Won Kok Millbrae - Chinese, Millbrae

1671 El Camino Real, Millbrae CA 94030
(650) 616-8288
Parking: street parking, parking in rear
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm,  5pm-9:30pm; Sat-Sun 10:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-9:30pm

Last Visited: January 18, 2026

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

When Won Kok Millbrae opened up and replaced Asian Pearl, I was excited to see that they would be serving dim sum.  It seemed so promising with decent reviews, but alas, my experience was very mixed and service left a whole lot to be desired.  While I don't expect any Chinese place to have excellent service, this was by far one of the strangest experiences I have had in a while.  What made the experience even more prominent was that a coworker of mine was seated at the next table and seemed to have a completely different dining experience. 

I had called ahead to see if a reservation could be taken, but was told that wasn't necessary.  When I arrived, I had let the staff know that a table located in an accessible space would be desired since some of these tables were very close together.  They said that every table was accessible and when we were seated near the kitchen exit, the large round table next to us had one of its chair backs shoved right up against our table for four.  This seemed less than ideal, and became even more noticeable as the staff seemed to bump into the chairs every time they tried to access the large table.  That's not the weird part though - more on that later. 

Tea - very reasonably priced at $1 per person.  I usually ask for a pot of hot water so I can dilute my tea to my liking, but when I poured some of that hot water to refill the tea pot, I was scolded.  The waitress told me not to do that and that she would go get hot water.  I think you should let your patron do as s/he wishes.  If you're not coming around to refill tea quickly enough. I can add hot water to my own tea.

Shu Mai - Pretty standard in flavor and appearance, and probably the best dish of the day because the temperature was hot and there was an adequate amount of pork and shrimp inside. $6.20

Rice Noodle Roll with Fried Donut - This was pretty disappointing as a whole.  While the rice noodle roll itself was thin, which is usually difficult to do while keeping it from breaking when you roll it, the fried donut wasn't as crisp as it should be.  Presentation is nice with the vegetables, but I wouldn't order it again.  Before we even finished the vegetables, they wanted to take the plate away, but we had to tell them we weren't done.  $9.20

Deep Fried Prawn Bean Curd - This is a regular dish that I order because it tests out how well they do with deep frying.  I forgot to take a photo of this one and it was probably the best dish of our lunch.  $7.20

Fried Glutinous Dumpling While the outside looked promising - you can see the photo on the left where they have cut the glutinous dumpling, this was also a disappointment.  The outside is crunchy and inside is chewy like a mochi, but the amount of meat leaves you recalling that old Wendy's fast food commercial - where's the beef (ok, it's pork here, but there is still such a small amount of meat).  Flavor is ok, but all four of us were looking at it wondering where the rest of it was.  $6.20

Fried Taro Dumpling - On the right of this photo, the taro dumpling looks like what you would expect, kind of fluffed up.  The outside bottom though was soggy.  I wondered how long the dumpling had been sitting there after being deep fried.  There was an adequate ratio of taro to meat here, so that wasn't the problem, but serving temperature and how long it had been sitting was the main issue.  $6.20

Pea Sprouts in Broth with Bean Curd Sheets - I had asked my coworker friend what they liked since it was my first time coming, and they recommended this dish.  While it was fresh, I can actually make this at home, so I was less impressed.  The dish itself is fine though and it's a good offering if you want vegetables in a light broth.  This comes with tofu sheets, pea sprouts, enoki mushrooms, and gingko nuts. $12.80

We weren't even done with all of the food on the dish, and the staff was ready to take them away.  My coworker and her friends at the table next to us left at least one item on every plate and were not bothered to remove plates.  We received our check without being asked if we wanted more food.  In fact, they cleared our individual bowls and chopsticks right after all of our food was finished - good service staff usually ask you if you would like more tea and want to order more dessert.  

Within 45 minutes, from start to finish, I felt we were pushed out rather than allowed to enjoy our meal.  My coworker at the adjacent table arrived before us and left after us and was not rushed at all. How could service be so inconsistent? I can't explain it.  Nevertheless, the food didn't make me desire to go back, so I don't have plans to visit again and will be going back to my regular spot.

Dim Sum Club, Chinese - San Francisco

2237 Taraval St, San Francisco CA 94116
(415) 592-8938
Parking: Street parking
Hours: 11am-3pm, 5pm-9pm Daily

Last Visited: April 24, 2021

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

Dim Sum Club has been open about a week and just started indoor dining.  Owner, Joe Huang, was the former chef at the Van Ness location of Dim Sum Club.  Affiliated restaurants include Dim Sum Bistro in Chinatown and Dumpling House on Noe St, both in San Francisco.

With the first week come a lot of working out of kinks, so plan to be patient.  For example, they only have three types of tea available - oolong, bo lai, and jasmine.  After sitting down, they had a flurry of orders to get out of the kitchen, so I found my own menu, and we waited probably ten minutes after being seated before someone came to take our order, provide place settings, and ask what kind of tea we wanted.  The staff is really nice so the flaws are easy to forgive, but don't be surprised if it takes a little longer for them to come back with sauces that typically accompany a dish without request or scissors to cut things that might be already cut elsewhere.

Depending on the table, some have disposable plastic tablecloths while others have regular linen cloths. Paper placemats are also in use.  One thing about the tea that I liked is that they use a strainer inside the tea pot, so you don't get leaves when you pour out the tea. 

The menu goes beyond typical dim sum.  Besides the usual dumplings, they also offer entrees like pork stomach with chicken and shrimp with lobster sauce, as well as noodles, chow fun, and fried rice.

