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2009-12-03
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traditional food done right2009-11-29 we have chosen Ming Garden MG(名苑酒家) as the venue for our farewell dinner with my boss, who is moving back to USA.This restaurant is grand opening & THE upscale cantonese venue with its own exclusive farm supply. the restaurant is serving exquisite cantonese food such as shark fins and dried abalones.. on the other hand, MG heen does serve significantly different food quality depending on who the customer is while MG is relatively more consistent - so the bat
cha siu: i am nearly addicted to bbq pork these days. the cha siu at MG was leaner, mushier, and the honey coating was slightly too thick compared to fu sing. they also used a hint of food coloring during the roasting process which although was no big deal but i thought the kitchen would be too proud to use it. i like my cha siu at fu sing more.
sweet and sour pork: it was a much leaner cut of the pork ribs than i have elsewhere. the crust was a bit too chewy and thick, and the sweet/sourness scale was too light to my liking. the meat inside was overcooked. it wasn't my favorite dish of the night...
braised bamboo fungus, mushrooms, and other chinese vegetables: it was a very yummy dish. it was high quality wild bamboo fungus soaked in stock, crisp texture with a very clean taste.
crispy chicken: this is another signature dish at MG. the skin was very thin and crisp; chicken meat was tender and low fat content, and tasted very "chickeny". also much less greasy than other restaurants.
baked stuffed crab with onions and fresh crab meat: the crust was baked/browned and inside was a mixture of (lots of) crab meat, julienned onions. it was flavorful and meaty, and the crab meat was very fresh and spongy.
braised dry bean curd: the bean curd was very tender inside and outer crust crispy but light.
smoked pomfret: it was then slightly overall pan-fried and the skin was crispy but not greasy. the meat carried a light sweetness and very aromatic. taste-wise, it was a delicious dish. however, overall presentation was very bad... the fish was falling out all over the plate like a jigsaw puzzle...
sweet walnut cream: the walnut cream was very intense and not too sweet. it did not add much milk to cream up the soup like most other restaurants, so it was all grounded walnut with a slightly sandy texture. according to H, walnut has great mix of vitamin B's that is good for your brain.
sweet almond tea with egg white and milk: a light sweet soup.
sesame paste bun: very intense sesame flavor and not too moist/gooey inside like other chinese restaurants.
lotus leaf steamed rice: this is another signature dish at MG. the rice was loaded with dried scallops and crab meat, with shredded scrambled eggs and roasted ducks. it was very yummy and each rice grain was the perfect moist level - not too sticky nor dry. however, there was not much lotus aroma in the rice.
the night was also a college reunion so we did not order any upscale dishes like abalone and bird's nest. overall food quality was high, although there was no "wow" factor. for each individual dish i can right on top of my head name another place that serves better food quality, but MG was able to score high in every dish. i also think there was a lack of creativity in the dishes, rather the chef was focusing on traditional food done to excellence, or not.
one thing i need to praise on is the service. waiters were prompt and friendly, and check was issued almost right away. also i was guided point-to-point on my arrival and greeted by all staffs during our exit - while they usually do it at western restaurants, many chinese restaurants seem to miss out this little detail
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