Mayflower

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear "Mayflower" in the Bay Area is "meh".  But hang on there.  This is not the Mayflower we have come to know in the past.  It is not affiliated with the one remaining location of the original Mayflower in Milpitas.  In fact, this one in Dublin boasts authentic Hong Kong-style cuisine which fuses traditional Cantonese cuisine with Western cooking techniques.  My uncle insisted that this one is far and away better than the original Mayflower.

The place has plenty of parking and also a decently-sized and well-appointed dining room.  We began with their Roasted Duck and it was pretty legit.  With a beautiful lacquered appearance, the skin was also properly rendered where it was crispy.  Nice roasted flavor and a bit of sweetness (from the maltose).  The meat was tender and juicy while properly seasoned (essence of star anise).

Of course we got a few orders of the Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings) as they make or break a Dim Sum service.  I'm glad to report these were quite good.  The medium-thick dumpling wrapper had some elasticity and stayed intact even after I picked them up.  The shrimp filling had that classic bounce texture with measured sweetness and aromatics from the sesame oil.

I know I'm being picky when I say that the tobiko on top of the Siu Mai (Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings) were cooked.  For me, they are much more aesthetically-pleasing when it is added after the dumplings are steamed.  Despite its appearance, these were fine.  The pork was processed enough to not be chewy and of course have a good rebound texture.  Dumplings were juicy and had a nice burst of sweet savoriness.  I enjoyed that that there was no big chunks of fat or gristle to be found.

Although serviceable, I wasn't overly impressed with the Foong Jau (Steamed Chicken Feet) though.  As you can see, the skin was falling off the bone and was far too soft.  Normal preparation for this dish involves deep-frying the feet and then braising them.  Yep, they braised these too long so that the cartilage and fat were melting.  Despite tasting great with an impactful black bean flavor tempered by sweetness, this was a goopy mess.

On the other hand, the Seen Jook Gewn (Steamed Bean Curd Skin Rolls) was on point.  With a good mix of tender pork, bamboo shoots and wood ear, the textures were varied and had a great mouth-feel.  Seasoning was perfect too as it was flavorful without being salty (I dip in in Worcestershire sauce though).  The deep fried bean curd skin had that desired bite and chewiness while still being tender.  Best of all, there wasn't a bunch of moisture or goopy sauce, which helped keep the integrity of the bean curd skin.

Arriving as a really large portion, the Cheun Fun (Rice Noodle Roll with enoki, pea shoots and beef) was really good.  Sure, this was a more deluxe version of the basic ones, but it was totally worth the money.  It was chock full of crunchy pea shoots, tender mushrooms and equally tender nuggets of beef.  The rice noodle itself had elasticity and did not break despite being rather thin.

For our one deep-fried item, we had the Haam Sui Gock (Deep Fried Glutinous Dumpling with pork).  This was excellent featuring a super thin layer of glutinous rice.  It was fried until golden brown where it was uniformly super crunchy.  Inside, there was a good amount of tender ground pork, shiitake, cilantro and green onion mixed in a starch-thickened sauce.

If you read this blog frequently, you'll know that one of my favorite Dim Sum dishes is the XO Loh Bak Goh (XO Daikon Radish Cake).  Yah, of course we ordered it!  Good choice as it was exactly how I like it.  The cubes were a bit on the larger side and hence were a bit softer after the deep-fry.  The outside was crispy and not overly greasy.  Nice toss in XO sauce which added some spicy brininess.

You don't think I would forget about the offal right?  This time around, we had the Ngau Pak Yiep (Steamed Bible Tripe).  These were tender enough to chew while still retaining a bite.  Intermingled within, the julienned carrots, green onion and ginger provided the classic flavors of this dish.  We had sweetness, sharpness and brightness to go with the saltiness.

Now if you look at the cut-up Ngau Yook (Beef Meatballs), you will notice the pink color of the meat.  That is due to the use of baking soda in the marination process.  The meat is also seasoned and whipped until it is almost fluffy and plenty bouncy.  This was definitely the case here, yet, I felt that it lacked any real meat texture.  Nothing wrong with that if that is what you prefer, but for me, some bits of meatiness would've been better.  Otherwise, a tender and well-seasoned beef meatball with just enough green onion for effect.

