"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at The Kitchen

Next up for the "Dim Sum of the Month Club" was The Kitchen in Alhambra. Sitting down at our table, I spotted something that already I've never seen before at Dim Sum, a call box. Yes, a call box. Hmmm...dim sum on demand?

I like that; however, with ordering from their picture menu in combination with the wait staff carrying around trays of food coming around on a fairly consistent business, we didn't do much buzzing. It did come in handy though when we wanted more water, tea and eventually the bill, but enough about the buzzer, let's talk food and be sure to read towards the end about my roast duck story.

For this dim sum excursion, we checked out 15 different dishes. You're not going to get new wave fusion concoctions at The Kitchen, but what you will get is food that just tastes pretty darn good. Examples included their Chive and Shrimp Dumplings. The won ton skin was delicately transculent; yet, managed to help the fillings retain a nice hit of moisture. Taking a bite, you get sweet shrimp complimented by grassy chives, all in a nicely wrapped juicy package.

Another standout was the Shui Mai with Crab Meat. In simple words, succulent and delicious. Enough said. Being a turnip fan, I'm always on the lookout for pan-fried turnip, but this time, we opted for the Soft Turnip Cake with Scallops. I'm not sure where the cake reference came from, because it looked more like scalloped potatoes in a bowl. Regardless, I liked the dish's smooth texture, with the flavor of the onions and scallops keeping it from being too plain tasting.

In the scheme of things, there's nothing really special about Chinese broccoli, but up to this point, this was the only dim sum place I been to where they actually cut them in half for smaller portions. For those of you who know the struggle of trying to bite off a piece of this sometimes long vegetable while using chopsticks, I think you'd appreciate that little nicety.

One item that was a bit unusual were their green tea dumplings and of course, we had to order that for the table. When it arrived, it had a greenish-white bumpy exterior. I took a bite and was surprised that the black sesame filling was runny and although I liked the slightly bitterness of the green tea dumpling paired with the sweetness of the black sesame filling, that runny filling was a little off putting.

Now we get to my roast duck story. We were craving it but it wasn't on the menu and when we asked our waiter about it, he said that it won't be available until later in the day. I guess he must have sensed that we were really disappointed, because about 10 minutes later, the manager came over. After just a little persuasion and maybe because he felt bad looking at our woebegone faces, he actually decided to call one of his chefs to come in early just to make roast duck for us. Now that's service. Of course it may have also helped that I brought in a group of 20, so he was looking for good word of mouth.

He certainly got that after our duck showed up on our tables about an hour later. Let me tell you, the begging and the wait was worth it. I've had my share of roast duck over time, but this was one of the best I've ever had. The skin was golden and crispy and the duck meat was tender and juicy. My mouth is just watering thinking about it.

Overall, I enjoyed the dim sum at The Kitchen and when a restaurant goes out of their way to take care of their customer wishes, that goes a long way in my book.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603920629839/

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

"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at New Capital Seafood

Next up for the "Dim Sum of the Month Club" was New Capital Seafood in Rowland Heights! Awhile back, I read about this tasty dim sum restaurant from Elmomonster's Blog, Monster Munching and ever since then, I really wanted to check it out and I finally got my chance.

To start, New Capital is extremely busy, but even though there were people packed like sardines both in front of the restaurant and inside the waiting room, our group of 10 didn't have to wait too long before we got seated. Once we got to our table, the onslaught started. Those carts came from everywhere, from the left, from the right, etc. I wouldn't have been surprised if they even floated from the ceiling. Of course, at the first sight of steaming dishes, we pounced.

Considering that all the dim sum dishes were under $2, it was easy to get carried away. When the dust settled, we had ordered 19 savory dishes and 5 desserts, with multiple orders of most of them, adding up to over 50 dishes. Even with tax and tip, our group of ten each paid only $13. Yes, $13! I had to re-calculate just to make sure that I didn't make a mistake. You may think that with such a value, the food may not have been as up to par, but in this case, you'd be mistaken.

