Pan-Fried Dumplings

In 2017, we took my cousins out to Din Ding Dumpling House and introduced their kiddies to Xiao Long Bao.  Well, apparently, it was such a big hit, they kept requesting for them after we returned to Vancouver (we were back in 2019, but didn't have any dumplings).  Since then, they have discovered a place called Pan-Fried Dumplings out in Newark that boasts some pretty good XLBs.  Now that we are able to travel again, we made the trek back out to the East Bay to visit family.  However, instead of meeting up with them for some XLBs, we met up with Areta (who happened to be vacationing nearby) instead!

Predictably, we over-ordered and ended up with 5 steamers of Xiao Long Bao including the 3 pork, 1 chicken and 1 shrimp.  This is the picture of the pork and really, the chicken and shrimp looked almost exactly like this except a bit lighter in color.  All of them featured a fairly thin dumpling skin that was delicate with some elasticity.  There was plenty of soup that was sweet but the pork XLBs were pretty greasy.  The meat was tender and bouncy though.  I found the chicken to be lighter in texture and also easier on the greasiness.  The shrimp had a sweet briny taste while also being not as greasy.

Of course we had to order the Snow-Flake Pan Fried Fried Dumplings (kinda the restaurant's name) and it came out golden brown with a considerable skirt.  Both the bottom of the dumplings and the skirt were crispy and nutty.  The overall dumpling skin was medium-thick and not dense.  I found the filling inside to be, you guessed it, greasy.  However, using such fatty pork also ensured that the meat was tender and moist.

Continuing on with the dumplings, we also had the Soup Pan Fried Buns (Sang Jeen Bao).  These sported crunchy tops that had been pan fried in a good amount of oil.  The bun itself was light where they kept the dough to a minimum.  Hence these did not eat heavy despite the ample soup inside being, once again, greasy.  Like I said, this is a double-edged sword, because for the meat to be juicy and tender, the fattiest mix is the necessary.

Now the greasiness wasn't exclusive to the dumplings.  I found the Ground Three Delight (featuring eggplant, green and red peppers) to be pretty much coated in oil (lots on the bottom of the plate too).  Beyond that, the dish was good though with plenty of wok hei that gave the dish delicious caramelization.  Texturally, the eggplant was perfect, being cooked through without being mushy.  There was plenty of seasoning that was balanced between sweet and salty.

Even though the Beef Wrap looked appealingly flaky, I wasn't a huge fan of it.  The pancake was thin and not overly heavy, but I found it dry and overly flaky.  I would've preferred it to be chewier.  The sliced beef shank inside was tender and flavourful, but that was partly negated by the lettuce.  I know there are versions that have lettuce, yet I'm not a big fan.  It takes away from the beef and the hoisin sauce in my opinion.

I did enjoy the Spicy Red Oil Wontons though as there was a good amount of spiciness that was balanced.  What I mean is that I could taste the savoriness of the pork filling while also the nuttiness of the oil in addition to the spice.  It wasn't one-note.  Furthermore, the wontons themselves were pretty good since they were cooked just right with a tender wrapper with juicy (and surprisingly less greasy, but they were sitting in oil...) pork filling.

Now onto the noodle portion of our meal, we first got served the Tomato Beef Noodle Soup.  I wasn't a really big fan of this as the broth was a bit bland and lacking depth.  I have to give it to them that I could taste tomato though.  I also wasn't too fond of the thick noodles as they reminded me of udon.  We should have chosen the regular noodles instead.  As for the beef, it was okay as it was tender and fairly moist.  

One noodle that I really enjoyed was the Pork Dan Dan Noodles.  Now it didn't look anything close to the picture in the online menu (as there is a brothy sauce).  This was served dry with only the minced meat topping and veggies.  However, when mixed together, the spicy and numbing flavors were super tasty and impactful.  Due to the lack of moisture, the noodles remained al dente and the flavors were more concentrated.

