NYC Bestie Trip - Day 1 - Xi’an Famous Foods - New York, NY

A perfectly punctual flight is followed by two rather tense taxi rides. The careless finger of our cabbie hits google maps with no one the wiser and lands us in the middle of Queens. There's nothing to do but to pay for another ride, after which we arrive.

We are famished despite the in-flight snacks, and we venture out to Xi'an Famous Foods. One of few decent options in the area, this affordable food stall-style eatery entertains the taste buds with its fast-casual style of service and simply delicious food. 

A haw berry hibiscus tea is just what post-flight dry-mouth needs, cold and refreshing with a flavor that is sandy and tart. Sour contrasts the spicy food, and the sweeter notes are soothing.

They make a proper Liang Pi here, thick, almost-gelatinous chilled noodles with cukes for extra cool and porous seitan cubes for contrasting texture. A vinegar-forward sauce cuts through the humidity of the city that hangs upon your skin.

The Stewed Pork Burger is incredibly juicy and soft, with belly cuts stewed long and slow in soy sauce and (I suspect) five spice seeping soup between the bread. The mo bun is thin but dense, and the seared sides keep it crispy. 

Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles make mouthfuls of utter bliss. Wide as a gentleman’s belt and just as thick, these doughy ribbons spiral around slices of savory lamb. If you only try one thing, this should be the one. 

If you were to say our food looks a little bit bland, I would say you're right. We select mild spice on every option despite the recommendation for more, out of fear that our pre-theater, post-flight, 40 year-old stomachs will make us suffer during the show. Still, there is flavor without the reflux, and if the blander version is this good, I must return to try the flavors full force.

Yang's Kitchen - Alhambra

Touted on LA's 101 best list and episodically headlining Eater LA as one of the SGV's best restaurants, Yang's very small kitchen sits on an Alhambra street surrounded by several powerhouses of Chinese cuisine. 

The first thing I thought when I glanced at their brunch menu was that it was not what I would expect. 

Despite the description of Asian fusion, there's nothing Asian about this Chicken Liver Mousse except the handful of chopped green onion. The mousse itself is rich and fatty, minerally savory with a hint of sweet, meant to be lavishly smeared across crusty slices of LA's best (Bub & Grandma's) bread.   

Yang's Fried Chicken Wings are so simple, skin stretched taut across firm flesh, finished simply with salt and pepper. 

Most people who don't like salmon have never had good salmon, and the Salmon & Ikura Bowl will silence any scorn. The salmon is melt-in-your-mouth quality, and the yuzu miso marinade makes it sing. Add gooey-fish poppin' bubbles of fresh ikura and a side of soft-boiled soy egg, and you've got yourself a feast. 

There's a basic Breakfast Plate for those who are just craving a good morning meal. The eggs have beautiful yolk, the super-crispy hash brown cake is the best in town, and the hanger steak is incredible.

There are more Asian-oriented items on the menu like sesame noodles and mochi pancake, but the westernized vibe is there. It feels to me like a representation of an upcoming generation of Asian children raised by more modern parents who celebrate their children's calling and might even support a chef. Instead of just kids who grew up running the family restaurant, future generations are combining classical training with what they learned from grandma, and if Yang's Kitchen is any indication of what's to come, the results will be spectacular. 

Juicy Dumpling Factory - Redondo Beach

New dumplings? Who dis?

Right on the corner of Artesia and Aviation, and a new location of a handmade dumpling house is here to stay. 

There aren't a lot of options for real soup dumplings in the South Bay, but the Juicy Pork Dumplings add a convenient option for those who don't want to drive to Del Amo. I think Tasty China does it better, but the ones here also have a nice, chewy wrapper and juicy, savory pork inside. 

The Shrimp Spicy Wontons are super meh and better skipped. The filling is a bit bulky and hard, and I didn't know chili oil could be bland. 

A must-have is the Chive, Shrimp, and Pork Pan Fried Dumplings. There's a legit lattice circle-skirt around every juicy-filling flavor-pocket, and the chives perk up the pork and sweeten the shrimp.

Dumplings not for you? Try the Beef Roll - it's one of the better ones I've had in the South Bay. The beef inside is tender and soy-sauced just enough, with a crispy pancake wrapped around. 

There's always room for good Chinese food, and dumplings are a big step in the right direction. Juicy Dumpling House comes ready to compete with solid soup dumplings and the best potstickers in town, all in a casual location that's convenient for several beach cities. Great for adults, good for kids, perfect for everyone. 

Feng Mao - Olympic - Los Angeles

Are you an introvert? Are you SO introverted that you avoid dining out just to avoid service? Say no more! 

For a weekday lunch at Feng Mao, you can grab a table with minimal eye contact and zero words, scan the code on the wall and order off your phone. Your food will arrive with as little interaction as you desire, though a quick "thank you" might be nice, and you can watch your skewers sizzle on this futuristic self-turning contraption with no further human interaction for the remainder of your meal. 

