27 Dim Sum Dishes at Lunasia AKA I Guess We Were Really Hungry!

When it comes to dim sum, I count myself pretty lucky that I live in San Gabriel Valley. Whenever I'm in the mood for shau mai and dumplings, the question is not where to find a good dim sum restaurant, but which one to choose. Whether it's cart, menu-driven or both, you're bound to find dim sum restaurants that will make for a very deliciously happy morning. For this particular post, it's all about Lunasia where my group tried 27 different dishes. I've actually just amazed myself seeing the number of dishes typed in front of me. 27 different dishes? After recounting, it still stayed at 27 dishes. I guess we were just very hungry that morning.

At the Lunasia, you choose your dim sum items from a menu and once you turned in your checked-off list, the bounty begins. A sign of a good dim sum restaurant worth visiting shows in whether or not they can properly execute staple menu items like their shau mai, bbq pork buns and shrimp har gow. All three dishes were solid. Nothing to complain about.

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My group of 12 must have been craving rice noodle dishes, because we ordered three different ones. The shrimp rice noodles were definitely plump with sweet, juicy shrimp while the vegetarian rice noodles were filled with crunchy, tasty vegetables.

We also ordered the cilantro rice noodles which were just plan rice noodles that were rolled with the cilantro so that the herb was inside as well on top of the noodles. Unfortunately, it was a bit on the bland side, which is surprising because of the cilantro itself. I think if they had been more aggressive in adding more cilantro, the noodles would have had a nice bite to them.

The Sweet Pumpkin Pie interested quite a few people. What I was thinking in my head is not what actually arrived at our table. But then, one thing I've noticed and I'm sure all of you as well, is that the English translation on Chinese menus (or any other Ethnic menus) doesn't always translate well. This version of a pumpkin pie was a glutinous pumpkin dumpling filled with a red bean paste, topped with sesame seeds and not a pie with crust that some might envision. It was good and not overly sweet, which is my preference.

Foie Gras Dumplings? "Yes, please," said many a hopeful face at my table. Of course, how could I refuse and I must say that these dumplings were a pretty package tied with a green onion strand and topped with fish roe. As for how it tasted, it got mixed reviews. Some liked it and some didn't, but I'm not much of a foie gras eater in general, so I could take it or leave it.

More noodles again and this time it was Steamed Noodles with Spare Ribs. The noodles had a nice firm texture and the meat added a bit of flavor to them. Nothing mind-bending, but tasty for what it was.

The same could be said for the Chinese Broccoli. How crazy can you get with it after all? It's a classic dish that's good to offset some of the carbs that everyone is usually consuming at Dim Sum.

Here's a warning for you. Don't order Soup Dumplings at a restaurant that doesn't specialize in them. I'm not sure how it happened, but we ordered them at Lunasia and it ended in disappointment. There was little to no soup in any of those dumplings, so don't bother wasting your calories or money on them.

Another dish you should avoid is the Taro Cake with Chinese Sausage. That cake was really dry. Many of us just ended picking off the sausage and eating that instead.

I've rarely been disappointed by Lotus Wrapped Sticky Rice regardless of what Chinese restaurant I've ordered it at and that meal was no exception. The rice was appropriately sticky and absorbed all the great flavor from the pork and shrimp that it was cooked with.

The Tofu with Abalone Sauce was also tasty and enjoyed by all.

For most people, dim sum isn't dim sum without Phoenix Feet, better known as Chicken Feet. In my case, chicken feet is just not for me, but we did end up ordering Poached Chicken Feet and it wasn't well liked. The cold temperature of the feet and its rubbery texture wasn't too appealing.

Two dishes that were similarly prepared and that everyone really enjoyed were the Salt and Pepper Diced Fried Chicken Wings and Salt and Pepper Tofu. Both were cooked to crispy perfection, with the pepper adding a nice spice factor to both dishes.

Be sure to order the Macau Roast Pork Belly. The skin was crisped just right and the pork was meaty, fatty and juicy.