Now the Old Peking Minced Noodles were not as impactful, yet they aren't supposed to be either.  This was more for the kiddies, but it wasn't super popular either.  Not that there was anything particularly wrong with it.  Once again, the noodles were al dente and there was just enough sauce to coat them.  I found the sauce to be not as salty as I would've liked, but there was still flavor.  Maybe there was just a tad too many veggies that watered it down.  Would've just liked the cucumber rather than also including carrots and sprouts.  In the end, the thing we enjoyed the most was the Xiao Long Bao.  Other items were hit and miss.  Prices were on the higher side but portions were generous.  Prepare yourself for some oily lips as things are really greasy here.

The Good:

- Excellent XLBs

- Large portions

- Other dumplings are good too

The Bad:

- Very greasy

- Dishes are hit and miss

Torraku Ramen

So parking centrally to everything at 721 Filbert was a blessing and a curse.  Blessing because we could visit Chinatown and then North Beach pretty handily, but a curse because it was still quite a walk to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39.  After taking the ferry out to Alcatraz and doing plenty of walking, the kids were no longer game to walk anymore.  Hence, we went back to the car and decided what to do for dinner.  Initially, we were supposed to drive all the way to Palo Alto (on our way back to Fremont) to try out Ramen Nagi.  But it was 4:30pm.  No way were we doing to be stuck in Bay Area rush hour for ramen.  Therefore, we hit up Torraku Ramen which was only minutes away.  Sure, it ain't Ramen Nagi, yet sometimes we make sacrifices based on convenience.

We actually found a parking spot right out front and also a table inside.  Music to our ears as we were both tired and hangry.  My son ended up with the classic Tonkotsu Super Paitan Ramen with fatty pork, bamboo shoots, fried garlic, green onion, nori and egg.  Despite looking like it was over-marinated, the egg wasn't that salty.  The yolk was perfectly custardy though.  As for the pork & chicken broth, it was on the lighter side, not being as rich as it appeared.  There was some creaminess from the fat and collagen though, yet the broth could've used more salt.  Noodles were al dente and well-portioned.  Meat was tender with some dry portions.

My daughter predictably had the Miso Ramen (with all of the same accompaniments) that sported a slightly more fatty broth.  Hence, it was a bit richer and due to the miso, had more depth.  The fermented flavor came through, yet was not salty.  She chose the leaner pork shoulder and it was of course not as tender as the pork belly in the previous bowl.

Viv went for the Shoyu Ramen that also came with all of the aforementioned accompaniments.  This broth appeared to be a bit lighter and indeed it was.  There was still the silkiness of the fat, but there was less than the previous 2 bowls of ramen.  We could definitely taste the soy sauce, but it was accented the broth evenly.  This still had a rich flavour and the black garlic oil added some aromatics.

For myself, I didn't go for ramen at all, instead opting for the Oyako Don.  This was loaded with so much tender dark meat chicken that there was more than the amount of rice.  Nice mix of onions, fluffy egg and mirin which gave this good flavor and texture.  The only thing that could've been better was that the dish had far too much moisture.  So overall, the food at Torraku was good and did the trick, especially given that we needed something closeby.

The Good:
- Above average
- Well-portioned
- Good service

The Bad:
- Would've liked to see a bit more punch in the broth
- Online ordering doesn't really allow for customization (omitting items)

Sotto Mare

While we were in the Bay Area, we mostly stayed with relatives in Fremont.  However, we did plan one day out in San Francisco.  I was a bit worried about my car though as break-ins have been commonplace in Downtown (watch some of the Youtube vids).  I did end up parking at this awesome monitored lot at 721 Filbert Street.  This was a central spot to hit up Chinatown, North Beach and also the Embarcadero (we were visiting Alcatraz as well).  So it was also close by to our lunch destination - Sotto Mare.

