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There once was a time that we would eat at Samosa Garden. That was in the 90's. So, it wasn't much of a surprise to us that it closed its doors for good last year. In fact, it was the last original restaurant standing in the plaza. In its place, a new Chinese restaurant with a not very Chinese name now serves up Dim Sum (althought it ain't a Cantonese joint) in a nicely renovated dining space. We barely made it here after Sunday hockey because of Kingsway construction. On a side note, I believe more than ever that Lower Mainland drivers do not know how to merge and let people merge!
Anyways, once there, Emilicious and I were greeted by Milhouse and JuJu because apparently they knew a shortcut. It was so nice of them to not share it with us! What we were going to share was lots of Dim Sum. We started with the Salty Donut Rice Noodle Roll which was nicely plated on a long dish. The rice noodle itself was soft with a bit of chew. For my tastes, I thought there was an overabundance of green onions. The donut was crunchy and airy which is the ideal texture for this dish. Next up was a plate of Singapore Fried Noodles that was pretty good. It had good wok heat where the noodles remained chewy while there was minimal grease. There was only a light dusting of curry and seasoning overall. We liked that there was plenty of ingredients mixed in with the noodles.
Normally, I don't order offal with JuJu and Milhouse because they are not really big fans. But with Emilicious, I had a taker, so I didn't hesitate to get the Tendon and Tripe. We found the tripe to be rather gamy which meant that there was not enough rinsing prior to cooking it. However, the texture was quite good being soft while retaining some bite. The tendon was well-prepared where it was gelatinous and soft without melting away. In terms of flavour, there was a good balance of salt, sweetness and a touch of spice. Onto the most important dish, we had the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings). We found the shrimp filling to have a juicy snap which was mild, yet naturally sweet. In fact, the shrimp tasted "shrimpy" which is rare because they are usually cold-water rinsed. The dumpling skin was a bit on the chewier side, but okay.
In addition to the Donut Rice Noodle Roll, we had the Beef Rice Noodle Roll as well. In hindsight, we really should've just stuck to one roll because the rice noodle itself was floury and unappealing. Maybe this was an isolated incident since the previous roll we had was okay. The beef filling was far too soft with possibly too much filler (starch) and/or too much baking soda. It did taste okay though with plenty of dried orange peel. Next up, we had the Shrimp Spring Rolls that looked quite pale. I guess they used new oil because it wasn't underdone by any means. In fact, it was probably overdone a tad since the shrimp filling was a touch rubbery. On the positive side, the shrimp was tasty with a good amount of garlic. The spring roll as a whole was quite crunchy while not being too greasy.
Something that I wasn't a huge fan of was the Potstickers. They were quite large with an outer skin that was a tad too chewy. The bottom could've used a bit more crunch despite its lightly browned appearance. The filling was a good mix of pork and veggies, but it was a bit mealy and underseasoned. These would've probably been better if they were smaller. Sometimes, bigger isn't necessarily better. The Sui Mai (Shrimp & Pork Dumplings) were too chewy, dry and meaty. The meat could've used a bit more tenderizing in the form of baking soda. On the other hand, the bits of shrimp were good though having a nice snap. Flavour-wise, there was too much porkiness and little else.
We spotted the Bean Curd Rolls next to us and they looked good prompting a unanimous agreement to order them. For once, looks were bang on as they were very good. The fried bean curd skin had the desired texture of being chewy while soft and moist at the same time. We liked how there was just the right amount of watered-down and starch-thickened oyster sauce which was not too clumpy. The filling was loose in a good way with tender pork and a nice amount of veggies. The Sparerib Rice Hot Pot arrived incredibly hot. I was very surprised to see that they had actually prepared the rice from scratch in the hot pot itself. That meant that the rice was chewy, nutty and not mushy. The ample amount of spareribs on top were bouncy in texture and properly seasoned.
Arriving a bit late in the meal, the Fried Turnip Cake dared us to eat more. Yes, it is a filler dish and we were pretty full by then. I thought it had a good balance of flavours including plenty of tender daikon and diced Chinese sausage. Texturally, it was soft without being doughy, yet it could've been pan-fried a bit more for exterior texture. On the flip side, this also meant that it wasn't too greasy either. Although a bit pale, the Beef Meatballs were pretty good. Mixed within the bouncy smooth beef, there was a pleasant amount of water chestnuts and green onion. The beef was also quite flavourful including a hint of dried orange peel. Lastly, we had the Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings instead of dessert. The layer of mushed glutinous rice was a touch thick while the exterior could've been crispier. Yet, it was decent enough with a flavourful meat filling. And really, the meal could be summed up as "decent". Nothing to rave about, yet not horrible as a whole.
