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Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me - goes the saying... With already a mediocre Dim Sum experience in Orlando and a truly troubling one in Miami, it goes without saying that a third try in South Florida would either be the charm or the trifecta of shame. Of course expectations were not high since good Dim Sum would be a stretch in an area more famous for its Cuban food. But after heavy meal upon heavy meal aboard the Allure of the Seas, it was time to head back to the Chinese food well (even if it wasn't that great).
After another disappointing experience at Budget Car Rental (ironically using their "I'm Sorry" certificates), which took over an hour to get out of there, we headed to Toa Toa Chinese Restaurant in Sunrise. Walking into the place, it looked legit with a packed house of happy diners and Cantonese-speaking staff. We ordered a bunch of stuff and to our surprise, the food was actually decent. The first item to arrive was the Wonton Noodle Soup (I know, not a typical Dim Sum item, but we wanted to try it). Although the noodles were hardly the chewy type, it was not mushy at least. The soup was more like mild chicken soup, but okay nonetheless. Amazingly, the wontons were good consisting of whole crunchy shrimp and tender pork. Shockingly small, the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) were passable with a shrimp filling which had a snap texture and a decent amount of seasoning which was sweet and savory. As for the Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling), they were passable with somewhat soft pork and whole crunchy pieces of shrimp.
Moving onto the offal and such part of the meal, we had the Bible Tripe which was quite spicy. We actually enjoyed the flavor as it was quite apparent, including the saltiness of the black beans. Normally, this dish can be quite bland since properly prepared tripe is typically pretty flavorless. Next, we had the Phoenix Talons (aka Chicken Feet). These were plump and cooked nicely all the way through. Hence the gelatin underneath was soft while the skin was equally so with a slight resistance. Other than a few parts of broken fried skin, these were pretty textbook chicken feet. Flavorwise, there was no absence of both savory and sweet.
We ended up with both the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll and BBQ Pork Rice Noodle Roll. Strangely, this was named "Paste" on the menu which didn't make much sense. Although a touch thick, the rice noodle itself was soft and moist with a slight elasticity. Not bad, not bad at all... As for the shrimp, they were prepared properly being cold-water crunchy and well-seasoned. The BBQ pork filling was both ample and lean. It had a nice meaty flavor as well. Despite the decent shrimp mousse filling (which had a bounce and was properly seasoned), the Stuffed Eggplant was very greasy and a bit mushy. It could've stood to be fried a bit less while a little more filling could've gone a long way in making this better.
For the kiddies, we had to get the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaves). This was the traditional large version stuffed with plenty of ingredients to go with the soft sticky rice. The ground pork was a touch salty, yet tender. It went a long way in providing both seasoning and moisture for the rice. We also got the Egg Tarts, which was another kid favorite. Only consisting of 2 tarts, they were a touch over-baked which was exemplified by the dark tart shell. However, it was flaky and crisp that yielded to a semi-sweet silky egg custard. Although the Fried Glutinous Sesame Balls were a bit dense, they were crunchy and filled with sweet lotus paste.
Next, we had the Steamed Black Bean Spareribs. These were legit with lots of garlic and black bean hits of flavor. As for the spareribs themselves, there was a mix of meaty rib pieces and cartilage. Fortunately, the fatty parts were kept to a minimum. In terms of texture, they were marinated just enough so they were tender while maintaining some meatiness. Arriving in a bowl swimming in diluted and thickened oyster sauce, the Bean Curd Skin Rolls were okay. The bean curd skin itself could've been more uniformly fried, but it was still a good mix of chewy and soft. The soft ground pork filling had a particularly bamboo-shoot slant, which I personally didn't mind.
Lastly, we added 2 more items including the Minced Beef Congee. Although the broth itself was quite salty from the MSG, it did taste good. Curse you tasty MSG! It was nicely thick from the first spoonful to the last with tender chunks of ground beef (which was a bit sparse). We ended the meal with the Special Chow Mein to make sure we got full. As clearly exemplified in the picture, there was much more sauce and ingredients than fried noodle. Hence, the dish was a bit too wet when mixed together. On the other hand, it did taste balanced and the ingredients were well-prepared. And really, most of the food was not bad considering where we were. Definitely passable and an option if one was looking for Chinese food in South Florida.
The Good:
- Decent service
- Decent Dim Sum
- Lots of parking
The Bad:
- Seating a touch cramped
- Dim sum portions are quite modest
With one meal left in Miami before our cruise aboard the Allure of the Seas, we pondered about what to eat. Instead of eating Cuban food again (hey we needed some diversity), we headed over to Tongue & Cheek in South Beach. Surprisingly, I was able to find a parking spot, but not without controversy. Someone tried to save a spot for their buddy by standing in it. I parked there anyways to the chagrin of the buddy. The driver arrived a few minutes later to ream me out... Uh... Really? Someone is messed in the head...
