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FoodMayhem
Written from New York City (mostly), FoodMayhem.com is all about... food! We love food: talking about food, writing about food, looking at food, taking pictures of food, making a blog about food, and, of course, eating food.
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Tour of San Francisco (part 1 of 2)
2007-10-28 22:46:00
The trip to California was truly wonderful. In addition to completing the marathon that I've been writing about for months, I had great coffee and many other fine meals.ChineseOn Saturday, the day before the marathon, the goal was to not to do too much. So we just walked to Chinatown, a few short blocks from where we stayed: The Grand Hyatt in Union Square, The Grand Hyatt for lunch. We chose a second floor, dim sum restaurant: Kan's Restaurant Kan's Restaurant. The food was mediocre, but the service was better than most restaurants in NYC's Chinatown. Some of the food was cold and some was too oily, but a few shrimp dishes were good. and our specially-ordered Chinese broccoli was perfect. The crystal shrimp dumplings and the shrimp wrapped in the flat white noodle both had great shrimp wrapped in so-so skin.MexicanAfter the marathon, Lon asked the concierge for a restaurant recommendation. The concierge was everything except helpful. So we wandered around Union Square, until we foun ...
San Francisco
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San Francisco Coffee
2007-10-26 19:50:00
So sorry that we haven't blogged in a while but we were away in San Francisco for the Nike Women's Marathon. Right after the marathon was over, we started our eating marathon. More to come later (Lon and I will put it together this weekend) but just a little bit since you've been waiting...San Francisco is proud of their coffee. The two places that several people recommended were Philz Coffee Philz Coffee - Castro and Blue Bottle Coffee Co. Blue Bottle Coffee. Both had great staff who were proud of their product. Both made each cup to order individually. Even though we went to Philz's newest location, Blue Bottle looks cooler: just a counter behind a garage door with no seats but a small ledge where three people could place cups. But in terms of coffee, Philz wins by a landslide. I had their Tesora (house blend), which was absolutely delicious. The barista asks you how you want it and makes it for you with brown sugar and cream.I have never tasted a more perfect coffee than Philz's and ...
Coffee
San Francisco
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Walnut Raisin Biscotti
2007-10-18 04:01:00
I just tried this super easy recipe for Biscotti. It's not my favorite but it's good and a nice variation instead of constantly having the standard almond or anise flavored Biscotti. This is definitely a good recipe for a beginner. ...
Raisin
Walnut
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Society Cafe
2007-10-15 22:57:00
Lon and I had Sunday brunch at Society Cafe Society Cafe. The slightly artsy cafe has average food, terribly slow service (I eventually got up to get my own menu.), at regular Manhattan prices. No discount for being in Harlem which I expected. I had the Stuffed French Toast which was too soggy but otherwise pretty good. Lon's Turkey Club came with cheese (not listed on the menu) which he did not want and the salad greens were not dressed. The ingredients were fresh and the portion sizes were nice but we wouldn't go again. ...
Cafe
Society
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Stand
2007-10-15 02:23:00
There really aren't any burger joints in our neighborhood so we're glad that Stand Stand opened up. It's a big plus when you actually get a medium rare burger when you order one. The ingredients are fresh and everything is made to order. So yes, I like the piping hot fries. They're nice and crispy and well salted. By the way, the small order is plenty for two people. I couldn't really taste the cheddar in my cheeseburger but I do like the shredded lettuce and onions they top the their burgers with. Plus, they use good buns. Stand also does a good job with options for diners who don't want burgers: turkey burgers, chicken burger, salmon burgers, veggie burgers, and salads. Lon didn't like they're turkey burger as much as a deli turkey burger (also too much mayo) but liked the bun also. They haven't made my favorites list but it's still a place I would go back to.This great pic is from a blog called A Hamburger Today. I disagree with his thoughts on the bun but the onion rings did look ...
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Honeycrisp
2007-10-11 19:09:00
Bless the University of Minnesota for crossing the Macoun Apple with the Honeygold Apple to make my favorite apple, the Honeycrisp. It's the perfect name for a super crisp apple that tastes like honey (with the perfect balance of tartness). It's also an attractive apple, a vibrant red and golden yellow.Unfortunately, you won't see Honeycrisps all year round. They are harvested from Sept 15 to Oct 10th in Minnesota so right now you'll find them in the Union Square Farmer's Market and your local Whole Foods. The good news is that they store in refrigeration for 6 months so stock up!Also note that they are quite expensive, up to 2x as expensive as other apples. To me, it's worth it. ...