The Good:
- Nicely renovated interior
- Service was not bad when we got it
The Bad:
- Service wasn't unfriendly, but it was highly unattentive
- Acceptable eats, but not really good enough to justify the prices
Probably one of the most frustrating things in the GVRD is following a Corolla with an "L". Compound that by placing that Corolla in Richmond on a 2-lane street and well, you get the idea... That was the pain we chose to endure while heading to Shanghai House on Cook Road. Hey, as I've said again and again, despite the traffic chaos, the eats in Richmond are undeniably good. To blend in, I did my best "do a very strange maneuver into a parking spot ending up crooked and blocking other people". When in Rome...
Bear insisted on the Wild Vegetable with Bean Curd and Celery. Possibly because it is in his diet to eat wild vegetables? Anyways, it was okay with lots of vegetable pungency and only mildly seasoned. The textures were good with a slight bite to go with the softness. Onto a dish Miss Y had to get no matter what - Shanghai Stir-Fried Rice Cake. Arriving in an appealing rich colour, it was the beneficiary of good wok heat where the flavours caramelized. It was greasy as per usual, but not overly so. The sliced rice cake had its hallmark chewiness, yet was still soft to the chew. The accompanying Napa cabbage and spinach were still vibrant while the julienned pork was moist.
We ended up with 3 orders of the Xiao Long Bao because we had 8 people as Dark Helmet caught wind of our eating adventure and ended up crashing our dinner. Hey, whatever Dark Helmet wants, he gets. We don't want to face his Schwartz! We found the dumpling skin to be on the thicker side, but it wasn't tough. The amount of soup was decent and full of sweetness with only a touch of xiaoshing wine. Not much in the way of ginger though. As for the meat, I thought it was too gritty with bits and pieces of cartilage. If it were ground up smoother and/or had more fat, the XLBs would've been that much better. With the same filling, the Pan-Fried Pork Buns were pretty good. The bun itself was fluffy and light while the bottoms were crisped up golden brown. Yes, they were greasy, but that was alleviated by the proper preparation of the bun. There was a good amount of the same soup in the bun, but then again, the meat was too gritty.
Heading into the meat of the meal, literally and figuratively, we had the Stewed Pork Knuckle on a bed of spinach. The meat ranged from fork tender to slightly dry, depending on the section. This was not a surprise as most versions of this dish have the same issue. The fat and skin were soft and gelatinous while the spinach was just barely cooked. Although the sauce was on the sweeter side, it was rich enough to have an impact on the meat. Moving onto the Lion's Head Meatballs, I was quite indifferent. The meaty chunks of unprocessed meat was welcomed, but the binding ingredients (including the ground pork) was far too loose and soft. Hence, the meatballs were spongy and textureless. Flavourwise, there wasn't much of an issue as it was balanced. The accompanying Shanghai bok choy was seriously overcooked.
We added 2 more dishes at the end including the Smoked Tea Duck which was fantastic. It was fried up beautifully with a crispy skin which gave way to moist, smoky meat. We thought the inclusion of only 6 clam-shaped mantou was a bit chintzy for the amount of duck. Miss Y went as far to ask me to take a picture of her "clam sandwich" where I almost choked on my duck... We also had the Dan Dan Noodles which had a combination of peanut sauce, pickled vegetables, ground pork and dried shrimp. This concoction was quite flavourful and aromatic. Again, there was a balance of flavours and when combined with the slightly soft noodles, it was a good eat. Despite some issues with meat textures, we felt the meal as a whole was more-than-acceptable. Of course, Shanghainese food in Richmond is competitive with many great restaurants, so Shanghai House is a decent option, but not the best one though.
The Good:
- Some pretty good dishes (and some not)
- We got good service
- Spacious
The Bad:
- Ground meat textures were a little off
- Greasy
Here we go again, with another Tasting Plates presented by Vancouver Foodster. I was invited along with some other bloggers to sample the food that Lower Lonsdale in North Van had to offer. Unlike previous events, all of the restaurants were located within a 2-block radius which meant that no vehicle nor public transit was needed. We just had to walk to each destination. For those unfamiliar with Tasting Plates, it is a self-guided food tour of sorts where one visits different restaurants trying out a dish or two for one ticketed price.
