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 Dim Summing at Emperor's Palace, the New Kid on Cleveland's Asiatown Block

There are few delicacies I enjoy so much as Dim Sum - literally, "the heart's little treasures." Here in Cleveland, we are fortunate to have multiple options for Dim Sum, but the options are not numerous. Thus, the opening of a new purveyor of dumplingy treats (and authentic Chinese food) always attracts my immediate interest. It is no surprise then, that within about 24 hours of learning about Cleveland's newest entry in this department, I'd found a few friends willing to trundle down to Cleveland's old Chinatown - Rockwell Avenue between 21st and 24th Streets - to sample the wares at Emperor's Palace, 2136 Rockwell Ave., Cleveland OH 44114.

The formerly run down building has been magnificently restored to full splendor. 

An ample, free parking lot sits just across Rockwell Avenue, girded by impressive looking statutes representing all of the symbols of the Chinese Zodiac.

Inside the restaurant, we found two large dining rooms, plus a private banquet room that seats about 14.  The decor reminded me of Dim Sum parlors in New York or San Francisco  Speaking with our hostess, I learned that two additional restaurants are planned for the site - a vegetarian eatery and a place featuring Szechuan cuisine. 

Our initial experience was a little strange. Three of us had arrived and were seated in the second dining room. We were the only non-Asian customers in the place. While we awaited our final two companions, the server asked if we wanted tea before we'd looked at the menu, and we said yes. Though the menu lists several varieties of brewed tea (which we didn't realize until too late), our server brought out a pot with Jasmine tea bags hanging out of it (and Jasmine tea isn't one of the varieties listed on the menu), then dropped silverware at all the places and snatched up the chopsticks from the places for our two absent friends. But after we waved away any discussion of the "lunch specials" part of the menu and started digging into the Dim Sum, our hosts understood what we were there for, and were most gracious. Once the tea-from-bags pot was emptied, I asked for Oolong tea, which was promptly delivered for the rest of the meal. 

Though they have carts, such as the one shown below, the carts did not circulate through the restaurant as in a traditional Dim Sum. Instead, the "dumpling cart" and the cart below were parked in the main dining room. Servers took our orders from the menu and brought each plate of Dim Sum, piping hot, mostly from the kitchen. I was told that the kitchen also contains live fish and seafood tanks. They were out of some menu items, including the "Juicy Buns" or Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings), which is hopefully a good sign that everything is made in house.

Pumpkin Cake

This toothsome dumpling was a perfect starter, conjuring up very traditional Chinese gold coin imagery. It was unique - a little sweet and creamy, but with enough starchy body to hold up to those chopsticks, and a delicious winter squash flavor. I'd love to know what the characters stand for, if anyone cares to chime in at the comments!

Roast Pork Pastry

We all enjoyed the BBQ pork and light pastry of this familiar specimen.

Lotus Leaf Wrapped Sticky Rice with Chicken

We selected this more familiar incarnation instead of the intriguingly named "Sticky Rice and Preserved Meat Buns" for our sticky rice fix, and were rewarded with creamy rice that had soaked in lovely flavors from the chicken-based stuffing (there was one slice of Chinese Sausage, or Lap Cheong in the stuffing, which was  so good it made me wish there was more of it!). I'll have to get the buns on my next visit to Emperor's Palace.

Sui Mai

Sui Mai are perhaps the most ubiquitous of Dim Sum items. These tasted fresh and succulent, however, as I would expect, the shrimp was standard food service variety and less to my liking than the savory pork. 

Short Ribs with Black Pepper Sauce

I loved the taste and texture of the short ribs, which melted in the mouth, but missed assertive black pepper flavor from this dish. I would still order it again because of how well the meat was prepared.

Hom Sui Gok 

These fried footballs are filling, so be warned - sharing is a good idea here. Ours were served right out of the fryer, so they were intensely hot, savory and delicious. A glutinous rice flour-based skin puffs up around a savory pork filling - it is one of my favorites, but is often cold by the time it comes around on the cart, so Emperor's Palace gets major style points here.

