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	<title>PaiGu &#187; dim sum</title>
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	<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca</link>
	<description>It&#039;s not just food, it&#039;s love.</description>
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		<title>Review: A La Kitchen (阿拉廚房)</title>
		<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2010/05/review-a-la-kitchen-%e9%98%bf%e6%8b%89%e5%bb%9a%e6%88%bf/</link>
		<comments>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2010/05/review-a-la-kitchen-%e9%98%bf%e6%8b%89%e5%bb%9a%e6%88%bf/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 00:55:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining Out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dim sum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shanghai-nese]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paigu.crystalized.ca/?p=187</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A La Kitchen is located behind First Markham Place and features Shanghai-style cuisine. When we arrived before noon on Sunday, it was absolutely packed, and we had to wait for a table among pushy groups of Cantonese families. Although a packed restaurant is a good sign, I wasn&#8217;t too pleased that I couldn&#8217;t hear a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A La Kitchen is located behind First Markham Place and features Shanghai-style cuisine. When we arrived before noon on Sunday, it was absolutely packed, and we had to wait for a table among pushy groups of Cantonese families. Although a packed restaurant is a good sign, I wasn&#8217;t too pleased that I couldn&#8217;t hear a single word of Mandarin. Was this really Shanghai-nese cuisine, or was it another one of a hundred Cantonese-Chinese restaurants in the area?</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/interior.jpg" rel="lightbox[187]" title="A La Kitchen ceiling, decorated with bamboo steamers."><img src="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/interior.jpg" width="500" alt="A La Kitchen ceiling, decorated with bamboo steamers."></a></p>
<p>The restaurant is less than five years old, so the interior was still in good shape. However, they had tried to cram so many people inside that all the aisle space was taken up and chairs were back-to-back. I am pretty sure that&#8217;s a fire hazard, but nobody seemed to care.<span id="more-187"></span></p>
<p>When we were finally seated, we had to share a table with another family, which is never something we really enjoy. The other family was speaking rapid Cantonese extremely loudly non-stop for the entire meal. I think what they said in minute was more than what the three of us said combined for the entire meal.</p>
<p>The food arrived relatively quickly, and in a sensible order much to my surprise, starting with appetizers, then steamed items, and finally dessert.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/appetizers.jpg" rel="lightbox[187]" title="Nanjing Salted Duck."><img src="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/appetizers.jpg" width="500" alt="Nanjing Salted Duck."></a><br />
The Nanjing Salted Duck was very tender and delicious. The Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs were definitely mainland style, although they were under-cooked, and they didn&#8217;t use the best cut of pork ribs.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/soup.jpg" rel="lightbox[187]" title="Ji Cai Fish and Egg Drop Soup."><img src="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/soup.jpg" width="500" alt="Ji Cai Fish and Egg Drop Soup."></a><br />
<em>Ji Cai</em> Fish and Egg Drop Soup was thick and fragrant. It was not too salty, and naturally <em>xian</em> without MSG.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/xiaolongbao.jpg" rel="lightbox[187]" title="Soup-filled Steamed Pork Dumplings."><img src="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/xiaolongbao.jpg" width="500" alt="Soup-filled Steamed Pork Dumplings."></a><br />
The <em>xiao long bao</em> were very savoury, second only to <a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2008/07/review-ding-tai-fung/" target="archive">Ding Tai Fung</a>&#8217;s soup-filled dumplings.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/shengjianbao.jpg" rel="lightbox[187]" title="Pan-Fried Pork Buns"><img src="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/shengjianbao.jpg" width="500" alt="Pan-Fried Pork Buns"></a><br />
I haven&#8217;t had <em>sheng jian bao</em> since my summer in Shanghai, but these definitely did not live up to the savoury pan-fried pork buns in my memory. The <em>bao</em>s were too big, and the pork filling was not savoury enough.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/shanghaifriednoodles.jpg" rel="lightbox[187]" title="Shanghai Fried Noodles with Pork and Vegetables"><img src="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/shanghaifriednoodles.jpg" width="500" alt="Shanghai Fried Noodles with Pork and Vegetables"></a><br />
We don&#8217;t usually order fried noodles, but we saw this dish on every table, so we decided to try it. It was very average. It was surprisingly bland, despite the dark colouring.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/greenonionpancake.jpg" rel="lightbox[187]" title="Green Onion Pancake"><img src="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/greenonionpancake.jpg" width="500" alt="Green Onion Pancake"></a><br />
Green onion pancake was my favourite item, the best I&#8217;ve had anywhere in Toronto. It was the perfect thickness, very crispy on the outside, with just enough green onions to savour.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/dessert.jpg" rel="lightbox[187]" title="A La special red bean gao"><img src="/wp-content/photos/alakitchen/dessert.jpg" width="500" alt="A La special red bean gao"></a><br />
I&#8217;ve had these red bean rice cakes before in <a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2008/07/review-ding-tai-fung/" target="archive">Ding Tai Fung</a> but these were still warm. They&#8217;re supposed to be room-temperature. Because they were hotter than normal, they were extra soft. There was also too much red bean paste inside, and the candy toppings were overpowering.</p>
<p>The food was Shanghai-nese after all, but the clientele certainly wasn&#8217;t. We were seated near the door, so throughout our entire meal, there were pushy people waiting right next to us, hovering over our table and practically elbowing us or swinging their purse and smacking us in the head. These people clearly did not know how to keep a respectful distance. One lady sneezed into our food. Another lady kept leaning over our table to get the waiter&#8217;s attention. She was there for 10 minutes and the entire time, we weren&#8217;t able to eat at all. I was appalled by how pushy they were; they had no sense of propriety despite the angry glares I tried giving them. What was worse, the waiters clearly saw that about 10 people had spilled into the dining area (all crowded around our table, as it happened) and wasn&#8217;t asking them to step back and wait in the foyer area. Customer management was non-existent apparently.</p>
<p>So even though we ordered eight dishes, we barely finished and left as quickly as possible. Would you be able to enjoy a meal with five people elbowing you in the head, leaning over your table, and sneezing into your food?</p>
<p>Rating: <img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"></p>
<p>Author&#8217;s Note: I had to take cameras with my phone, so they came out very low quality. Some photos have been supplemented courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonxiv/" target="_blank">Marz</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Skyland de Shanghai revisited</title>
		<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2010/05/skyland-de-shanghai-revisited/</link>
		<comments>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2010/05/skyland-de-shanghai-revisited/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 May 2010 03:02:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining Out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crispy fried noodles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dim sum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lunch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shanghai]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paigu.crystalized.ca/?p=159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since the last time I reviewed Skyland de Shanghai, I have been back three more times, and I have never been disappointed. There is something to be said about the power of consistency, especially with Chinese restaurants. Now that I have sampled a decent chunk of their menu, I am ready to give my SassyChef [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Since the <a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2009/12/review-skyland-de-shanghai/" target="archive">last time I reviewed Skyland de Shanghai</a>, I have been back three more times, and I have never been disappointed. There is something to be said about the power of consistency, especially with Chinese restaurants. Now that I have sampled a decent chunk of their menu, I am ready to give my SassyChef Stamp of Approval to a few dishes.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0189.jpg" rel="lightbox[159]" title="Crispy fried noodles with pork, mushrooms, and vegetables"><img src="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0189.jpg" width="500" alt="Crispy fried noodles with pork, mushrooms, and vegetables"></a><span id="more-159"></span><br />
