Cuisine type: Chinese
Atmosphere: authentic, family/banquet style seating
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.75
Nina
We seeked out this restaurant on the hearty recommendation of a friend who declared this was the single best Chinese place he’s ever tried in the Bay Area. On first impression, it certainly looks more authentic and more welcoming than many other places we’ve tried. The restaurant is composed of two large dining areas with a few small tables and many more large, banquet style round tables (with lazy susans in the middle to facilitate family style sharing). The walls were decorated with mirrors and framed calligraphy scrolls that really gave an authentic feel to the space. When we entered, we were quickly and courteously seated at one of the small tables, and shortly afterwards we got our teapot with green jasmine tea and glasses of water.
I just had to order the Shanghai soup dumplings, and they were definitely worth it. The dough shell of the dumplings was delicate and very thin, to the point where they would break if not picked up gently enough, but that really gave them a lightness that was quite enjoyable. The broth was flavorful and savory with an earthy tone, and the pork meatball inside was tender. At this point we also ordered a carafe of house white wine (Chablis), since it was incredibly cheap. The quality was mediocre, though I wasn’t expecting anything different at $6 for 3-4 glasses of wine, and simply the mild acidity of the wine was a welcome complement to the rich flavors of the meal.
My entree of choice was the Mushu pork, which turned out to be the single most delicious Chinese dish I’ve ever had - and I don’t say that lightly. At a high level, there was nothing too far out of the ordinary about it - a stir-fry of pork, cabbage, egg, carrots and scallions, served with hoisin sauce and thin, tortilla-like wraps (which they called crepes on the menu). However, the balance between the ingredients, the uniformity of the cuts, the textural variety and perfect flavor they achieved in this dish made it just divine. I finished the very last bit of food on that plate, and really enjoyed the crepe and sauce combination with the meat and vegetables.
Going back to the reason why we tried this restaurant, at this point I certainly agree with my friend that this is the best Chinese restaurant I’ve ever tried. I am looking forward to going back to try other dishes to check if this qualifier holds, or I just had a very fortunate experience.
I just had to order the Shanghai soup dumplings, and they were definitely worth it. The dough shell of the dumplings was delicate and very thin, to the point where they would break if not picked up gently enough, but that really gave them a lightness that was quite enjoyable. The broth was flavorful and savory with an earthy tone, and the pork meatball inside was tender. At this point we also ordered a carafe of house white wine (Chablis), since it was incredibly cheap. The quality was mediocre, though I wasn’t expecting anything different at $6 for 3-4 glasses of wine, and simply the mild acidity of the wine was a welcome complement to the rich flavors of the meal.
My entree of choice was the Mushu pork, which turned out to be the single most delicious Chinese dish I’ve ever had - and I don’t say that lightly. At a high level, there was nothing too far out of the ordinary about it - a stir-fry of pork, cabbage, egg, carrots and scallions, served with hoisin sauce and thin, tortilla-like wraps (which they called crepes on the menu). However, the balance between the ingredients, the uniformity of the cuts, the textural variety and perfect flavor they achieved in this dish made it just divine. I finished the very last bit of food on that plate, and really enjoyed the crepe and sauce combination with the meat and vegetables.
Going back to the reason why we tried this restaurant, at this point I certainly agree with my friend that this is the best Chinese restaurant I’ve ever tried. I am looking forward to going back to try other dishes to check if this qualifier holds, or I just had a very fortunate experience.
Food 10
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9
Ben
This is clearly a favorite among the local Chinese population, and is a giant, multi-room place with probably 50 tables. The whole restaurant is impressive, from the dozens of host/wait staff running around to the elegant walls decorated with a variety of calligraphies and murals. There are lazy suzan seating tables for larger groups, as well as standard tables. For how huge it is (we ate in the entrance room, which was a large room, and just saw the entrance to what appeared to be another large room) it is extraordinary how packed it is. We started out with some shanghai soup dumplings served in the bamboo dumpling steamer. They were fresh and really perfectly made, soft and slightly sticky on the outside - no chewy or rubberiness at all - and a tasty, fresh pork meatball on the inside. Nina and I shared Mushu Pork (pork, cabbage, egg, carrots, scallions) served with thin crepes and hoisin sauce, while I ordered Marni’s Chicken to try out their Szechuan specialty (spicy chicken with scallions, bell peppers, jalapenos and carrots). The mushu pork struck me as a dish I would happily eat every day for lunch.It has a light, airy feel, with all ingredients cut to about the same size and shape and a look almost like a salad, and is a really tasty, crisp, fresh, yet hearty bite with a subtle sauce with just a little acidity and salt ties it all together. It’s really a great dish in its simplicity and much better than it sounds (I don’t know what is hidden in the magic sauce) on paper. The Marni’s chicken was exactly the powerful, spicy kick I was looking for in a reputed Szechuan restaurant, and I absolutely loved it (the portion size was big enough that I had a spicy, delicious start to the next day). I found the cheap table wine (only $6 for a half carafe, about 1.5 glasses each) we purchased to be the absolute perfect wine for the occasion - a white wine (chablis) that would be nothing to rave about on its own, but crisp enough to refresh the palate, and I believe a more refined wine would really be lost next to the intensely spicy food. There’s a reason why this place is such a hit among the local Chinese, it is 100% authentic (looks, feels and tastes like restaurant I went to in Shanghai) and I really enjoyed their food and found the price was good for the quality (Appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 wine tax and tip for ~$45-50).
Food 10
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9
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