Anyways, we ignored the lunatic (not before making sure he didn't do something to our car) and made our way to the restaurant. We were started off with some Cheddar Biscuits which were cheesy, super airy, eggy and light. These were really good. As for the appies, the first one to arrive was the Escargots of Snails with garlic herb butter and cognac which were both plentiful and soft. Of course the whole thing was buttery and garlicky. However, there was a serious lack of seasoning as if they didn't add salt. The lemon wedge was not merely a garnish as it added the necessary acidity. Next up was the Veal Tartar with pickled mushrooms and cured egg yolk Béarnaise. Mixed together, the salt and crunchy bits accented the mild and smooth veal. The creamy tenderness was a nice contrast to the well-charred crostinis.
One item that really caught my eye on the menu was the Chicharrones of Chicken Skin with Japanese mustard. As much as I liked the first few bites, there was no way I could eat the whole thing. Unlike the traditional pork chicharrones, these were much lighter and airy rather than crunchy. Viv decided to order off the Miami Spice 3-course meal menu starting off with the Calamari prepared 2 ways. Both versions were really tender while still maintaining a bite. Although not seasoned particularly aggressively, the pickled onions added a nice acidity and the necessary flavor to the dish. My son decided to order off the kid's menu and opted for the Mini-Burgers with American cheese and French fries. These were pretty good with a barely-done patty which was moist and flavourful. The sesame seed brioche was really nice being soft and not dry. The accompanying fries were both plentiful and crunchy.
For my main, I wanted to pay homage to the name of the restaurant by ordering the Crispy Florida Grouper "Cheeks n' Chips". By description, I envisioned something more grand than what was presented on the table. Served in a small red plastic basket was 5 small cheeks with a modest amount of fries. I did like the cheeks though as they were moist and crispy, if not quite greasy. Being creamy with onion and tarragon, the tartar sauce was a nice compliment. My parents went for the Grilled Beef Ribeye "Cap" with duck fat potatoes and baby carrots. Despite the small portion, making up for it was the beautifully prepared tender and fatty cap. Viv's main course was Beef Bourguignon with egg noodes a la Julia Child. Nestled within the soft noodles were tender morsels of meat and wonderful mushrooms. However, there was a lack of flavor, in particular the absence of a wine essence.
We also got some sides including the Roasted Summer Corn with lime, espelette, aioli and Parmesan. The sweet corn had a nice pop which was further enhanced by the plethora of butter and a slight kick from the espelette. Second, we tried the Brussel Sprouts with whipped ricotta, orange and pistachios. We found the sprouts to be a little too soft, but in the end, it was a decent side. The combination of flavours worked, in particular, the noticeable tang. We were all pretty stuffed at the end, yet Viv still had dessert (Mango Mousse with orange cake, white chocolate crumble and raspberry) as part of her meal. As much as it appeared to be small in size, the dessert was quite substantial. Fortunately, it was light and refreshing and only semi-sweet with a real mango hit. Afflicted with a few flaws, this was still a relatively decent meal (albeit a bit pricey).
The Good:
- Some interesting eats
- Nice vibe and decor
The Bad:
- Seasoning issues
- Service was okay, but took our server a long time to warm up
With a slightly below average Dim Sum experience in Orlando, we were going to test our luck again in Miami. Having read numerous good reviews of Tropical Chinese and their Dim Sum service, we were chomping at the bit to try it. We arrived near opening on a Saturday to avoid the dreaded lineup. Interestingly, there was much more staff than actual customers. Were we too early or was this a bad omen? We didn't have too much time consider that as the push carts descended on our table...
We started with the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) and egads, they were terrible. After we were able to penetrate the super thick and equally super doughy skin, it only served to hide the really crappy shrimp filling. It was pure mush and was really fishy (or would I call that shrimpy?). Obviously, they did not prep the frozen shrimp properly (as in rinsing it for many, many hours). The Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings) were equally horrid. The pork was chewy, gritty and dense while the predominant seasoning was salt (and lots of it). This was literally and figuratively hard to swallow.
Next up were the Deep Fried Glutinous Dumplings. Despite being fried, these were not crispy nor crunchy. The mashed glutinous rice was far too dense and thick. At the very least, the ground pork filling was acceptable, but then again, they put too much green onion in it. The Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaves) appeared to be really dark for some reason and I'm not talking about the wrapper. It was super salty and wet. On the other hand, the ground pork managed to be dry and mealy at the same time. Suffice to say, this was not very good either.