I love the fact that these noodles are not the thin egg noodles that most &#8220;crispy fried noodles&#8221; in Cantonese restaurant refers to. These were far more aromatic, my mouth is watering just thinking about them. The pork and vegetables (mostly celery strips) were very <em>xian</em> (savoury) but not salty. That is true for most of their dishes, they&#8217;re not as salty as the ones you&#8217;d find in many Chinese restaurants in North America, true to the Shanghai style.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0194.jpg" rel="lightbox[159]" title="Beef tenderloin with scallions"><img src="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0194.jpg" width="500" alt="Beef tenderloin with scallions"></a><br />
Very tender, excellent sauce.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0198.jpg" rel="lightbox[159]" title="Small version of Shanghai Special Hot Pot"><img src="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0198.jpg" width="500" alt="Small version of Shanghai Special Hot Pot"></a><br />
Just as good as the big version, except the Lion&#8217;s Head meatballs are sometimes over-cooked. The vermicelli tends to be easier to eat in the small version, since the heat is on the big hot pot the whole time that by the time you get to the bottom where the vermicelli are, most of it&#8217;s too breakable to scoop up.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0192.jpg" rel="lightbox[159]" title="Dim sum items"><img src="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0192.jpg" width="500" alt="Dim sum items"></a><br />
These two are from the dim sum menu. On the left is a special kind of <em>guo tie</em>, it&#8217;s basically fried rice<sup>1</sup> except it&#8217;s fried until it&#8217;s crunchy. On the right is a sesame covered pastry ball with a savoury meat filling inside. It is absolutely delicious.</p>
<p>There was also an appetizer, called <em>Shan Xi liang fen</em>, which was a very good cold dish with huge portions (considering it was on the dim sum menu for under $5). </p>
<p>The following is what not to order:<br />
<a href="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0195.jpg" rel="lightbox[159]" title="Fried dough with shredded pork filling"><img src="/wp-content/photos/skylanddeshanghai/IMG_0195.jpg" width="500" alt="Fried dough with shredded pork filling"></a><br />
On the menu, it just says &#8220;pork filling&#8221; so we didn&#8217;t realize it was going to be shredded cooked pork. This wasn&#8217;t very good, the dough could have been sweeter and lighter, the filling just tasted strange.</p>
<p><em>Xiao long bao</em>. Their <em>xiao long bao</em> filling reminds me of wonton filling, which is just wrong. All wrong. In fact, many of their dim sum items are questionable. I would not order any of the cold dishes from the dim sum menu as those are sitting out buffet-style by the kitchen until they&#8217;re consumed, and they don&#8217;t look appetizing at all.</p>
<ol class="footnotes"><li id="footnote_0_159" class="footnote">Think the bottom of a sushi pizza.</li></ol>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Review: Golden Court Abalone</title>
		<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2010/04/review-golden-court-abalone/</link>
		<comments>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2010/04/review-golden-court-abalone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:25:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining Out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cantonese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dim sum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paigu.crystalized.ca/?p=141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Golden Court Abalone is a Cantonese restaurant in a plaza of like-minded restaurants in Richmond Hill. I ventured in one day for Cantonese-style dim sum, seeing that it was packed with Cantonese people &#8211; they know their food best after all. It&#8217;s a large banquet hall, and you order off a menu, very similar to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.torontolife.com/guide/restaurants/chinese/golden-court-abalone/" target="_blank">Golden Court Abalone</a> is a Cantonese restaurant in a plaza of like-minded restaurants in Richmond Hill. I ventured in one day for Cantonese-style dim sum, seeing that it was packed with Cantonese people &#8211; they know their food best after all. It&#8217;s a large banquet hall, and you order off a menu, very similar to its neighbour, <a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2009/09/review-ambassador-chinese-cuisine/" target="_blank">Ambassador Chinese Cuisine</a>, but with a smaller, and as it turned out cheaper, menu. Nonetheless, many items on the menu were ones I&#8217;d never seen before, like spicy duck tongue or steamed tofu wrap with pork, mushroom, taro, and duck web. I admit I ordered rather randomly when it came to items I didn&#8217;t recognize, but with dim sum, a little adventure never hurt anyone, right?<sup>1</sup></p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0167.jpg" rel="lightbox[141]" title="Inside Golden Court Abalone" rel="lightbox[goldencourtabalone]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0167.jpg" alt="Inside Golden Court Abalone" width="500"></a><span id="more-141"></span></p>
<p>The fried items came first, I guess because steamed items take longer. This has always bugged me about eating dim sum, because I like to start my meal with the lighter, steamed dishes first. But in Chinese restaurants, no one really cares about the order of courses. More often than not, dessert is the first thing to arrive because it&#8217;s pre-made.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0153.jpg" rel="lightbox[141]" title="Deep-fried taro balls with pork filling" rel="lightbox[goldencourtabalone]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0153.jpg" alt="Deep-fried taro balls with pork filling" width="500"></a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro_dumpling" target="_blank">Taro dumplings</a>, or in this case, taro balls, were the first to arrive. When I bit into them, oil from the pork filling oozed out. The outside was not exactly fluffy, but you could definitely taste the taro. However, they were extremely oily, inside and out &#8211; if I had known what they were, I probably would not have ordered them.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0158.jpg" rel="lightbox[141]" title="Shrimp-stuffed eggplant" rel="lightbox[goldencourtabalone]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0158.jpg" alt="Shrimp-stuffed eggplant" width="500"></a><br />
Shrimp-stuffed eggplant, an item I&#8217;ve never seen before, turned out to be a better decision. The seasoning was good, and the shrimp was succulent in the eggplant. However, the eggplant was a little soggy. But then again, eggplant is extremely difficult to do right.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0172.jpg" rel="lightbox[141]" title="Steamed spare ribs" rel="lightbox[goldencourtabalone]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0172.jpg" alt="Steamed spare ribs" width="500"></a><br />
Steamed spare ribs, a staple of Cantonese dim sum, is one of my favourites. Spare ribs in Chinese is <em>pai gu</em>, which is what this site is named after<sup>2</sup>. These were a little under-cooked &#8211; done right, the meat should be hanging off the bones and the cartilage soft. But as always, these steamed spare ribs were savoury and glistening with fat.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0175.jpg" rel="lightbox[141]" title="Fung zao: chicken feet marinated in a dark red sauce" rel="lightbox[goldencourtabalone]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0175.jpg" alt="Fung zao: chicken feet marinated in a dark red sauce" width="500"></a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_feet" target="_blank">Fung zao</a>, or Phoenix talons according to Wikipedia, are marinated chicken feet. They are steamed until they are soft and a blushing red. They are not easy to eat gracefully, but appearances aside, they are kind of delicious &#8211; that is if you like chewing on mostly skin, tendons, and cartilage.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0181.jpg" rel="lightbox[141]" title="Tofu wrapper with pork, mushroom, taro, and duck web" rel="lightbox[goldencourtabalone]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0181.jpg" alt="Tofu wrapper with pork, mushroom, taro, and duck web" width="500"></a><br />