Possibly one of the best dishes we had was the Pai Gwut (Steamed Pork Spareribs with black bean sauce).  Most of the pieces were rib portions that weren't fatty.  Hence, we mostly got tender meat that had the requisite bounce texture.  Furthermore, the seasoning was on point with a good balance of savory, sweet, garlicky and a touch of spice.

One of the most interesting dishes we had was the Scallops, Clams and Fish Maw with Papaya.  Since the scallops were barely-cooked through, they were buttery and tender.  The natural sweetness came through and in turn, flavored the broth.  The addition of papaya provided an extra layer of sweetness and the typical papaya funkiness at the end.

Introducing some veggies into this meal, we had the Stir-Fried Gai Lan with fried fish cakes.  As you can see, the wok hei (wok's breath) was pretty apparent with a certain amount of smokiness and caramelization.  With no pools of moisture on the bottom of the plate, the seasoning stayed on the gai lan.  This meant the flavors were apparent and impactful.

We ended the meal with a few things including the Mango Pudding dressed with evaporated milk.  This was pretty typical with lightly sweet and mildly-flavored mango gelatin.  I've never been a fan of the evaporated milk on top and I generally omit it.  Overall, the food at this Mayflower is solid and generally well-executed.  Service is friendly and attentive while the dining space is inviting.  Just don't confuse it with the other Mayflower, which is nothing like this.

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Good service

- Nice dining space

The Bad:

- If you don't have a reservation or know someone, it is quite the wait

Chongqing Noodle

Needing to get a quick lunch before we headed out for the day, we made the short drive to Chongqing Noodle closeby to the nearly-deserted Newpark Mall.  For those who are unaware, Chongqing Noodles is a popular dish from, well, Chongqing in China.  For me at least, there aren't many places to get this dish in Vancouver, B.C., but it is nice to see there is a restaurant dedicated to it down here in the Bay Area.

Before we got to the noodles, we had a couple of cold dishes to whet our palats.  The first was the Spicy Cucumbers which were devoid of their skin.  That made for a muted crunch, yet at the same time, the marinade penetrated into each piece more effectively.  Hence, there was noted spice and some tanginess.  I would've liked a bit more salt though.

I was so delighted to see Spicy Beef Tripe on the menu and yep, that was a no-brainer to order it.  Consisting of thin slices, the honeycomb tripe was tender, yet still maintained a soft chewiness.  To me, this is the ideal texture for this type of tripe.  There was textural contrast from the crunchy celery and added aroma from the cilantro.  Unlike the cucumbers, this was more savory and spicy.

Here we are with the Chongqing Noodles.  The most distinguishing feature of these noodles is the inclusion of tender yellow peas.  For this version, they were served whole rather than being smashed.  We also found some the usual minced pork as well.  When combined with the chewy white noodles, this bowl had numbing spice and nuttiness.  Some creaminess was provided by the soft peas.

We also had another bowl of noodles in the Stewed Pig's Feet Soup Noodles.  Cooked until the skin was soft and gelatinous while the fat being rendered, the pig's feet also featured melt-in-my-mouth meat.  These were flavorful on their own, but the mildly spicy broth helped things along with some nuttiness to go with the heat.  Noodles were al dente and stood up to the broth.

Lastly, we went for the Vegetarian Buns.  These featured a fluffy bun that was fairly thin.  Hence, there was a wealth of tender, yet not mushy, greens in the middle.  They were seasoned just right to provide enough flavor for the entire bao.  Overall, the food at Chongqing Noodle was solid and reasonably-priced.  People were nice there and the portion sizes were generous too.

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Well-portioned

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Limited menu

Man Tung Cafe (Dinner Combo Menu)

Yes, this is not a repost of the last blog entry on Man Tung Cafe.  We have already established that they have a good selection of HK-style cafe dishes.  Prices are reasonable (generally under $20.00) and the portions are generous.  But similar to other restaurants of the same ilk, they also offer full-on Chinese multi-course meals.  Since they have Chinese BBQ as well, their Dinner Combos feature one of their BBQ dishes and a choice of either 2 or 3 dishes.  They range from $59.00 to $128.00.

We opted for the Man Tung Half Roast Duck Dinner Combo.  Hence, we started with the Roast Duck.  Nice colour on the skin with a lacquered finish while being crispy and fairly rendered.  There was an aromatic roasted flavour with both the skin and the meat.  Juicy and tender, the meat was also well-brined.  Overall, a solid BBQ Duck when compared to others in town.