While I liked some items better than others, for the most part, everything that was served to us was pretty good. Some of my favorites included the Chiu Chow Dumplings, which had a nice crunchy vegetable filling and the breaded shrimp paste with sugar cane inserts with its light crispy texture on the outside. Other items I'd want to order again were the mini burgers which had a pork patty topped with crisp cabbage, the steamed fish paste that was stuffed partially into what I think was bitter melon and also the leek/chive dumplings.

As for what was more forgettable, I'd say that both the BBQ and steamed pork buns were nothing that special. Generally, I'd rather skip them myself and go for more of the unique items, but I can also understand why like a pair of comfortable shoes, people may want to have dishes that are familiar before diving into foods that are more unrecognizable to the eyes and the palate.

Overall, New Capital Seafood became one of my favorite Dim Sum places that morning. When you consider price, value and quality, you really do get a bang for your buck. Also, the sheer variety of dishes was amazing. Even as we were standing up and walking away from the table, I saw foods coming out of the kitchen that weren't present earlier. I was almost tempted to sit back down for more dim sum, but reason prevailed. For those of you on the Westside, Rowland Heights may be quite a trip to make, but if you're in the neighborhood, you should definitely stop by. You may find that New Capital Seafood may actually be worth the drive anyway.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603344694750/

New Capital Seafood
1330 Fullerton Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 581-9813

"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at Ocean Star Seafood Restaurant

In May, Ocean Star was the fifth place I visited as a part of my 12 month odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. Previous visits were to Triumphal Palace, Capital Seafood, Sea Harbour and Mission 261.

At Ocean Star, it's all about the carts and there were quite a few bustling around the tables on the morning we were there. Unfortunately, even with all the carts, there wasn't much variety in their dim sum offerings. In fact, I can safely say that my dim sum at Ocean Star was one of the most boring dining experiences I've ever had.

Of course, there are certain "staples" you expect to see and order, like shrimp har gow, shu mai and flat rice noodles, but there's also the expectation or hope that you'll get to try items that you have never sampled before, especially in a group setting, when it's easier to be more adventurous. Don't get me wrong. Nothing tasted bad, but when all you get is plate after plate of items that look similar in color and shape and certainly didn't impress taste-wise, that's pretty disappointing. Considering that we had 15 dishes, saying that almost nothing stood out is kind of sad.

I guess if I had to point out some positives, I'd say that the pork and shrimp shau mai wasn't bad. I remember biting into it and tasting a bit of the pork juices which gave the shau mai a nice meaty flavor. I remember liking the chewy texture of the noodle wrapped crullers. I also liked the seafood dumpling, although please don't ask me what the filling is because I can't recollect it.

Other than that, both versions (steamed and fried) of the BBQ pork buns didn't have a lot of filling and seemed dry. The soup in the xia long baos was MIA. One food item had a "cute" factor since it was shaped like a chick, but cuteness wasn't enough because people didn't even finish it after they took a bite of it. Dessert choices were limited and two of the ones we ordered had the same filling, so no originality there, that's for sure. Whatever else I didn't mention was just okay.

Even as we were leaving and I saw that dim sum carts were now including dishes that weren't available earlier in the morning, there was still nothing that wowed me. Everything still looked all the same to me. Would I go back to Ocean Star? Probably not. There are just way too many better dim sum restaurants out there to choose from.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601980813558/

Ocean Star Seafood Restaurant
145 N Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 308-2128

"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at Mission 261

In April, Mission 261 was the fourth place I visited as a part of my 12 month odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. Previous visits were to Triumphal Palace, Capital Seafood and Sea Harbour.

At Mission 261, there are no carts. Instead, you order from a picture menu that offers a pretty good variety of steamed and pan-fried items as well as congee and more specialty items that can only be ordered after 10:30 am.

Our meal included 12 different items. 9 were savory dishes and 3 were desserts. Of the 9 savory dishes, 3 really stood out for me. First, there was the Steamed Sticky Rice Sui Mui. Wrapped in a tofu skin, the filling included the sticky rice, bits of Chinese sausage and green onion. It was a delicious combination of flavors and textures.

