Review #913
2025-088
Food & Drinks Order:
Chinese Cruller (油條) $3.50
Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll (非黃鮮蝦腸粉) $6.98
Special Duck Clay Pot (四邑特色狗仔鴨煲) $22.98
Steamed Pork Siu Mai (燕點燒賣) $5.98
Steamed Shrimp Dumpling (燕點鮮蝦餃) $5.98
Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Preserved Meats (臘味炒台山菜花) $16.98
Stir-Fried Handmade Rice Noodle with Cured Meat (臘味手工銀針粉) $16.98
White Rice (白飯) $1.99
Hot Tea Pot (中式茶一壺)/Pu-Erh Tea (普洱茶) $3.00
Pear Juice with Rock Sugar Drink (冰糖雪梨) $3.00
Server: Wu姊姊
We're normally out of town celebrating Thanksgiving with my cousins but stayed in town this year. My brother suggested having lunch at Steam Fresh because we don't have turkey plans.
Opened earlier in this year, the Cantonese-Chinese restaurant is located off Garvey & Ynez Aves. in Downtown Monterey Park. At the entrance, there's a cute dumpling mascot to the left of the door. The small dining room has 10 tables & booths that seats between 2 - 8 guests, with a unisex restroom in the back. Since the opening, the menu has been revised with a 20% decrease in items to enhance proficiency, particularly items that are more labor intensive. My kids really wanted to try the Sugar Puffs, Creamy Egg Tart, Green Onion Pan Cake, & Chinese Sausage Roll.
I was happy to discover some Cantonese cuisine that's familiar & comforting, & our server Wu姊姊 speaks Cantonese so I can practice my mother tongue. There was a couple of dishes that I already picked out: Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Preserved Meats & Special Duck Clay Pot from the chalk written specialty menu, & added our staples: Chinese Cruller, Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, Steamed Pork Siu Mai, Steamed Shrimp Dumpling. I mentioned my parents' province & Wu姊姊 suggested the Stir-Fried Handmade Rice Noodle with Cured Meat. I forgot to bring my own stash of loose leaf teas, & order a pot of Pu-Erh, & a bottled pear juice for the kids to share.
The kids enjoyed the pear juice; it was mellow in pear flavor & sweet, but not cloyingly sweet. The pu-erh was decent with a crisp, grassy flavor. You won't see more developed pu-erh tea at standard Chinese restaurants that has a smooth, & more complex woody, earthy flavor, though the banquet restaurants may have a hidden stash of higher grade teas for their preferred customers. We started with my son's fav: 油炸鬼 (Chinese cruller), followed by the steamed dim sum. The cruller had a crispy exterior, & fluffy, airy interior that's not heavy with oil. The rice rolls were tender with plump shrimp that had a bite to them, though it was skimpy with shrimp; with 3 rice rolls, there were 1 - 2 shrimp per roll. The shrimp dumplings & siu mai were pretty large with a generous filling; good flavor, nothing outstanding. The last 3 dishes were the best in the group: Special Duck Clay Pot, Stir-Fried Handmade Rice Noodle with Cured Meat, Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Preserved Meats. The duck was tender (that easily falls apart) & savory, but needed white rice as an accompaniment to rich, fatty duck juices. While the handmade rice noodle reminds me of home comfort foods, the chewy noodles were a tad greasy, otherwise, it's a tasty dish that's balanced with smoky, umani cured meats. My fav from the group is the Chinese cauliflower; it has a more delicate, sweeter taste than the standard cauliflower. Topped with wood ear mushrooms, carrots, green onions, onions, & smoky preserved meats, I could barely stop eating this dish even though I was full. I can eat this plate on my own, or maybe 2. Nom, nom, nom delish!
Prices are moderate, & dim sum is on the lower side with regular to generous portions. There's been a 5% increase on dim sum, but still cheaper than most dim sum restaurants in SGV, though offerings are limited to 9 items. Menu is broken down by: dim sum, appetizers, congee, rice noodle roll, rice, meat, clay pot, chef's special, noodle, vegetable, desserts, beverages. Fantabulous service... friendly, efficient, & kind; Wu姊姊 warned me about the clay pot's heat & placed it away from the kids so they don't burn themselves.
I infrequently dine in SGV, especially when I'm visiting my brother who lives out here, so I definitely will be back at this delish Cantonese restaurant!
Recommended: Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Preserved Meats (must have!), Stir-Fried Handmade Rice Noodle with Cured Meat (family fav), Special Duck Clay Pot, Chinese Cruller, Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll (yummy roll but skimpy on filling), Steamed Pork Siu Mai, Steamed Shrimp Dumpling, White Rice, Pu-Erh Tea, Pear Juice with Rock Sugar Drink. read more