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Shishito Peppers
2007-10-08 23:15:00
As I walked through the farmer's market in Union Square, I was reminded of these little Shishito Peppers and had to buy some. There is a Korean stand, usually located at the North side of the park (around where Barnes & Nobles is) that sells these little Japanese Peppers. Sometimes they prepare some for patrons to try in my favorite simple method, just blistered in a little bit of oil and sprinkled with some coarse salt. You can pop these mild peppers right into your mouth and I can eat a large bowl of them.I did a quick google search and I'm surprised that these little peppers have gotten a lot of press in the blogosphere already. A So Cal blogger gives a good description and another NYC blogger tells us where you can get it, fresh or already prepared. So if you need one more positive review to try them, here's mine: They are yummy! ...
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Pams Hams
2007-10-08 20:13:00
It was my friend Xiu-Jing's birthday and we were throwing her a little party on our patio. The centerpiece was a ham from Pams-Hams. We weren't sure what to expect from a mail order , glazed ham, destined to be defrosted in the fridge and then served at room temperature. So, we were happy when several guests commented about how good the ham was. I have to agree. Pam does make a good ham and it's perfect for a party.The ham comes pre-sliced (spiral-style), still attached to the bone so that it makes a great presentation piece and no skill is required. Each person can just pull a piece off whenever they want it. You can also get sides from Pams-Hams or you can make sides, or have a potluck where friends just bring sides. At $42.99 for the half ham (about 8.5 pounds), we think it's a great value!! 11 people only ate about half of it so everyone was happy they got to take some home. This is right inline with Pam's serving recommendation (she says 21 people when served in a large buffet st ...
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Finger Tips and Taste Buds
2007-10-07 04:35:00
What restaurants do you want to try? Jessica and I have a list of restaurants that we'd love to go to; it's wide ranging from famed Gramercy Tavern to simple recommendations from friends like Strip House. How do you decide where you'd like to eat, in the distant future for special occasions, or even for any ole meal? Most of us get ideas from friends and co-workers, but, how do you know which recommendations to trust? A while back Jessica came up with a term that I love and now use to describe people with trustworthy taste in food: "Taste Buds".Wikipedia tells us that "taste buds are small structures on the upper surface of the tongue, soft palate, and epiglottis that provide information about the taste of food being eaten." Implied in that definition is that we trust our taste buds -- if our tongue likes a food, usually, so do we. Well, Jessica tells us that Taste Buds are friends on the cutting edge of food that provide information about the taste of food being eaten. And if thes ...
Tips
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Plantains
2007-10-05 18:08:00
I love plantains!! They can be cooked at different stages and in different ways but are most commonly fried. The green ones fried are called Tostones and the riper yellow ones with some browning are made into Maduros. As Tostones, the plantains taste more like thick plantain chips and are delicious with just a little salt. At the riper stage, the plantains taste sweeter and come out much softer (unlike chips) even when prepared virtually the same way. These are called Maduros and are a favorite of mine.I wanted to figure out if there was a healthier way of making them so that I didn't have to eat all that oil. My Peruvian friend James told me that he just throws them on his grill with the skins on and when they're ready, the skins will split. So yesterday I decided to try his concept in the oven. I put the whole plantain, skin on, in a 400 degree oven. It was a very large plantain and it took about 30 min. I turned it over once in the middle. As he said, it split when ready and oh my g ...
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Doozo
2007-10-02 22:30:00
I've been to Doozo Doozomany many years ago and I remembered it as pretty good Japanese food for reasonable prices. Boy has time changed things. It's now one of those cheap Japanese places where you get just what you pay for, cheap sushi. The sushi was flavorless and the color of this fish looked faded. The rolls were slightly better but I can't say much for the service. We were the only people eating lunch there when we ordered and the waitress gave me the miso soup instead of the salad (which I asked for). I didn't bother changing it. They do offer very cheap bento boxes for lunch (starting at $6.95) but when you want to go cheap, don't do sushi. I wouldn't recommend eating at Doozo. ...
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Han-Bat
2007-10-02 21:58:00
Off the main strip of Korean Town, Han Bat Han-Batis cheaper than the restaurants on 32nd Street. We had the Bulgolgi (thinly sliced Korean BBQ beef), Soon Doo Boo Chi Gae (tofu casserole with seafood), and Ojinguh Bokum (sauteed squid and vegetables with noodles in a spicy sauce). Everything was decent but I would still pay a little more to eat at Seoul Garden or Chung Moo Ro. The side dishes were also just ok and they gave a bit less in variety. Lon was also grossed out by the sticky floors. ...