- Beef with Cilantro Rice Noodle Roll - The amount of beef was really generous and well flavored with cilantro.  The texture of the rice noodle roll is perfect.  The only unusual thing about the roll is the way its rolled - the two edges are rolled into the middle and folded like a book, so you have one roll of just noodle on one side and a roll of beef on the other instead of rolling like you would a carpet.  This made it a little hard to eat since the meat side is heavy.  Still tasty though. $5.95

- Fried Sesame Balls - Super fresh and filled with red bean.  The skin isn't super thin, but also not super thick.  Good.  $3.95

- Shrimp in Tofu Skin Roll - These were fantastic!  The pieces of shrimp is generous and while you usually find that these are flattened out elsewhere to make it look like there is more shrimp filling, these are stuffed to the gills.  Perfectly fried and crispy - these are a must try.  You may need to ask for the Worcestershire here if you want the sauce. $5.95

- Deep Fried Pork Puff - Golden puffy goodness.  Again, not the thinnest of doughs, but not too bad. Good flavor and moderate amount of filling.  $4.50

- Shrimp and Pork Siu Mai - Pretty standard with a mixture of shrimp pieces and pork inside.  Good flavor.  Standard stuff that I have no complaints about.  The wrapper stays on - it's not overly steamed. Good. $5.95

- Steamed pork ribs in black bean sauce - This is something I always get at dim sum places.  Good portion of ribs, good flavor. No complaints. $4.95

- Steamed chicken feet - Good flavor.  Not as puffy/plumped from the braising juice as some other places, but still ok.  $4.95

All items were served at the right temperature - hot and crispy out of the fryer or hot out of the steamer.

If you're the type of person to ask if they're checking temperature, you probably want to come for takeout instead.  They're still serving condiments in a communal way on the table, and while it's not crowded by Chinese restaurant standards, it's not as far apart as some of the fancier places.  Servers are masked.

We talked to the owner, Joe, who was super nice and asked for feedback about our meal.  He also mentioned that they're selling frozen goods like wontons and dumplings, but this hasn't been posted yet, so you're getting the scoop here first.

I would definitely check out Dim Sum Club again, especially with their dine-in promotion of 10% off available through the end of May 2021.  Note that they're adapting prices still to match with their competition, so you might find things have changed when you visit.  

Stick and Steam - Tapas, Dim Sum, Chinese, Millbrae

350 Adrian Rd, Millbrae CA 94030
(650) 239-9240
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: December 29, 2018

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Stick and Steam opened last month and has an interesting menu of snacks/small plates, skewers, noodles and rice, and different versions of Hainanese chicken.  You can also try unusual concoctions such as beef kimcheese (yes, cheese) fried rice and salted egg fries.  Rita mentioned that there is 10% off through the end of the year, so it's a good time to go in and check it out.

The restaurant has been nicely remodeled to have a more modern look than before (it used to be a Hong Kong style restaurant) with wood tables, black chairs, and even a neon S S sign (which you can see in the window in the photo above). 

The model is simple - you arrive and receive a menu with photos and a menu for you to check off what you want to order.  There are a number of drinks on the menu - from soju to boba, you'll find a lot of additional options, but hot tea wasn't listed as one of them.

- Beef Noodle Soup - By far, this was the best dish of the night.  Three large pieces of beef brisket and two large pieces of beef/tendon are braised until super tender so that it melts in your mouth.  The noodles are fine, but nothing special.   Although the menu says its egg noodles, and the photo on the menu look like egg noodles, these look like flat noodles that aren't egg-based.  Three romaine leaves along with some cilantro garnish the soup.  A sauce and minced preserved turnip/radish also accompany the five-spice based broth.  This would be even better if you could choose the type of noodles you wanted.  This dish gave the food rating three stars. $9.50

- Hainan Chicken Plate - The menu describes this as slow-cooked, served with fluffy short-grained rice, ginger-garlic, and sweet soy sauce.  The mound of rice is big and has more color than flavor - it's pretty bland.  The chicken is actually mounded on top of cooked cabbage, so there is less than what you think.  Most of my chicken was white meat - only the wing and another piece was dark meat.  The spinach salad comes with shredded carrots and candied walnuts which are good, but the dressing was not to my liking.  It has a strong flavor that reminds me of shiso, but it leaves a funny aftertaste.  A number of spinach leaves were also wilted, so I couldn't enjoy them.  The best thing about this dish was the accompanying sauces - the sweet chili sauce has a bit of kick and the ginger sauce was good, but there wasn't enough of it.  I would suggest you go to the nearby competitor around the corner that serves more chicken for a lower price instead.  I wouldn't order this again. $12.75

- Pork Belly with Charcoal bun - The steamed buns are tender and if it weren't for them being black, you would just call them fluffy and well-executed.  In a blind taste test, I don't think I would detect any charcoal.  The two glazed grilled pork belly skewers were tasty, but there was far too much fat compared to meat.  From the photo, you can see that one piece is virtually all fat - not a good ratio.  The pieces with a good portion of meat to fat were nicely glazed and juicy.  The strange spinach salad comes with this dish too. Okay skewers, but where's the meat?! $7

- House Potstickers (4) - Pork and ginger potstickers are served on a layer of rice paper.  In my book, these are not potstickers.  They're dumplings that got boiled and pan fried, and not even to the point of the wrapper drying out sufficiently on what is the underside of the rice paper.  The dumpling skin is quite different from that of real potstickers.  There is also insufficient browning so that the rice paper had no purpose.  What's a bit ironic is that when you make real potstickers at home, you can often get this rice paper skin as a byproduct of putting water into the pan and slowly frying the dumplings - here it's considered a novelty. At least the meat was juicy.  Even still, not recommended.  $6.75