Yes, we ordered the &#8220;tofu wrapper with pork, mushroom, taro, and duck web.&#8221; I had to see what it was! As you can see from the picture, they really need to work on the presentation of this dish, it did not look appetizing at all. And it didn&#8217;t taste much better either. I should have known &#8211; I mean, honestly, how do you expect someone to eat anything wrapped with duck feet? We ended up having to break the wrapper apart and eat it in pieces. Inside the wrapper, aside from the duck feet, there was a chunk of pork and shrimp, as well as two blocks of taro. It all tasted the same really, except the duck feet, which tasted kind of funny, and not in a good way. This was one of those dishes that sounded, looked, and tasted strange.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0185.jpg" rel="lightbox[141]" title="Chicken and mushrooms in rice casserole" rel="lightbox[goldencourtabalone]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0185.jpg" alt="Chicken and mushrooms in rice casserole" width="500"></a><br />
As if to save us from the awkwardness of eating something we weren&#8217;t sure about from the beginning, this steaming, delicious rice casserole arrived. I love rice casseroles because of the way the rice at the bottom of the casseroles is hard. And with the right casserole dish, the rice is far more aromatic than rice from a rice cooker. This rice casserole was just right.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0163.jpg" rel="lightbox[141]" title="Baked egg custard tarts" rel="lightbox[goldencourtabalone]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/goldencourtabalone/IMG_0163.jpg" alt="Baked egg custard tarts" width="500"></a><br />
We saved the dessert for last: egg custard tarts. These were an astounding success, the tarts were fluffy and the egg custard was not too sweet and perfectly gelatinous.</p>
<p>The servers were very attentive as far as dim sum places go, although I couldn&#8217;t tell if I should attribute that to their good service or my attentive companion<sup>3</sup>. The food was average but prices were cheap, and the washrooms were relatively clean. However, with Ambassador Chinese Cuisine in the same plaza, I would rather spend the extra few dollars and go there instead.</p>
<p>Rating: <img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"></p>
<ol class="footnotes"><li id="footnote_0_141" class="footnote">Ok, very debatable, but humour me.</li><li id="footnote_1_141" class="footnote">Although when I named this site, I was thinking of <em>tang chu pai gu</em> where mean sweet and sour spare ribs, but they are black and not the same as &#8220;sweet and sour pork&#8221; in American-Chinese cuisine.</li><li id="footnote_2_141" class="footnote">Servers in these places usually don&#8217;t come and refill your water on their own accord, so it may have just been that my companion was very good at beckoning them over.</li></ol>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Review: Ambassador Chinese Cuisine</title>
		<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2009/09/review-ambassador-chinese-cuisine/</link>
		<comments>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2009/09/review-ambassador-chinese-cuisine/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:26:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining Out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cantonese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chinese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dim sum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dumplings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jelly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[octupus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pork]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rolls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shrimp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steamed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tapioca]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paigu.crystalized.ca/?p=79</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ambassador Chinese Cuisine is practically a landmark in Richmond Hill. Every weekend, dozens of Chinese families flock to Ambassador for an age-old Chinese tradition: dim sum.
A group of friends and I joined the frenzy one rainy Sunday noon. Given my preference for northern Chinese food, I hadn&#8217;t been to a Cantonese-style dim sum place in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.ambassadorcc.com/" target="_blank">Ambassador Chinese Cuisine</a> is practically a landmark in Richmond Hill. Every weekend, dozens of Chinese families flock to Ambassador for an age-old Chinese tradition: dim sum.</p>
<p>A group of friends and I joined the frenzy one rainy Sunday noon. Given my preference for northern Chinese food, I hadn&#8217;t been to a Cantonese-style dim sum place in a long time. I let my friends do most of the ordering since they had been here before, I just sat back and prepared to eat.</p>
<p>Crispy shrimp cigars were spring rolls shaped like straws, with a single shrimp in each. They were so cute! The spring rolls were crispy and golden. Perfection.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8802.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Crispy shrimp cigars" rel="lightbox[quince]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8802.jpg" alt="Crispy shrimp cigars" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Pan-fried pork and shrimp dumplings were a little burnt, but the wrapper held strong. The filling was average, mostly pork and chives with some little dried shrimps.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8799.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Pan-fried pork and shrimp dumplings" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8799.jpg" alt="Pan-fried pork and shrimp dumplings" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Pan-friend bean curd rolls had a vegetarian filling in a bean curd wrapper. The bean curd tasted surprisingly fresh.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8800.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Vegetarian bean curd rolls" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8800.jpg" alt="Vegetarian bean curd rolls" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Dessert in the form of steamed egg custard rolls arrived too early in the meal, but were light, fluffy, and not too sweet.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8801.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Steamed egg custard rolls" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8801.jpg" alt="Steamed egg custard rolls" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Steamed shrimp dumplings in a translucent wrapper sprinkled with roe, stuffed with plump pieces of shrimp. So tender, so delicious.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8803.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Steamed shrimp dumplings" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8803.jpg" alt="Steamed shrimp dumplings" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Steamed shrimp and roe <em>shao mai</em>, in a surprisingly tough egg wrapper. Not as tender as the steamed shrimp dumplings.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8806.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Steamed shrimp and roe dumplings" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8806.jpg" alt="Steamed shrimp and roe dumplings" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Jellyfish and mango salad was cold and refreshing. The biggest surprise? The jellyfish did not taste like canned jellyfish.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8808.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Cold jellyfish and mango salad" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8808.jpg" alt="Cold jellyfish and mango salad" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Steamed pork rice noodle roll. It was soft and delicious, especially with the light house sauce. If I knew how to make rice noodle rolls, I&#8217;d make them every day.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8809.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Steamed pork rice noodle roll" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8809.jpg" alt="Steamed pork rice noodle roll" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Another dessert that arrived in the middle of the meal, tapioca jelly cups, each with a different ingredient in the centre. One had red bean, one had egg custard (?), and one had a cream-coloured filling that I didn&#8217;t get to taste.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8812.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Tapioca jelly cups" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8812.jpg" alt="Tapioca jelly cups" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Coconut tapioca dessert, with chunks of real coconut, honeydew, canteloupe, and of course, tapioca jelly. Anything with coconut tastes good to me, and honeydew is only my favourite melon, so of course, I loved this.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8814.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Coconut tapioca dessert" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8814.jpg" alt="Coconut tapioca dessert" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Another bean curd roll, this time with a savoury ground pork filling that included wood ear (<em>mu er</em>).<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8815.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Savoury bean curd roll" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8815.jpg" alt="Savoury bean curd roll" width="500"></a></p>