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Marathon Runners Dinner
2007-09-29 17:21:00
Today is going to be a long run for my friends and I at Team in Training so I decided to make a nice, carbohydrate-heavy dinner for us last night. Hilary, Nicole, and Tracy and I have been running together for months now and I promised them a fabulous dinner. The first three dishes were:Spicy BBQ Chicken: I used only chicken legs since I'm a big fan of dark meat and I started them off on the grill but finished them in the oven. I also grilled some pineapple to serve with it.Purple Apple Slaw: One of my favorite recipes to serve to guests. It's just a gorgeous color and always a hit!Absolute Mexican Cornbread: This time, I only used Cheddar since I didn't have Monterey Jack but I prefer the recipe as is.Then, for the last two, I didn't use a recipe (sorry...) so I'll give a description.Curried Potatoes: Potatoes are boiled till tender and cut into large dice. They are sauteed with some minced onion, cumin, tumeric, and curry powder. Season, then top with fresh cilantro.Asian Broccoli P ...
Dinner
Runners
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
2007-09-29 14:09:00
Kasi and Stephen stopped by to have a birthday dinner for Kasi. I asked Kasi what she'd like to eat and her answer: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake! 'nuff said. I've made this particular cake before (maybe once or twice) and tastes wonderful. However, I don't often go for this recipe because it needs to be modified to cook correctly, and it has some extra steps that don't add enough value for my taste.The recipe comes from "Star Pooley" as posted on AllRecipes and, as I mentioned, some changes are necessary, just like the last cheesecake recipe I found on AllRecipes -- the one for apple and maple.First of all, Star recommends blind baking the crust. I'm not a fan. But just to be near the recipe I do it for half the time, that is MORE than enough and really superfluous.Second, Star's recipe scale for cookie dough creates at least twice as much as necessary for this cake. And because it's not actually cookie dough (there are no eggs in it), you can't bake off the rest. Star ...
Cheesecake
Chip
Chocolate
Cookie
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Sweet ItalianTurkey Sausage
2007-09-28 22:22:00
Fresh Direct makes a pretty good Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage. We were both pleasantly surprised since we weren't expecting much. I prepared it with onion and peppers, served on some pita with a salad. The flavor and texture were better than other turkey sausages that Lon and I have tried before and we agreed that we would gladly eat it again. ...
Sausage
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Boma Coffee & Tea Co.
2007-09-26 14:12:00
I stopped into Boma Boma yesterday to grab a cup to go. The service was extra friendly and the coffee was quite good. Good coffee is hard to come by in New York, ironically. The atmosphere is clean and spacious and they seem to make their own pastries so I'll definitely stop in again next time I'm in the neighborhood. ...
Coffee
Tea
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Minado - The Hit List
2007-09-23 21:40:00
Minado is a chain of Japanese All You Can Eat buffets. There was once a Minado in Manhattan but it closed less than 2 years ago and became Todai. There are still 5 locations on the East coast and my mom wanted to go to the fairly new location in Long Island. MinadoThey really have a huge selection, some good, some bad, some great. Generally, most proteins were quite good but the carb's stunk and that didn't make sense to me since I would expect them to want to encourage people to eat more of the carbohydrate items that are cheaper and more filling.Since I tried almost everything, you don't have to:Try:EggplantBeef Teriyaki (nice and rare)Beef TatakiSeared SalmonSeared SnapperCurry InariHibachi Beef RibAcorn Squash TempuraOctupus SaladSquid SaladDon't Try:Cold Soba NoodleStir-Fried Udon NoodlesStuffed Crab ShellRaw OystersEdamameHibachi OctopusCrepes (made to order)Jumbo Prawns (shell-on)Pork with Fried VegetablesGreen Mussels with onion and peppersFried ShrimpDumplingTry if you feel li ...
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Choong Moo Ro
2007-09-22 21:38:00
I'm glad I finally found another good place in K-town. I've been sticking to Seoul Garden especially for Soon Dubu (Tofu Casserole). Becky introduced me to Choong Moo Ro Choong Moo Ro for lunch and I was surprised to find that they had an excellent Soon Dubu. It was rich in flavor with a nice large clam in it, served in a stone pot on something to keep it hot. I love when food is served hot and stays hot!Becky ordered the Duk Mondoo Guk (Dumpling and Rice Cake Soup). The soup had a good flavor but the dumpling was slightly over-cooked. The Pa-chan (small side dishes) were very good and often one of the main criteria a Korean restaurant it judged on. Some were a bit over-salted but I was generally very happy with it. The kimchi was good. There was a octopus pa-chan I enjoyed, and of course bean sprouts.Choong Moo Ro seemed to have a pretty extensive menu so I'd definitely like to go back with a larger group. It also has a slightly nicer decor than Seoul Garden so feel free to take some ...