Now the thing to get here (and also their claim to fame) is the "Best Damn Crab Cioppino" with seafood.  It is advertised that it is enough for 2 and that is no exaggeration.  In fact, it would be fine for 3 people.  Now underneath all that seafood, there was penne, but the plethora of seafood was enough to justify the $49.95 price tag.  We found the dungeness crab to be fresh and perfectly prepared being sweet and fluffy.  The bevy of mussels, clams, bay scallops, calamari, shrimp and prawns was also beautifully cooked and fresh.  Hence, the broth was aromatic and briny from all of the seafood.  I took another picture of it plated to show what was in it.  Can you believe that this barely made a dent into it?  We really enjoyed this and would totally have it again if we were in town.

For no other reason than my daughter loving Clam Chowder that we actually ordered it.  No rhyme or reason to get it here otherwise.  It was okay being thick and creamy.  They proudly state there is bacon in it and we could definitely taste the smoky-saltiness as well as the fattiness.  I would've liked to see more clam brininess but it was definitely there as well as plenty of clam meat.  The little cubes of potato were tender and soft.

For some reason or another, we ended up ordering 2 pastas that were essentially the same except for the protein.  The first was the Fettuccine with Bay Scallops and the second was Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon, both with white wine cream sauce.  The pasta was al dente, but the sauce was only creamy in viscosity and taste.  Yet, the smoked salmon did add saltiness.  The tender bay scallops couldn't add enough flavor on its own.  Honestly, the rest of the food didn't matter to me because the Cioppino was everything I wanted it to be and more.  Good value for the price and best when shared.  I would come back just to have that dish alone.

The Good:
- That cioppino
- Good service
- Simple menu

The Bad:
- Other dishes are only "okay"

 

Telefèric Barcelona

After seemingly an endless barrage of Chinese food in Fremont, we decided to head out to Palo Alto for some eats.  Before that, we took a stroll at Stanford University since the kids have never seen it before.  Viv and I visited the place back in 2003 and as expected, not much had changed since then.  After a 2-hour walk around the beautiful grounds, we were pretty hungry.  We didn't have to travel far though as we hit up Telefèric Barcelona, just outside the campus.  With several locations including one in Barcelona itself, we were looking forward to some Spanish tapas.

Looking over the menu, we were glad that it wasn't too big, so that deciding what to order was simple.  We started with the Iberian Ham Croquetas served with aioli and piquillo pepper sauce.  These little morsels were delicious with a crispy breading that was not greasy.  Inside, it was soft and creamy with bits of ham that were impactful in texture and muted saltiness.  I loved dipping them into the pepper sauce that was sweet and flavorful.

Possibly our most favorite item was the Taquitos de Tuna & Avocado.  These featured a thin crispy wonton taco shell encasing a considerable amount of buttery marinated ahi tuna.  The texture was so beautiful, it literally melted in our mouths.  It was fresh, sweet and seasoned just enough (with some saltiness).  Underneath, there was fresh mashed avocado which added even more smoothness to the concoction.  A bit of spicy aioli completed the taco.

Another solid dish was the Salmon Tatare that was marinated and mixed with avocado.  Seemingly similar to the taquitos, this was its own animal.  I found the salmon much more robust due to the addition of stronger flavors including copious amounts of capers.  In terms of texture, the salmon was buttery soft and was a nice contrast to the airy and crispy gluten-free crackers.  I could've done with less sunflower seeds, but that wasn't a big deal.

When the Roasted Chicken Empanadas hit the table, I was a bit confused as to what they were.  In the shape of round discs on a stick, they looked more like lollipops.  However, rest assured, these were still very delicious.  Featuring a light and flaky pastry, these ate easily.  Inside, the chicken was tender and moist while well-seasoned.  The side of spicy aioli added both moisture and a touch of heat to dish.