Viv and I met up with Sean and Curtis at the starting location - Cafe for Contemporary Art. We were served a choice of tacos including A la Vida or Rhonda-Maria and a choice of drink from either the Thai Iced Latte or Hibiscus Iced Tea. We ended up sharing them and believe it or not, I actually preferred the Rhonda- Maria consisting of spicy roasted yam, pumpkin mole, goat feta, habanero mango salsa, guacamole and lettuce. Yes, the one without meat, shocking isn't it? Well, it was fulfilling due to the myriad of flavours including the sweetness of the yam, heat from the salsa and the cooling effect from the feta and guacamole. It wasn't as if I didn't enjoy the A la Vida (panko-breaded basa, salsa roja, pumpkin mole, guacamole, onions & cilantro and creamy coleslaw), but it was less impactful in terms of flavour. I mostly got cilantro and the crunch from the ample coleslaw. The fish was moist, but not particularly crunchy. As for the drinks, I liked both as they were not overly sweet. The Thai Iced Latte (espresso, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, cardamom and kaffir lime leaf-infusion) was light while still exhibiting some body. As mentioned, it wasn't sweet and had just the right amount of dairy (not too heavy). The Hibiscus Iced Tea was refreshing with a slight bite.
After this, we were already pretty satisfied, but realized there were 6 more stops! We made the short stroll up to Fishworks for 2 freshly-shucked Oysters that were dressed with a shallot mignonette which provided the right amount of sweetness and acidity to highlight the sweet flesh. Then we got a little confused as to our next location which was El Matador. The address said Esplanade, but it really was in the alley behind it. Once there, we were presented with a plate consisting of Chorizo Tapas and Spicy Shrimp Pinxo. I liked the sweet snap of the shrimp which was accented by a slow rumble of spice. The chorizo was presented atop light and crispy bread. The sausage was meaty, moist and spicy.
Swinging around back up Lonsdale, we headed to Gusto di Quattro next and sampled their interesting and whimsical Ori-talian-inspired Noodle Salad with roasted tomatoes, capers balsamic & pickled vegetables with crispy Parmesan wontons strips. Although made with predominantly Mediterranean ingredients, it did its best impression of an Asian cold noodle salad. I particularly loved the fresh sweet corn which provided both texture and sweetness. Heading over next door to Anatoli Souvlaki, we were presented with a plate of Braised Country Lamb, Prawns in Tomato Feta Ouzo Sauce, Spanakopita and Pita with Taramosalata (Greek caviar). Although the lamb was tender, it was a touch dry and lacking in recognizable seasoning. But the prawn was pretty good with a firm snap and plenty of creamy tomatoness and a hit of licorice. The spanakopita was light (yet greasy) and filled with feta and spinach. Surprisingly, I loved the tart taramosalata spread on the toasted pita the most.
Once again going practically next door, we visited The District. We were given a choice between plain Frites, ketchup or garlic mayo. We all had garlic mayo except for Viv. I found the frites to be very good with a wonderful golden brown exterior and crunch. The garlic mayo was light and creamy with plenty of garlic flavour. Lastly, we made our way to Pier 7 and their offering of Tuna Gomae, West Coast Oyster with horseradish & mignonette and Herb Marinated Prawn with basil crema. We got a small Sangria on the side as well. The tuna was seared nicely and it was not bad. I could've used more sesame though. The oyster was huge and naturally sweet. For me, it was good, but for the others, there was very little mignonette. The prawn had a nice snap but was curiously bland. Once again, this was a nice way to check out various restaurants in a particular area for a reasonable $35.00 per person.
*Note: This was an invited dinner where all food was comped*
The Good:
- Walkable tour confined to a 2 block radius
- Reasonably-priced
- Diverse destinations
The Bad:
- Due to space constraints of some establishments, no real place to sit or even stand
I love meat. Hence I consider myself a meatatarian. I like it prepared in almost any fashion and gawd I love meat-on-a-stick. But what about meat in flaky pastry? Sounds good doesn't it? It's compact, transportable and can be eaten without utensils. Well, one of the newest food carts, Aussie Pie Guy, serves up meat pies (veggie ones too) for those who want their meat on-the-go. I was actually invited to try a few of these where Sean tagged along to help me eat (hey, I'm no Mijune!).
We ended up sharing 4 starting with Shane's Pie consisting of free range BC beef short rib and vegetables with a red wine au-jus and apricot hoisin sauce over mashed potatoes. Let's start with the pie crust first. I found it flaky and dry, but a good dry as it was crispy while still being buttery. Yet, it wasn't greasy and actually quite light. It was browned throughout including the bottom and sides. As for the short rib, it was really tender and meaty where there was considerable depth-of-flavour being sweet with some savoury elements. Next up was the Chook made from local, free run chicken and mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce. This was packed with chunks of chicken which were understandably firm (due to being free range chicken). I really liked the plethora of tender mushrooms as they added both flavour and texture. The light cream sauce was mild, however it softened the bottom of the pie.
