Came here for lunch on Easter Sunday after reading the good reviews on yelp, with a massive craving…read morefor Chinese food. Needless to say, we left very very pleased.
The restaurant was almost empty when we got there at 2:20, except for a French man eating alone, and the lady boss and waitress sitting at the back chatting. (We later learned that they actually close at 2:30 and open again for dinner, and were quite impressed that they served us like any other customer and didn't try to hurry us along, as many other Chinese restaurants would). They seem very accommodating. A pair of Chinese girls came in at around 3pm and were told the kitchen was closed but after hearing they really wanted Chinese food, said they could order some dumplings. (Since they just need to be boiled, I guess).
We ordered the dumplings too, Chinese broccoli (kai lan), zha jiang mian, and suan la tang (sour and spicy soup, €3.80/bowl, which isn't on the menu). The soup came first and it was one of the best I've had. I don't know why it isn't on the menu. It should be! It had all the right ingredients, bamboo shoots, black fungus, tofu, chicken (which was so tender and tasty), etc, and the flavours were very well balanced. It was as spicy and sour as it should be and I didn't feel like I needed to add more of either--a first!
Next was the vegetables. I was expecting quite a small plate (a sensible portion for 2 people), but what we got was enough for at least 5 people! Great, since it was €9. I thought the kai lan would come in oyster sauce but the sauce was instead a little vinegary like what you'd get with steamed fish, still very tasty though!
The dumplings and zha jiang mian came just after the veg, and THE DUMPLINGS ARE GREAT. Mum said it was one of the best she's had (for this sort of dumpling). I agree. They're not the meatiest dumplings but they are seasoned perfectly and the texture of the skin is just right--not doughy and not overcooked, with just enough bite. It's very no frills and comes just boiled with vinegar on the side. From what I can tell, the seem homemade.
The zha jiang mian was also very good. Flavoured just right, it's black bean-y without being too salty, and the noodles have a nice bite. The only thing stopping me from giving this place 5 stars is that I wish the sauce had a bit more meat! The portion is huge and mum and I couldn't finish it even though we shared, you really get your money's worth.
The bill came up to about €34, which seems quite reasonable to me considering we ate till we were stuffed. As we left, we chatted with the lady boss (in Mandarin) for a bit and I was already thinking about when I'll next be in Paris so I can bring my friends here. It's that good.
You can sometimes hear people singing karaoke downstairs, which was quite amusing and not too bothersome. Feel like it's almost part of the authentic Chinese experience, haha. CASH ONLY BTW.