As always, we plan to add some veggies wherever we can.  This time, it was in the form of Brussels Sprouts with aged cheese and lemon honey dressing.  Now if you are wondering what that big foamy thing is on top, well, that is the cheese.  Really added a light, yet rich cheesiness to the fried brussels sprouts.  About those sprouts, they were slightly crispy while still tender inside.  Nice balance of sweet, salty and tang offered up by the dressing and cheese.

So it was a given that we would order the classic Patatas Bravas topped with aioli and spicy tomato sauce.  Although the potatoes were cooked nicely with a soft creamy center, the outside was not as crispy as I would've liked.  Maybe if I had requested the sauces on the side, then the potatoes might've retained their crispy texture.  Despite that, these were still decent and the aioli with the brava sauce created a creamy tangy spiciness.

Now the dish we were waiting for - the Paella Mixta with pork, chicken, octopus and gulf shrimp.  We asked for it to be prepared with a socarrat (rice crust on the bottom of the paella pan).  That it did and it was nutty and crunchy along the edges.  As for the rest of the bomba rice was chewy and flavorful from the saffron as well as the meats. Loved the large chunks of pork belly as well as the meaty shrimp.

As if this wasn't enough already, we also ordered the Prime Wellington featuring braised short ribs & Ibérico ham in a puff pastry served with Spanish-style potatoes.  Oh this was so tasty as the short rib was moist and fork tender.  Since it was wrapped in ham, there was umaminess and saltiness.  Puff pastry was on point being light with discernible layers.  Not particularly fond of the potatoes though as they were not crispy and rather dense.

For our sweets, we got the classic Churros con Nutella.  As the name suggests, it was churros with Nutella inside.  Beyond that, they were also sitting in dulce de leche as well.  Yes, these were sweet, but also crunchy and light with only a modest dusting of sugar (thank goodness).  This was an excellent finish to a fantastic meal.  The kids really loved the food and so did the adults.  We also go some sangria to go with our eats and it was a good time all around.

The Good:
- Tasty eats
- Things were fresh
- Service was attentive

The Bad:
- Potatoes could've been better (in both dishes)

Gourmet House

Guess what?  While in Fremont with relatives, we had...  wait for it...  Chinese food again!  No surprise here.  This time, we made it out to Gourmet House, tucked in a corner of a shopping complex.  It has changed hands a few times, but apparently, it continues to serve solid Chinese food at reasonable prices.  Despite having a big menu with all sorts of Cantonese dishes, we decided to mainly go for Dim Sum, especially it was lunchtime.

Since my daughter was longing for some congee (porridge on this menu), we decided to order both the Minced Beef & Egg and the HK Chiterlings.  The bowls in the pictures were regular-sized portions (wonder how big the large is?).  I thought the congee base was decently thick while having that home-cooking feel to it.  Now it was seasoned enough to make it "restaurant-tasting" though.  The beef congee was actually more like loosely hand-chopped beef, so it was quite meaty and naturally textured.  The chiterlings congee featured pork blood, liver and kidney that was generally cooked well.

Keeping with pale-colored foods, we also had the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll.  This featured a fairly thick noodle which wasn't exactly dense, but it was a bit heavier than most I've had recently.  Despite the thickness, there was still some elasticity which meant it wasn't floury.  Hidden inside, the shrimp were of a good size and nicely seasoned.  They were cooked just enough that they still retained a moist snap texture.

Yes, the pale-theme didn't end with the rice noodle roll as we also had the Steamed BBQ Pork Buns.  These were pretty textbook with the cracks in the dough thanks to the strategic pleating process in the formation of the bun.  The bun itself was fluffy and fairly light.  Inside, the ample amount of BBQ pork was generally lean.  It wasn't as saucy as I would've liked, but it was still appealingly sweet.

Let's keep this pale-train going with the Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings), albeit with some translucency.  Therefore, we could see the slightly pink/orange color from the shrimp filling.  These were decent with a relatively thin dumpling wrapper with good elasticity.  The filling was generally moist with a meaty snap.  It was slightly overdone where the shrimp could've been more buttery.