- XLB Trio (original - white, crab - yellow, and truffle - black) - These Shanghai dumplings were pretty good - all juicy on the inside with sufficient amounts of soup and a supple wrapper.  The crab dumpling could taste more like crab, but it was still okay.  When I try these at most places, I like the truffle one the best and this was the case here too.  $5.75 

Service was okay, but not profound.  You can tell that the servers have been trained to state the name of the dish when delivering it to the table, to thank you for your patience when you've been waiting for a period of time, and to thank you as you leave.  Things that showed that it's still a new establishment - once our order had been taken, we were asked to relocate tables to fit in a larger party.  The patrons at the table next to us that arrived when the restaurant got a little fuller had to wait significantly longer for their order to be taken (about 15 minutes after receiving a menu).  Getting the check required flagging down a server several times, so there is still room for improvement. 

Other things that I found to be strange - during my first course, the beef noodle soup dish, I smelled this overwhelming scent of soap.  I couldn't figure out where it was coming from, but I don't think it was the food.  Nevertheless, it throws you off and makes one think they're eating some kind of cleaning product. 

Better get going if you want your 10% off. 

Tim Ho Wan - Chinese/Dim Sum, Hong Kong

Best: Dim Sum, Hong Kong

2, 2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok, Ph: 2332 2896
G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Ph: 2788 1226
Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall), Central, Ph: 2332 3078

Last Visited: November 26, 2010

Food: 4 to 5 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 4 stars

Price: $

When I was in Hong Kong a year ago, there were only two Tim Ho Wan's.  The fact that a third location has now opened up shows you that business continues to grow as more people find out about the great tasting food that Tim Ho Wan has to offer.  Although I was only in Hong Kong for a short trip, I managed to get to the Mong Kok location twice, and one of those times was even on a weekend. 

Our first visit was an hour and a half wait.  Our second visit was over a two hour wait, but one should take into account that I arrived before opening time.  With only about 32 seats available in this location, our second visit waited through an entire round of people (completely packed full house) before we were able to be seated.   And there were a ton of people in line after us too.

You'll find the crowd is fairly international.  Known as the least expensive restaurant in the world with a Michelin star, Tim Ho Wan has been featured in a number of guide books and listed as a must-try in many restaurant guides as well.  While I knew I was in for a treat, I had no idea that dim sum could be this fresh and this good.  The owner and chef, Mak Pui Gor, was the former chef of the three star restaurant at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong.  Impressive credentials and I think it's awesome he decided to open a place that is accessible to those on a budget.

The atmosphere is one of hustle and bustle - you get a piece of paper to indicate your order quantity for each item, and your order is plugged into the computer.  Then little dishes and baskets arrive at your table in no particular order.  Unlike other restaurants in Hong Kong, there is something really unique here.  When the food arrives, the restaurant goes almost completely quiet.  Everyone is eating, savoring, taking photos, and just enjoying.  It was one of the quietest restaurants I have ever visited in Hong Kong. 

Another unusual thing is that it's very social.  The interest in food between patrons, both strangers, and those at your table, generates conversation about where you come from and how you learned about the restaurant.  While other restaurants and cafes have similarly close seating arrangements and shared tables, at other places, people tend to focus on their phones and don't talk. I heard that the chef formerly worked at a very large restaurant and decided to open his own place, much to our delight.

Prices for most items range from $1.25 to $5 USD, extremely reasonable for such a delightful variety of food that is high quality too.  Most of the dishes could be model dim sum - the way it should be. 

- Rice Roll with Shrimp - Perfect texture and consistency with soy sauce that is not too salty.  It's hard to find rice rolls that are made so thin.

- Deep Fried Puff with Pork - Another light and delicious item.  The filling quantity is just right, but what is so hard to find is an outer shell that isn't too thick.  As one might expect, they do it just right, and not too greasy either.  Just about all of their fried stuff fits this description - not greasy, wonderfully fresh.

- Braised Chicken Feet - The flavors of the chicken feet are great.  A larger number of restaurants are good at this dish, so it was not quite as outstanding, but still very good. 

- Har Gao - These shrimp dumplings are the size of authentic har gao.  In the US, they often super size the shrimp dumplings which inevitably reduces quality in most of those versions.  This one is a single bite of loveliness.  Thin skinned, you can really taste the shrimp.

- Sweet Pumpkin Dessert - Sweet soups are very popular as a dessert in Asian cuisine.  We enjoyed this smooth pumpkin pureed soup with hints of coconut milk.  So delicious and unique to Tim Ho Wan.

- Steamed Pork Spareribs - I liked how the spareribs had a hint of heat from the red chili pepper to balance the richness of the fermented black beans.  I appreciated that the meat was tender without having a starchy sauce around it.     

- Osmanthus Flower Jello (Kuei Fa Gao) - While you won't find it written in English as Osmanthus flower, you'll see a number of patrons eating this dish - you can ask for it by the Chinese name.  This was probably my favorite item because I was delighted by its super refreshing flavor.  It's so light and sweet with a light, flowery flavor.  It's the perfect way to end a meal.  You can actually see the flower petals in it still.  The light consistency of the jello is offset by sweet goji berries, to give it a little chew.  You've absolutely got to try it!

- Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun - Yes, you read that right.  BBQ pork buns are topped with what makes a pineapple bun a pineapple bun.  The thin sweet topping is super light.  Some people around me ordered this dish once and had to order another two servings because they loved them so much.  While I enjoyed them for their light texture, they were good for me, but not worth another order.  This may be just your thing though.

