Dim Sum at Emperor's Palace, the Sequel

Last weekend included two visits to Cleveland's new Emperor's Palace, on Rockwell between 21st and 24th Streets, which was the subject of my September 29 blog post. Since we tried several additional items each trip, an update on this brand-new Cleveland Asiatown contender seemed in order.

On Saturday, our table of 8 stuck to dim sum items. We left fully sated after spending about $15 a person. Seated in the main dining room this time, we were able to pick more proactively from the three dim sum carts, though as we learned on Sunday, they don't always bring them around the room. Still, several Asian customers didn't hesitate to make like they were in Guangzhou by marching up to the carts and examining the wares directly.

Sticky Rice and Preserved Meat Buns

The name "bun" is a little misleading here, because the wrapper is more dumpling-like than bun-like. Semantics aside, this was a tasty dumpling, offering exactly what the rest of the title described. 

Cookies

These amazing cookies contain chunks of pork to accompany the peanut and sweet flavors. I'm not sure if these were the "shrimp and meat" or just "cookies" described on the menu; I don't recall a shrimpy flavor, but regardless, these were delicious! Like Nestle Toll House "meats" Michael Symon!

Roast Pork Pastry

We enjoyed this item at both visits. Flaky pastry, BBQ pork - what's not to like?

Chicken Feet

Chicken feet found the table on both days. These were much better than the last ones I sampled, at Cleveland's Li Wah. I found these a little bland, but very well prepared. 

Spare ribs w. black bean sauce

Also enjoyed two days in a row - the first day, they seemed a tad undercooked; on Sunday they were perfect, though again, the black bean sauce was unassertive.

Stuffed Tofu Skin Rolls w/Oyster Sauce

This is one of my favorite dim sum items, and Emperor's Palace does it very well. Tofu sheet is wrapped around pork and shrimp, then bathed in oyster-sauce and steamed to deliciousness. 

Egg Custard Tart (Dan Tac)

This version of Dan Tac can stand up to the best available in Cleveland (Koko Bakery). Still warm from the oven, both of the tarts I tasted featured creamy custard and tender pastry. The freshness of all of the ingredients really shined through.

Fried Crueller Wrapped in Rice Noodle

This item came to the table a little cold, then sat a few more moments as we waited for the server to squirt the soy-based topping over it. While it might have been better served hot from the prep table (one of our tablemates had enjoyed it at a previous visit and liked it very much that time), it was one of the few items that didn't wow our table on Saturday. The crueller was a little soggy and the noodle, once cold, had nothing to really recommend it.

Soup Dumplings or "Juicy Buns" or Xiao Long Bao

Emperor's Palace had been out of these the prior week, but we got to try them both days last weekend. Saturday's version had more soup in them than Sunday's; on Sunday, Bob noticed holes in the bottom of his dumpling matching the metal bottom of the service container. I loved the huge porky taste of these buns, but wanted more liquid in them; Sunday's dining companions commented that the dough was a bit thick for a Xiao Long Bao, and they were right (I simply have no objection to toothy noodles in any form). So, while these dumplings may still be a work in progress, I will happily slurp them!

On Sunday's excursion, we joined up with almost 20 friends (over two tables), which meant more mayhem and fewer photos. 

Pan Fried Pork Dumplings

At least, I think that's what these were. The dough was more "bun" like than "dumpling" like, but the flavors and textures were executed well. We liked them.

This close-up of a piece of pork sparerib shows that the individual pieces were more assertively coated with a batter on Sunday; probably rice flour. 

We also explored a little more of the non-dim sum menu on Sunday, such as this plate of Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) w/Oyster Sauce. Our per person check worked out a little higher than the previous day, at $20, but that included menu items also, and some dispensation for the littler members of our party. 

This was good to the last drop! The long pieces of vegetable were cut in half, making them much easier to handle. The gai lan was fresh, hot, crispy and provided that oh-so-needed-with-dim-sum fiber.

Fried Noodles with Seafood

Like the Spicy Fish Noodles we'd eaten on our first visit, these noodles were deftly prepared. However, this dish unfortunately pointed out the one complaint I have with Emperor's Palace (though its certainly not unique to them), which is the quality of the seafood. I did not taste any shrimp from this dish, but the scallop half I ate was downright soapy, and at least some of the calamari, which no one ate, stiff as a board. The vegetables and white sauce were fine, and Bob said the piece of fish he tasted was as wonderful as the fish we'd sampled before. But on Saturday, several tablemates had noticed some tripolyphosphate-tasting shrimp (particularly in the shrimp spring rolls, which I didn't sample); I had noticed that my first visit to EP, in the Shu Mai, and yes, a modest detraction in the otherwise delicious stuffed tofu skin. So be forewarned - while the fin fish is fabulous, your mileage may vary with the shellfish offerings.

"Veggie General Tso's Chicken"

This plate was ordered at the other table, but not well-consumed, so it came over to us. As General Tso's Chicken, it was kind of meh. However, as a tofu-veggie fritter held together with egg and cornstarch and fried - it was actually pretty tasty, with a smoky flavor that some of us thought was ham (it was the tofu, according to the waitress). The small diced vegetables in the dumpling retained their crunch - even the zucchini, which is often waterlogged before it even starts. 

So there you have it - another two visits to Emperor's Palace for dim sum and more. We felt that they did a very good job, though there are still some kinks to be worked out. We had fun playing with both dim sum and menu items in our three trips, and anticipate that we'll be back for more! 

