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| - It was late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning. The fiancée and I were hungry and wanted something to eat before calling it a night. We made our way to 24 Seven Café in the Palms where we staying. Oddly (but fortuitously), the hostess seated us in Fortunes, the Chinese restaurant inside 24 Seven Café. Other than the fact it was newer looking, had a fresh coat of paint, and was minus the stereotypical Chinese knick knacks and prints/posters depicting Chinese landmarks or scenery, we felt like we'd been transported from a casino to a family-run Chinese restaurant in a non-descript strip mall. I say that as a very good thing.
Fortunes' late night menu offers a wide selection of Chinese fare to include an abbreviated (from their regular menu) dim sum menu. We split orders of the Fish Maw and Crab Soup ($7.99), Hot & Sour Soup ($3.99), Szechuan Black Pepper Steak ($14.99), and Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf ($4.99) and Shrimp Dumpling ($3.99) dim sum. First, portion sizes were generous. Second, the food tasted surprisingly fresh made and not as if it had been sitting around for hours waiting to be served. In the case of the black pepper steak, it came out sizzling hot like a plate of fresh grilled fajitas. Third, and most importantly, the food was for the most part outstanding. The bowl of fish maw and crab soup held an ample amount of its namesake seafood. The beige colored soup's flavor was mild and without an off-putting fishiness. It was my first experience with this soup, and I liked it. However, I loved the hot & sour soup. Its natural earth tone colors were pronounced, as the ingredients didn't look muted or washed out. It was properly salted and, unlike many hot & sour soups that I've tried, it didn't shy away from showing off its spicy and sour notes. It was the best rendition that I've ever had! The previously mentioned black pepper steak possessed the trademark Szechuan spiciness, but not to fear, it was far from taste bud searing in its peppery heat. The three shrimp dumplings were plump with filling and nicely steamed. The shrimp were flavorful and, thankfully, not overcooked and rubbery. The only miss of the evening/morning was our two lotus leaf wrapped bundles of sticky rice. The rice wasn't that sticky and seemed under seasoned or missing some key ingredient. It wasn't bad; it just wasn't nearly as good as everything else we received.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't know how truly authentic Chinese food should taste. That said, I do know what tastes good and the Chinese fare at Fortunes, even after midnight, tasted good. What a pleasant surprise!
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