The first of the 3 dishes we chose was the Chicken with black truffle sauce.  This was also quite good where the free-range chicken was moist with that classic firm meatiness.  In an appealing shade of yellow, the skin was gelatinized and was flavourful.  As you can see in the picture, the amount of truffle sauce was conservative and I didn't mind it as it was just enough.  The chicken itself was bordering on salty, but as such, it wasn't devoid of flavour.

We selected a veggie dish so we could feel a bit healthier.   It came in the form of Stir-Fried Scallops with Broccoli.  As you can see, they used the reformed scallops once again.  Personally, I'm not a fan of these as the texture is quite different than an actual scallop of that size.  However, since this combo was only $88.00, I shouldn't be complaining.  With all that being said, they were still cooked well with a nice wok sear and still being soft and bouncy.  Broccoli was on point too being cooked through but still crunchy.

The best dish of the bunch was the Satay Beef Claypot with vermicelli.  This one was loaded with tenderized slices of beef that still had natural meat texture.  The satay was briny and somewhat spicy.  Underneath, the chewy vermicelli was fairly loose and not clumpy.  Yet, they didn't achieve this by adding more oil.  Hence, it was easy to eat and took on the sauce evenly.

We ended up adding one more item to get a sense of their BBQ meats.  The Rice Plate that you see in the picture was topped with BBQ Pork, BBQ Duck, BBQ Goose and Free-Range Chicken.  With a balanced amount of fat, the BBQ Pork was juicy and tender.  The marinade mostly penetrated the meat with plenty of sweetness and slight smokiness from the bark.  Roast Goose was quite good since it was juicy and tender.  Skin was also nicely lacquered and crispy.  The chicken was very much the same one found in the truffle chicken, so the texture was gelatinous and meaty.  Lots of flavour from the saltiness.  Overall, this was a good meal with well-prepared food at a reasonable price.

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Large portions
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Once again, I would like to see an option for real scallops as the reformed ones aren't the same

Man Tung Cafe (HK-Style Cafe Menu)

I've always wondered why we don't have more HK-style cafes in the GVRD.  I mean, we are Chinese food central right?  There are certainly enough places to grab Dim Sum and a good ol' Cantonese meal, but that doesn't translate to HK-style cafes.  That is why I am rather enthused when I learn of new spots to grab my Baked Pork Chop Rice and Mixed Grill Combos.  This has brought us to Man Tung Cafe in Richmond in the old Afuri Ramen location.

Although they also feature a Cantonese dinner menu complete with Chinese BBQ, this post will feature their HK-style cafe dishes.  As part of their Mix Grill Combos, we started with their Borscht.  For those unfamiliar, the borscht found at HK-style cafes are not like the traditional Russian variety.  It is more Western-style vegetable soup with possibly some beef.  No, there is no sour cream here.  For this one, it was quite good with plenty of tang and sweetness.  Lots of chunky carrots and potato too.

For our first Mix Grill Combo, we had the Pan-Seared Duck Leg with Sirloin Steak & Crispy Sausage.  This also came with rice, veggies and a choice of sauce (we had black pepper).  Lots of meat here on this sizzling cast iron plate.  Nothing particularly interesting about the wiener but that duck leg was money.  The skin was well-seared and crispy while the meat was gelatinous and juicy.  As for the steak, it was sufficiently tender and not overdone.

Our next Mix Grill Combo consisted of Smoked Duck Breast, Black Truffle Scallops and Herb Butter Baked Lobster Tail.  I found the smoked duck breast to be nicely brined, hence it was juicy and tender.  There was balanced smokiness as well.  Being the formed variety of scallops, they were uniformly-shaped.  Texture was soft and moist, yet was not exactly like a whole scallop (but the price would be much higher as a result).  I thought the sauce had just enough truffle without being too overpowering.  Lobster tail was bouncy and well-seasoned by the herb butter.

Last Mix Grill Combo featured Herb Butter Baked Lobster Tail, Black Truffle Crispy Chicken Roll and French-Style Baked Mussels.  Not much to say about the lobster tail as it was the same as the previous combo.  However, that Chicken Roll was really good.  The chicken meat was super juicy and cooked just right.  Once again, there was just enough truffle for effect.  It was indeed crispy on the outside.  The super large Kiwi mussels were topped with a cream sauce and bread crumbs.  Somewhat similar to clams casino, there was enough texture and seasoning to compliment the meaty mussels.  This came with spaghetti rather than rice (it would be your choice).