Of course we had to have the Siu Mai (Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) as well since it is the yin to the yang of the ha gau.  Similar to the ones at Pearl Bay, these featured cooked tobiko on top.  I much prefer raw tobiko on top, mostly for the aesthetics and crunch.  Despite this, the dumpling itself was decent with a rebound texture and tenderized pork.  It was juicy and also had some shrimp that had a good snap.

Back to an off-white dumpling, the Xiao Long Bao (Juicy Soup Dumplings) were served in little metal tart tins.  This theoretically keeps the soup from spilling all over the place if the dumpling punctures.  However, there was no soup to be found in these XLBs though.  Moreover, the dumpling skin was extremely thick and doughy.  Even the meat filling was loose and didn't have much texture.  To be fair, we didn't expect much out of XLBs at a Cantonese restaurant (this is a Shanghainese dish).

Moving away from dumplings, we had the classic Steamed Pork Spareribs with black bean sauce.  Unfortunately, the pieces of spareribs were not very good.  As you can clearly see in the picture, most of the pieces were cut too large and were of the fatty cartilage variety.  In terms of texture, the desirable rib pieces were decent with a rebound texture.  However, the other pieces were tough and chewy.  The dish was seasoned enough though.

Okay, after 2 consecutive below average dishes, we found the much better Bean Curd Skin Rolls.  Although looking oversauced, these were on point with tender fried bean curd skin that still had a nice chew.  Despite the appearance of too much sauce, it was actually welcomed since it helped soften the bean curd skin.  Moreover, the sauce was decently thick and flavorful.  Inside, the pork filling was tender and moist with the crunch from wood ear mushrooms and shrimp.

Now we were on a roll because the Steamed Chicken Feet with black bean sauce were also quite good.  The chicken feet were generally plump with skin that had a bite but was still tender.  The trick is to fry the chicken feet enough so that the skin doesn't break when subsequently braised and then steamed.  Underneath the skin, the cartilage and fat was intact while soft.  There was a good garlicky saltiness to the dish.

Apparently shrimp spring rolls aren't a thing here in Fremont, so we were forced to order the Vegetable Spring Rolls ones instead.  Also, we much prefer Worcestershire sauce rather than sweet n' sour, so we asked for that after the fact.  These were not bad with a crunchy wrapper that was slightly greasy.  Inside, the veggies were still slightly crunchy while not overly wet.

To get some more filling dishes into the meal, we included the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf) as well.  However, it took quite awhile to arrive (near the end of the meal).  It was pretty typical with sticky rice, sauced ground pork and cured sausage.  This was also textbook with the rice being soft yet glutinous.  I found the pork to be tender with enough starch-thicken sauce for both moisture and flavor.

Another starchy dish was the Pan Fried Rice Roll with XO Sauce, but it was not really what we were expecting.  This looked more like broken rice noodles than the typical tubes of plain rice noodle rolls.  Furthermore, the dish was really greasy (partially forgivable due to the addition of XO sauce) and ate as such.  There was good spice to the dish though but not much brininess.

For our one sweeter item, we selected the Steamed Golden Egg Yolk Buns.  As you can see, they arrived with the initial round of dishes.  No matter, these were pretty good with a fluffy bun encasing a liquid egg yolk center.  It was sweet, nutty and had the umaminess of salted egg yolk.  So overall, the Dim Sum here at Gourmet House was acceptable, yet not as good at Pearl Bay.  Yes, this is a smaller spot and less expensive, so that needs to be taken into consideration.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Reasonably-priced
- Friendly staff

The Bad:
- Not enough staff, so service is lacking
- Some duds, be careful what you order  

 

Full House Dumpling

Originally, we were going to hit up some eats in Berkeley once we made it to the Bay Area.  However, with an SUV full of our precious belongings, we weren't too confident in leaving it parked for a few hours on the street.  Hence, we decided to head straight to my aunt's house in Fremont.  That way, we could drop off our valuables and then go for some eats.  As always, we ended up going for Chinese in the form of Full House Dumpling (at least we weren't going to eat here 3x straight like Pearl Bay).

