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.

More ...

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


^

I'm in the Mood for Dim Sum

I'm in the mood for dim sum! So let's share a delicious dish together.
Does anything below catch your fancy?

Chicken Feet from Elite in Monterey Park, CA

BBQ Pork Buns from Elite in Monterey Park, CA



Home Style Pancake from Elite in Monterey Park, CA

Glutinous Bitter Melon Rice Balls with Black Bean Paste from Happy Harbor in Rowland Heights

Sweet Great Fruit Flavor Cake from Elite in Monterey Park, CA

To check out my Flickr Photos (foodie and otherwise), please click here!

Introducing...The Dim Sum Food Truck

We all knew it had to happen sometime. With the proliferation of food trucks popping up left and right and having some pretty darn good dim sum restaurants in San Gabriel Valley, it was only a matter of time that those two thing would combine to form the Dim Sum Food Truck, owned and operated by Alex Chu. In February, I was part of a group of bloggers and other food truck owners who got invited to sample some of the tasty offerings from Alex's new venture.

More ...

We started off with their Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) and Shau Mai. Those shrimp dumplings were a fairly substantial size. They weren't kidding around. These har gow put a smile on my face as soon as I took a bite of that sweet shrimp. Sitting next to the har gow in the tray was the shau mai. The shau mai's wonton wrapper was filled to capacity with seasoned ground pork, chopped shrimp, water chestnuts and delicately topped with crab roe and it was simply meaty goodness. What totally blew me away was the garlic sauce that came with the har gow and shau mai. Made with granulated garlic, oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce and other secret ingredients, if I could have taken a jar (or three) home with me, I would have.

Up next were their BBQ Pork Bun and their Steamed Chicken and Mushroom Bun. Unfortunately, I wasn't overly impressed with the BBQ Pork Bun. The bun itself was a little bland, a little too dry and it felt like there was more bread than filling. As for the bbq pork, it was also a little on the bland side. It needed more flavor, more zing. However, I adored the Steamed Chicken and Mushroom Bun. The filling was moist and the use of ginger as one of the ingredients really made my taste buds happy.

My favorite dish of this sampling was their Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf. When I opened the leaf up, it released an enticing fragrance and I loved the ingredients which included pork, Chinese sausage, shrimp and mushrooms. You got a little salty, a little sweet, a little woodsy in every bite.

The last thing I tried was their Turnip Cake. I enjoyed how the top of it was crisped and the little hits of salt and pungency from the small dried shrimp that were spread throughout the cake. Unfortunately, I had to miss dessert because I had plans later on in the day, but overall, I think the Dim Sum truck is a great addition to the LA Food Truck Scene.

Since I didn't get a chance to talk to Alex at the event, he kindly answered some of my questions via email, so look below for a Q&A with Alex Chu.

Q&A with Alex Chu

What inspired you to start the Dim Sum Truck?

I’ve always been interested in food and how I can share my passion for different cuisines with others. Chinese food, especially dim sum, has been a part of my life growing up because it was a way for me to spend time with my family over a nice meal. One of my first paying jobs was also as a dim sum server at a fusion Chinese restaurant. I especially like the food truck business because it's fun and right now it's a huge trend in LA.

Therefore, I can probably get new people interested in trying dim sum. Those who traditionally won't drive to the San Gabriel Valley can try dim sum for the first time from my truck when it comes to their neighborhoods on the Westside. It makes me feel like I can change the landscape of food culture and acceptance and I'm proud to do that.

What is the inspiration for your truck design?

I thought of the logo and design and enlisted some designer friends to help create it. Just like the menu, the design is a mix of modern and traditional. Our logo is based on the ancient Chinese seals and red is the predominant color since that is the color of good fortune. Our
truck's background is a bamboo steamer's panel pattern.

Who developed the recipes?

We follow the traditional recipes used for the dim sum items, such as the steamed dumplings, buns, sticky rice, etc. For the garlic sauce, spicy black bean tofu mulita, and peking taco, I developed the recipes based on my personal tastes and favorites. For example, I love the flavor of cucumber and green onion with my duck so I made a tangy cucumber/green onion topper for the duck. The spicy black bean tofu mulita came about because I wanted a more creative vegetarian option. It's based on the mulitas I used to eat at La Taquiza by USC (where I went for undergrad).

Who or what inspired your recipes? What are you working on that's new right now?

Everything I eat and enjoy inspires the fusion items. We try to stay as close to the traditional recipes as possible for the steamed har gow, shau mai, buns and sticky rice to provide customers with the most authentic dim sum experience possible. We're working on a vegetarian dumpling that should be available soon!

How large are you planning to expand your menu to in regards to the number of items sold every day and specials?

We are going to stick with our current menu for now in terms of item count, but we might switch out a special or two for something unexpected, or something that's requested often. For example, we brought out chicken feet for our grand opening event at the Brig and another possible dessert special is a banana red bean puff.

Is everything prepared/cooked fresh everyday?

Yes! Everything is made fresh every morning before being brought onto the truck to finish steaming - same as a restaurant.

What is the farthest you are willing to drive your truck to?

We are currently going to stick to the greater Los Angeles County, limited by the truck itself and permit rules.

Do you plan to expand to a fleet of trucks eventually?

Hopefully! Or we may introduce a smaller "cart" that will be parked in a high foot-traffic zone for quick, steamed dim sum goodies.

The Dim Sum Truck is definitely on its way and one truck that I definitely think is worth chasing down.

Click here to check out the Dim Sum Truck Website!
Click here to follow the Dim Sum Truck on Twitter!



^

I'm In the Mood for Dim Sum

I'm in the mood for dim sum! So let's share a delicious dish together.

Does anything below catch your fancy?

Shrimp Dumplings
from Sea Harbor in Rosemead, CA


Steamed Taro Cake with Black Olives
from Happy Harbour in Rowland Heights, CA


Steamed Sticky Rice Sui Mui
from Mission 261 in San Gabriel, CA


Chilled Coconut and Taro Pudding
from Sea Harbor in Rosemead, CA


Custard Rabbit Dumplings
from Mission 261 in San Gabriel, CA

To check out my Flickr Photos (foodie and otherwise), please click here!

"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