and also Viv breaking her ankle, some things just got lost in the shuffle. Well, we would make a return to New Mandarin for dim sum and to try out their Beijing Duck special. Yes, most people don't order that for Dim Sum, but for only $59.98 for one course, that can be considered a deal!Of course we had to get some Dim Sum in addition to the Beijing Duck. The first dish to hit the table was the Deep Fried Taro Dumplings with Scallop. These were light and crispy on the outside while not being overly greasy. Soft and fluffy, the mashed taro encased the usual ground pork filling. It was moist and was mixed with a starch-thickened sauce. Since the top was open due to the scallop, more oil seeped into the taro.
Since we ordered over $100.00 worth of dishes, we were presented with the bonus dish of BBQ Pork. Since this was the kurobuta variety, it was plenty fatty and hence juicy. It wasn't flabby though as there was just enough fat to make things rather bouncy and gelatinous. Meat was tender an moist. Really enjoyed the sweet honey-glazed bark.
As you can see in the picture above, the Beijing Duck was carved with crispy skin only and also breast meat with skin attached. This way, you could take your pick as to wrapping it with either option. Alternatively, you could merely eat the breast meat on its own. The duck was quite good with crispy skin that wasn't fatty while the breast meat was tender and flavourful.
For another $15.00, you could add another course in the Duck Lettuce Wrap. Really good value in my books because that would be $65.00 for 2 courses! This was also good with crunchy veggies and plenty of moist duck meat. Seasoning was a touch on the saltier side, but the hoisin helped balance it with sweetness. I love how the iceberg lettuce was in big pieces (can wrap better) and was not wet.
We got back to the Dim Sum with the Truffle Siu Mai. These were large while stuffed full of large shrimp and pork. The dumpling was uniformly bouncy and almost juicy. Natural sweetness from the pork and shrimp were present while the seasoning was just enough for impact. Truffle sauce was not distributed evenly, so 2 pieces were more truffly than the other two.
Of course, I must talk about the Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings). As you can see, the dumpling skin on these was translucent and fairly thin. There was a slight chew to them, but they had good elasticity. I liked how they didn't fall apart when I picked them up. Inside, the shrimp filling was buttery and moist with an appealing snap. Proper seasoning on them too.
Other than tripe, the Steamed Bean Curd Skin Rolls are my favourite Dim Sum item. With an aggressive fry on the bean curd skin, it ensured a chewier texture (which was good). Inside, the pork filling was moist and had that requisite bouncy texture. Not much starch-thickened sauce in this one, so the bean curd skin did eat more dry. I didn't mind it, but others might.
Even though my kids were present for this meal, we still got the Shrimp Spring Rolls with Garlic (we like them too!). These were a bit small, but at least we had 4 of them to an order. They were crispy and just a touch greasy but that didn't make of break this dish. Inside, the shrimp filling was buttery and moist with that desired bounciness. Well-seasoned too with hits of garlickiness.
Even though there isn't a whole lot of food with the Steamed Chicken Feet, I love ordering it nonetheless. These were good with soft deep-fried skin that had a bite still. Underneath, the cartilage and fat were soft and ate easily. It wasn't too soft where things were melting away either. In terms of seasoning, it was plenty sweet, savoury and garlicky.
One of their more unique items is the Hot & Sour Soup Dumplings. They are somewhat similar to the ones found at Mott32. Usually, these are on point, but this time around, there was a lack of soup. Too bad really, as the dumpling skin was relatively thin and great elasticity. Also, the pork filling was tender with a slight rebound. The small amount of soup was classic hot and sour with tang and some spice.
One of Viv's favourite Dim Sum dishes is the Stuffed Eggplant. So yes, I ordered it! It was quite full of shrimp mousse, to the point where there was more than eggplant. Texturally, the mousse was not overly dense, yet not too airy either. It had a light rebound while being a good balance of savoury and sweet. The eggplant itself was tender without being mushy. We would've liked to see a saltier black bean sauce though.
We always prefer the Baked BBQ Pork Pastries over the BBQ pork buns and hence, we ordered our favourite. The pastry was generally flaky and buttery (mostly likely lardy), especially at the top. However, the sides were a touch gummy with less flakiness. Inside, the BBQ pork was mostly lean and enveloped in a sweet glaze.
One item I've never had before at New Mandarin is the Seafood & Chinese Yam Dumpling. These featured a translucent skin that was appealingly chewy with great elasticity. Inside, the pieces of seafood were cooked just right and there was a some greens in it for brightness. I thought these were a good alternative (or addition) to the ha gau if you one felt they wanted something different.
Moving onto 2 Rice Noodle Rolls, we had both the BBQ Pork and Prawn. Both were quite large and featured buttery soft rice noodle sheets. With that in mind, there was still some elasticity, so they didn't break upon contact. Lean and plentiful, the BBQ pork was really noticeable in every bite. That created a meatiness to go with the soft sheets of noodle. Same with the prawns, as you can see above, there was much more prawns (with a buttery snap) than noodle.
In a pretty dark shade of brown, the Beef Meatballs looked to be heavy with the dark soy. In terms of texture, these were a bit firmer than most other versions I've had lately. Hence, it was much more meaty than being airy or fluffy. With a good amount of greens mixed in, there was a herbaceous brightness to the meatball. This came in a set of four rather than the usual three everywhere else.
One of my favourite desserts at New Mandarin at their Deep Fried Purple Yam Chrysanthemum Balls. These were every-so-lightly-crispy while the inside had a mochi-like quality to them. However, the texture was almost fluffy and super airy. With some chrysanthemum and syrup, the whole thing was floral and sweet. With that being said, it wasn't crazy sweet either.
Finally, we had the classic Baked Egg Tarts served as a trio. Yes, they were a little inconsistent, with one being darker, then medium dark and light. However, they all ate flaky and buttery with discernible layers. Egg filling was silky and mildly sweet. Overall, this was another delicious Dim Sum service at New Mandarin. It was extra bountiful since we went for the Beijing Duck. Very well-priced as well.
The Good:
- Solid dim sum
- Service has improved over the years
- The Beijing Duck special
The Bad:
- With the place so busy, your meal might be a little rushed
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