With the same poorly prepared shrimp, the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll sucked. Obviously, the shrimp had no real texture (such as a buttery snap nor meatiness). There was really no excuse for this as even non-Asian restaurants don't prepare shrimp this way (for instance, we had great shrimp at Versailles and Yardbird). The rice noodle roll was hard and dense with very little give. For some reason or another, the BBQ Pork Rice Noodle Roll was better with a thinner and somewhat softer rice noodle. In addition, it was packed with lean BBQ pork.
And still on the bad shrimp wagon, the shrimp mousse in the Stuffed Eggplant was dry and mealy. It had no bounce and again, it was fishy tasting. Did they not even attempt to rinse the shrimp here? As for the eggplant, it was pale and overfried. To top it all off, the whole dish was just plain salty. At the very least, the Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee was not bad. It was homestyle with a light thickness. There were ample large pieces of preserved egg as well as chewy pieces of salted pork. The congee broth was not too salty either.
The Steamed Spareribs seemed a bit dark for some reason and the answer to this was apparent after one bite. There was far too much soy sauce in the marinade which made every piece super salty. The meat itself was over-tenderized where it was soft with very little meat texture left. The same could not be said about the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet). They were not fried long enough, hence, underneath the slightly chewy skin was undercooked cartilage which was crunchy and chewy rather than being soft and gelatinous. Flavorwise, it was okay though being sweet and salty.
Lastly and mercifully, we had the Egg Tarts which were dry and not very silky. And really, I'm not going to say much more because the Dim Sum was very sub-par, even for South Florida. Sure, I'm from Vancouver, where some of the best Dim Sum can be found. However, if I had to compare only locally, you would be best advised to eat at Toa Toa in Sunrise instead.
The Good:
- Lots of servers
- Push carts for your enjoyment
The Bad:
- Dim Sum blows
- Basic techniques were not employed
Continuing on with our food adventures in Miami, I decided that more variety was in order. Hence, I looked to the ol' standby - the buffet. Hey, you gotta admit, nobody does a better buffet than the great US of A. Wanting to be a little bit different, we did not hit up anything like a Hometown Buffet or Golden Corral. Instead, we went to POC American Fusion Buffet & Sushi (excuse the fuzzy photo, was anxious to start eating...). Yes, before you laugh, remember, this was Florida...
Unlike similar buffets I've been to in the Pacific Northwest, the spread at POC was not as extravagant. In fact, it was only modest in size with the Sushi and Sashimi at the forefront. With a pretty good selection of rolls, there was a little for everyone. If we looked at its construction, there was a lot left to be desired, but we understood the venue and thought it was acceptable. I found the rice to be slightly dry and lacking in flavour, but it wasn't offensive either. In terms of the sashimi, it was not exactly cut artistically, but in the end, it was okay. Referring to the plate of sushi, you can see how the sashimi was cut uniformly, but a little strange at the same time. Appearance-wise, it was actually quite appetizing as well as the colorful sushi rolls.
Right next to the sushi and sashimi, there was a modest display of Seafood including snow crab legs, Kiwi mussels, peel n' eat shrimp and oysters on the half-shell. The oysters were okay while the cooked shrimp and mussels were pretty typical, but decent. I found the snow crab legs to be a bit salty though. Nearby, there was a small selection of soups with the Lobster Bisque being the headliner. For a buffet, it wasn't bad with a nice lobster aroma, but it was really salty. Facing the soups was the salad, appetizer and dessert bar. Salads were fine as well as the fresh fruit. We liked the Beef Carpaccio, but it could've used more seasoning. I tried a couple of desserts and although nothing was memorable, nothing was terrible either.
Onto the Cooked Food, there was a variety of items including pork gyoza, potato skins, fries, chicken nuggets, tempura, king crab cakes, spring rolls, chow mein, fried rice, sweet & sour chicken, ribs, calamari, honey shrimp, saffron clams, seared fish and fried crab body sections. Only a few things were worth going back for in my opinion. These included the honey shrimp (which were somewhat crisp with a snap inside while being sweet and saucy) and fried crab body sections. Otherwise, everything else was forgettable. Adjacent, the last hot section included a roast, grilled meats and sausages. I found the meats acceptable being neither super tender nor tough to chew. But then again, we didn't have high expectations.