As mentioned, Baked Pork Chop Rice is one of the standards of any HK-style cafe.  I'm happy to report that this version was on point.  It sported a aromatic egg fried rice base that was beautifully chewy and nutty.  It was perfect for accepting the tangy sauce that was also balanced with sweetness.  The viscosity was just right as it coated the pork chops.  I found the pork to be tender while the panko coating was softened by the ample amount of sauce. 

Another HK-style cafe classic dish is the Baked Spaghetti Bolognese and yes, we had that too.  This was also very good with noodles that still had a bit of chew left despite being cooked through.  On top, there was a considerable amount of meat sauce that helped coat every strand of spaghetti.  The sauce was thick, rich and full-of-depth.  It was sweet from the onions and carrots while the meat was tender.

Finally, we ended off things with the Condensed Milk Rich Toast.  Hidden in between the 2 slices of toast, we found sweet condensed milk.  Bread was soft and fluffy, but the exterior was coated with egg and fried until crispy.  We found a dusting of cocoa powder on top.  Nice end to a solid HK-style cafe meal.  I was particularly impressed with the portion sizes and also the overall execution of the proteins.  Pricing is reasonable with the Baked Pork Chop Rice and Spaghetti Bolognese coming in at $18.88.  Mix Grill Combos can range from $20.98 and up.  I would imagine the lobster tail increasing the price significantly.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Large portions
- Reasonable-pricing

The Bad:
- I'm personally not a fan of reformed scallops
- I know people don't like this complaint, but the parking lot is often full 

 

Paramount Chinese Seafood Restaurant

Formerly Lucky Plus, the chinese restaurant on the corner of Rupert and 22nd is now known as Paramount Chinese Seafood Restaurant.  Not to be confused with Golden Paramount in Richmond, this is a totally new crew.  We had stopped by for Dim Sum earlier this year but I just never got around to posting about it.  Now on my second visit, I was able to order more dishes and yes, now I'm going to put my 2 cents in about the place.  Just like before, they have free underground parking available, but it fills up fast and for some reason, the elevator needs a key card to operate.  Seating is a bit tight, unless you score one of the booths by the window.  They are pretty busy, so best to grab a reso.

For our food, we got a bunch of the usual items including the Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumpling).  Rather than the standard 4 dumplings, they give you 5 here.  They were pretty good with a medium-thick dumpling skin.  It was translucent with a nice chewy bounciness that was soft. Inside, the shrimp filling was juicy and plump with the desired rebound texture.  Seasoning was good too where I could still taste the natural sweetness and aroma of the shrimp.  I did eat it with hot sauce though.  

Of course now I need to talk about the Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) too.  These were rather large with a good mix of bouncy pork, fat and shrimp that had the buttery snap texture.  However, I feel that they didn't mix the filling properly as one of the dumplings was inundated with fatty gristle.  I had to spit half of the filling out because I couldn't chew it.  Other than that, the dumplings were good having enough seasoning to calm the pork flavour down.

Both times I've ordered the Beef Meatballs and I would say they beat the heck out of the meat to the point there is no meat texture.  These were so fluffy that it seemed like there was more air than meat.  However, I can see how this could be appealing to some people who want something easy to chew and not being too heavy.  For me personally, I would prefer the meatball to have more density and some natural meat texture left.  Flavourwise, they did taste good and of course with some Worcestershire on the side too.

Employing the same airy and buttery beef, the Beef Ribbon Rice Noodle Rolls were pretty much a uniform texture.  Almost fluffy and soft with only the slightest chew, the rice noodle was really good.  However, there was a lack of beef weaved into the mix, hence, it was mostly noodle.  For the beef that was in there, it was the same as the beef meatballs as mentioned.  It definitely needed some soy since there was a lack of meat.  For the more typical version, we also had the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll (on a separate visit) and it was good.  Although the rice noodle wasn't the thinnest, it was still buttery soft with some elasticity.  There was a good amount of bouncy and seasoned shrimp inside.