<p>This was also a steamed pork dumpling, but the wrapper is made of tapioca as opposed to flour. The filling did not hold together very well though.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8817.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Steamed tapioca dumpling" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8817.jpg" alt="Steamed tapioca dumpling" width="500"></a></p>
<p>The last to come was also the one we were dreading the most: curry octopus. One of my friends had ordered this on a whim/dare. It was a bad decision. The octopus was hard to chew and the curry was more messy than it was flavourful.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8818.jpg" rel="lightbox[79]" title="Curry octopus" rel="lightbox[ambassador]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/ambassador/IMG_8818.jpg" alt="Curry octopus" width="500"></a></p>
<p>Desserts came at the same time as entrees, service was mediocre, but what do you expect from such a large banquet hall? At least the bathrooms were clean. The prices are reasonable, and (I am told) the quality of food is consistent, which is the biggest draw for its loyal customers.</p>
<p>Rating: <img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Review: Chinese Dumpling House 真東北餃子館</title>
		<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2009/07/review-chinese-dumpling-house-%e7%9c%9f%e6%9d%b1%e5%8c%97%e9%a4%83%e5%ad%90%e9%a4%a8/</link>
		<comments>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2009/07/review-chinese-dumpling-house-%e7%9c%9f%e6%9d%b1%e5%8c%97%e9%a4%83%e5%ad%90%e9%a4%a8/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:01:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining Out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dim sum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dumplings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eggplant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[red bean pancake]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paigu.crystalized.ca/?p=67</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Chinese Dumpling House, or 真東北餃子館 as they&#8217;re known in Chinese (the signage has no English), has been at its Metro Square location for decades. Though they are not as big and shiny-looking as some of the newer/renovated Northern-style dim sum places, they are serious about tradition.


We arrived at peak lunch hour and waited about 15 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.toronto.com/restaurants/listing/198966" target="_blank">Chinese Dumpling House</a>, or 真東北餃子館 as they&#8217;re known in Chinese (the signage has no English), has been at its Metro Square location for decades. Though they are not as big and shiny-looking as some of the newer/renovated Northern-style dim sum places, they are serious about tradition.</p>
<p><a title="General view of restaurant from door." rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8713.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8713.jpg" alt="General view of restaurant from door." width="500" /></a><br />
<a title="Two ladies beside door making dumplings. They were completely PRO." rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8711.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8711.jpg" alt="Two ladies beside door making dumplings. They were completely PRO." width="500" /></a></p>
<p>We arrived at peak lunch hour and waited about 15 minutes for a table. The place was small and cramped, but service was fairly fast considering they make everything to order. The dim sum was really cheap, and we went a bit nuts &#8211; ordered way too much! But that just means leftovers for the next meal.</p>
<p><a title="Green onion pancake made into a dough twist - very unique!" rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8716.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8716.jpg" alt="Green onion pancake made into a dough twist - very unique!" width="500" /></a><br />
The green onion pancake came in a dough twist form, which is something I&#8217;ve never seen before. It was light and crisp, with very aromatic scallions. The dough was not salty enough, however, and since it was a dough twist instead of a proper pancake, the inner layers were thick and chewy, instead of crispy.</p>
<p><a title="Cold dish: Pork intestines marinated in spicy sauce" rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8720.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8720.jpg" alt="Cold dish: Pork intestines marinated in spicy sauce" width="500" /></a><br />
The pork intestines tasted a bit off, as if they&#8217;d been sitting out for too long. The spicy marinate was decent though, so I ended up picking out and eating all the shredded vegetables.</p>
<p><a title="Cold dish: Big platter with liang fen" rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8723.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8723.jpg" alt="Cold dish: Big platter with liang fen" width="500" /></a><br />
I can&#8217;t remember the Chinese name for this, but it is a cold dish featuring <em>liang fen</em>, which is mung bean jelly (also known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokdumuk" target="_blank">nokdumuk</a> in Korean). <em>Liang fen</em> doesn&#8217;t really taste like anything, which is why it is a great ingredient in cold dishes, because it pretty much goes with everything. This particular platter also consisted of cucumber, carrots, cooked pork strands, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_er" target="_blank"><em>mu er</em></a>, sliced egg wrappers, coriander, and sesame paste. Everything tasted great except, surprisingly, the sesame paste, which bogged everything down instead of making it lighter, the way mung bean jelly cold dishes usually feel.</p>
<p><a title="Four Savoury Vegetables Dish" rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8725.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8725.jpg" alt="Four Savoury Vegetables Dish" width="500" /></a><br />
This vegetarian dish was spectacular. It consisted of eggplants, potatoes, onions, and peppers, and it was so delicious and savoury. The vegetables were baked before they were stir-fried in some sort of gravy. They were gleaming with oil when they came out but that didn&#8217;t stop me from devouring half the plate. The potato chunks were like home fries, Chinese-style. I imagine that traditionally, small peppers would be used instead of bell peppers, but then the dish might have been too hot to handle.</p>
<p><a title="Pan-fried pork dumplings" rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8729.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8729.jpg" alt="Pan-fried pork dumplings" width="500" /></a><br />
The pan-fried pork dumplings were disappointing compared to the other dishes. One dumpling was clearly scorched, but most importantly, the filling was not savoury because a lot of the dumplings had leaked.</p>
<p><a title="Egg and chive steamed dumplings" rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8732.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8732.jpg" alt="Egg and chive steamed dumplings" width="500" /></a><br />
Then two large steamers arrived at our table. One was the vegetarian dumplings, stuffed with egg and chive (a combination usually reserved for fried dumplings, not steamed ones), the other were pork dumplings, stuffed with pork and pickled cabbage. Pickled cabbage is a popular ingredient in Northern China, and this restaurant made its own, so this was a real treat.<br />
<a title="Pork and pickled cabbage steamed dumplings" rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8733.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8733.jpg" alt="Pork and pickled cabbage steamed dumplings" width="500" /></a><br />
The egg and chive dumplings were not salty enough &#8211; a recurring theme with their dishes, it seemed. The pork and pickled cabbage dumplings were better, although I still appreciated the hand-made dumpling wrappers more than the filling.</p>
<p><a title="Red bean pancake" rel="lightbox[chinesedumplinghouse]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8734.jpg" rel="lightbox[69]"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/chinesedumplinghouse/IMG_8734.jpg" alt="Red bean pancake" width="500" /></a><br />
We had red bean pancake for dessert (I use the term &#8220;dessert&#8221; loosely because Chinese meals do not formally distinguish between courses), which were so delicious. The pancake was just crispy enough, and the red bean paste melted against the heat of the dough into a smooth, luscious paste.</p>
<p>Rating: <img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"></p>
<p><em>3636 Steeles Ave., Unit 112-113,<br />
Markham, ON<br />
Tel: 905-947-9880</em></p>
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		<title>Review: Northern Dumpling Kitchen</title>
