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If you haven't figured this out by now, I love Dim Sum. So much so, I tried it 3 times in South Florida. Either you can call me insane or deeply committed (wait, that could mean the same thing right?). So guess what we had for our first meal out the next morning on our return? Mexican. No. We paid a visit to Dai Tung, where it was only mediocre the last time I was there. But I suppose it would be extraordinary compared to Florida eh?
Despite our small party (Viv, myself and the kids), we managed to order 14 dishes starting with the... you guess it, Egg Tarts. I realize Chinese restaurants do not expedite dishes properly, but dessert first gets irritating sometimes. But I guess they were ready, so... Anyways, we liked them as they were flaky and buttery with a silky semi-sweet custard. Next up was the XO Daikon Pudding Cake. There was a good spice level to the dish from the XO sauce as well as a nice aroma from the dried scallops. The daikon cake itself was soft with a good amount of dried shrimp and sausage.
When the Fish Tofu with pea leaves arrived it was not exactly what we envisioned. And after taking a bite, it was definitely not what we were looking for. The fish tofu balls were pure mush with no redeeming texture. At least the pea leaves were okay, yet we regretted ordering this dish. Surprisingly, the Haw Gow were not very good. Instead of the hallmark buttery snap that is associated with the shrimp filling, this one was more meaty and dense. Furthermore, I thought it was one dimensional in flavour without much in the way of sesame oil nor white pepper. On the other hand, the dumpling skin was not bad being chewy and thin.
As for the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, it was afflicted with the same strangely texture shrimp. Not that it was terrible, but for me, it seemed like they didn't prepare it properly with enough cold-water rinsing. Maybe they meant to do this? If so, I didn't like it regardless. With that being said, the rice noodle was okay though being soft with some elasticity. Predictably, the bits of shrimp in the Sui Mai provided no snap to the dumpling whatsoever. The pork itself wasn't exactly exhibiting a bounce texture either as it was more meaty than anything. Flavours were good though with a nice balance including shiitake mushrooms.
Continuing on with the mound of food we didn't have a hope in finishing was the Black Bean Spareribs. Again, there was something amiss with the textures here where the meat was lacking bounce and chew. It was as if they over-marinated it to the point of it being too soft. Flavourwise, it was okay though with enough garlic and savoury elements. For the kiddies, we had to get the Lo Mei Gai. We found the rice slightly dry in parts, but the moisture from the ingredients made up for it. It is worth noting that there was a good ratio between sticky rice and meat. In terms of flavour, the entire thing was mildly seasoned.
Onto the weird portion (to some people) of Dim Sum, we had the Phoenix Talons (chicken feet, it sounds better with the dish name?). These were pretty good with soft tendon and fatty tissue (mmm... doesn't that sound good???) underneath moist fried skin. With hits of garlic and sweetness, it was seasoned nicely. As for the Tripe & Tendon, I found it a bit too flavourful. Possibly too much MSG and/or seasoning meant I needed offset that with lots of tea. Both were texturally fine though as the tendon was soft (while not melted) and the tripe was tender with some bite left.
Viv loves Potstickers and usually can't resist ordering them during Dim Sum despite the high chance of a let down. Typically, these are best eaten at a Shanghainese joint. To be fair, these were not bad with a nicely browned bottom and a mildly thick dumpling skin. The filling a little strange texturally, but did the job. We got a bowl of Minced Beef Congee for the kids, however, my son balked once he saw all the greens. I didn't mind the watercress since it added a certain brightness. On the other hand, that ensured the congee would become a touch watery at the end. Otherwise, it was not bad with tender morsels of beef and a relatively low-sodium content.
Our last 2 dishes consisted of Soy-Fried Rice Noodle Rolls and BBQ Pork Buns. I thought they did a decent job with the rice rolls as they were only mildly greasy. I would've liked a bit more caramelization though. The BBQ Pork Buns were a touch dry where the filling was pretty sweet. The meat was a mix between lean and fatty pieces of BBQ pork. At the end of the meal, I was a bit torn. It wasn't as if the food wasn't any good. Many of the dishes were prepared properly and the portion size generous. However, the hallmark dish (Haw Gow) was not that great. Considering how the prices are not exactly super cheap, I wouldn't necessarily line up to eat here.