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Ariyoshi
2007-09-21 04:49:00
Ariyoshi Ariyoshi Union Square -- what a hidden gem!! I can't find any press on this place. I can barely locate it online. There's some place called Ariyoshi in Queens but I don't know if it's associated. They are associated with one location in Midtown Ariyoshi Midtown according to their business card.Ariyoshi has prices like your average neighborhood Japanese restaurant but really takes quality seriously. The attention to detail is impressive in every way. The flavors are well thought out and delicate. The presentation is a study in what Japanese food is all about. We ordered the Sashimi platter which was architected beautifully with very fresh fish. Both of us kept talking about how good it was for such average prices. We also ordered a seafood stone BBQ set which included shrimp, scallops, white tuna, pepper, and three types of mushroom and a little stone grill. At first I thought it wasn't going to cook the food since the flame looked so light but everything came out perfectly. Th ...
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Extending Flavors into a Sauce
2007-09-20 02:18:00
Every now and then when we order in food, we get a dipping sauce that has great flavor, sometimes from the most unlikely places. Lately we've been ordering frequently from Sammy's Noodle Shop Sammy's Noodle Shop. Their noodle soups are some of the best in the area, and their dumplings are quite tasty as well. Left over from a recent order was the dipping sauce for the dumplings. It's a fairly standard dipping sauce for dumplings. Its strong flavors include sugar (or possibly mirin), ginger, and garlic. I really wanted it as a full fledged sauce.If you de-construct a sauce into its most basic components, there are the aromatics in the base, such as garlic, onions, carrots, shallots (especially if the sauce will be French); there is a body, such as stock, wine, or even just water; there are seasonings, such as herbs and spices; and there is a thickener, such as butter, cream, or corn starch. So, once you've identified the components, you can build a sauce from just about anything. And ...
Sauce
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Hummus Place
2007-09-18 04:47:00
Hummus Place is up to three locations now, East Village Hummus Place-EV, West Village Hummus Place-WV, and the Upper West Side Hummus Place-UWS. While everyone is raving about the hummus, I'd like to turn the spotlight onto their pita! The hummus is very good, but the pita is the best pita in NYC.The texture is incredible. I like their green sauce too. ...
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Fresh Direct Challah
2007-09-16 22:15:00
We've written about Fresh Direct breads before but we just tried the Fresh Direct frozen Challah and thought we have to give out the warning. Although the texture is quite impressive for a once frozen bread, made ready by just defrosting on your counter, there is an odd taste that makes it pretty undesirable. At $3.99 for an 11oz, there isn't even a price incentive. If you don't have a local bakery that makes a good Challah, I suggest getting Zomick's Challah which is available at several supermarkets. ...
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Watch Out Kitchenaid!
2007-09-16 02:54:00
Cuisinart has a new stand mixer, the Cuisinart SM-70 . With a 7 quart capacity and 1000 Watt motor it seems (can't verify since I haven't tried it - Hint Hint Cuisinart if you want to send me one) to outshine my Kitchenaid Professional Six series. While I would really appreciate the larger capacity, I have never felt like I needed more power. You can get most of the same accessories (but no ice cream maker) but the most attractive feature is the tilt-back that the Kitchenaid does not have. Unfortunately, it doesn't come in all the fun colors, just white and chrome. It retails for about $499 on Amazon right now which is about $50 more than the Kitchenaid Professional Six. If I didn't already have a very good stand mixer, this would go on the top of my wish list. ...
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Fresh Dining
2007-09-12 22:13:00
Fresh Direct has started a new section called Fresh Dining. It is a collection of portable meals that can be microwaved in under 4 minutes. The newest line is Presto Italiano, created by Chef Tina Bourbeau. We tried 2 flavors, the Parmesan Meatballs with Mezzi Rigatoni and Basil and the Shrimp Fettuccine with Mint, Peas, and Berkshire Bacon.I enjoyed the meatball meal more. The meatballs were tender and the sauce had a good flavor. The Shrimp meal was way too greasy and the bacon overpowered the rest of the pasta. However, the fetuccini was cooked perfectly and the rigatoni was a bit too soft.Overall, the Presto Italiano meals were leaps and bounds better than the standard microwave dinner. They look just like real food and taste like freshly made food. The catch is that they are also leaps and bounds more expensive. At $8.99 each, the portion size is not large enough for me personally (maybe lunch but not dinner), yet the calorie and fat content is disproportionately high. They do ha ...