The second item is something that many may find a bit too glutinous, but I enjoyed the fact that it was a bit gooey anyway. It's referred to as an Imperial Dumpling and it's wrapped in a banana leaf with a pork filling.

Then out came one of the more unique dumplings on the menu which were the Steamed Abalone Mushroom Dumplings. By the way, these dumplings were green. Don't ask me why because I don't know why, but I just don't want you to be surprised if you decide to order them yourself and you really should order them. Not only is the filling substantial, it was was moist and tasty as well.

As for the other 6 savory items, while 2 of them were fine as they were, I was disappointed in varying degrees with the rest of them. Both the Shrimp Har Gow and the Pan Fried Shrimp and Chives Sten Cakes that we ordered were on the dry side. The Fried Rice Noodles with Greens and Beef was really greasy and the Steamed Rice Pancakes with Dried Shrimp and Scallion was really bland. All the dishes were beautifully presented, but if they aren't tasty, what's the point?

What I found interesting about this whole dim sum experience was that it was really the desserts that were the stars of the show. Those desserts were the Sweetened Sago Pudding with Green Tea Flavor, the Sweetened Chrysanthemum and Red Bean Pudding and the Rabbit Dumpling.

What I like about the Sago Pudding was that it was light, delicate and cool, perfect for warm weather. As for the Chrysanthemum and Red Bean Pudding, I liked that the red bean filling wasn't overly sweet and I also enjoyed the eating texture of the chrysanthemum leaves that were embedded in the top layer of this dessert.

As for the rabbit dumplings, they were almost too cute to eat. The presentation of these shaped dumplings definitely made an impression. Once you take a bite though, be prepared for a little mini explosion of custard in your mouth. It's that substantial custard filling that gives the rabbit dumpling its shape, after all.

To end, I wouldn't say that I'd go out of my way to come back to Mission 261 nor would I go out of my way to avoid it either. I really like the elegant setting and appreciated the lovely presentation of the food. Taste-wise; however, I know that there are other better options for me and Mission 261 wouldn't even be in my top 3.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601978095784/

Mission 261
261 S Mission Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 588-1666

"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at Sea Harbour

In March, Sea Harbour was the third place I visited as a part of my year long odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. The first two dim sum restaurants were Triumphal Palace and Capital Seafood. I have to say that of all the Dim Sum restaurants I've been to in the past, not including the two I mentioned above, this is the first time I have ever experienced Dim Sum Nirvana.

Now I can't say that I was in love with each and everyone of the 17 different items our group ordered, but except for 2 noodle dishes which I found to be too greasy, a cold cut platter which I wouldn't normally order on my own anyway and prawn skewers that I found to be bland, everything else was absolutely delicious.

Of the remaining 13 dishes, 5 really stood out for me. First, there was the baked BBQ buns. Usually, I don't go out of my way to order baked BBQ buns unless it's a group consensus. You can generally get those buns at most Chinese bakeries so I don't consider them a big deal. What I don't tend to like about BBQ buns is that the bread portion of the meat bun can be a little heavy at times and generally, you get more bread than actual filling.

However, the Sea Harbor version's meat bun had a bread that was surprisingly light and there was something almost more delicate about these BBQ buns than I've seen elsewhere. Also, when you take a bite, you immediately get a bite of the delicious meat filling unlike other BBQ buns I've had in the past where I had to take a couple bites of bread before even getting close to the center of the bun where all the action really is.

The second dish was something I've never had before and it was eggplant stuffed with shrimp paste. This was actually my favorite dish of the morning. Since I love eggplant, this dish already sold itself before I even tasted it, but when I took my first bite, it was heavenly. The creamy texture of the cooked eggplant and the shrimp paste which had a slight pungency to it was just a great combo. I could have easily polished off a couple of plates on my own without any thought to sharing them with anyone else at the table.

Along with the BBQ meat buns and eggplant dish above, I also really enjoyed the sticky rice wrapped with lotus leaf. Between the sweetness of the rice and the slight saltiness of the pork in the rice, I got the the perfect world of sweet and savory in every bite.