Pineapple Buns

Several of my tablemates pronounced this a favorite. I liked the donut-like dumpling, but not quite as much as the others did. Different strokes for different folks. 

Turnip Cake "Country Style"

Turnip Cake is a favorite. Bob and I have sampled them from Cleveland, to New York, to San Francisco, to Hong Kong itself - and our favorite remains the version served at Wonton Gourmet, a few blocks from Emperor's Palace. However, while Wonton Gourmet's product has the most appealing creamy texture, the fresh flavors bursting out of Emperor's Palace's version make it a most worthy and close runner up. The dried shrimp and pork slivers offered distinctive flavors that stayed separate in the cake, so each bite had a slightly different flavor. Highly recommended.

We also ordered two "regular" menu items to share. First, Crispy Duck (half the duck, an amazing value at $9.95).

The first bite offered a huge hit of umami - so much that I wondered if there was MSG in the crispy coating. Our hostess assured us that Emperor's Garden doesn't use MSG (but it wouldn't bother me if they did); could regular salt offer that much flavor kick all by itself - or was there some other agent at work here? The seasoning inside the duck complimented the amazingly crisp skin, and the flesh was moist and tender. This was a perfectly cooked half duck.

Both the duck and our second entree were served with a small bowl of the house rice, which they call "Healthy Mix Rice" - white rice with "Red and Brown Wild Rice." While not at all traditional, it was most delicious.

Hot & Spicy Fish Fillet Pan Fried Noodle

Our last dish, the authentic version of "chow mein" (or fried noodles) was called both "hot" and "spicy" for a good reason, which we discovered shortly after tucking in: in addition to the red chili you can see in the photo, the dish contained a generous helping of Szechuan Peppercorn, which led to a delightful "ma la" buzz on our tongues. While the dish would win a "best of" prize from our table for that aspect alone, I was blown away by the freshness and skilled preparation of the fish filet; I can't remember enjoying the lowly tilapia so much. The crisp vegetables provided the perfect counterpoint to the moist and tender fish and the chewy noodles. A truly worthy dish.

Emperor's Palace is off to an auspicious start, and I hope that they continue with their winning ways. I anticipate additional visits in the next few weeks, so be sure to check in with this blog's Facebook page to see all of the photos and keep up to date on everything we've sampled. Or, drive, bike or bus yourself down to Cleveland's original Chinatown and have sum fun playing with the authentic Chinese cuisine offered at Emperor's Palace.

Fun Playing with Shanghai-ese Food at Gourmet Chopsticks!

Our recent journey to visit family in New York, as per usual, led us across my old stomping grounds of  New Jersey. Meeting up with local friends, we shared a fabulous Shanghai inspired meal at a recently (November 2011) converted restaurant in Fairfield, about 20 minutes west of the George Washington Bridge: Gourmet Chopsticks (formerly Hunan Cottage) at 14 Rt. 46 East. If you find yourself anyplace near this neighborhood, and you enjoy authentic Chinese food, run and do not walk to Gourmet Chopsticks.

I first learned about this restaurant from Jason Perlow's blog Off the Broiler, which had cross-posted a review from New Jersey Blogger Melody Kettle at Hot From the Kettle. Her photos of Xiao Long Bao and Shanghai Noodles whet my appetite, and I knew this would be our next New Jersey dining destination.

Our five top held the only non-Asian customers in the place, which was well attended for a Thursday night, and there is an excellent reason for this. The proprietor was delighted when Jo-Mel (my Chinese cooking teacher) waved away the American menu and asked for the Chinese menu (though they still served us fried noodles  and duck sauce). While many of these dishes are listed in the hodge-podge that is the online menu, the only way to see the whole thing, and the ever-changing specials, is to pay Gourmet Chopsticks a visit. References below to item numbers are to the printed Chinese Menu you see here.