The thing to get here is, of course, the dumplings.  Specifically, we are talking about their Xiao Long Bao (Juicy Pork Dumplings).  We got both the regular ones and the Crab Xiao Long Bao.  I thought these were excellent featuring fairly thin dumpling skin that had some elasticity.  There was plenty of soup to be found inside which was clean and sweet.  I thought the essence of crab was apparent.  The pork filling for both was tender and moist while not crumbly.

Sticking with dumplings, we also ordered the Shrimp Pork Siu Mai.  Somehow I was thinking Din Tai Fung when I saw this on the menu.  However, it really was just Cantonese-style shrimp siu mai.  So no, these were not XLBs with a shrimp plugging up an open top (maybe it was something else on this menu).  These were okay with a fairly loose, yet tender pork filling.  There was a bit too much green onion in it, which didn't make much sense.  The shrimp had a nice sweet snap though.

Moving away from dumplings, we tried their Water-Boiled Fish served in a clay pot.  Typically, this is a Szechuan dish, but it appears the Full House serves a variety of Chinese cuisines (including their main focus - Taiwanese).  Although not particularly Szechuan-like, their version was quite delicious regardless.  It had good spice while not being burning hot.  There was no shortage of tender fish fillets (probably basa) that were flaky.  

One of the more under-the-radar items was the Salted Egg Yolk Silken Tofu.  Each cube of tofu was fried just enough to retain its shape while still being silky in texture.  It was carefully wok-tossed (so nothing broke apart) in salted egg yolk, garlic, green onions and peppers.  Although not really all that salty, the aroma and essence of salted egg yolk did come through.  The nuttiness and also the rest of the ingredients were evident.

I wasn't really sure why I was ordering Spicy Stir-Fried Cabbage but it was a pretty solid dish.  Despite some moisture at the bottom of the plate, there was still decent caramelization due to ample "wok hei".  Hence, the spice from the chilis did announce itself throughout the dish.  However, there was still the natural sweetness of the cabbage coming through.  Also, the cabbage was still crunchy despite being cooked through.

One of the more average items was the Braised Beef Noodles.  Now by looks alone, this was quite good with lots of braised beef and wide thick noodles.  Indeed the noodles were al dente and well-portioned.  However, the beef was a bit chewy and lacking impact.  The soup itself was a bit too mild for my liking as it lacked depth and was rather one note.  Possibly if this was the spicy version, it would've been better.

Now on the other hand, the Garlic Pork was very impactful.  That garlic sauce on top was potent and I wouldn't go near anyone with that garlic breath after eating it.  I personally thought it was fantastic despite some thinking it was too garlicky.  There was enough salt and sweetness to make the sauce complete.  As for the sliced pork belly, it was a touch chewy given that there was a decent amount of fat.  However, it was still easy to eat.

I'm not particularly fond of the Green Onion Pancake, but Viv loves it, so yes we had that too.  Turns out that she should've not ordered it because it was also rather average.  On the positive side, it as nicely browned with a crispy exterior.  There was also a balanced amount of green onion.  However, the pancake itself was rather dense and chewy.  Furthermore, it was pretty much soaked with oil, so every bite was far too greasy.  

For no other reason than we didn't have any rice dishes, we ordered the Shrimp Fried Rice.  I would say this was an okay plate of fried rice.  There was decent caramelization, but the rice itself was more fluffy than nutty and chewy.  It was also rather bland needing salt.  At the very least, the shrimp were done right with a sweet snap.  Overall, the food at Full House was decent with some highlights, in particular, the soup dumplings.  Stick with those and you can't go wrong.

The Good:

- Soup dumplings are legit

- Reasonable-pricing

- Spacious seating

The Bad:

- Other dishes are hit and miss

- Service is hit and miss