		<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2009/06/review-northern-dumpling-kitchen/</link>
		<comments>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2009/06/review-northern-dumpling-kitchen/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:25:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining Out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[casual restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dim sum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jiao zi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lunch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rice cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spring onion pancake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[xiao long bao]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[xue cai]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paigu.crystalized.ca/?p=59</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Northern Dumpling Kitchen is a small, casual restaurant tucked in-between many of the same in Times Square, Richmond Hill. I&#8217;m always on the look-out for northern-style dim sum1, so when I read this Chowhound discussion, I immediately went to investigate it for myself.
Parking was hard to find in Times Square, since many Chinese like to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Northern Dumpling Kitchen</strong> is a small, casual restaurant tucked in-between many of the same in Times Square, Richmond Hill. I&#8217;m always on the look-out for northern-style dim sum<sup>1</sup>, so when I read this <a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/537901" target="_blank">Chowhound discussion</a>, I immediately went to investigate it for myself.</p>
<p>Parking was hard to find in Times Square, since many Chinese like to go out to eat on the weekends. We arrived around 12:30 and only had to wait 10 minutes to be seated. The other patrons were all families who cared not for their appearances. The place was small and dingy, like the restaurants we used to frequent when the standard for cleanliness in Chinese restaurants was set lower. I was not impressed, but I knew that if the chef could pull off a really good steamed bun, I would be coming back. After all, who am I to judge the patrons and decor of a place that serves good, cheap food?</p>
<p><a title="The interior of Northern Dumpling Kitchen" rel="lightbox[northerndumplingkitchen]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/056.jpg" rel="lightbox[59]"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/056.jpg" alt="The interior of Northern Dumpling Kitchen" width="500" /></a></p>
<p>Service was fast and friendly. Unlike many <em>dim sum</em> locations where waitresses will ignore you for a good 20 minutes, this place was small and the servers kept an eye on everyone. The menu was long and varied, but we stuck to the dim sum selection. Prices were low, which was reasonable given the drab decor.</p>
<p>The first to arrive was a large bowl of fried tofu in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fen_si" target="_blank"><em>fen si</em></a> soup. The soup was filled with crisp and light fried tofu, clearly made in-house, but could have used more vermicelli.<br />
Next came the <a href="http://tastytreats.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/chinese-treats-from-the-north/" target="_blank"><em>tu dou si</em></a>, potato strands in chili oil, which was lacking in salt and altogether undercooked (they felt wet somehow).</p>
<p><a title="Foreground: fried tofu in vermicelli soup; Left: potato strands in chili oil; Background: xue cai, pork, soybeans and rice cake stir-fry" rel="lightbox[northerndumplingkitchen]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/055.jpg" rel="lightbox[59]"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/055.jpg" alt="Foreground: fried tofu in vermicelli soup; Left: potato strands in chili oil; Background: xue cai, pork, soybeans and rice cake stir-fry" width="500" /></a></p>
<p>We ordered a rice cake stir-fry with <em>xue cai</em><sup>2</sup>, soybeans, and lean pork. Rice cakes can be stir-fried with many ingredients, but this is one of my favourite combinations. The rice cakes were surprisingly tender and well-formed, even they were probably made from frozen rice cakes. The pickled <em>xue cai</em> was clearly the store-bought canned kind, because they were far more salty than the rest of the ingredients.</p>
<p><a title="Rice cake stir fried with xue cai, pork, and soybeans" rel="lightbox[northerndumplingkitchen]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/053.jpg" rel="lightbox[59]"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/053.jpg" alt="Rice cake stir fried with xue cai, pork, and soybeans" width="500" /></a></p>
<p>Next to arrive were the steamed dumplings (<em>jiao zi</em>). The fillings were not very savoury and completely forgettable.</p>
<p><a title="Steamed dumplings" rel="lightbox[northerndumplingkitchen]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/051.jpg" rel="lightbox[59]"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/051.jpg" alt="Steamed dumplings" width="500" /></a></p>
<p>Similarly, the <em>xiao long bao</em> tasted like wontons instead of proper soup-filled dumplings. I think it was because the filling was made with too many scallions and even some sesame oil (completely inappropriate). Traditional <em>xiao long bao</em> have a savoury pork filling.</p>
<p><a title="Xiao long bao" rel="lightbox[northerndumplingkitchen]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/062.jpg" rel="lightbox[59]"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/062.jpg" alt="Xiao long bao" width="500" /></a></p>
<p>The only slightly redeeming dish was a plate of spring onion pancakes with sliced smoked pork and Hoi Sin sauce. The spring onion pancakes did not have enough green onions, although they were cooked to a perfect crisp. The sliced smoked pork was delightfully smokey and paired well with Hoi Sin sauce.</p>
<p><a title="Spring onion pancakes with sliced smoked pork" rel="lightbox[northerndumplingkitchen]" href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/057.jpg" rel="lightbox[59]"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/northerndumplingkitchen/057.jpg" alt="Spring onion pancakes with sliced smoked pork" width="500" /></a></p>
<p>While Northern Dumpling Kitchen seems to have gotten the right idea with its no frills service and northern-style menu, the chefs need to stop cutting corners and put more effort into the dishes. <em>Xiao long bao</em> that comes out tasting like wontons, stir fried rice cake with store-bought canned <em>xue cai</em>, and undercooked <em>tu dou si</em> is simply not acceptable to serve to a Chinese clientele. Perhaps some customers can overlook the laziness of the chefs at these prices, but I would rather drive another 20 minutes and pay the extra $5 per person at <a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2008/07/review-ding-tai-fung/">Ding Tai Fung</a>.</p>
<p>Rating: <img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"></p>
<ol class="footnotes"><li id="footnote_0_59" class="footnote">Actually, the term &#8220;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dim_sum" target="_blank">dim sum</a>&#8221; is strictly Cantonese. Translated into Mandarin, <em>dian xin</em> means dessert, not light dishes. There is no tradition of <em>yum cha</em>, which is what traditionally <em>dim sum</em> accompanies. If you follow the Wikipedia link, most of the typical <em>dim sum</em> items listed there belong in Cantonese cuisine. Although technically &#8220;northern-style <em>dim sum</em>&#8221; is an oxymoron, it is now widely accepted that a menu of small, steamed dishes can be called <em>dim sum</em>.</li><li id="footnote_1_59" class="footnote"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/3433.shtml" target="_blank">Pickled potherb mustard</a>, doesn&#8217;t sound appetizing, but it is quite common in Asian cuisine and tastes great.</li></ol>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Review: Ding Tai Fung</title>
		<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2008/07/review-ding-tai-fung/</link>
		<comments>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2008/07/review-ding-tai-fung/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:38:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining Out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brunch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chinese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dim sum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steamed buns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[xiao long bao]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paigu.crystalized.ca/?p=38</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ding Tai Fung has become surprisingly famous considering its unassuming location at First Markham Place, and for good reason. The dim sum here is the most authentic I&#8217;ve ever had, and lucky for me, it is Shanghai-style as opposed to Cantonese-style. That means, no carts rolling around and plenty of xiao long bao for all!

