Now that I have been living in Santa Rosa for 2 years, I feel the need to update this review.
First off, as of the writing of this review, Hang Ah is still the ONLY dim sum restaurant in all of North Bay. That includes Marin, Santa Rosa, Sonoma etc.
And I still stand by what I said previously, it is quite decent. Is it the best dim sum in the world? No, for sure not. But, the fact that there is ONE and it is passably good, is amazing!
Especially for those of us who are Chinese (and even more specifically, Cantonese) or asian living in the area. So I will say once again: if you are from San Francisco and you're passing by wine tasting, just be aware that it's not like the best in the world. If you've had all star dim sum, this isn't that, but it's SOMETHING. And for us living out here, it is amazing.
I wanted to update my review because previously, I hadn't come for dinner. And for this gal, who was born in Hong Kong, having a place to have legit, real, cantonese style dishes brings so me so much gratitude.
I've always had a complicated relationship with my Hong Kong heritage, but as I age, and heal, I've become more nostalgic and longing for that home taste.
And so, to have a place that serves that in the town we've decided to settle in -- I just thank the heavens, because, it's not a given!
Just to be clear, most Chinese American food is not what I grew up eating. Some of it is real Chinese food and some of it is not. And some of it is from other regions of China adapted to be Chinese American.
Cantonese cuisine originates in Hong Kong and southern china. It's where dim sum comes from, but dinner has its own unique flavors too.
Highlights:
-Stir-fried Yi Mein - I get a slight cred nod by the staff when I order this, because no one else knows what the heck this is unless you're in-the-know. It's really quite a simple dish (if you get the plain). Yi mein is a kind of fluffy-ish noodle. Fluffier than your standard egg noodle, thinner than udon. It's stir-fried simply with some green onions, shitake mushrooms, and sprouts. It's stir fried with a light sauce, but not covered. It's strangely addictive. Until I had it here, I hadn't had yi mein in probably 10 years. It totally transported me. This is like deep menu stuff. Give it a try!
-Soy-sauce stir-fried egg noodles - You can get this at lunch as well because it's on the dim sum menu. I have a specific memory of eating this in HK when I was very young. When you go to the beach, there are street vendors carrying bamboo buckets of this, and you can get some in a newspaper. This dish is simple like the yi mein. Stir-fried with sprouts and green onions and soy sauce. (Doesn't come in newspaper here) But just as delicious and addictive.
-Eggplant and chicken with salted fish claypot - Warning: salted fish is not for everyone. Salted fish is a dried cured fish, that is then cut into little pieces and thrown into certain dishes like this one. It gives it an incredible umami taste that is quite fishy, but again, not for everyone. For example, my husband likes it, but my ex did not. (Both white and adventurous eaters). So try it at your own peril. This dish is not easily found, so I can't help it. They also have the cantonese classic, chicken and salted fish fried rice. Haven't had their version yet, but I'm sure I will crave it at some point and must get it.
-House claypot - Seafood + cha siu + fried tofu. Incredible. The fried tofu was the star, it's exactly how you want it to taste. Soft on the inside, and the outside absorbs all the sauce. (Can't wait to try their eggplant + tofu claypot!) ....And the seafood is done perfectly. Squid is not overly chewy, etc. The only thing is I wish there was more sauce, much of the liquid thickened up in the hot claypot. It was a shrimp paste umami bomb of the first order. Just saying.
Other notables: stir-fried peashoots, roasted duck (superb!), turnip cake is simple but addictive, rice-noodle wrapped donut (not what it's called on the menu, it's on the dim sum menu)
It's honestly hard for me to not get what was mentioned above, so I haven't made it that far in the menu because I come back and just crave what I named. But definitely, I'm sure there's more great stuff that is authentically cantonese.
And therefore, I had to update the review to 5 stars.
Lastly, and this is really something important: They have good service. The staff is NICE. Which is different. Because honestly, HK people aren't known for being nice. In fact, most cantonese restaurants have lowered ratings because of service. Lots of complaints of "they totally ignored me" or "they were rude" even though the food is good.
Everyone here has been NICE. And that counts for extra, when it comes to this cuisine. :D
Thank you for listening. read more