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
Posts