Dining
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Mom's Birthday Dinner
2007-09-12 01:00:00
We wanted to take my mom out to a fancy restaurant for her birthday, but she asked us to cook instead. My mom is my biggest fan as a chef, which of course makes it even more fun for me. Lon and I decided on a Latin-inspired menu.The menu:Picadillo Phyllo TrianglesBaja Fish Taco CupsJicama and Orange Salad with Cumin DressingPaellaTriple Layer Devil's Food Cake with Cream Cheese FrostingFor the Picadillo Phyllo Triangles, Lon made the Picadillo. First he sauteed a large yellow onion (diced) and five diced garlic cloves in a third cup of olive oil plus plenty of kosher salt and black pepper. Once soft, he added the ground beef and six bay leaves, breaking up the meat as it cooked. Once the meat was almost cooked, he carmelized half a can of tomato paste, then deglazed with red wine vinegar. To finish he cooked it down (for about 30 minuites) with chopped capers (and brine), diced tomatoes, plenty of chili powder and cayenne powder.I had some left over maduros and store-bought phyl ...
Birthday
Dinner
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Dusk Lounge to Midnight Pizza Bar
2007-09-09 14:45:00
We started the night at Dusk Lounge, Dusk Loungewhich was a good place to catch up with a friend from out of town. It was quiet enough to talk AND HEAR and you could easily grab seats. The bartender was friendly and it was just a no pressure environment with some interesting quirks. They have a wall of napkin doodlings from a contest they have on Tuesday nights called Napkin Idol and the bathrooms have one way mirrors. I know; old new these days.The six of us were getting hungry so we headed out in search of food and landed at Pizza Bar Pizza Bar. It was surprisingly good food for bar food. It's no Numero 28 but the pizza hits the spot for a midnight snack. It's pizza so it still satisfies the late night craving but it's super thin so it's not too heavy. I tried the Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella and the Mushroom with Truffle Oil pizzas. As usual in pizza, I preferred the plain and the mushroom was also a white pizza and I prefer with sauce. Lon had a meatball sandwich that had tender meat ...
Bar
Lounge
Pizza
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An Eventful Night Out
2007-09-07 22:32:00
As my regular readers know, I run as part of Team in Training, where we raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. So last night, I had a fund raiser at Vesta, Vesta a bar/lounge with a generous owner and fantastic staff. They gave us half-priced drinks, owners and staff donated, and everyone raved about how nice they were. Thanks to everyone who came out!! If you weren't able to come, you can still donate!Time to talk about food: We started with some food at Vesta. They got it from Home on Eighth Home on Eightha Chinese place across the street. There was some sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, and chicken wings. All average take-out food.After the event wrapped up, Xiu, Andy, and I wanted Dinner while Winnie and Sara went straight to more drinking at 40/40 Club 40/40 Club. We passed by Hill Country, Hill Country a fairly new BBQ place. It was packed pretty late in the evening so we were enticed to try it. We asked how long it would take to seat and the hostes ...
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Quick Tip: Salt That Steak
2007-09-07 21:58:00
For a funny explanation of a quick tip to perk up lesser cuts of steak, check out Steamy Kitchen. Keep in mind the two most important elements: remove the salt and moisture before cooking. Always cook steak after it has come to room temperature. ...
Salt
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Balducci's
2007-09-06 14:56:00
I've been to the Balducci's Balducci's on West 14th Street several times and never noticed that they have a balcony seating area. I was introduced to it by Balducci's Regional Catering Director Marissa Drago. I met her at a friend's event that she was catering where the shrimp was really amazing.So I met with Marissa where she showed me this great little space overlooking the rest of the store. It's great for a quick no hassle meal or snack. You could just meet a friend for a coffee or you can even rent the space for a little party. (Call Marissa at 212-741-3700 and she'll hook you up!)Marissa also told me that Balducci's gets fresh mozzarella delivered each morning from an Italian maker who makes it exclusively for Balducci's. Mmm....... ...
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East Ocean Palace
2007-09-03 15:33:00
When you want some good dim sum, you have to go to Queens these days. The places in Chinatown just don't have the same quality and freshness. Yesterday, we had a family gathering at East Ocean Palace East Ocean Palace with some cousins visiting from Maryland and they kept raving about how good the dim sum was. It was indeed, with one exception. The sticky rice (the one that comes in a bowl, not the one wrapped in leaves) was undercooked so it was very hard. Everything else was yummy and a few items were really fantastic. The shrimp ball coated in sticky rice and the watercress and shrimp Shu Mai are must haves. We also ordered a Beef Chow Mein and it was excellent. If you haven't tried dim sum yet, definitely go and try this place. Make sure you have a large group (the more people you have, the more items you get to try) and go on a weekend between 11am - 2pm. ...
Ocean
Palace
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