- Steamed Beef Ball - These are tender and flavored with a little cilantro. Fairly standard and many places do get this one right, so not that much to say.

- Pan Fried Turnip Cake - These were good and had more grated turnip than you find at other restaurants.  You can actually see the grated pieces when you bite into it and of course, the outside texture was just a touch crispy.  Good stuff.   

- Egg Rolls - These are a must try!  The super crunchy egg roll wrapper is fried to perfection.  The shrimp and sweet fruit inside makes this a scrumptious bite.  Loved it!  If only everyone made an egg roll as good as this.

- Siu Mai (pork dumpling) - Good in its texture and how it stayed together.  At some places, the filling is too dense or too loose - here, it's just right.  The flavor was good too.

- Lotus Leaf Wrapped Chicken and Rice - Super flavorful, the lotus leaf fragrance has infused the rice and the center contains juicy meat with rice. 
- Sweet cloud fungus with herbs - This sweet dessert is really light and very good for soothing your throat because of its sweet rock sugar soup which is almost like a syrup, but not overly sweet.  The cloud fungus has been cooked until tender.  This is great to have as an offset to your fried dishes.  This is another specialty that you won't find at other dim sum houses.

- Brown Sugar Cake - The literal translation from Chinese to English is something along the lines of fluffy cake or light cake.  It's made with real Chinese brown sugar (which is actually translated literally as yellow sugar).  Unlike places in the U.S., the cake has a really strong brown sugar taste - this is a must try if you want to see what authentic cake should taste like.  This steamed cake is super light and fluffy. Again, you won't find it anywhere else - and even the dim sum houses in Hong Kong don't seem to make it as good as this version right here.  Even the color seems to be a richer brown.  

- Chinese Sausage and Spareribs with Rice - While this isn't a real dim sum dish, local tea houses in Hong Kong have turned it into one, so now I think it's just made available because people expect it. A little soy sauce is served with this to moisten the steamed pot of meat and rice. All the meat is tender and good.

- Pan Fried Shrimp Stuffed Tofu Wrapper - Another must try, the combination of a little cilantro and celery with the shrimp and the just crispy tofu skin make this a really delectable treat.  Love this one too. 

- Steamed Buns - A few choices of steamed buns are available - meat and vegetable, BBQ pork, and others. I thought they were good - though you can find them as good as this elsewhere.

While you'll have an advantage if you can read and speak Chinese, if you can't, don't let that deter you.  There is plenty of other diners whom can help you out, or you can just point.  Just be brave and eat what you can.  It's unlikely you'll be disappointed.  For those that are familiar with dim sum menus, Tim Ho Wan offers all of the standards at least as good as what is offered at the best dim sum places.  They have an amazing way of standing out in many of their dishes.  You will definitely leave satisfied and you won't feel like you left a huge dent in your wallet when you're done.

The atmosphere isn't fancy.  You get paper placemats, plastic plates, and somewhat crowded conditions, but it's well worth it.  To avoid the lines, try to go during afternoon tea time (3 to 5pm).  Otherwise, get there early.  Lines can be a bit deceiving as sometimes a person is waiting in line for a party of 20 (someone in front of me did that), but the fact that I returned again during such a short stay should tell you something.  If only they had a place like this in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Tim Ho Wan deserves their Michelin star.  I am definitely going to try to go back during my next Hong Kong visit!

Kingsburg Hotpot Seafood Restaurant - Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

2/F Carnarvon Plaza, 20-20C Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Ph: 2301 3638
Nearest MTR Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Last Visited: November 2010

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$

Kingsburg Hotpot Seafood Restaurant is located on the second floor of Carnarvon Plaza. Look for the Pizza Hut sign and you’ll see it, otherwise, you might miss the restaurant. It’s my uncle’s favorite hangout – not necessarily because of the food, but it’s only a five minute walk from his flat and they let you sit there for as long as you like. Hong Kong culture is very fast paced. Many eateries allow you enough time to order and eat, but don’t dilly dally because you’ll be given a bill and people will start to hover around you until you get the hint that it’s time to go. If needed, they’ll ask you to vacate your space. At restaurants like Kingsburg, people actually have the time to get out the newspaper and read.

To attract customers during off hours, Kingsburg has some amazing deals. A dim sum sampler basket containing two pieces of four types of dim sum (sponge cake and several types of dumplings) was today’s special and all of it came in under $3USD – an amazing bargain! One person eating this whole basket would probably be full, but there is a limit of one basket to a table. Dim sum is served for both regular breakfast and lunch menus. In the evening, the restaurant becomes a hot pot restaurant – all of the tablecloths are removed, and the built in stove in the table is fired on for service. The majority of restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui have very good food. If you don’t have good food, you won’t get any business and you can’t afford the high rents in this district. I gave food a three star rating here because it’s not the highest quality dim sum, but it’s pretty decent. Dinner has good quality offerings for hot pot.

The atmosphere here is often chaotic. Between the do-it-yourself service (my uncle has gone into the tea refill station area to refill his own tea, as have other patrons) and the frequent shouting between the waitstaff members, sometimes you feel like you’re not really in a restaurant. They can do a very nice job though, so I have left a range up to three stars for both atmosphere and service.

Hot pot, if you haven’t had it before, is basically a do-it-yourself fondue. All of the food is prepared and cleaned, and then you cook it in the broth that you order for the table. It’s great for communal cooking and eating, but challenging if you are having a business meal. While I’ve eaten hot pot here, I don’t have any readily available photos. What I can tell you is that there is a lot of seafood to choose from, and if you prefer not to think about it, they have hot pot sets available so you can just pick a set by the photos.