There's not much to say anyway - the food is just fantastic. The restaurant is Korean-Chinese, and you get the best of both worlds. They comp you all your banchan so there's plenty to nibble, should you need to sate your hunger while your meat-sticks sizzle. You get all the pickles; kimchee, daikon, and seaweed, and you even get a little salad with sesame-ginger dressing. There's a dish of boiled peanuts from the Chinese side, too. 

Apps are optional, but this spicy Shredded Potato serves as a cold and crunchy contrast to the hot meat, an adequate appetite-whetter for what's to come and a palate cleanser as well.

Firm, roasted Lotus Root soaked in garlic serves as another inter-meat intermezzo, ordered with zero necessity, eaten with zero regrets. 

Skewers are the main event, and one only needs the slightest whiff of the cumin clinging to the Lamb Kebab to see how Feng Mao got famous. The fire crispy-crusts the outside, sealing the juices within. 

Other options include Marinated Beef with a sweet sauce, a come-over from the Korean side as northeastern China's food runs salty. 

Beef Tendon is tender and supple, texture adding to taste. 

Chicken Gizzards can be more chewy, especially when you let them overcook (oops...), but a good stick of offal is never truly awful. 

Wider strips of Maitake Mushroom grill into something tender, but require a good dunk in the side of seasoning as they are otherwise rather bland. 

These are the first legit lamb skewers I've seen stateside, and they bring me back to the back alleys of Beijing...if Beijing back alleys were clean and served quality cuts. The best food comes from the most curious places, but despite being a very clean and legitimately-run restaurant, Feng Mao truly captures the best of the street food, especially the stuff on sticks. 

Paradise Dynasty - Costa Mesa, CA

I've been dreaming of the Specialty Dynasty XLB for years. Eight brightly-colored bao-gems twinkle inside a gleaming bamboo steamer, holding all the promise of flavors both creative and crazy-good. A quick comparison of the menu photos vs mine is clearly Instagram vs reality, but several exceeded my flavor expectations if not the aesthetic ones. 

The original flavor houses a beautiful broth of pork, all sweet simplicity and subtlety, adding up to utter perfection. Black truffle adds the earthy, maximum umami quality, the crab meat with roe adds seafood-sweetness. I didn't expect to like the cheese, but it's absolutely addicting with its mildly salty, creaminess to enhance the tender pork. Garlic is pungent and bold but not so much it dwarfs the soup. Gotta love garlic to love this particular bao. 

Szechuan has that mild chili flavor with a bit of numbing spice, just enough to add the flavor, but not so much it takes from the pleasure. Kimchi is just as nice, but I'm not sure either of these needs to be here. I AM sure BBQ Pork does note. I had hoped it would be chashu but no, it’s the generic American barbecue sauce you get from a grocery-store plastic (not even glass!) bottle, watered down and warm. 

I didn't love all the sampler, but I did love trying all the flavors. I'm glad there's only one of each, though, as most are too rich to have more than one or two, and others not good enough to have even one. 

Everything else is clean, attractive Asian fare. My favorite is the White Shimeji Mushroom tossed with Spicy Garlic Vinaigrette, which has the chef's-kiss sauce of slightly-spicy, sour, sweet, and savory. 

My least favorite is the "special" Fried Calamari, with its barely-detectable seasoning, a sprinkle of seaweed, and a mayo-based sauce that added no salinity.

The Prawn and Korubuta Pork Wonton in Chili Oil has no flaws, but no one can beat Din Tai Fung's amazing sauce. 

The Fried Pork Chop is just so thin and crispy. Great with rice, good enough to eat alone. 

Even the chicken stir fried noodles are great - perfect texture and taste. 

Dessert is a Salted Egg Yolk Custard XLB, which is less salty than I'd want, less eggy than I'd expect, but a lovely, gooey, texture which is pretty hard to hate inside those perfect, paper-thin wrappers. 

Black Sesame Mochi has a subtle sweetness and just the right consistency. It's an apt ending and one that doesn't leave you feeling over-sugared but also hardly a standout. 

I swore I'd try to see Paradise Dynasty as an individual, but the similarities to the world-famous, now SoCal staple Din Tai Fung are not so easy to ignore. Both serve consistently delicious food that's made correctly, and although anything made correctly is made well by default, it also lacks the character of the perfectly imperfect home cooked meals found in the small shops of the SGV. I'd recommend trying the XLB sampler here because you won't find this level of creativity anywhere else, but when I have a choice, I always prefer the mom-and-pop meals that are less crowd-pleasing but much more memorable. 