Pai [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.torontolife.com/guide/restaurants/chinese/ding-tai-fung/" target="_blank">Ding Tai Fung</a> has become surprisingly famous considering its unassuming location at First Markham Place, and for good reason. The dim sum here is the most authentic I&#8217;ve ever had, and lucky for me, it is Shanghai-style as opposed to Cantonese-style. That means, no carts rolling around and plenty of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaolongbao" target="_blank">xiao long bao</a> for all!</p>
<p><a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2855.jpg" rel="lightbox[38]" rel="lightbox[dingtaifung]" title="View of the restaurant over the xiao long bao"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2855.jpg' width="500" alt='View of the restaurant over the xiao long bao' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p><em>Pai gu</em> may have been my favourite dish at home as a child, but <em>xiao long bao</em> were hands down my favourite thing to order when we were eating out. I grew up in Nanjing, which is not far from Shanghai and certainly influenced by Shanghai cuisine. We always went out to eat steamed buns (filled and unfilled) and steamed dumplings because they were cheap and extremely time-consuming to make at home (there were no such things as frozen buns and dumplings in those days so we&#8217;d have to make it from scratch). Not to mention, I spent a summer in Shanghai with my grandparents and I made sure to eat enough <em>xiao long bao</em> to last me until the next time I returned to China.<br />
There is an art to eating <em>xiao long bao</em>, one that I don&#8217;t care to exercise unless I&#8217;m in China. What is this art and why don&#8217;t I exercise it? The proper way to eat <em>xiao long bao</em> is to gently lift it out of the <em>long zi</em> (bamboo basket), dip it in vinegar (optional &#8211; but if you are a native of the JiangSu province, you will not skip the vinegar), and eat it in one bite so that no soup leaks out. The <em>xiao long bao</em> wrapper is very thin and delicate, and it sticks to surfaces, so it&#8217;s easy to break if you set it down. And letting the soup leak out is a blasphemy for all Chinese, so be sure the <em>xiao long bao</em> goes straight from the basket to your mouth if you are eating with &#8220;real Chinese.&#8221;<br />
The reason I tend not to follow this technique when I eat is because the soup is so hot that I&#8217;ll often burn my mouth if I eat the <em>xiao long bao</em> in one bite. However, I am not going to let the soup leak out either, so I&#8217;ll put the <em>xiao long bao</em> down in a small bowl or on a soup soon, and then I bite a small hole in the wrapper and suck out the soup before I eat the <em>xiao long bao</em>. Still tastes delicious!<br />
<span id="more-38"></span><br />
But I digress. My friend and I arrived at 11pm and Ding Tai Fung was already quite busy. When we were seated, we realized with horror that the entire menu was Chinese. My friend could not read any Chinese, and I can only read some. Luckily, my knowledge of Chinese was enough for us to navigate through most of the dim sum items.<br />
Either we were lucky or everything at Ding Tai Fung tastes delicious because everything that came to our table tasted amazing. I&#8217;ve never tasted such simple yet perfect Chinese <em>dim sum</em> before, especially because many Chinese restaurants don&#8217;t think <em>dim sum</em> is important<sup>1</sup>. It&#8217;s like how lunch entrees are often not as good as dinner entrees except that <em>dim sum</em> is a completely different menu (and world) of its own.</p>
<p>Ding Tai Fung obviously did not subscribe to this philosophy, and quite rightly, its <em>dim sum</em> is what made it famous.</p>
<p>The first item was a <em>leng cai </em>(literally, cold dish, i.e. appetizer) of spicy beef tripe. It was cold and spicy and a little bit sweet &#8211; simply delicious.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2852.jpg" rel="lightbox[38]" rel="lightbox[dingtaifung]" title="Beef tripe with chili and scallions"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2852.jpg' width="500" alt='Beef tripe with chili and scallions' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p>The second item was the basket of <em>xiao long bao</em>. The authenticity of <em>xiao long bao</em> is easily determinable. If the wrapper is thick, it is not authentic. If there is no soup or very little soup, it is not authentic. Shanghai <em>xiao long bao</em> is also always a pork filling with pork soup, so any other ingredients in the filling would make it not authentic. <em>This</em> was authentic in every way. As I bit into the thin wrap, hot, savoury soup spilled out and burned my tongue, but I ate it all in one bite. My mouth came alive with the sensation of rich pork juices, and my mind sent me back to my summer in Shanghai, where I spent many hot afternoons on the air-conditioned second floor of a tea house, eating basket after basket of <em>xiao long bao</em>.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2854.jpg" rel="lightbox[38]" rel="lightbox[dingtaifung]" title="Xiao Long Bao"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2854.jpg' width="500" alt='Xiao Long Bao' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p>The third item to arrive was the vegetable spring rolls. They were crisp and golden, and quite perfect. I&#8217;ve never had spring rolls in a restaurant before in China, so I don&#8217;t know if these were authentic, but they tasted pretty good. The filling was vegetarian, I think bok choy or Chinese cabbage.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2860.jpg" rel="lightbox[38]" rel="lightbox[dingtaifung]" title="Vegetable spring rolls"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2860.jpg' width="500" alt='Vegetable spring rolls' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p>The fourth item was by far the most delicious. It was a beef roll wrapped in aluminum foil that I&#8217;ve seen other people order many times, but I&#8217;ve never seen it in China or had it myself. It may be a Cantonese <em>dim sum</em> item. Either way, it was delicious. It was a pan-fried crispy roll, with sliced beef and scallions wrapped inside with Hoi Sin sauce.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2869.jpg" rel="lightbox[38]" rel="lightbox[dingtaifung]" title="Sliced beef rolls"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_2869.jpg' width="500" alt='Sliced beef rolls' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p>On subsequent trips to Ding Tai Fung, I have tried their vegetable <em>jiao zi</em>, which are filled with Chinese greens and shredded Chinese vermicelli and steamed in a paper-thin translucent dumpling wrap. Dan dan noodles are not their forte, nor are <em>luo bo si su bing</em> (pan-fried shredded turnip pancake), although it is slightly less soggy than what I&#8217;ve had at other places. Mini (bite-size) <em>xiao long bao</em> are not nearly as good as the standard <em>xiao long bao</em>, and pork and glutinous rice <em>shao mai</em> leave something to be desired. Crispy spring onion pancakes are a good standby, as are stir-fried rice cakes (<em>Shanghai nian gao</em>).</p>