The small container with rice and meat on top shown in the photo here is available for a bargain too. During off dim sum hours (for example, 9:30am to 11am on weekdays), this dish is available for $10HKD (less than $2USD). Even though it’s small, it’s filling and yummy. Good for a tasting or part of a brunch portion.

While Kingsburg has its opportunities for improvement, they’re still innovative – this is common of Hong Kong dim sum restaurants. While some restaurants specialize in the same items and consistently produce them, others keep coming up with new dishes to attract new customers. You can see this through their dim sum menu (there are about five different colored sheets of paper featuring a variety of items to choose from. All of this is in Chinese, but if you can’t read Chinese characters, that’s not a problems – a number of the sheets have photos of the dishes and there is an English menu available too.

- Fried Wontons – While these aren’t really wontons, that’s the best English description that I can come up with. They’re delicately wrapped to create these pretty shapes and filled with a little bit of meat

(sometimes shrimp, sometimes pork). Super crunchy, you’ll enjoy this if you love fried wontons or egg rolls.

- Shanghai Wontons – These boiled dumplings are one of their newest additions. In the last two years that I’ve visited, a spicy soy sauce is poured on top of boiled pork dumplings that mimic the what you might find in a Shanghainese restaurant.

- Fried Turnip Rolls – These rolls are delicate and filling. The turnip is grated medium fine and the filling of chopped turnip is wrapped by these grated turnip pieces to create a roll. The result is a light and flaky exterior and a moist interior. Very pretty to eat, but not something that is easy to find in the United States.

- Sponge Cake – This cake is beautifully presented with its two-colored batter that has been decorated so nicely. The sponge cake is also light and fluffy.

Kingsburg offers traditional dim sum as well as some new items. Kingsburg is good if you have a lot of time because the speed in which food is served varies and you may have trouble with service in the morning and afternoon. Dinner service is efficient and pricing is pretty good considering the quality.

 

Koi Palace - Chinese, Dim Sum, Daly City

365 Gellert Blvd, Daly City, CA 94015
(650) 992-9000
Parking: in parking lots in front of and behind restaurant

Last Visited: 2003

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 1 star in reception area, 3 stars in dining area
Price: $ to $$

Upon entering Koi Palace during the lunch hour on a weekend, you will find the establishment packed like sardines. People flock from all over the Bay Area to enjoy the dim sum at Koi Palace. I am currently boycotting Koi Palace due to the terrible service received in the reception area during my last visit. I only go now for wedding receptions and avoid Koi - yes, you can say the last visit left an exceptionally bad taste in my mouth.

Koi Palace claims that by calling in before your arrival that you can receive a reservation number which will reduce your wait time upon arrival. During my last visit, a table for four took over a three hour wait, not including the time between the phone reservation and arrival time. The most frustrating part was that we were told that the wait would be about 45 minutes. An hour an a half later, I asked about our so called 45 minute wait and was told that our table was coming up soon. Another 45 minutes later, I had seen tables for two enter and complete their lunch and leave. They obviously forgot about our table. Their disorganized system does not allow for chronological order since there is a call-in list and a separate walk-in list. The hostesses are not customer service oriented. Their snobby attitude doesn’t help either. You will find bribery taking place to get seated. The hostesses do not take bribes, but you can see people arrive, locate a member of the wait staff, pass them some cash, and be taken in through the side entrance adjacent to the bathrooms. For this reason, I am no longer going to this dishonest establishment.

So why do people go to Koi Palace? The food is very fresh and nicely presented. Tea is served in small black pots that sit upon a stand with a small tealight candle. Koi Palace is known for its fine selection of seafood, as well as the unique dim sum offered such as egg tarts with bird’s nests.

The restaurant is spacious, and the service is good. The displays show expensive and exquisite Chinese delicacies such as bird’s nests which are made even more attractive by the display. Once inside, you will find little to complain about, but the disastrous wait experience for dim sum may leave you ragged and weary. Early arrival on a weekend or a weekday visit is mandatory for reduced wait time.

Koi Palace isn’t the only game in town. Another ten to fifteen minutes away, you can find excellent dim sum in South San Francisco.

Hung To Seafood - Chinese, South San Francisco

221 South Spruce St, South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 877-0828
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-3pm, Dinner Daily 5pm-9:30pm
http://www.hungtoseafood.com/

Last Visited: June 15, 2003

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$$

Hung To’s atmosphere didn’t particularly stand out. I did however appreciate their large parking lot. Upon entering the restaurant, you will be able to see the seafood tank containing the fresh catch of the day. The colors are bright and the restaurant is clean, but the place doesn’t scream four stars. It’s definitely about the food.

I can’t quite remember all that we ate since it’s been a while since my last visit, but what did stand out for me was the geoduck in two flavors.

Geoduck can be rather difficult to cook. If overcooked, the texture is very chewy. If cut too thick, the same problem results – hard to cook and overly chewy. The geoduck at hung to was cooked in soup, and the other half of the geoduck was thinly sliced and sauteed with yellow chives, celery, and other thinly sliced vegetables. Both were outstanding. The soup contains some cilantro, some preserved duck egg, and tofu along with of course, the geoduck. The soup is excellent. It’s got the texture of a broth, but the seafood has made it creamy and the flavor has been infused into the liquid. The ginger prevents it from smelling fishy, and the aroma is very nice.

Both geoduck dishes rank amongst its five star competition. Overall, the food was around five stars, but be sure to try the geoduck. It’s excellent. Also note that they have dim sum available during lunch, although I've never tried it.