The last two items on my highlighted list are two desserts. The first is the Chilled Coconut and Taro Pudding. What I liked about this item was that it was really cool and refreshing and that it was delicately sweet. I really think it's a great summer dessert for those days when it gets so hot that this little dessert may actually be a sweet way to cool you down (at least for a little while).

The last dessert was the Glutinous Rice Ball with Bitter Melon. As soon as I saw that dessert, I just knew I had to try it. Having had bitter melon before and knowing that it indeed can get bitter, I was interested to see how it would turn out as a dessert. I'm assuming that the bitter melon was incorporated in the rice ball itself since the filling of this rice ball was a sweet sesame paste. What was interesting was that I could taste the bitter melon but I didn't taste any of its bitterness. Instead, there was kind of nutty flavor to the rice ball that was interesting, but very appealing. All I know is that when I return to Sea Harbour, I'm definitely going to order this bitter melon dessert again.

Overall, I absolutely loved Seafood Harbour and it definitely is tops on my list. I can see why it's a Dim Sum restaurant popular with so many other people as well. I'm just glad to see that in this case, I actually visited a restaurant that lived up to the hype.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157600174272649/

Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant
3939 Rosemead Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 288-3939

"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at Capital Seafood

In February, Capital Seafood was the second place I visited as a part of my 12 month odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. Compared to Triumphal Palace, which was the first in the series, Capital Seafood is all about the carts. No ordering off the menu at this ornate Dim Sum Palace.

Instead, it's a rush to arms - literally, as you try to wave down as many speeding carts as possible. When you prevail, you almost want to do a little happy dance. But do you? Heck no. That would take too much time from getting to the next cart coming down the pipeway.

Anyway, enough trash cart talk, let's get on to the food. For the outing at Capital Seafood, we tried out 15 different dishes. We had the standard fare of shrimp har gow, egg rolls, pork shau mai, spare rib, which were all quite tasty. However, there were some items that I personally never had at Dim Sum before so I'm going to speak to those specific dishes.

First, other than Chinese broccoli slathered with oyster sauce, I rarely see other veggie items at Dim Sum, but12 month odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. Compared to Triumphal Palace, which was the first in the series, Capital Seafood is all about the carts. No ordering off the menu at this ornate Dim Sum Palace. Instead, it's a rush to arms - literally, as you try to wav this time around, our group picked up a record two non-Chinese broccoli items. One of them seemed to be a plate of pickled baby cucumbers. I wasn't sure what the other veggie dish was, but it reminded me of nopales. Both veggies had a great crunch and really added a fresh new dimension to my dim sum experience.

Speaking of crunch, something else I tried for the first time was a deep fried taro and pork dumpling. The deep fried taro coating reminded me of French fried onions and I really enjoyed the reedy crispy texture in my mouth. A couple of other things to note were the pineapple chicken bun and the mango shrimp. The pineapple was actually more of dried powdery substance on the top of the bun itself, which I didn't think added anything to the chicken bun. In fact, maybe, if there was pineapple mixed in with the chicken, the pineapple chicken bun would have been more appetizing, but as it was, it was dry.

The mango shrimp, which was rolled into a sesame topped wrapper, on the other hand, was really good. The sweetness of the shrimp and the slightly tart, juiciness of the mango were a perfect combo. I'd actually climb over carts to make sure that this dish hit my table.

After having gone through 13 Dim Sum dishes, we even managed to fit in dessert. One was the green tea ball and to be honest, I don't remember what it tasted like, but I'll never forget the sight of this glowing alien green ball on my plate and I think it tasted okay, too. Then then there was the dreaded (for some) durian pastry. Durian is known as the "stinky fruit" and is a definite acquired taste, but being a durian lover, any form it comes in, I'm happy to partake in.

Overall, I really enjoyed the food at Capital Seafood. Not only were there things I've never tried before, they also tasted great. Since new and good don't always go hand in hand, I really do look forward to checking out Capital Seafood another time to see what else this restaurant has to offer.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594561005651/

Capital Seafood
755 W. Garvey Avenue
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 282-3318

"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