Surprisingly, the Aussie Pie itself was not my favourite. Made from chunks of free range BC beef and organic onion, it was bathed in a pepper gravy made with Howe Sound Rail Ale. I found the amount of meat in the pie to be almost non-existent. The thickened gravy was peppery and full of sweet onion flavour, but lacking in substance. Lastly, we had the Porky consisting of slow roasted free-run pulled pork in BBQ sauce, topped with coleslaw made with organic apples and mint. This was packed with large chunks of pulled pork which could've benefited from a touch more sauce, but then again, that would've been bad for the delicate crust. The flavours were quite mild with a touch of sweetness. The creamy coleslaw on top was also sweet and added some crunch. Overall, these are decent pies with a flaky crust when not compromised by the sauce.
*Note: This was an invited dinner where all food was comped*
The Good:
- Flaky crust throughout
- Good selection of fillings
The Bad:
- A bit pricey (but then again, most food carts are not cheap in Vancouver)
- Delicate crust, moisture is its enemy
There was a time when I would go watch the Celebration of Light year after year without missing a beat. Yes, we'd make our way down to English Bay earlier in the day and stake out a prime viewing spot. We'd guard it with our lives taking turns going for eats and the washroom. Boy, did we have a lot of time on our hands or what? Well, fast forward to the present and it has been 8 long years since our last fireworks. So when Rocky Mountain Flatbread suggested I go down and check out their fireworks-themed pizza (one for each fireworks night representing the competing country) and to go watch the fireworks after, I said to myself, "why not?".
Since Viv was getting bored of all the eating we've been doing (really???), I ended up going with Miss Y instead. We were seated on the patio where it was nice to watch people hurrying to make it to the beach. For beverages, I went for an Stanley Park Amber Ale while Miss Y had the Freshly Squeezed Lemonade with vodka and blueberries. We found this drink to be refreshing and light. For our first dish, we had the West Coast Salmon Flatbread consisting of extra thin crust, brushed with roasted garlic spread, sprinkled with Quebec mozzarella cheese, shaved onions & capers topped with chives. We liked how the crust was really crispy while being light at the same time. The classic combination of flavours including the salty and tart capers made this a pleasant start to the meal.
Next up was the Fig & Goat Cheese Salad which was slightly overdressed where the greens were beginning to go limp, but then again, the flavour is in the dressing. We got a big sweet hit from the figs and a bit of gaminess from the cheese. The addition of red onions added some sharpness. The featured soup for the day was the Leek, Mushroom and Ginger with diced tomatoes. I found it to be quite mild with Earthiness from the mushrooms and a subtle hit of ginger. The tomatoes were a nice addition as it afforded texture and some slight acidity. In my opinion, I thought the soup could've used more salt, but Miss Y disagreed and thought that the soup was good the way it was.
Onto the main event, we decided to try the UK-themed pizza in honour of the participating country. Taking inspiration from the British dish, Bubble & Squeak, it was a concoction of tomato sauce, mozzarella, organic beef brisket, roasted celeriac, carrots, red onion, mashed potatoes and gravy topped with horseradish sour cream drizzle. To me, it tasted like a beef stew (with tender meat) on a crunchy pizza crust. In that sense, it was pretty good as there were many different elements that contributed both texture (loved the crunch from the carrots) and natural flavour.
Lastly, we had 2 desserts staring with the Brownie with a scoop of ice cream. This was very good as the outside was crispy and light giving way to a soft and chewy inside. It was not overly sweet where the ice cream made up for it. Next was the gluten-free Coconut Cheesecake. This was pretty nice cheesecake that was smooth and only semi-sweet. As much as I like coconut, I'm not sure if I like it in a cheesecake though. While finishing up, we discussed how the food seemed fresh and relatively "light". In that sense, the flavours were a bit muted due to that fact. Could be an issue for some, but we didn't feel heavy even after all this food. Good thing too as we needed to hightail it to the fireworks...