Lastly and the most popular station, particularly for the kids, was the Chocolate Fountain. Although the selection of fruit was minimal, we just went to the salad bar to get a bigger variety to dip into the chocolate. Now, by reading this post, you would think we disliked the buffet. On the contrary, we thought it was pretty decent considering the variety, price and overall edibility. I'm not saying it was great food though. Yet if you were looking for that, you wouldn't eat a buffet anyways. With reasonable exceptions, POC does the job if you had the buffet cravings.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Decent quality for a buffet
- Service was quite prompt
The Bad:
- By virtue of being a buffet, food is never served in its optimal state
- Cooked food variety is small
Posts
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me - goes the saying... With already a mediocre Dim Sum experience in Orlando and a truly troubling one in Miami, it goes without saying that a third try in South Florida would either be the charm or the trifecta of shame. Of course expectations were not high since good Dim Sum would be a stretch in an area more famous for its Cuban food. But after heavy meal upon heavy meal aboard the Allure of the Seas, it was time to head back to the Chinese food well (even if it wasn't that great).
After another disappointing experience at Budget Car Rental (ironically using their "I'm Sorry" certificates), which took over an hour to get out of there, we headed to Toa Toa Chinese Restaurant in Sunrise. Walking into the place, it looked legit with a packed house of happy diners and Cantonese-speaking staff. We ordered a bunch of stuff and to our surprise, the food was actually decent. The first item to arrive was the Wonton Noodle Soup (I know, not a typical Dim Sum item, but we wanted to try it). Although the noodles were hardly the chewy type, it was not mushy at least. The soup was more like mild chicken soup, but okay nonetheless. Amazingly, the wontons were good consisting of whole crunchy shrimp and tender pork. Shockingly small, the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) were passable with a shrimp filling which had a snap texture and a decent amount of seasoning which was sweet and savory. As for the Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling), they were passable with somewhat soft pork and whole crunchy pieces of shrimp.
Moving onto the offal and such part of the meal, we had the Bible Tripe which was quite spicy. We actually enjoyed the flavor as it was quite apparent, including the saltiness of the black beans. Normally, this dish can be quite bland since properly prepared tripe is typically pretty flavorless. Next, we had the Phoenix Talons (aka Chicken Feet). These were plump and cooked nicely all the way through. Hence the gelatin underneath was soft while the skin was equally so with a slight resistance. Other than a few parts of broken fried skin, these were pretty textbook chicken feet. Flavorwise, there was no absence of both savory and sweet.
We ended up with both the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll and BBQ Pork Rice Noodle Roll. Strangely, this was named "Paste" on the menu which didn't make much sense. Although a touch thick, the rice noodle itself was soft and moist with a slight elasticity. Not bad, not bad at all... As for the shrimp, they were prepared properly being cold-water crunchy and well-seasoned. The BBQ pork filling was both ample and lean. It had a nice meaty flavor as well. Despite the decent shrimp mousse filling (which had a bounce and was properly seasoned), the Stuffed Eggplant was very greasy and a bit mushy. It could've stood to be fried a bit less while a little more filling could've gone a long way in making this better.
For the kiddies, we had to get the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaves). This was the traditional large version stuffed with plenty of ingredients to go with the soft sticky rice. The ground pork was a touch salty, yet tender. It went a long way in providing both seasoning and moisture for the rice. We also got the Egg Tarts, which was another kid favorite. Only consisting of 2 tarts, they were a touch over-baked which was exemplified by the dark tart shell. However, it was flaky and crisp that yielded to a semi-sweet silky egg custard. Although the Fried Glutinous Sesame Balls were a bit dense, they were crunchy and filled with sweet lotus paste.
Next, we had the Steamed Black Bean Spareribs. These were legit with lots of garlic and black bean hits of flavor. As for the spareribs themselves, there was a mix of meaty rib pieces and cartilage. Fortunately, the fatty parts were kept to a minimum. In terms of texture, they were marinated just enough so they were tender while maintaining some meatiness. Arriving in a bowl swimming in diluted and thickened oyster sauce, the Bean Curd Skin Rolls were okay. The bean curd skin itself could've been more uniformly fried, but it was still a good mix of chewy and soft. The soft ground pork filling had a particularly bamboo-shoot slant, which I personally didn't mind.
Lastly, we added 2 more items including the Minced Beef Congee. Although the broth itself was quite salty from the MSG, it did taste good. Curse you tasty MSG! It was nicely thick from the first spoonful to the last with tender chunks of ground beef (which was a bit sparse). We ended the meal with the Special Chow Mein to make sure we got full. As clearly exemplified in the picture, there was much more sauce and ingredients than fried noodle. Hence, the dish was a bit too wet when mixed together. On the other hand, it did taste balanced and the ingredients were well-prepared. And really, most of the food was not bad considering where we were. Definitely passable and an option if one was looking for Chinese food in South Florida. 