Four Seasons Pavilion - Dublin, Ireland

When I booked this rather ritzy hotel, I never would have imagined finding an authentic Chinese restaurant three doors down, but here it is. All traditional decor, this cozy spot even has a glass window with hanging ducks to separate the kitchen from the dining area, a sight that's been disappearing from American Chinatowns, and very much a sight for my sore eyes. 

Colorful posters boast of their roast duck, and they have every right to brag. It's sweet and soy-saucy, salty and savory, fragrant and so tender it melts in your mouth...except for the layer of crispy skin that crackles before it dissolves. 

Switch off with a gooey Soy Okra soaked in a garlic lagoon. 

Prawn Toast is a crispy, sesame seed-crusted delight, a bit heavily fried so it's perfect for sharing.

The Signature Braised Pork Belly has soy sauce that's soaked all the way through and finishes sweet with some caramelization on the edges. The fat is juicy, the lean meat is tender, and it's impressively well-balanced for a dish that's meant to hit hard. 

You can't eat all this meat without a good vegetable, and the Dry-Fried Green Beans are just that. Wok-kissed and so savory thanks to a smattering of ground pork, this dish is far better than just a side. 

Cumin Lamb has crisped-up edges with centers full of gamey juice, juxtaposed with perky peppers. 

Fantastic food and shockingly affordable for three hungry grown-ups who went all out. The chef here must have worked hard at their training because everything they serve is textbook. Amazing meal, so good we actually almost returned the following night.

Bang Bang Noodles - Culver City

I heard they've closed, and I've never been sadder. 

Their Shanxi belt noodles have a fabulous texture, chewy and thick. They're long and large, wide and in charge, but there's a deftness to be detected, and precision in creating those slightly curled edges and perfectly textured middle. Szechuan Garlic is the classic, mala meshing with slices of tendon-marbled soy-sauce beef and aromatic leaves of celery and cilantro. 

I can't comment on the authenticity of the Xi'an Tomato, but something doesn't sing. It's very sweet as expected from the south, but the tomato, ground pork, and bok choy are all quite bland, with no detectable seasoning otherwise. The noodles are still delicious, but this dish needs something more. 

Despite the un-exciting tomato, those noodles have me hooked. I'd drive to DTLA for another bowl of the Szechuan garlic - they're absolutely worth another visit.

Dim Sum Asian Asian Bistro - Durham, NC

Eater Carolinas called this one of the essential Chinese restaurants in the Triangle, and I can see the potential here.

Little plates, small portions, the way dim sum should be, and most of it looks housemade which is grounds for mad props. Unfortunately, much of that potential remains untapped on this day. 

To start, the service is scant. It's a small space, but a single server struggles when they're fully seated so be sure to submit your entire order sheet soon.

To start, my always-favorite Shrimp Hargow are so pretty, and the filling is a nice dice. But there's no shrimp flavor left - it's all crowded out by the unbearable amount of salt.

similar issue with the Shrimp and Chive Dumpling - the salt is all you taste.

The Pork Dumplings are shumai, and the thin, chewy wrapper encases a super-savory filling, and this one is seasoned just right. 

Creamy Salt Egg Buns have that lovely fine-grain filling with a sweet finish and none of the unpleasant sulfur that often comes with egg yolk. Ironically, this is one of the least salty things they make. 

Stuffed Bean Curd Skin contains mostly veggies and maybe a little pork. It's not for everyone, but I like their version well.

Beef Tripe is alright, definitely on the chewy side. 

Not much meat on those Pork Ribs but the flavor is alright.

Chinese Broccoli is perfectly steamed, but oy, do they drown it in oyster sauce.

They translate the Pan Fried Pork Buns to "sheng jian bao", but that's not what these are. They have no soup, and although the frying is nice, the filling is downright brackish. 

Com’on guys, the Stuffed Tofu with Shrimp is a joke. The tofu is stuffed with more tofu (because it's a solid cube of tofu!) and topped with a few pieces of diced shrimp, barely enough to be a garnish. Both components are quite good, but together, I don't know what they tried to do. 

Skip right over that Egg Pancake. It's an indecisive dish, just scallion pancake dipped in egg on what appears to be only one side, then pan-fried again. They also cover it with an extremely salty, slightly spicy sauce that should probably only be used in stir-fry. With it, the pancake tastes like nothing, without it, the pancake also tastes like nothing. 

Red Bean Sesame Balls are great, freshly fried, and I love the whole red beans that add texture to the filling. 

Love the Coconut Pudding. Cold, refreshing, gelatinous. Terrible plating - just stuck to a bowl, but I could eat at least three orders. 

I really wanted to love this place, but everything is just so salty. The fillings are inedible, the sauces smother, and it really sucks that a place that's only open 3 days a week doesn't make 25% of their menu on one of those days, especially since that includes rice noodles and egg tarts, which are dim sum classics. I can only hope we came on an off day because I would absolutely give this place a second chance. 

Tasty China - Torrance

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.