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| - At least once a month we get together for dinner with my uncle and aunt. New Markham Villa, which is located in the same plaza as the Club 300 Bowl on Old Kennedy Road has been a go-to place for such occasions since I was young.
My uncle is always discovering and introducing the Tsui family to various new Chinese eateries around town and it had been awhile since we'd come to New Markham Villa. This time, my aunt and cousin from Hong Kong would be joining us. The more the merrier!
We ended up ordering the following items:
Peking Duck 2 Ways- This dish always shows up at the dinner table. What's not to love about roasted duck with a crisp skin, served with hoisin-sauce, scallion and julienned carrots - all rolled up into a convenient bite-sized crepe? The Peking duck was artistically plated, not too oily, and had a crisp skin. The duck itself was just the right combination of fat and meat. However, I noticed the texture of the duck was a bit off! *gasps* Were we consuming a Peking duck that was prepared from a frozen duck? I had my suspicions! The crepe was quite good. The duck meat was used for lettuce wraps. You usually have to pay extra if you want it in lettuce wraps. Otherwise, they just chop it up whole and give you some plum sauce. I found the duck to be a bit on the dry side. (Note - the duck meat used in the lettuce wraps is usually not from the same duck as the one you have just eaten with the crepes).
Chicken, Shrimp & Veggie Stir-Fry - This dish consisted of chicken and shrimps stir-fried with snap peas and celery. It had a nice sheen which came from the dousing of oil that most dishes at Chinese restaurants get to make it look "appetizing."
Garlic Stir-Fried Greens - Tender greens in a broth-based sauce topped with fried garlic. Tasty indeed - where did I put that stick of gum again?
Steamed Bass - The was adorned with the usual scallions and ginger, oil and soy sauce. The meat was "sturdy" like a fish steak, and there weren't many bones to pick through. It was fresh and tasty.
Scallion-Ginger Braised Lobster - The lobster was of a substantial size. The meat was sweet and juicy, and the lobster meat came off clean. Yummy!
Sweet & Sour Pork - Nicely battered, good ratio of fat to meat and a good balance of sweet and sour.
The dessert for the night was Red Bean Soup. It was quite good, not too sweet - but I like my red bean soup to be a bit more gelatinous and thicker in consistency.
New Markham Villa is consistent in their dishes, both size and taste-wise. I would come back again for dinner.
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