We began with a delicacy no longer available to us in Cleveland: Xiao Long Bao, or Soup Dumplings. We put this order in first (item # 6 under "Noodle & Rice"), then perused the lengthy menu, which features Taiwanese as well as Shanghai specialties. How to choose from so many wonderful, and otherwise-hard-to- find dishes?

The menu translated the name for the dumpling dish as "Steamed Crab Meat Juicy Bun" (a straight pork version is also available).

The dumpling dough is stuffed with a ball of crab meat and pork, and a cube of intensely rich (and probably spiked with aspic), chilled broth. When steamed, the broth melts around the savory filling inside the dumpling, hence the name "soup dumpling."

Once the dumpling is balanced upon the spoon, it is wise to nibble a small bite of the dough and carefully sip some of the hot soup.

The dumpling can also be dipped in the accompanying simple sauce of soy, vinegar and ginger. Yum.

Our next choice was the "Leek Noodle Box," which we call a Chive Pancake, item # 3, also under "Noodles & Rice":

The crepe-like dough is wrapped around chopped, sauteed Flowering Garlic Chives and Bean Thread (or Glass) Noodles, for a crispy, chewy delight.

Getting down to business on the entrees, we asked for Snow Pea Leaf, but they were out, and so we made do with Ong Choy, stir fried simply with garlic:

For the noodle course, there could be only one selection - hand-pulled Shanghai noodles stir fried with pork and vegetables (item # 25 under "Noodle & Rice," Sauteed Noodle Shanghai Style) :

Gloppy noodles have always been one of my favorite treats, but there is nothing more toothsome or satisfying than freshly made (as in, "made in house") noodles. These specimens did not fail to delight, and the crunchy vegetables and velvety meat contrasted perfectly. A light bit of spice further enhanced the flavor.

Our only culinary misfire didn't fail to please on its own merits, but Jo-Mel had thought the dish was spare ribs and not pork chops. Salt and Pepper Pork Chops, item # 17 under "Shanghai Style Entree," were nonetheless delicious and we cleaned the plate of every crispy morsel:

You can see Jim's can of Coor's Light, above. Gourmet Chopsticks has no liquor permit, but as New Jersey has far more civilized alcohol control laws than does Ohio, BYOB is happily permitted.

The most unusual dish we shared was an off-menu special: Calamari with Basil, Chinese Style:

This amazing casserole dish featured long-cooked squid (rings and tentacles) in a fragrant bath redolent with star anise and ginger, in addition to the Asian basil leaves. As you can see, the basil caramelized, less obvious is how wonderfully the ginger also caramelized. Slices of the ginger can be more readily seen in the photo below:

Our hosts, who didn't entirely believe that we were going to like the dishes we ordered until we tucked in, were extremely pleased that our table of 5 non-Asians was so enjoying the authentic Shanghai cuisine. As they cleared the almost-empty plates, the manager asked if we were game to try a Chinese-style dessert. But of course!

First, the obligatory plate of orange slices:

And then, a house original (as we were told), a thin pancake (they couldn't quite identify whether it was wheat or rice based) stuffed with mashed taro and rolled up, with the ends then rolled in something sweet (maltose, perhaps) and sesame seeds:

Like most Chinese desserts, this was almost more savory than sweet, but offered just enough sugar to clean our palates without stuffing us. A just-sweet-enough ending to a delightful meal.

I regret that we could not manage a bigger dent into the 139 choices on the Chinese Menu (which number doesn't include the multiple Lobster and Flounder Specials for 2 or 4 diners at the bottom of the second side of the menu). I anticipate many return visits to Gourmet Chopsticks on future New York trips; the hardest part will be to save room for new dishes, because we loved everything we ate and will need to have some of them again! For fun playing with authentic Shanghai style food (can't tell you about the Taiwanese dishes because we didn't get to any!), pick up your chopsticks and head to Gourmet Chopsticks!