*Note: This was an invited dinner where all food was comped*
The Good:
- Fresh organic and free-range ingredients
- Crunchy, thin pizza crust
- Dedicated in being green
The Bad:
- Flavours are slightly muted
- Going green and using organic ingredients come at a cost
One look at the Surrey dining scene and it is pretty much a collection of ethnic joints with a spattering of chain restaurants and small little outfits. But where are the "nice" places to eat? Well, there aren't many and the ones I've been to have been pretty mediocre at best. So where does one eat if they didn't want Pho, Curry or Subway? Well, how about a small lil' place underneath the Old Surrey? Wait. The basement of that place? Don't worry, Bistro 72 is its name and it has been renovated. Due to the unfortunate meeting between my car's windshield and a rock, I had to pay Speedy Glass a visit. Lo and behold, Bistro 72 was right there, for us to have a quick lunch.
Mrs. Spray Bottle was nice enough to give me a lift while Duffman joined us as well. We were started off with a complimentary order of Fresh Fried Chips. These were super light and crispy, not greasy at all and only lightly salted. I decided to give their Shrimp Bisque a try and it was a fairly large bowl. I found it to be thin though without the silkiness I was expecting. However, it did taste good with the essence of shrimp while not being salty. Next up was an Oyster sampler of sorts with 4 different preparations. From left to right, there was Hollandaise, Chorizo, Parmesan Breadcrumb and what I believe was something similar to the Shrimp Bisque. Each oyster was just barely cooked being buttery and soft. I liked the chorizo and Hollandaise the best as there was flavour, but the other 2 were a bit bland and wet.
As a table, we shared the Ryder Lake Pull Pork Poutine which was quite interesting. The fries were the matchstick variety which were not as crispy as they looked. Unfortunately, the cheese curds were all melted, so we could not discern if they were squeaky or not. As for the brandy gravy, it was rich, meaty and flavourful. It caressed each piece of pork nicely. And about that pork, it was in large pieces and had the texture of duck. If it didn't say pork on the menu, I would've sworn it was duck. Mrs. Spray Bottle ended up with the Pesto Chicken Penne and it was decent. Although the penne was slightly past al dente, it wasn't soggy. The pesto was herby and flavourful without being salty. The pieces of chicken were pretty moist as well.
Lastly, Duffman had the Korean BBQ Shortribs. These were pretty good doing their best impression of an actual Korean BBQ shortrib. The meat was tender and slightly fatty with a sweet marinade. It was a good portion that satisfied the big appetite of Duffman. Overall, we thought the food was "not bad" while not exactly impressing us either. At the very least, Bistro 72 offers up an alternative to the many chain restaurants around for roughly the same price.
The Good:
- Clean, inviting decor
- Fairly good service
- An alternative option to the chain restaurants
The Bad:
- Food was okay, but not memorable either
- A bit hidden for those who don't know
*Restaurant is now closed*
My son absolutely loves grilled cheese. He could quite possibly eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a whole month if need be. In fact, he would eat them in a house, with a mouse, here or there and anywhere... Hence, I delayed my visit to the newly opened Cheat Day until he could tag along. So on our way to Science World, we made a pit stop on Seymour to visit a store tailor-made for my son, one that specializes in only one thing - grilled cheese!
Predictably, my son had the Classic Grilled Cheese (made with 1-year old white cheddar) on white bread. It was a fairly large sandwich with plenty of ooey gooey cheese. I liked how the bread was perfectly toasted a crunchy golden brown. Furthermore, it wasn't all that greasy either. There was no absence of flavour due to the sharpness of the cheddar. Viv ended up with the Brie with caramelized onions, peach chunks and jam. It was indeed interesting. With the aforementioned combination, there was no shortage of sweetness as well as moisture. Hence, it was a sloppy sandwich to eat. We found that the cheese got lost amongst the rest of the ingredients though.
For myself, I decided to have something different in the Ramen Grilled Cheese with egg, nori, ramen, spicy tomato sauce and scallions. Again, it exhibited the same qualities as the basic sandwich while adding a bunch of non-traditional ingredients. Similar to the brie, the cheese got lost amongst the abundance of noodles. I found the noodles to have a nice al dente texture while being lightly seasoned. The fluffy egg, nori and green onions added texture and different flavours while the spicy tomato sauce was not as impactful as one would expect. In the end, it came down to only one persons' opinion - my son. He gave his grilled cheese an 8/10.
The Good:
- Wonderful crispy browned exterior
- Not overly greasy
- Interesting combos
The Bad:
- Cheese gets lost in some of the more creative versions
- Best for take out as the place is quite small
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There once was a time that we would eat at Samosa Garden. That was in the 90's. So, it wasn't much of a surprise to us that it closed its doors for good last year. In fact, it was the last original restaurant standing in the plaza. In its place, a new Chinese restaurant with a not very Chinese name now serves up Dim Sum (althought it ain't a Cantonese joint) in a nicely renovated dining space. We barely made it here after Sunday hockey because of Kingsway construction. On a side note, I believe more than ever that Lower Mainland drivers do not know how to merge and let people merge!