Fun Playing With Food at the Cleveland Asian Festival, 2012

With a rhythmic welcome from the Kwan Family Lion Dancers, Cleveland kicked off its third annual Asian Festival this morning. We actually arrived rather early, so we could pick up some needed items at Park To Shop (and park our car). While we would have loved to spend the entire day at the Festival as we did last year, too many pressing obligations would make that impossible this time. The Festival is free to attend and open to all. In addition to food, two stages provide non-stop entertainment, and there are vendors galore selling products and services that may interest you. A children's area offers games, crafts, attractions and "inflatable sumo wrestling" for the minis. And Lolly the Trolley provides complimentary tours of Cleveland Asiatown.

A few changes for this year - a larger eating area is provided in the "food court" a/k/a the main Asia Plaza parking lot. The performance stage that shared the space with food vendors last year is now larger and located on Payne Avenue proper. Some of the vendors we loved last year did not return, but many did, together with some new faces. 

One thing we noticed was that some of the spicier cuisines seemed, um, gentled down a bit, especially compared to last year. Still, it all tasted good, and that's what counts.

Since we arrived shortly before the official commencement of the festivities, we walked around the food court and photographed even though not everyone was ready. The photos are in the order of the vendors; we didn't eat in the order shown, but if you decide to visit the Festival tomorrow, this order will make it easier to find your target.

Otani Japanese Restaurant returned with their portable sushi case

#1 Pho was the first new face we encountered

We had wanted to try Flavors of India last year, but lacked sufficient intestinal real estate. How would their Nepalese cuisine taste?

Everest Lamb Curry: Lamb with ginger, onion, tomatoes and Himalayan spices

Though we really enjoyed this plate, we wished that the tempting spices that played peek-a-boo with our palates were more prominent. Though the fragrance said "India," the flavors were a little different and we wanted more! We licked up every bit of that gravy (thank goodness they gave us a spoon). 

We had chatted with a gentleman while enjoying our first plates, as he consumed Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) - delicate dough containing pork or crab and a savory liquid filling. He pointed us to Li Wah, but warned us that these weren't the greatest. He was right - my guess is that they came out of a food service package, which doesn't make sense because Li Wah had it's full restaurant kitchen right on the premises. Oh well.

Li Wah's Little Cousin

E. 30th Cafe also had the same food items for sale at a table in front of the restaurant, in Asia Plaza. No pizza this year.

We loved the grilled chicken skewer from Asian Grille last year. 

I am an unabashed Koko Bakery lover. If you've never experienced a real Chinese bakery, you need to give Koko a try! As with last year, both sweets and savories are available:

We brought home a number of the above items, which wrapped flaky pastry around various savory fillings. Our selections of Bacon & Wasabi (above, right), Sausage & Cheese and Curry Potato & Cheese (above, left), as well as Ham & Cheese & Vegetables & Cheese were fabulous after just a few minutes in the toaster oven. We've got a couple of Taro strips (two photos up) that will probably wait until tomorrow.

Map of Thailand, as it did last year, had "show plates" at the ready; as last year, I photographed them but unfortunately did not get to sample their wares. Here's the dish that gave me the best photo:

Thai Style Basil Chicken

King Fire Baby looked so good last year, but we'd hit "uncle"! This year - they were a first stop.

Grilled baby ribs with Khmer pickled vegetables

Lemon Grass Chicken Wings

Iced Mint Green Tea Lemonade

King Fire Baby is offering a coupon on its website: purchase $12 from the booth, and get an Iced Mint Green Tea Lemonade for free! Since our order of one rib plate, one wing plate, and one tea got us over $12, we got my tea free. A little sweet for my taste, perhaps, but a truly lovely combination of tea and lemonade. My only wish was for the Cambodian flavors to pop a bit more - both meats were delicious and nicely cooked, and the slaw was yummy, but I wanted more tingle, more spice! 

And now we have . . . our pick for Best Bites of Festival (of those we tasted, of course): Tamarind Asian Cuisine! Alas - I cannot link you to a website, or even a Facebook page, because it seems that caterer Marina Villanueva Velmin doesn't have any yet! But this Filipina can cook!

Pork Adobo, Pancit Bihon (rice noodles with chicken, sausage, hard cooked egg),  pickled vegetables 

Tender, luscious pork in adobo sauce joined stir fried rice noodles loaded with a sausage similar to lap cheong but softer, chicken, hard cooked eggs, and vegetables. The small side of pickled vegetables (which had some chilies) provided acid and heat - and all of these elements together combined to make this dish our absolute favorite of the day.  Marina's business card lists contact info in Westlake and Venice Florida - I hope that we see more of her cooking here in Cleveland!

We took home a Banh Mi. When we were finally hungry again, we removed the crisp vegetables and toasted it, then put the veggies back. Yum.

Ono Turo-Turo was another booth we had been forced to pass on last year. It was at the top of our list, but by the time we got to them, we knew we'd be packing most of our goodies up for later noshing.

Dinoguan (Chocolate Meat) 

This delicious mole-like dish was served up with plenty of incendiary whole chilies - so we were a little surprised that the meat, while perfectly tender and delicious, with hints of chocolate and seasonings, didn't have much chili flavor. Last year, after we'd reached satiety, our friend Stuart told us we had to try their food. While I'm glad that we did this year, I'm still puzzled how something cooked with that many chilies could taste so mild. We'll cut the chilies up and add them when we reheat the leftovers.

This signless stand was presented by the West Side Market's own Kim Se Cambodian

And I somehow neglected to photograph Always Gutom, Always Pinoy, a Filipino stand that we much enjoyed last year. Looks like they had an awesome steamed pork bun that we missed. 

Once you step out of the food court, you will find three stands serving shaved ice in the Payne Street concourse; I got photos of two of them. It looked like refreshing fun!

Whew - lots of great food to play with at the Cleveland Asian Festival! And there is still one day to go in the 2012 edition. The weather is grand and the food is fun at the 2012 Cleveland Asian Festival, so go on out  on May 20 and play with your food!