Speaking of crispy, the Bacon Ginger Scallion Pie had a lovely crunch to it, although I didn't taste as much of the ginger as I would have liked.

The Duck Pie should also make your list. It had a nice flaky pastry with a flavorfully marinated duck filling.

To round up the last of the savory dishes we tried out were three dishes that honestly weren't that memorable to me, although I can't say that I disliked them, so they must have tasted fine at the time. Those dishes included Sauteed Eggplant, Braised Chilean Sea Bass (which was actually more fried than braised)and Pork Meatballs

Finally, it's dessert time. First, there was the obligatory Mango Pudding, which is usually a must order. I didn't try any so I can't speak for how good it tasted.

My favorite dessert was actually Wolf Berry Cake which was more of a Jello than anything else. Wolf Berries are known as Goji Berries, but we're talking more pieces of berries as opposed to whole berries. I enjoyed it because it was light and refreshing, a welcome change from all the heavier aspects of our meal.

I also liked the Honey Sugar Cane Cake, which reminded me of a rum cake, because of it being drenched in either honey or sugar or both. It was a little sweet, but had a raisin-y taste that I thought was appealing.

We also had a Durian Cake which was more like a durian filled pastry. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of it. Can you believe it? Although it had the durian flavors I liked, the pastry itself was a little try for my taste.

Overall, this is my second visit to Lunasia and I enjoyed the dim sum this time just as much as the first time. When you also consider that we ate our way through 27 dishes and found only a minimal number of objectionable dishes, that's pretty darn good in my estimation. Just note that the service can be slow at times, but sometimes you just have to be aggressive (but still polite) when asking for what you want and generally, you'll get what you need.

Lunasia
500 W. Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 308-3222


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"Where's the Flavor?" at Cuban Bistro

Remember that popular Wendy's commercial where the innocent looking grandmother would spout, "Where's the beef?" Well, substitute the word "beef" with "flavor" and that's the question I asked myself after a meal at Cuban Bistro one evening with my niece. Granted, I didn't go in with high expectations in the first place. I've never read glowing reviews about this restaurant before and although my niece, who wanted to go to Cuban Bistro, said the food was really good, let's just say that our culinary tastes are very different. However, I always keep an open mind so off we went.

Our meal started with complimentary buttered toasted bread. A nice little starter and a welcome change from just getting rolls. Then the first of the two appetizers I ordered arrived and it was the potato balls stuffed with ground beef. The ground beef could have used a bit more seasoning and the potatoes could have been a bit fluffier, but still not bad. Next were the chicken empanadas, which seemed a bit heavy to me. The chicken filling was okay, but I would have liked the empanada to be a little lighter and flakier.

Now it's time for the two mains. Ropa Vieja for me and Garlic Half Chicken for my niece. Texturally, I enjoy ropa vieja because I like the chewiness of the meat and in that, this dish delivered, which is about the only good thing I can say. When it came to flavor, I got close to zilch. It felt like the whole dish was just cooked in a tomato broth. I did add some salt, lots of pepper, but neither really enhanced my meal.

Curious, I sampled a little bit of the Garlic Half Chicken and while my niece was enjoying her meal, I couldn't for the life of me understand why. Just looking at her dish, I was expecting to see some garlic cloves, but there was none. I was expecting to taste garlic in the marinade that this chicken may have been soaking in earlier, but my tastebuds went away disappointed.

With appetizers that were just okay and entrees that were beyond disappointing, I didn't even want to try any of the desserts although some of them looked appealing just because I didn't want to deal with a triple strike.

Overall, the answer to "Where's the flavor?" is definitely not to be found at Cuban Bistro.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157604218620393/

Cuban Bistro
28 W Main St
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 308-3350

www.cubanbistro.com

Indo Kitchen

Over the years, I've definitely eaten my share of Indonesian food. While I've always enjoyed it, it wasn't until I had dinner at Indo Kitchen one night that I was really wowed. I was there to participate in a "tasting." Someone in our party was going to be hosting a holiday dinner featuring Indonesian dishes and since she didn't have much experience with that cuisine, she wanted some help choosing the right foods to serve. Suffice to say that we had quite a feast - a feast of 14 dishes, believe it or not.