Fun Playing With Bella Cibo

Early in May 2012, a newcomer arrived at 5416 Mayfield Road, on the Lyndhurst-Mayfield Heights border, in the spot formerly known as Tastee Bites/La Pita. Allow me to introduce you to Bella Cibo, which translates to "Beautiful Food." Though not exactly "mom & pop" - this "son & pop" business is serving up some fun eats at very easy-to-swallow prices. 

Owner John and his dad Lou offer a modest menu that relies on good ingredients, many of which are house-made (but not all, and at these price points, it's understandable). John's Uncle Al is also in the kitchen, making this a true family affair. My first taste was a take-out order of Cheesesteak, Whiz wit as it were. Thinly sliced ribeye was cooked to order on the grill and topped with nicely caramelized onions, peppers, and Cheese Whiz. All that was missing was the Amoroso roll to evoke the authentic Philly Cheesesteak - this was an Orlando sub roll, which will never be mistaken for the real thing, but was a reasonable substitute. Very tasty, at a tasty price of $6.

Next up was a turkey club. Bella Cibo uses a good quality, name brand turkey breast product that is neither overly processed nor salty (and of course I failed to write the name down). 

My next visit came by surprise, so I didn't have a camera to shoot my gyro sandwich. The photo below, of a dining companion's gyro, is from a later lunch. I really loved my gyro (a steal as a lunch special at $5, as it was piled high with Kronos meat, lots of freshly torn lettuce, onions and tomato). But John needs to sell a lot more of them to keep the spit turning all of the time without drying out the meat (my sandwich was perfection; I noticed that by the second meal, they'd cut the cone in half so as to only use half at a time and keep the other half fresh, and they weren't running the spit until an order was placed, I would expect to keep the meat from temperature abuse and dryness). So - we all need to eat more gyro at Bella Chibo! They serve it two ways - the "traditional" shown below, and Philly Style, which I would expect much resembles my cheesesteak, above, but with gyro meat instead of ribeye.

My sandwich that day was the only thing I've eaten at Bella Cibo so far that I didn't care for. Go down the street to Smoked at DiCillo's Tavern if you want BBQ.

BBQ Pork Sandiwch

The best deal in the house is the Pasta Dinner, regularly priced at $5.50. But on Monday and Tuesday, it is an even better deal, priced at $4.75. The meal includes choice of cooked-to-order pasta (spaghetti or penne), topped with your choice of sauce: marinara, meat sauce (which is essentially the house-made marinara with broken up house-made meatballs in it - delicious!), Alfredo or Aglio e Olio (garlic and olive oil), a small container of grated cheese, a side salad (huzzah for freshly torn lettuce - when I complimented Lou for this, he made it clear that there would never be bagged salad served at Bella Cibo), and garlic bread.

The massive plate of pasta and sauce wound up making for not one, but two very satisfying lunches!

Bella Cibo also offers catering. There is eat-in seating for about 10, and bottled water and soft drinks are available (but no fresh brewed ice tea). In addition to the fixed $4.75 Daily Specials (Pasta Dinner Monday-Tuesday, 1/4 Pound Burger and Fries Wednesday-Thursday, and any Cold Sub with 3 Toppings Friday-Saturday), there are usually two or three additional specials every day. Several sweets are also offered,  including a gooey-looking chocolate brownie, though I haven't sampled any yet.

On the down side, given the many nearby bakeries, I wish that they would use better bread products, but my guess is that they need to go Orlando to make their incredibly reasonable price points. I have not tried the chicken cutlet or sausage yet, but I will! Also on my "to try" list is the all beef Chicago-style hotdog for $4. Bella Cibo also offers burgers cooked to order, hot and cold subs, salads, and appetizer items.

Bella Cibo offers inexpensive, quality eats, from a locally owned and operated perspective, which is where the most fun food comes from! They are open Monday-Saturday 10:30am to 8pm, their phone # is 440-605-9400.