Asian Pearl Seafood Restaurant - Chinese, Richmond

3288 Pierce St, Richmond CA 94804
(510) 526-6800
Parking: shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: April 24, 2010

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

I’ve eaten at Asian Pearl for both dinner and dim sum. My most recent trips have been for dim sum and as long as the dim sum is piping hot, then it’s pretty good. Cold dim sum (see fried squid) is rarely a good thing, so keep that in mind for wherever you may go.

The primary dim sum dishes fall into the small, medium, and large categories. There are also specialty items that will cost a bit more.

During my March 2008 visit, we sat outside the restaurant. They have put up screens and rolled out carpet to expand the seating into the atrium area of the shopping mall. The screens help to block out distractions, although, it’s not as nice as inside and there can often be a draft. Inside, the room can be a bit noisier. There is a lot of gold and green in the room along with bright cream colors all around. For lunch, dim sum carts are rolled around as well as people carrying trays of steamers and plates.

At Asian Pearl, you’ll find that the dishes tend to have larger portions – partially due to the price and partially due to the style of food served at the Ranch 99 shopping center restaurants.
Dim sum prices are as follows: Small $2.40, Medium $2.95, Large $3.50, Special $5

- Pork Spareribs with black bean sauce - Spareribs cooked in black bean sauce top pieces of chopped taro. The taro not only helps the spareribs to be raised higher on the plate, but it absorbs the juices from the meat. Good, although I like to have my spareribs a touch spicier from red pepper flakes. The picture shown here is for a similar style of spareribs, but this one is cooked in its own juice with dried goji berries topping the dish which adds a little sweetness. $2.95

- Steamed rice roll with beef – Three rice rolls are filled with black bean sauce and drizzled with sweet soy sauce. The rice wrapper was a bit on the thick side, but the beef had a nice mild flavor – perfect for those who don’t want a heavy cilantro flavor, but bland for those who look for cilantro. Okay. $3.50

- Steamed chicken feet – Chicken feet are braised and steamed over fried tofu puffs. The tofu puffs serve the same purpose as the taro in the sparerib plate – soaking up all of the flavor and adding height. The chicken feet have a nice flavor and are fairly plump. When tofu puffs aren’t available, tofu skin is used as a substitute. Good. $2.40

- Shrimp dumpling (har gao) – Four shrimp dumplings are served in a steamer. Fairly standard. Okay. It might have been outstanding if more hot. When it is hot, you’ll find that sometimes the skin is a bit torn, but the flavor of the shrimp and the bamboo shoot are smooth and blend well together. $2.95

- Pork Dumpling (siu mai) - Four pork dumplings are served in a steamer. Fairly standard. A shrimp is placed on top of the pork which is wrapped in a skin. Nice presentation. Okay. $2.95

- Steamed tofu skin roll – The unique thing about these rolls is the size of the roll. They’re fairly large and another unusual item is that they’re served in a bowl. Usually, they’re served in a small plate, but if you like to have tofu skin rolls (containing meat and vegetables along with glass noodles) with a lot of sauce, this will be perfect for you.

- Fried tofu skin stuffed with shrimp – Tofu skin is wrapped around shrimp and deep fried until golden. The tofu skin had a nice crispiness to it. Good. $3.50

- Gai Lan – The gai lan vegetables are boiled and served with oyster sauce. Unlike vegetables that are boiled in plain water, these are typically boiled in water with some additional ingredients that soften the vegetables and keep them a bright green. Very good. Specialty item. $5

- Beef Balls – Three beef balls made with cilantro are steamed over Napa cabbage. Good flavor and texture with the cilantro not being too overwhelming. This is served with Worcestershire sauce. $2.40

- Fried Squid with Salt and Pepper - As you can see, I've gotten this more than once. The first time, during my March 2010 visit, the flavor was perfect and the temperature was hot since they had just come from the deep fryer. The second time I ordered, the temperature was unfortunately at room temperature and it was very unpleasant. For this reason, I dropped the food rating from three stars to a two to three star range. The same dish looks different and quality should never be sacrificed. When you are paying the price for a 'special' item which costs more than the regular dim sum, you should get what you pay for, not something that shouldn't be served. Lack of consistency is never good. $5

- Sesame Balls – These sesame ball desserts are delicious, especially right out of the deep fryer. A ball of lotus is wrapped in rice flour and rolled in sesame, then deep fried until golden brown. Very good.

Most noodle dishes are about $10 to $12.
- Beef chow fun – A large plate of chow fun is cooked with onions, green onions, bean sprouts, and sliced beef. Very nice flavor. Simple presentation. Good. On occasion, a little burnt smell because it's very hard not to burn chow fun, but overall, okay.

- House Special Crispy Noodle – A large plate of noodles are deep fried and topped with a variety of meat and vegetables. It’s been a while since having this one, but I do remember the quality of the noodles was very good – crispy on the outer edges of the plate and soft in the center where the meat and vegetables along with the sauce is placed. The last time I tried it, there was octopus, beef, chicken, and baby bok choy.

One thing that was really nice about Asian Pearl is their attention to refilling the teapot. They constantly check to see that you have enough tea and take away any empty plates. Also, during our meal in the outside area, they changed our plates (this doesn't always happen though). Changing plates, though popular during dinner, is rare for dim sum lunches. Good service most of the time. Asian Pearl is also good about not rushing its clientele, so you can continue to enjoy your meal without any pressure. Food quality depends on the temperature, but overall, it’s a good find for Richmond and comparable to or better than other dim sum places in the Bay Area. Sometimes I wish we could get a temperature reading before we actually take the dish though - that's probably my biggest complaint. The dim sum is a bit light on flavor for those seeking traditional styles, but great for first time dim sum eaters.