The Good:
- Large portions
- Decent decor
- Service was acceptable
The Bad:
- We didn't like how they prepared the shrimp
- Not sure if I would suffer the lineup for the food
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
Falmouth? Where the heck is that??? Well, that was our port-of-call in Jamaica for our cruise on the Allure of the Seas. Some quick research resulted in a decision to hire a driver to take us to Montego Bay instead. Essentially, RCCL built a shopping area in Falmouth since there was little there to begin with. On our little tour of Montego Bay, I noticed a place called Juici Patties and insisted we stop to try some. Our driver ended up taking us to a "nicer" location where I stuck out like a sore thumb while lining up for my patties.
Hey, there are Chinese Jamaicans! And actually I know a few of them too! But sadly, I didn't look anywhere remotely close to Chinese Jamaican as I tan as well as a white piece of paper. So I ended up getting 4 of patties including the ever popular Beef Patty. For roughly $1.50USD each, these were a fair size. The pastry was flaky and a touch drier than I'm normally used to but hey, this was Jamaican Patty in Jamaica. The filling was steaming hot and only slightly spicy. It was easy to eat and flavourful from the beef as well as the spices. This was both satisfying and messy as I covered the myself and the car with crumbs.
Not being all that hungry, I was only able to sample one other patty from the 4 that I bought. Marked with a green dot, the Chicken Patty was of course equally flaky. On the other hand, the filling was lighter and creamier than the beef. It was also lacked the spiciness as well despite the curry hit. These were some pretty tasty and substantial patties that satisfied our cravings. Not mind-blowing, but definitely legit (duh... we were in Jamaica...).
The Good:
- Cheap
- Substantial
- Flaky
The Bad:
- I would've liked it spicier
- They have a location in Toronto... how about Vancouver?
As mentioned, the dining options aboard cruise ships are becoming more diverse every year. We saw the introduction of steakhouses and then restaurants focusing on specific cuisines. Now, we are witnessing the elevation of cruise dining with deluxe establishments offering up food that could give restaurants on land a run for their money. With a dedicated 6-course tasting menu, 150 Central Park aims to serve up finely prepared dishes that one could never find in the main dining room.
To drive the point home, we were not served just any butter and bread. No, we were served bread with unsalted butter complimented by a variety of Specialty Salts including (bottom and clockwise) a Hawaiian Alaea salt rich in red volcanic clay; a Smoked Salt from Washington, an Indian salt, Kala Malak, which exhibited an egg-type aroma due to its sulfur content; Sel de Mer and Sel de Gris from France; and pink salt from Australia. For our first course, we were presented with the a plate that included Falafel atop a tahini sauce accompanied by roasted eggplant, pickled vegetables and flatbread. Crispy, dense and mildly spiced, the falafel gave way to the roasted eggplant as the star of the dish. I loved the soft texture and the small amount of chili oil. The pickled veggies helped add some needed zing to the dish.
Next up was the Curried Lentil Stew with Greek yogurt, cashews and scallions. Possibly because I'm biased towards non-meat dishes, I found this to be quite ordinary. The lentils were soft, yet retained a certain firmness. There was a background spice which was accented by the cool thick yogurt. We moved onto the Pan Fried Gnudi next. It featured hazelnuts, cipollini onions, sage, brown butter and piave vecchio. We found the gnudi to be soft and fluffy with a light exterior sear. The nuts were crunchy and aromatic while the sweet onions and salty cheese completed the array of flavors.
Thankfully, the next course actually featured meat being the Mahogany Black Cod with whipped parsnip, Borek Farms baby bak choy and mustard sauce. They cod was prepared like it should be - fatty, moist and flaky. It was sweet from the marinade and accented by the mild mustard. We liked the browned appearance as it also added a nice caramelization. Our last savory dish consisted of the Beef Two Ways including White Oak Pastures filet and Harris Ranch short rib with farro risotto, glazed Borek Farms baby carrots and parsley sauce. Tender, meat and flavorful, the beautiful medium-rare filet couldn't have been prepared any better. The pulled braised short rib was tender and tart with crunchy vegetable bites. The farro risotto was firm while the vegetables were a bit salty.
Our last course was the Milk Chocolate Cremoso atop hazelnut praline crumble with an espresso semifreddo, EVOO, sea salt and sourdough crostini. The cremoso was rich and chocolaty where the sea salt further elevated the flavors. The semifreddo was smooth and only semi-sweet. This was a good example of how 150 Central Park is worth the $40 cover charge. There is no way the main dining room could offer such food, not merely based on cost, but due to the amount of food that needs to be plated. With a small dedicated kitchen, it is possible to offer more delicate and finely presented food.