Except for the Beef Rendang, which I found to be lacking in zing, the majority of the dishes were wonderful, but even then, I definitely had my favorites. Our meal started with Gado Gado which is an Indonesian salad with tofu, egg, veggies, shrimp chips topped with a peanut sauce. Whenever I've had this dish in the past, it's always been a disappointment. I think a lot of it had to do with the sauce. Either the sauce was too thick, too thin and/or just lacked punch. I've also had Gado Gado where it was made up of primarily lettuce which the sauce would make limp. Yuck!

Indo Kitchen's Gado Gado; however, was a hit with me. First, I liked the use of cabbage and other crunchy veggies like bean sprouts and green beans. The eating texture was just so much fun. The peanut sauce was also amazing. Its consistency was just right because it clung to the ingredients as opposed to being absorbed by them. Also, you can definitely tell that more than peanuts went into the sauce, evident by the various spice specks mixed into its liquid goodness, which definitely contributed to a more flavorful kick to your palate.

The other must-try is their Ayum Bumbu which is a crispy seasoned chicken. My oh my! A part of me wonders if they double fry this poultry dish because the crispiness of the skin was beyond words plus after taking your first bite, you may be an addict for life. How can you not be addicted to a food that is coated with ground spices, nuts and garlic and than deep fried? Those little crispy bits that were falling onto my plate as I bit into my chicken leg were quickly picked up with slightly oily fingertips, also to be consumed. They were just that tasty and not to be wasted.

With my Filipino palate, I always enjoy more sour and tart foods. In fact, my favorite Filipino soup is called Sinigang which usually is made up of a tamarind-based broth. At Indo Kitchen, you can order their Tamarind Soup. After doing some online research, I discovered that young tamarind tends to be more on the tart side and I can definitely say that describes Sinigang to a tee; however, ripened tamarind, while still retaining some sourness, is also sweeter. Now I know why my first spoonful of the Tamarind Soup was so surprising. Instead of the tartness, I got to enjoy a different flavor profile of the tamarind which I've never experienced before: sweet and sour.

The other dish that made my evening was the Tahu Campur, which is egg with tofu and cabbage in a peanut dressing. The Tahu Campur was actually a pretty simple dish with the egg, made into an omelet, covering the tofu and cabbage on the plate, but I liked how the omelet was browned and a little crispy at the edges. Add the crunchy cabbage, the spongy tofu plus the awesome peanut sauce, also used in the Gado Gado we had previously and what you get is an egg dish that you, more than likely, won't see in your local Denny's.

As for dessert, we three different kinds, but the Ice Cendol which includes mung bean jelly in palm sugar and coconut milk, was what put a smile on my face. I could easily see myself downing the Ice Cendol on a hot summer day, but even in what California classifies as winter, this dessert drink is still a sweet way to end your meal.

Overall, I really enjoyed Indo Kitchen and am looking forward to a return visit so that I can do even more Indonesian Cuisine exploring.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603500650396/

Indo Kitchen
5 N 4th St
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-1676

"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at Triumphal Palace

January became the start of my 12 month odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. My trip started last month with Triumphal Palace in Alhambra.

Triumphal Palace is one of the Dim Sum restaurants where dim sum is ordered off a menu versus getting them off runaway carts. This is only my second experience with ordering off a menu and I have to say that I really prefer it that way. With carts, it sometimes feels like you're a mad dog rushing after a speeding cat. You either catch it or you get completely left behind. Now how frustrating is that? At least, with a menu, you'll definitely get what you order eventually. Anyway, on to the food.

My dim sum that morning consisted of 15 various dishes. Of the 15, there are two I would never order again. One was the House Special Dumpling in Supreme Soup Stock. I didn't taste the soup so I can't speak to it, but that Special Dumpling was definitely not that special. It was rubbery. Enough said.