<p>For dessert, their sugar egg puff tastes like nothing with confectioner&#8217;s sugar sprinkled on top. I don&#8217;t have a picture, but <a href="http://www.foodnut.com/i/Koi-Palace-Dinner-Daly-City/Koi-Palace-Daly-City-Dinner-Fried-Puffs.jpg" rel="lightbox[38]" target="_blank">here</a> is what a sugar egg puff looks like. The most interesting dessert they offer is the steamed red bean rice cake. It is not too sweet or decadent, but fragrant and beautiful.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_8410.jpg" rel="lightbox[38]" rel="lightbox[dingtaifung]" title="Dessert: red bean rice cake"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/dingtaifung/IMG_8410.jpg' width="500" alt='Dessert: red bean rice cake' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p>The servers speak Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, and the food arrives quite quickly considering everything is made fresh. Service can be slower on weekends, but while you wait, you can watch the cute dumpling makers behind the glass pleat dumplings with practiced confidence. The washrooms are a little cramped but fairly clean. Prices were standard for <em>dim sum</em>, between $5 to $9 dollars a dish.</p>
<p>Rating: <img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><br />
svgallery=dingtaifung</p>
<ol class="footnotes"><li id="footnote_0_38" class="footnote">They won&#8217;t have the head chef prepare those items, and some places will even buy pre-made or frozen dim sum and just heat it up</li></ol>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Review: Zen Gardens</title>
		<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2008/07/review-zen-gardens/</link>
		<comments>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2008/07/review-zen-gardens/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:11:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining Out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chinese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[curry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dim sum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dinner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zong zi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://paigu.crystalized.ca/?p=35</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Zen Gardens is the first vegetarian restaurant I&#8217;ve been to, and it made a surprisingly excellent first impression on my taste buds. Located on Dundas a block east of Wellington, the small, unassuming Asian restaurant is serenely decorated, with bamboo on the walls and tea sets on display.


My friend and I took a long time [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Zen Gardens</strong> is the first vegetarian restaurant I&#8217;ve been to, and it made a surprisingly excellent first impression on my taste buds. Located on Dundas a block east of Wellington, the small, unassuming Asian restaurant is serenely decorated, with bamboo on the walls and tea sets on display.</p>
<p><a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2710.jpg" rel="lightbox[35]" rel="lightbox[zengardens]" title="Zen Gardens interior"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2710.jpg' width="500" alt='Zen Gardens interior' class='aligncenter' /></a><br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2712.jpg" rel="lightbox[35]" rel="lightbox[zengardens]" title="Zen Gardens interior"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2712.jpg' width="500" alt='Zen Gardens interior' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p>My friend and I took a long time to decide what to order, since everything on the menu was quite new and different to us. Kung Po Soy Chicken or Thai (Soy) Steak? Enoki Mushroom Balls or Curry Fried Rice?<br />
We ended up settling on ordering one dim sum and one entree each. She ordered the BBQ pork-stuffed bun, a classic dim sum item, except the pork was of course a soy substitute, and I ordered a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zongzi" target="_blank">sticky rice wrap (zong zi)</a>. I used to <em>love</em> sticky rice wraps when I was a kid, especially the ones filled with aged sausage and marinated pork (called &#8220;savoury&#8221; sticky rice wraps, as opposed to the &#8220;sweet&#8221; variety where the filling is usually red bean paste), but I can&#8217;t often find authentic sticky rice wraps here in Canada. Most of the time, they are the Vietnamese or Cantonese variety, both of which have different fillings that I tend not to like as much. I could spend a whole day talking about zong zi, but suffice to say, they are not easy to prepare, take a long time to cook, and thus, good zong zi in Canada are an endangered species.<br />
I was a little skeptical of the dim sum menu to begin with, which only included three items and seemed out of place in this Asian zen restaurant filled with non-Asian customers. To me, dim sum conjured an image of a banquet hall filled with the ever-increasing volume of Asians fighting over the bill in Cantonese as waitresses whizzed by with trolleys of steamed goodies stacked five-feet high. Not to mention dim sum without real meat? Blasphemy!</p>
<p><a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2716.jpg" rel="lightbox[35]" rel="lightbox[zengardens]" title="Our dim sum items"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2716.jpg' width="500" alt='Our dim sum items' class='aligncenter' /></a><br />
Out of place though it was, the dim sum was surprisingly authentic, which made me curious as to who the chefs were. My friend&#8217;s BBQ-pork bun came out fantastic, with a perfectly soft and fragrant bun (the bun is actually where the skill-level of the chef is deduced) that I never in a million years thought I&#8217;d find in London. The filling was sweet and saucy, and although not real pork, tasted incredibly similar.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2725.jpg" rel="lightbox[35]" rel="lightbox[zengardens]" title="BBQ pork bun"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2725.jpg' width="500" alt='BBQ pork bun' class='aligncenter' /></a><br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2742.jpg" rel="lightbox[35]" rel="lightbox[zengardens]" title="BBQ pork bun"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2742.jpg' width="500" alt='BBQ pork bun' class='aligncenter' /></a><br />
My zong zi was also incredibly authentic. It had a savoury mushroom filling, but the real treat was the sticky rice, which was cooked to perfection. Because zong zi is cooked very slowly, a lot of things can go wrong in the cooking process, and the most difficult aspect is determining when it is done. I really wish they could introduce a sweet variation as well, with the red bean paste, because then I&#8217;d be back here every day! But if they were to make that from scratch, it would be much more time-consuming than making the savoury version.<br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2721.jpg" rel="lightbox[35]" rel="lightbox[zengardens]" title="Sticky rice wrap (zong zi)"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2721.jpg' width="500" alt='Sticky rice wrap (zong zi)' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p>For the entree, I ordered a curry vegetable dish and my friend ordered a fried rice (what kind exactly I forget). Both our dishes had a surprising taste, the kind of surprise that makes your eyes go wide with delight as your taste buds start to react to the first spoonful. For her, it was the sweet pineapple, for me it was the curry sauce.</p>