Anyways, once there, Emilicious and I were greeted by Milhouse and JuJu because apparently they knew a shortcut. It was so nice of them to not share it with us! What we were going to share was lots of Dim Sum. We started with the Salty Donut Rice Noodle Roll which was nicely plated on a long dish. The rice noodle itself was soft with a bit of chew. For my tastes, I thought there was an overabundance of green onions. The donut was crunchy and airy which is the ideal texture for this dish. Next up was a plate of Singapore Fried Noodles that was pretty good. It had good wok heat where the noodles remained chewy while there was minimal grease. There was only a light dusting of curry and seasoning overall. We liked that there was plenty of ingredients mixed in with the noodles.
Normally, I don't order offal with JuJu and Milhouse because they are not really big fans. But with Emilicious, I had a taker, so I didn't hesitate to get the Tendon and Tripe. We found the tripe to be rather gamy which meant that there was not enough rinsing prior to cooking it. However, the texture was quite good being soft while retaining some bite. The tendon was well-prepared where it was gelatinous and soft without melting away. In terms of flavour, there was a good balance of salt, sweetness and a touch of spice. Onto the most important dish, we had the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings). We found the shrimp filling to have a juicy snap which was mild, yet naturally sweet. In fact, the shrimp tasted "shrimpy" which is rare because they are usually cold-water rinsed. The dumpling skin was a bit on the chewier side, but okay.
In addition to the Donut Rice Noodle Roll, we had the Beef Rice Noodle Roll as well. In hindsight, we really should've just stuck to one roll because the rice noodle itself was floury and unappealing. Maybe this was an isolated incident since the previous roll we had was okay. The beef filling was far too soft with possibly too much filler (starch) and/or too much baking soda. It did taste okay though with plenty of dried orange peel. Next up, we had the Shrimp Spring Rolls that looked quite pale. I guess they used new oil because it wasn't underdone by any means. In fact, it was probably overdone a tad since the shrimp filling was a touch rubbery. On the positive side, the shrimp was tasty with a good amount of garlic. The spring roll as a whole was quite crunchy while not being too greasy.
Something that I wasn't a huge fan of was the Potstickers. They were quite large with an outer skin that was a tad too chewy. The bottom could've used a bit more crunch despite its lightly browned appearance. The filling was a good mix of pork and veggies, but it was a bit mealy and underseasoned. These would've probably been better if they were smaller. Sometimes, bigger isn't necessarily better. The Sui Mai (Shrimp & Pork Dumplings) were too chewy, dry and meaty. The meat could've used a bit more tenderizing in the form of baking soda. On the other hand, the bits of shrimp were good though having a nice snap. Flavour-wise, there was too much porkiness and little else. 
We spotted the Bean Curd Rolls next to us and they looked good prompting a unanimous agreement to order them. For once, looks were bang on as they were very good. The fried bean curd skin had the desired texture of being chewy while soft and moist at the same time. We liked how there was just the right amount of watered-down and starch-thickened oyster sauce which was not too clumpy. The filling was loose in a good way with tender pork and a nice amount of veggies. The Sparerib Rice Hot Pot arrived incredibly hot. I was very surprised to see that they had actually prepared the rice from scratch in the hot pot itself. That meant that the rice was chewy, nutty and not mushy. The ample amount of spareribs on top were bouncy in texture and properly seasoned.
Arriving a bit late in the meal, the Fried Turnip Cake dared us to eat more. Yes, it is a filler dish and we were pretty full by then. I thought it had a good balance of flavours including plenty of tender daikon and diced Chinese sausage. Texturally, it was soft without being doughy, yet it could've been pan-fried a bit more for exterior texture. On the flip side, this also meant that it wasn't too greasy either. Although a bit pale, the Beef Meatballs were pretty good. Mixed within the bouncy smooth beef, there was a pleasant amount of water chestnuts and green onion. The beef was also quite flavourful including a hint of dried orange peel. Lastly, we had the Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings instead of dessert. The layer of mushed glutinous rice was a touch thick while the exterior could've been crispier. Yet, it was decent enough with a flavourful meat filling. And really, the meal could be summed up as "decent". Nothing to rave about, yet not horrible as a whole.