The Good:
- More delicately crafted food
- Better quality
- More focused service
The Bad:
- It'll cost you $40.00pp
- Not kid-friendly (but you can put them in the kid's program)
- Only one menu, but they can do substitutions
With already our first specialty restaurant in the books, we headed off to our second reservation at Chops Grille. This was on night 4 of our cruise aboard the Allure of the Seas. Chops Grille is RCCL's specialty steakhouse located on many of their ships (and soon-to-be fleetwide). Consistent with many steakhouses on land, Chops Grille features traditional decor and a menu featuring steaks with separate sides for sharing with the entire table.
We started with some appies including the Oyster Duet featuring Rockefeller (spinach & Hollandaise gratin) and Kilpatrick (bacon & BBQ- Worcestershire sauce). Of the 2, I liked the Rockefeller more as it was creamy and only mildly seasoned. The Kilpatrick was a bit too ketchupy for me despite it not being ketchup. The oysters were cooked properly not being chewy nor dry. We also got a couple orders of the Forest Mushroom Soup scented with white truffle oil. This was very good being creamy with a wealth of Earthiness from both the mushrooms and truffle oil. One thing we would've liked to see was less salt. My mom had the Dungeness Crab and Shrimp Cake accompanied by a remoulade. The thick cake consisted of fluffy and moist crab along with peppers which added both spice and sweetness. It was too bad that the exterior wasn't very crisp.
We had 2 more appies including the Asian-Inspired Spicy Tuna atop crisp black sesame seed and Parmesan crisps with cucumber & avocado salsa, unagi sauce and micro greens. We found the tuna soft with a spicy finish that lingered in our mouths. The crunch from the cucumbers and crisps added the needed textural contrast. Our last appie was one of our favorites being the Smoked Duck Salad. The duck itself was tender and easy to chew, but suffered from too much salt. Hence it was more salty than smoky. The orange went well with the duck and somewhat helped tone down the sodium.
Onto the meat (sorry for the pun) of the meal, I had the 18oz Broiled Porterhouse with Cabernet reduction. I asked for it to be prepared medium-rare and it was mostly that with some medium spots. I wasn't bothered by this as I've never had a porterhouse that was medium-rare throughout (due to the different steaks on each side). The reduction had a nice wine flavour that was cooked down properly. Viv decided on the Filet Mignon which was done medium-rare as requested. It was rested properly where the meat retained most of its juices. However, the meat was not as moist as we were expecting.
My mom decided on the Mixed Grill consisting of a lamb chop, apple-chicken sausage, veal tournedos, bacon, bubble & squeak and veal reduction. The lamp chop was still moist and quite tender while the veal was dry. For me, the best part was the bacon as it was crisp and nicely shaped. In addition to the flavourful and rich veal reduction, my mom tried the Bearnaise which was thick and buttery. My son, who is not a fan of steak, had the Free-Range Chicken Breast wrapped in crispy pancetta. Predictably, the white meat was dry and overcooked. However, the worst part was the lack of flavor despite the pancetta. With another non-steak dish, my daughter opted for the Alaskan Halibut baked on a cedar plank. Again, predictably (because halibut is easy to overcook), the fish was stiff and dry. The herb crumb coating on top actually made it even more dry to eat.
Seeing how we couldn't decide on what sides to order, we ended up trying them all. We liked how both the Steamed Asparagus and Sauteed Broccolini were just cooked, hence they retained their color and crunch. The Crimini Mushrooms and Leek were creamy and rich while the Green Beans with Dijon mustard sabayon and feta cheese crumble were still vibrant and crunchy. However, there could've been a bit more sauce as it was not impactful. Creamy and smooth, the Double Whipped Mashed Potatoes lived up to its namesake. With a thick crunchy breading, the Fried Onion Rings were not greasy and prepared very well. The Roasted Potatoes with prosciutto and Parmesan were soft and really cheesy. Also with both complimentary ingredients, the dish was quite salty. Lastly, the Rock Salt Baked Idaho Potato was dry with a very chewy skin.
For dessert, I tried the Red Velvet Cake which was much better than I would've imagined. It was moist and not incredibly sweet. On the other hand, the cream cheese icing made up for that being sugary. Plated beautifully, the Chocolate Mud Pie was also surprisingly good. It was chocolaty and rich being easy on the sugar. The kids agreed and helped devour it. Trying to exorcise the demons of the crappy Creme Brulee from the main dining room, my mom gave it another go at Chops. It was a good decision since the sugar topping was hard and not too thick. Underneath, the custard had a nice silky consistency albeit pretty sweet. This was a good finish to an enjoyable meal. Overall, we thought that Chops was worth the cover charge because it offered up something different that was prepared better (not including the non-steak dishes) than the main dining room.