Tong Palace - Chinese, San Francisco

933 Clement St,  San Francisco CA 94118
(415)668-3988
Parking: street parking and nearby parking lots

Last Visited: November 25, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$$

Long ago, Tong Palace was a great place to go for dim sum and for dinner.  The quality used to fluctuate between three and four stars, but these days, in 2011, it's closer to two to three stars. In the past, we've had amazing experiences, and other times it’s just acceptable. Today and my most recent experiences have given me enough frustration that I have second thoughts about ever going back. 

My latest experience was for dim sum.  It was past 1pm, so there were a lot of available tables.  While prices are reasonable, quality of the dim sum fluctuates and service leaves you wondering whether or not the staff has been properly trained.  The restaurant can also be a bit crowded, so this isn’t the place you want to go if you’re looking for a quiet lunch experience (in fact, few dim sum houses are quiet places).

The tables are covered with white paper placemats on top of white tablecloths.  The walls are seeing some wear despite newer paint.  The granite tile that covered some of the woodwork has started to chip.

We ordered four dim sum dishes today.  Two of them were hot and good.  Two had been sitting on the steam table longer than they should have been and were lukewarm.  If you know anything about dim sum, you know that it's usually steamed and loses flavor when it's cold.  Sadly, these were way too cold.

We then ordered a Beef Chow Fun, but the server forgot to order it into the kitchen, so we waited a total of 15 minutes for it - fairly long considering the table that ordered a dish after us had their noodles come about five minutes earlier. 

That wasn't too bad.  The worst part was that we ordered two additional dim sum dishes and after 34 minutes, they had still not arrived.  This was after the waiter and another server went to check in the kitchen on our order.  When the manager came over to see what was going on, we asked him to cancel the order if it hadn't been started yet (who knows how much longer we would be waiting), so he went to the kitchen and came back saying  he cancelled it and after the check came, one of the two dim sum dishes arrived.  One wonders about the system for ordering and the competency of the staff.  Where the other dish went, nobody knows. 

With that in mind, and a few other glitches during this and my most recent visits, I will pass on coming back.

From past experiences before 2011:

- Beef with Special Sauce Pan Fried Noodles – Beef is sautéed with vegetables and a red XO sauce. This dish had great textures and flavors, but the sauce was a little on the sweet side. Otherwise, the noodles were pan fried just right, and the thick slices of beef were slightly peppered giving each piece of meat great mouth feel and flavor. Good. $9

- Seafood Pan Fried Noodles – Shrimp, scallops, and squid are cooked with baby bok choy in a light sauce and all top crispy pan fried noodles. Again, the noodles were just right. The seafood is cooked until tender, but not overdone. Very good. $10

The best:- Deep fried stuffed eggplant – Hot out of the deep fryer and tender. The eggplant is hot and the shrimp filling was flavorful. The best dish by far.

- Shrimp stuffed bell peppers – A green bell pepper square is topped with shrimp paste. A black bean sauce is lightly drizzled on top. The color is brilliant, the shrimp paste is sautéed until golden on top, and the flavor is delicious.

- Deep fried sesame ball – A glutinous rice flour ball is filled with lotus paste and rolled in sesame. The concoction is deep fried to perfection with a light outer shell and warm sweet lotus paste inside. Delicious. During my most recent visit, the outer layer was a little on the thick side, but still crispy and good.

- Shrimp stuffed tofu – Much like the shrimp stuffed bell peppers in stuffing and sauce, the tofu is quite good. The triangular tofu block is stuffed and the entire piece is deep fried until golden. Very good.

- Large Pea Sprouts sautéed with garlic – This dish is available during dim sum time and is served with caramelized garlic cloves. Very flavorful and tender, the greens are excellent.
The good:- Pork dumplings (Siu mai), Braised chicken feet, Braised spare ribs - All of these dishes were pretty good. The pork dumpling wrapper is often broken apart by the steam and juice from the pork.

- Tofu Skin Rolls with shrimp – Shrimp, black mushrooms, and other vegetables are wrapped in tofu skins and steamed in a light sauce. The result is a golden brown seafood roll that bursts with the flavor that has been absorbed from all of the inside contents.

- Lotus leaf wrapped chicken and rice – A small roll of chicken, black mushrooms, and sticky rice is wrapped in a lotus leaf and steamed. The texture of the rice is just perfect and the flavor of the lotus leaf infuses all of the contents. Three leaf wrapped rolls are served together. Good.

- Barbequed Pork Bun and Yellow Custard Bun – Both of these buns are steamed to perfection and filled with an abundance of contents. Good.

- Steamed spare ribs – Spare ribs are steamed with chili peppers giving them a little bit of spiciness. There is a large quantity of spare ribs, and the texture of the meat is soft. However, I like the ribs to be infused with more flavor and just a little bit of black bean. Good. During my last visit, the balance was a little better. Very good.

- Braised Chicken feet – Four to five chicken feet are braised in a red sauce and cooked until tender. The pieces are large and plump with juices. It has a great flavor with just a hint of spiciness from red chili pepper. Good.

- Fried Pork Dumpling – Sweet glutinous rice flour dough is wrapped around chopped pork and vegetables are deep fried until golden brown. The dough is a bit too thick, though the color is beautiful. This was just fair compared to other places which have a thin dough that is light and crispy. This one is crispy, but could have a thinner shell.

The medium:- Shrimp dumplings (Har gow) – Shrimp is wrapped in a translucent dumpling wrapper. The wrapper was a little on the soft side this time, but flavor was very good.

- Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll – Whole shrimp is rolled in a rice noodle wrapper. The texture is sometimes a little on the sticky side, but usually okay. The shrimp is always very fresh. During my most recent visit, this was just right.

The bad:- Steamed stuffed tofu – of all the dishes I tried, this was the worst one because it didn’t have a lot of flavor and it was the priciest one of all of them. Just wasn’t worth it and wasn’t enjoyable. Bland tofu and bland stuffing all steamed and topped with very little black bean sauce. Avoid this one, no matter how hungry you are.

As for dinner, you’ll find that they have a good selection of fresh seafood. In winter, they serve snake soup.

- Snake Soup – The meat of the snake is shredded and braised with thinly sliced strips of chicken, strips of bamboo shoots, and strips of dried orange peel. The soup is served with two side dishes, one containing deep fried wonton wrapper strips and another containing a chiffonade of leaves from a lemon tree. The wonton wrapper strips give an added crunch, adding texture to the soup. The lemon tree leaves balance the flavor. The snake has a texture like chicken, but has an almost gamey taste, so the lemon tree leaves along with the orange peel deliver accents that create a unique blend of flavor. At other restaurants, instead of lemon tree leaves, you’ll find fresh chrysanthemums added to the soup. Very flavorful broth and tender snake. Great. $4.50 per person

- Sturgeon served two ways – Sturgeon is divided so that the bones are used to make a soup and the filet is used for stir fry. The soup is made with mustard greens, tofu, preserved duck egg, straw mushrooms, and the bones from the sturgeon. The soup is served with the broth in a large bowl and the cooked ingredients are served on the side with a dish of light soy sauce containing a couple of slices of hot red peppers. The combination of ingredients results in a soup that is creamy and full of flavor. The preserved egg accentuates the freshness of the fish. Excellent soup. The filet of the sturgeon is stir fried with sliced carrots, snap peas, sinqua, and small pieces of ginger. If you like fish that is on the denser side, you’ll enjoy the sturgeon which has an almost light pink/orange color. Although it was really fresh, I prefer a softer fish that breaks apart more easily. Of the two, I definitely enjoyed the soup more. The stir fry was nicely done with the vegetables adding brightness to the fish both in color, texture, and flavor. $20 per order

- Rock Cod served two ways – See description above, but replace sturgeon with rock cod. Rock cod is a lighter and whiter fish. It flakes more easily and has a sweeter flavor. Tonight, the stir fried dish had sliced carrots shaped like fish, snap peas, and asparagus. Everything else in the description above is the same. Excellent. $24 per order

- Braised Tofu and Mushrooms with tender greens – Tofu is cut into small bricks, deep fried, and braised with large Chinese black mushrooms. It is served with carefully placed bok choy and the black mushrooms top the tofu. Bite into a piece of tofu and it will burn your mouth. That’s how you know it’s good. The mushrooms were tender and soft, without being soggy. The bok choy crowns were lightly braised by themselves and had a beautiful green color. They were tender, but not overcooked. Very good. $8.50

- Chinese Sausage and Frog Clay Pot Rice – Rice is cooked in a clay pot until bubbling and frog, slices of Chinese sausage, ginger, and scallions are placed on top to produce tender meat on rice. Then the ingredients are topped with a little thick soy sauce. The pot is brought to the table and the meat is plated on a separate dish which contains baby yau choy. The server then loosens the rice, adds some more thick soy sauce, and serves the rice into bowls. The meat was cooked to perfection. The frog had a consistency between chicken and fish – not as dense as chicken with the lightness of fish fillets. Very good. It warms you up inside. Small $8.95/Medium $13.95/Large $16.95

- Crispy Fried Chicken – A chicken is deep fried and cut into pieces. It is served with a wedge of lemon and a plate of Chinese seasoning salt (a combination of salt with five spice powder). Colorful shrimp chips top the chicken. The skin of the chicken was a deep golden brown and crispy. The overall flavor was good, although the chicken breast pieces were on the verge of being a little dry. The chips were crisp and fresh. Okay. My second time ordering this same dish of chicken was better than the first. It was still a golden brown, but all pieces of meat were tender and juicy. Even after our meal was over, the leftover pieces of chicken were still glistening with its juices. Half $8/Whole $15

- Steamed Tofu topped with Seafood in Lotus Leaf Wrapper – Soft tofu bricks are topped with a seafood sauce comprised of shrimp, mini scallops, and chopped gai lan. Baby gai lan line the edge of the tofu which is placed on top of a large lotus leaf. The entire mix is steamed in a large bamboo steamer to infuse the lotus leaf flavor into the tofu. The tofu is silky and the sauce creates a light coating about the tofu. Very good. $9.50

- Green Beans with Beef – Green beans are dry fried with thin slices of beef and carrot slices. There is lots of wok-air in this dish. It has excellent flavor and the beans remain crispy even after cooking. Very good. $7.50
Dessert is complimentary with dinner.

- Tofu in sweet syrup – Soft tofu is served warm in sweet syrup lightly flavored with a hint of ginger. The tofu is all in one piece, which for this style is the best way to serve it. The consistency is light and silky. Very good.

- Tapioca in coconut milk – Tapioca is cooked and served in sweet soup that is made with coconut milk and small pieces of taro. The taro thickens the coconut milk further creating a creamy decadent dessert. Very good.

Overall, the food was very good for dinner. This is a great value, and the service isn’t snooty or stuffy. Good. By the way, the tea is excellent. Full bodied, full flavored, with aromatic jasmine buds.

Sadly, it's not nearly as good as it was in past years.  Oh how I wish I could go back in time....