Authentic Chinese food, house-made soup dumplings, lots of wow factor in this understated powerhouse. It's not much to look at - there's only street parking and it shares a wall with the Ramada Inn, but their massive menu of marvels spans multiple regions and speaks for itself. There are northeastern staples from my childhood, spicy Szechuan spectacles, and Shanghai classics as well.
My personal goal is work my way through the entire menu, but in case you didn't bring 50 people to dine with, prioritize the Pork XLB. The wrappers are thin, folded with precision. Savory soup inside, just a delicious dumpling overall. The shrimp filling is even better, each one holding a whole shrimp to add extra sweetness to the broth.
They make the Fried Buns as well, same delicious broth, same soft porky goodness. The bao is pretty fluffy, and the sesame crust is key. Order sparingly - a single bun each will suffice.
Regular steamed dumplings are filled with pork and shrimp. They're big and bold, they're dense, they're delicious. Dunk in sauce and add some spice to taste.
Beef Onion Pancakes come cold, with thin slices of soy-marinated beef. The marbling of the tendon gives that signature texture, green onion gives it a lift, and hoisin sauce delivers sweetness. It's not the best beef roll, but it's good enough for me.
Noodles are not their best dish - the Beef Chow Fun is fabulous, with al dente flat noodles and tender chunks of beef, but this isn't the only place to get it.
Knife-Shaved Noodles are a rare find, but these are mushy and bland and don't do justice to the dramatic art of knifing a block of dough into a boiling vat of water.
But don't let that turn you off to any other stir-fry. The Cumin Lamb is super tender, wok-kissed with a mild chili sting and uplifting aromatics. This usually heavy meat finishes fluffy and light.
Kung Pao Chicken is a [white] palate-pleaser, salty chicken chunks with cashews and plenty of pepper.
There's a Tea Smoked Duck special one day, and the smoke game is strong. The meat could be a little less mushy, but the problem is minor.
As far as entrees go, the Boiled Spicy Sliced Fish is a heavy hitter, a deep bowl of pearly white fish framed by floating scarlet chilis. It's a showstopper in both appearance and size, and combined with the flavor, it's nothing short of spectacular.
No meal is complete without a stir-fried vegetable. The Green Beans are good,
but the Cabbage is incredible. It's salty-savory, cooked with still-crisp concoction with a bit of char, and it is the most exciting vegetable I've had in a long time.
Save room for dessert. A platter of Fried Mochi sticks are sticky with drizzled syrup, a simple brown sugar to sweeten the lot.
Small Sesame Balls are fried to order, and there is an audible crunch as crisp gives way to mochi-chew. The filling is a silky-sweet red bean with just the right ratio to crust.
Order only one dessert for the table as both platters are big. All portions here are generous, and they price a bit lower than they should. So far almost everything has been better than good, with almost all dishes exceeding expectations. There's been some good Chinese food in the South Bay, but for the first time since Muodu closed, I can finally say there is great Chinese food in the South Bay again.
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