The Good:
- Steaks were more or less prepared properly
- Attentive service
- Different enough than the main dining room to justify the cover charge
The Bad:
- If the entree wasn't steak, it wasn't that good
- Kids can eat there, but not particularly kid friendly
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If you haven't figured this out by now, I love Dim Sum. So much so, I tried it 3 times in South Florida. Either you can call me insane or deeply committed (wait, that could mean the same thing right?). So guess what we had for our first meal out the next morning on our return? Mexican. No. We paid a visit to Dai Tung, where it was only mediocre the last time I was there. But I suppose it would be extraordinary compared to Florida eh?
Despite our small party (Viv, myself and the kids), we managed to order 14 dishes starting with the... you guess it, Egg Tarts. I realize Chinese restaurants do not expedite dishes properly, but dessert first gets irritating sometimes. But I guess they were ready, so... Anyways, we liked them as they were flaky and buttery with a silky semi-sweet custard. Next up was the XO Daikon Pudding Cake. There was a good spice level to the dish from the XO sauce as well as a nice aroma from the dried scallops. The daikon cake itself was soft with a good amount of dried shrimp and sausage.
When the Fish Tofu with pea leaves arrived it was not exactly what we envisioned. And after taking a bite, it was definitely not what we were looking for. The fish tofu balls were pure mush with no redeeming texture. At least the pea leaves were okay, yet we regretted ordering this dish. Surprisingly, the Haw Gow were not very good. Instead of the hallmark buttery snap that is associated with the shrimp filling, this one was more meaty and dense. Furthermore, I thought it was one dimensional in flavour without much in the way of sesame oil nor white pepper. On the other hand, the dumpling skin was not bad being chewy and thin.
As for the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, it was afflicted with the same strangely texture shrimp. Not that it was terrible, but for me, it seemed like they didn't prepare it properly with enough cold-water rinsing. Maybe they meant to do this? If so, I didn't like it regardless. With that being said, the rice noodle was okay though being soft with some elasticity. Predictably, the bits of shrimp in the Sui Mai provided no snap to the dumpling whatsoever. The pork itself wasn't exactly exhibiting a bounce texture either as it was more meaty than anything. Flavours were good though with a nice balance including shiitake mushrooms.
Continuing on with the mound of food we didn't have a hope in finishing was the Black Bean Spareribs. Again, there was something amiss with the textures here where the meat was lacking bounce and chew. It was as if they over-marinated it to the point of it being too soft. Flavourwise, it was okay though with enough garlic and savoury elements. For the kiddies, we had to get the Lo Mei Gai. We found the rice slightly dry in parts, but the moisture from the ingredients made up for it. It is worth noting that there was a good ratio between sticky rice and meat. In terms of flavour, the entire thing was mildly seasoned.
Onto the weird portion (to some people) of Dim Sum, we had the Phoenix Talons (chicken feet, it sounds better with the dish name?). These were pretty good with soft tendon and fatty tissue (mmm... doesn't that sound good???) underneath moist fried skin. With hits of garlic and sweetness, it was seasoned nicely. As for the Tripe & Tendon, I found it a bit too flavourful. Possibly too much MSG and/or seasoning meant I needed offset that with lots of tea. Both were texturally fine though as the tendon was soft (while not melted) and the tripe was tender with some bite left.
Viv loves Potstickers and usually can't resist ordering them during Dim Sum despite the high chance of a let down. Typically, these are best eaten at a Shanghainese joint. To be fair, these were not bad with a nicely browned bottom and a mildly thick dumpling skin. The filling a little strange texturally, but did the job. We got a bowl of Minced Beef Congee for the kids, however, my son balked once he saw all the greens. I didn't mind the watercress since it added a certain brightness. On the other hand, that ensured the congee would become a touch watery at the end. Otherwise, it was not bad with tender morsels of beef and a relatively low-sodium content.
Our last 2 dishes consisted of Soy-Fried Rice Noodle Rolls and BBQ Pork Buns. I thought they did a decent job with the rice rolls as they were only mildly greasy. I would've liked a bit more caramelization though. The BBQ Pork Buns were a touch dry where the filling was pretty sweet. The meat was a mix between lean and fatty pieces of BBQ pork. At the end of the meal, I was a bit torn. It wasn't as if the food wasn't any good. Many of the dishes were prepared properly and the portion size generous. However, the hallmark dish (Haw Gow) was not that great. Considering how the prices are not exactly super cheap, I wouldn't necessarily line up to eat here.
