Another Northern style dumpling spot in the Convoy area from Mainlanders.
Typical array of dumplings, though there are more beef dumplings than one would typically find. The dumplings we tried (pork with green onion, and the pork shrimp with chives) were fine, skins were good enough with enough “Q” to show a good deft of hand with the rolling pin.
But the real gem here is the braised pork steamed buns. Yes, braised pork (pulled shank meat mostly), in a very Shanghainese red style braise prep, stuffed into a typical steamed bun. How best to describe this? Imagine if you ordered DongPo Pork, and then encased it in a hollowed out steamed mantou. This is some seriously good stuff. Maybe it’s the novelty, but no matter, still good.
The other interesting item was a Chinese version of beef pot pie, which was basically braised beef shank in a puff pastry shell. This was not as successful. Something about the butter clashed with the soy sauce based beef.
Well I was there just yesterday and didn’t see any on their soft open menu. But after noticing a poster featuring XLB, I asked and said they’ll have it by today.
Just made some of the best kick ass Morningstar crumble crispy tacos with extra sharp tillamook cheese, avo, sour cream, red onions and hot hot salsa with cold Pacifico’s to wash that delicious cardboard taste out of my mouth…
Had Top Sirloin ground into hamburger for the ball and chain carnivore hubs…
No wonder everyone ask if I’m a child bride or his younger sister!
I visited this place this evening and have mixed feelings.
My first reaction to the fairly spacious interior was positive. The tables and chairs are made of heavy, light-colored wood, and the rest of the decor seemed complimentary. But then I noticed that the tables have a 4" ridge underneath, and are quite low (as are the chairs). I myself didn’t have trouble with this, but it seemed to me that tall or large people could easily be uncomfortable if their legs get pinned up against that ridge.
The other thing that I found mildly annoying was the exposed-ductwork ceiling, which I’ve said before (and will say again) is something that I’m really tired of, and not so much just because that genre of interior design is way overdue for retirement, but because it contributes to a noisy environment. There were just a few people inside while I was there, and even then you could hear and almost feel harshness from the hard-surfaces design in a large space.
I ordered a cup of hot and sour soup, and a basket of those braised pork steamed buns that ipse raved about. (In fact, that’s why I ordered them.)
The hot and sour soup was very good, with a nice lingering but mellow chili afterglow to it, and was different in flavor from the norm, in a pleasant way. And it was all of $2!
But I have to say that I wasn’t that impressed by the pork buns. Maybe this was influenced by the fact that it took 35 minutes after ordering for them to arrive (there’s a clock on the wall) and I was getting more than a little anxious by then. I thought the wrapper was excellent but the filling just didn’t excite me in the way it did ipse. I made a dipping sauce of black vinegar and chili oil which went well.
I was dining by myself and left feeling quite full (the pork steamed bun order consisted of six large buns), but I guess I’m not in a hurry to return. Except for that hot and sour soup.
Actually, after about 25 minutes, I asked if I could change my order to something that they might be able to bring more quickly. I was serious: Maybe some kind of dumplings that they’d made up earlier and just needed warming? Whatever. They said that my order was cooking and gave me a complimentary app (some kind of cold, thick-sliced cooked pork, I think – don’t know what it’s called). Yeah, the long wait was pretty annoying.
