Showing posts with label Koko Bakery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Koko Bakery. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Fun Playing with Dim Sum in Cleveland

Inspired by last week's episode of Top Chef, "Dim Sum Lose Some," my friend Tom asked if we wanted to visit Cleveland Asiatown Dim Sum stalwart Li Wah for lunch on Sunday. Hmmm - I'd been thinking the very thing! Looking at my photography records, I realized that, for no particular reason, it had been two full years since I've dined at Li Wah. While I have honestly had better dim sum in my life (and what was with those flimsy bamboo chopsticks?), our meal was mostly satisfying and very tasty. And lots of fun to play with!

Six of us convened. We were seated right by the roasted/BBQ meat stand:

Ducks and Chickens and Pigs, oh my!

That tiny specimen of roast pork on the upper right started out as a full side of pork that I tried (and failed) to photograph as the cooks schlepped it past our table towards the food stand.

Eggplant Sandwich

Our first bite. A shrimpy filling generously sandwiched between two slices of Chinese Eggplant is battered and fried - delicious!


Stuffed Bean Curd Skin

Whereas the first dish of eggplant was a little cold, these morsels were piping hot!

Right about here is where the shao mai, or steamed meat/shrimp dumplings go - looks like I didn't photograph them. They were hot and tasty. I also missed the Har Gow (steamed shrimp dumplings). Oh well.


Chicken Feet

The Top Chef episode had our mouths watering for properly made chicken feet. These were ok, but weren't cooked to fall-apart creamy perfection. Better than Casey's, I'm sure, but I've had better.


Baked Coconut Bun

These lacked profundity.


Prawns

The smell of soduim polytriphosphate hit my nose before the meat could reach my mouth.  These last three items were the most disappointing dishes of the day. Fortunately, we got them out of the way early, and the rest of the meal was much, much better.


Taro Dumplings

Shredded taro surrounds a scrumptious ball of minced taro, creamy pureed taro, pork, and shrimp. Yum.


Chive Dumplings



Fried wheat-starch based wrappers stuffed with fresh chives, pork and shrimp - more yum.


Roast Duck

Skin crisped to perfection enveloped the ducky goodness.


Turnip Cake

Though not as ethereal as the Wonton Gourmet version, we all agreed that we enjoyed these fried squares of cooked turnip/Chinese radish, pork and dried shrimp.


Fried Rice Noodle

These noodles had intense flavor from dried shrimp (and they may have had other shrimp components) - a little too intense for my taste, but we again enjoyed the dish.


Shrimp Stuffed Bell Pepper

Though I'm not a huge green pepper fan - the exquisite freshness of the vegetable combined with a very agreeable shrimp-based filling for a lovely bite.


Shrimp and Chive Dumpling

I love this wheat-starch based dough, which surrounded inoffensive shrimp and more fresh chives.


Pork Fun Gwoh



One of my favorite dim sums - this version satisfied with chewy, slightly sweet dough and savory pork.


Beef Rib with Black Pepper Sauce

Black pepper sauce is one of my favorites, and the meat fell tenderly off the bones. We were actually offered a choice between pork or beef for this dish.


BBQ Pork Bun (Steamed)



These buns were lovely. The dining companion to my right ate three of them. 'Nuff said.


Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

We lamented how it seems that the green vegetables always seem to show up after the table is gorged on dumplings, rice and buns. However, since we'd skipped the rice and gone easy on the buns (well, most of us had gone easy on the buns) we decided to share one last plate. It was the one thing we'd been lacking - roughage! And tastefully done. Though in retrospect, the other thing our meal lacked (which was not remedied) was any truly fresh or auspicious fish or seafood - a hallmark of genuine dim sum. Still, being in landlocked Cleveland, I can say that no one at our table left hungry or unsatisfied.

Tom had saved room for a bubble tea from Cleveland's venerable Koko Bakery, and we all decided to pick up some sweets for later.




Dan Tac or Egg Custard

No one in Cleveland (or anyplace else I've ever tasted this) makes it as well as Koko Bakery.



Chocolate Stuffed Bun



Don't be fooled by the apparently small bit of chocolate. Trust me that behind that little spot flowed a veritable river of chocolaty goodness.


Taro Bun

Monday's breakfast.



