| rev:text
| - I was debating between 3 and 4 stars but when I remembered the workers, the service, and how long it took to get our food... I decided to go with 3. Also, the steamed soup dumplings that everyone raved about.... definitely just a 3. Have you tried these dumplings in NYC or LA? Honestly, they are incomparable.
My visit here was still very much rewarding because I devoured their noodles in black bean sauce. I've always been a big fan of this dish, but many Chinese restaurants tend to screw it up... making it too bland or too salty. They did a great job here! The noodles were sticking together a bit too much, but that didn't stop me from finishing the entire bowl! It was delicious.
My other favorite item had to be their hot and sour soup. Not too salty, great flavor, hearty, generous portion, and it certainly made me happy :).
For a Chinese restaurant, the food took WAYYY too long. The hot and sour soup came first, but not for a little while. Probably at least 10-15 minutes. Soup at a Chinese restaurant is usually at your table within the first couple minutes tops. It took another 10 minutes or so for the noodles with black bean sauce. Thank goodness this dish was so damn good, otherwise I would've gotten irritated at how much longer the dumplings took. Once the dumplings got there, we realized we are getting pretty full. Then, perhaps 30 minutes after the dumplings arrived, when we were pretty much done eating, the beef roll was put on our table. Ummm... oops. Forgot we even ordered that! We technically should've just sent it back politely letting them know that we are done eating already, and over 45 minutes for a not-so-complex dish is unacceptable. Instead, we went the more civil route and boxed it up to take home.
So overall, the prices here are fair, the ambiance is average (definitely doesn't feel like a Chinese restaurant though), and the mood is pretty dull. The workers were super unfriendly, swamped with only a few tables, and inattentive. They have a lot to work on, but some of their dishes are so good that they're worth going back for.
|