I like to have new experiences for my birthday. One year we went to blow glass. This year we had dimsum.
It was hilarious because none of us knew what we were doing. There were about 8 of us, so we all ordered what appealed to us and shared via the big lazy susan in the middle of our table. And boy did we order... when the waitress started delivering our food to the table, I thought it would never end.
Here's what I can remember:
HONG KONG STICKY RICE (Comforting blend of glutinous rice, sausage,
chicken, and mushrooms encased in lotus leaf): Our friend Aimee said that she had always wanted to try something wrapped in a leaf. She was delighted by this.
DEEP FRIED SESAME BALL (Golden, crispy shell covered in sesame seeds encases a sweet, chewy filling of red bean paste) I was hoping that our 7-year-old friend would like these. He did not. He didn't like much, but truthfully, I've known that kid for over a year and I don't think I have ever seen him eat more than three bites of anything at a time. I quite liked these though.
STUFFED EGGPLANT (Lightly fried tender eggplant stuffed with
flavorful shrimp paste served with savory sauce) Apparently I'm the only person in our group who likes eggplant, so I got all three of these. And I LOVED them. The shrimp paste reminded me of shrimp toast. The eggplant was so tender it melted in my mouth. It was glorious. I would definitely order these again.
BAKED BBQ PORK PUFF (Flaky pastry encases tender, flavorful BBQ pork) We ordered these when they ran out of the BBQ rolls, and they were equally delicious. That BBQ pork filling is sweet and moreish.
BAKED EGG TART (Flaky, buttery crust filled with smooth, creamy egg custard) Now some of our group understands where egg custard snowballs come from... inspired by the creamy filling in these tarts. So great!!
BAKED BBQ PORK BUNS (Soft and fluffy buns filled with a savory and slightly sweet BBQ pork mixture) The restaurant only had one serving of these (which are magnificent) so we ended up ordering three different barbecued pork dumplings including STEAMED PORK BUNS (Tender and fluffy buns filled with a flavorful and savory pork filling). ALL are worth ordering again
CHARCOAL & EGG YOLK BUNS (Soft and fluffy bun filled with rich and creamy egg yolk custard) beautiful and amazing. The yolk burst out of the dumpling, like a good egg over easy. I'm the only one who ate these. I think their black color was a bit scary for the others.
HONG KONG ROASTED DUCK (Succulent and flavorful Roasted Duck
with crispy skin and tender meat). I have duck for my birthday every year. This year I only had a taste because I was so excited to taste the dumplings and such. The duck is lovely, of course. Great cook on the skin.
HONEY GLAZED BBQ PORK (Tender slices of pork glazed with sweet and savory honey sauce). Oh yes. Glorious
There was also some kind of beef with wide noodles that reminded me of drunken noodles. I wasn't a fan of that.
Jeremy had three bowls of egg drop soup, but I found it bland. I've always been a hot and sour girl, myself.
We took home so many leftovers. I'm still unpacking the bags and discovering items I hadn't previously tasted, such as walnut shrimp.
I'm taking a star off because their soda machine was down, so I had water. The rest of the table had bubble teas or fruity tea.
The restaurant was fairly empty at 7pm on a Friday night. The service was flawless. I had a great time. I think the rest of our party also enjoyed the meal and the company. I would totally recommend DimSum Palace. read more