Moon Cake



Proprietor Jessica handed out mooncakes to all at the register. These were wrapped in cellophane and I do not know if they were made at the bakery or not. I'm guessing that they were - I've never had a more silken, gentle mooncake; it was delicious. Usually a dry, tough dough, this tender specimen surrounded a thick, fruit-based filling (think Fig Newtons on steroids). The mooncakes were welcome tidbits for the holiday season that continues for our Asian friends through February, when Chinese New Year is celebrated beginning February 3.

We had fun playing with the heart's little treasures in the heart of Cleveland, Ohio at Li Wah and Koko Bakery!

Li Wah on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Fun Playing With Bubble Tea, Buns and Pork at Koko Bakery, Cleveland Asiatown

Last week, I was privileged to join the two gents behind the Cleveland-based food blog Eating Around Town for lunch at Koko Bakery in Cleveland Asiatown. I can't believe It's been almost a year since I last wrote about Koko Bakery (3710 Payne Ave, Cleveland, OH, (216) 881-7600, no website). 

As always, Koko Bakery presented too many choices - even with three of us eating! We began with Bubble Tea. I think Koko Bakery makes the best Bubble Tea in Cleveland - with about 20 flavors to choose from! Still, I always wind up with Taro flavor, because I love it so much. I adore their taro flavored desserts, as well.

Taro Bubble Tea

 

Bubble tea is flavored, sweetened, chilled tea that contains marble-size balls of tapioca. The tapioca is primarily a texture-enhancer, and allows one to drink and to eat their tea at the same time.  It also acts like tofu - absorbing whatever exotic flavors are in the beverage, and allowing you to play with it in your mouth. No wonder I love it so much! 

While waiting to order my entree at the counter, I noticed a tray of fresh buns, in the kitchen ready for the oven. The goods at Koko are baked fresh all day!


Chris and Joel picked out a tray full of buns for us to sample, as I pondered my lunch order. I'd never ordered an actual meal at Koko; I usually just load up on buns. It was not an easy decision, but I ordered the Pork Katsu Rice Plate. Chris ordered a Teriyaki Steak Sandwich for he and Joel to share. These items must have been made from scratch, because they took a while. Since we had our tray full of baked goodness to play with, however, we barely noticed.


Curry Beef Donut 

This was one I'd never seen before. Stuffed with curried beef (similar to the flaky pastry also available in the self-serve hot box), this Chinese Cruller dough was then deep fried and crunchy.

 
Yum.

My next taste was a Ham and Egg bun, which I'd never have selected for myself. Good call, Joel!

 


What really made this bun rock was the Kewpie Mayonnaise.  

Dan Tac (Egg Custard)

The dan tac were sublime - fresh, flaky pastry on the outside, boldly eggy filling inside.


Bacon Bun

This one never fails to please. Bacon, freshly made bun, creamy sauce, gooey cheese.

BBQ Pork Bun

The char siu went fast - I didn't even get a photo of the inside. 'Nuff said.

Teriyaki Steak Sandwich 

This was one sandwich for two growing boys - and for about $7, it fed them more than sufficiently.


They loved it. I would have skipped the cucumbers.


Tempura Vegetables

Every sandwich ($5-7) comes with one side, and the guys chose this. My taste was terrific - hot, crispy and fresh.


Pork Katsu Rice Bowl with Vegetables

  

I really liked this - though the pork was a tad dry and might have been a little overcooked. Still, the fresh factor stood out from both the meat and the crunchy coating, and the sauce drizzled over the pork strips was a gentle but tasty accompaniment. Though I should have told them I despise cukes in all forms when ordering, as my vegetables (which were fresh and not frozen or food service packed) were loaded with them. Oh well. It was such a generous portion that I actually left some of the rice over (as well as the cucumbers).

Chris and I announced our saiety - but Joel had his eye on one more goody:



Yep - this was your basic donut. Airy yet crispy, and redolent of lard, we all loved it. And the appropriateness of this as our final item was demonstrated as we left. I spent a couple of minutes getting organized in my car - I looked up and noticed a white and stenciled vehicle in the parking lot behind me. As I pulled out, the occupants of that car got out and headed into Koko Bakery. Even in Asiatown, the cops know where to get the best donuts!

Lunch at Koko Bakery is cheap, fresh, tasty and filling. If the above hasn't made you salivate, check out the photos and review by the EAT guys here. It was a shame that Koko was so poorly attended the day we visited - Cleveland needs to show Koko Bakery some love! I assure you, it is food and drink worth playing with.

Koko Bakery on Urbanspoon