<p><a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2732.jpg" rel="lightbox[35]" rel="lightbox[zengardens]" title="Fried rice"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2732.jpg' width="500" alt='Fried rice' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p>I didn&#8217;t expect my dish to come out looking like it did. I thought it would be a curry vegetable stir-fry or something, but it came out looking more like a stew, in a heavy pot with a thick sauce. The sauce was an absolute delight, and I have no idea what kind of curry they used. It wasn&#8217;t quite like any curry sauce I&#8217;ve ever had, and I&#8217;ve had many<sup>1</sup>. There was no hint of your typical Thai ingredients in the curry (coconut, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves, lime juice), so it was strictly its own brand of Chinese curry. It tasted closely like Japanese curry but less thick, more spicy, and more orange-coloured rather than brown. The mushrooms made it especially savoury, and I loved the subtle spicy taste that developed over time as I consumed more of the dish. One of the ingredients that also surprised me was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okra" target="_blank">okra</a>, something I&#8217;ve never had before but found quite interesting. Now that I&#8217;ve looked it up, I guess it was used as a thickening agent in the stew. The other ingredients were potato, soy chunks, soy meatballs, and carrots, which all complimented each other well. Maybe it&#8217;s because there was no real meat, maybe it was because the potatoes were cut in small chunks, but either way, the meal did not feel heavy at all.</p>
<p><a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2735.jpg" rel="lightbox[35]" rel="lightbox[zengardens]" title="Curry vegetable with mushroom dish"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2735.jpg' width="500" alt='Curry vegetable with mushroom dish' class='aligncenter' /></a><br />
<a href="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2746.jpg" rel="lightbox[35]" rel="lightbox[zengardens]" title="Soy meatball, potato, and carrot"><img src='http://paigu.crystalized.ca/wp-content/photos/zengardens/IMG_2746.jpg' width="500" alt='Soy meatball, potato, and carrot' class='aligncenter' /></a></p>
<p>Our server was attentive and accommodating, and the atmosphere was quiet and very serene, perfect for conversation. The dessert menu was disappointingly short, so we decided to go elsewhere for dessert, but the tea menu was was quite varied and extensive.<br />
The whole experience was a pleasant surprise, and I made it a point to meet the chef(s) after our meal. It turned out they were Cantonese, although the chef that came out to greet us spoke Mandarin, so I thanked him in my native tongue and he grinned from ear to ear.</p>
<p>Will I be back? Most definitely!</p>
<p>Rating: <img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><br />
<span id="more-35"></span><br />
svgallery=zengardens</p>
<ol class="footnotes"><li id="footnote_0_35" class="footnote">Madras curry; green, red, and yellow Thai curries; Japanese curry.</li></ol>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Review: Asian Legend</title>
		<link>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2008/06/review-asian-legend/</link>
		<comments>http://paigu.crystalized.ca/2008/06/review-asian-legend/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:23:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dining Out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chinese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dim sum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dinner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Located in the heart of Chinatown, Asian Legend is one of the more sophisticated-looking Chinese restaurants in the area after its renovation. With a large and varying menu of typical Chinese dishes, one wonders where to begin. General Tao&#8217;s chicken is generally a safe choice that will please everyone, along with some dim sum appetizer [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Located in the heart of Chinatown, <a href="http://www.asianlegend.ca/" target="_blank">Asian Legend</a> is one of the more sophisticated-looking Chinese restaurants in the area after its renovation. With a large and varying menu of typical Chinese dishes, one wonders where to begin. General Tao&#8217;s chicken is generally a safe choice that will please everyone, along with some dim sum appetizer selections. The cooking is nothing to boast about, but then again, most Chinese dishes in North America suffer the same fate. Decent service and decent pricing makes for a pleasant meal. But like all Chinese restaurants in the area, it is always bustling and often noisy. Recommended for larger groups rather than intimate dates.</p>
<p>Rating: <img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"></p>
<p><em>Downtown Location<br />
418 Dundas St. W.<br />
Toronto, ON<br />
(416) 977-3909</em></p>
<p>The Commerce Gate branch in Thornhill is a much better dining experience than the downtown location in every way. Although situated a little out of the way for some, the trip is definitely worth it for those willing to drive north of the city. After two trips to the restaurant on very different nights, I have discovered that the cooking here is infinitely better than what I remember of the downtown location. From the sizzling beef on hot plate to the tantalizing tofu and vegetable stir-fry, I can&#8217;t remember the last time I had such a satisfying Chinese meal in Canada. The luxurious flavours of northern Chinese cooking oozes out of every dish, and I am reminded of my trip to Beijing with every bite. The Northern Dim Sum are a delicious surprise, particularly the perfectly steamed dumplings with juicy pork and soup that requires some expertise to eat without leaking the soup everywhere. The Cantonese Chow Mein is also particularly savoury on a bed of golden, crisp fried noodles. The ambiance and the clean washrooms also make this a great location to bring your date, friends, and family! Just be wary: on most evenings, there is a small line-up, so get there early or make a reservation. For larger gatherings, there are bigger rooms in the back, but I prefer the small tables next to the floor to ceiling glass walls in the front room. I must say, dividing the restaurant up into a beautiful front room with bigger rooms in the back was an excellent architectural choice. I, for one, am definitely going back for another taste! Perhaps this time I will go for dim sum, which I heard is excellent.</p>
<p>Rating: <img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"><img src="http://paigu.crystalized.ca/images/star.gif" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;"></p>
<p><em>Commerce Gate Location<br />
505 Hwy 7 E. #77-79<br />
Thornhill, ON<br />
(905)763-8211</em></p>
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