I also didn't fare well with the Shanghai-Style Dumplings. With them being referred to as Shanghai-Style, I was expecting "juicy" dumplings, but I should have lowered my expections because there was really no broth to be found.

Of the 10 left that were savory options, 4 stood out for me. One was the Rice Noodle with Hot and Sweet Sauce. I loved the duality of sauce flavors and I liked the fact that the noodles weren't sticky-starchy and had a nice smooth eating texture to them.

Second was the deep fried chicken wings. The skin was golden and crispy and the chicken had a tanginess-hotness to it that I liked a lot. Third was the deep fried shrimp in seaweed roll. Deep fried seaweed is quite crunchy and when combined with deep fried shrimp, it's quite easy to enjoy every bite of this fun pairing.

Last was the Sticky Rice in Lotus Wrap. The rice was moist and had just the right consistency of being "sticky" without being over done. As for the flavor, I appreciated both the sweetness of the rice as well as the savory aspect of the meat and sauce that was part of the rice.

As for the 3 desserts we shared, one item caught us by surprise. We ordered a "Sweet Sesame Ball" and was expecting the round sesame-coated bread balls with some kind of sweet bean paste and got something not fitting that description.

Instead, what came to us were these three "dough-like" spheres coating with something powdery and inside was more of a runny black bean liquid. Interesting flavor, but not what we were looking for.

Overall, when looking at my Dim Sum experience at Triumphal Palace, I'd say that our Dim Sum choices were for the most part, good solid dishes. While I did have my favorites, there wasn't anything in particular that would make me want to take a special Dim Sum trip back to Triumphal Palace at this point.

Perhaps a second visit with different menu choices will garner me a better culinary experience, but for now, Triumphal Palace wasn't quite the triumph for me just yet.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594513194427/

Triumphal Palace
500 W Main St
Alhambra, CA 91899
(626) 308-3222

The Kitchen in Alhambra

With all the buzz I was hearing about The Kitchen, I decided to check it out with a couple of friends last month. Upon entering the space, I felt like I was the whole room was awash in this yellow light and in fact, it was. I heard that the Kitchen was an off-shoot of an upscale Hong Kong restaurant that's based up North. Upscale in decor, it certainly wasn't, but then I was there for the food.

With only three of us, we stuck with 5 entrees. Unfortunately, while I love my two friends dearly, they're not always very adventurous when it comes to dining, so while there were quite a few items on the menu I would have liked to try, we kept it simple.

The first dish that hit the table was the Crispy Roasted Chicken. Nothing fancy, but I really liked that the chicken skin was brown and indeed, crispy. The chicken was nicely cooked and not dry and over-cooked.

Surprisingly I was able to get them to agree to the Bitter Melon Salad, which followed the chicken. The bitter melon was perfect. Not too bitter to render it inedible, but still had a nice bite of flavor to it. The dried salted fish that topped the veggies probably also helped cut down the bitterness as well.

A few minutes later, the Golden Seafood with Tender Green Soup joined the other two dishes on the table. Very yin and yan presentation. The soup was very thick and bland, but the addition of soy sauce added some much needed saltiness to it. I wish I could tell you what the soup was made of exactly. We ended up just ordering it, but didn't really ask what it was. Hmmm...maybe, my two friends were actually more adventurous than I thought.

The last two dishes consisted of the Chinese Broccoli with garlic and the Fried Rice (Fujian Style). The Chinese Broccoli was unusual in that it was actually cut smaller which definitely made for easier eating; however, more garlic would have given it more flavor. The Fujian Style Fried Rice which is basically fried rice topped with a dried scallop gravy was pretty good. The sauce had a little sweetness to it and it actually reminded me of Japanese curry.

In general, I wasn't wowed by anything in particular, but than it could also be because we didn't go out on the limb and choose some of the more exotic dishes. The menu interested me enough that I might go back another time and maybe, next time, I'll get more of that wow factor.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594498638908/

The Kitchen
203 W. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA
626-289-4828