On the same visit, we went for the Steamed Pork Spareribs.  Yes, these ate just as good at the picture would imply.  The dish consisted of meaty rib pieces that were tender with the classic bouncy chewiness.  These were the beneficiary of the ample minced garlic, which added aroma and impact.  It was also well-seasoned which was salty enough without being salty.  Also liked that there wasn't too much moisture on the bottom of the plate.  Some tapioca starch helped create a glaze of sorts that added silkiness to each bite.

Both visits yielded my favourite dish, Steamed Beef Tripe and Tendon.  As you can see in the picture, the portion size was generous.  Cut into large pieces, the tripe was tender with an appealing chewiness.   The tendon was soft with its classic gelatinous texture.  Every piece of tendon was the same texture, unlike some versions where we have some melted and others tough and chewy.  In terms of seasoning, the dish was plenty savoury, sweet and garlicky with a small dose of pepperiness.

One of my favourite Dim Sum dishes is the Bean Curd Skin Roll.  I try to order it whenever I can, but often it isn't everyone's cup of tea.  This one was good with a chewy, yet delicately fried (and then subsequently steamed) bean curd skin.  Inside, the pork filling was meaty with whole chunks and some fat as a binder.   There was some carrot and celery mixed into it and were soft, but still vibrant.  I thought the rolls were sufficiently seasoned enough so it wasn't just pork flavour.  For myself, I always dip it into Worcestershire sauce.

Presented in a large portion of large and plump segments, the Steamed Chicken Feet was really good.  Sometimes, we find chicken feet that are pretty shrivelled up from the deep fry.  These were super plump with soft cartilage and fat underneath.  Tender and soft, the skin and cartilage was easy to separate from the bone.  Much like the tripe and tendon, the flavours were savoury, sweet and garlicky.

As always, we got an order of the Shrimp Spring Rolls, even though the kids were not around.  Good decision though as these were also well-executed.  They were fried until golden and super crunchy with minimal greasiness.  Inside, the shrimp filling was not overly dense, but still packed in there.  Hence, we got plenty of the sweet shrimp crunch along with the garlic and seasoning.  They were also served piping hot, which made a big difference.

One dish we always get is the XO Daikon Radish Cake.  I'm not a huge fan of the pan fried version as it can often be pale-looking, in need of an actual hard sear.  For this version, it is cubed and deep-fried, then wok-tossed with XO sauce, sprouts and peppers.  This was solid with the daikon cake being crispy on the outside while soft and fluffy on the inside.  Good natural daikon flavour accented by the cured sausage.  I wished there was more spice from the XO sauce, but it was still tasty.

Occasionally, we order the Stuffed Eggplant with shrimp paste.  Not sure why we don't do it every time as it is Viv's favourite dish.  Well, this was a good version of it as the pieces were quite large.  Furthermore, there was more bouncy and sweet shrimp paste than eggplant.  As for the eggplant, it was fully cooked while not being totally mushy.  There was even a bit of crispiness on the outside.  However, the starch-thickened black bean sauce was rather weak and diluted.

On the other hand, we rarely order the Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) at Cantonese Dim Sum since it is a Shanghainese specialty.  We have rarely stumbled upon a good one and this was no exception.  It featured medium-thick dumpling skin that needed more elasticity.  Inside, there was some soup, but it wasn't the right flavour missing the shaoxing wine and ginger hits.  Meat was tender though and not gritty.

The one bigger dish we tried was the Chicken Clay Pot Rice.  They really overloaded this thing with well-marinated chicken.  Bone-in, the pieces of chicken were tender and buttery.  Once again, they were spot on with the tapioca starch, as it held onto the marinade with each piece of chicken.  As for the rice, it was dry (in a good way) and nutty.  Sure, there wasn't any socarrat, but I appreciated that the rice wasn't soggy.

Both times, we had the Baked Egg Tarts to end the meal.  I found the edges to be sufficiently golden brown where they were nutty and crispy.  The layers were discernible and shattered nicely when bitten into.  The egg custard was silky and only sweet enough.  Overall, both times we had Dim Sum at Paramount, it was pleasant and well-portioned.  Service was great, but a bit hard to flag down at times though.  Would return.

The Good:

- Above average Dim Sum

- Large portions

- Free parking

The Bad:

- Service is good, but hard to flag down when busy

- Seating in the middle is very tight