Shanghai Dumpling - Cupertino

Last year, I reviewed Shanghai Dumpling for Metro News and became a converted fan. It's not a perfect place but it was tasty, convenient, and affordable. After Din Tai Fung opened and I had a taste of some better XLB, it reignited my cravings for XLB so I went back to Shanghai Dumpling because I dont' want to deal with the DTF hype.

($6.50) Steamed Pork Soup Dumpling - The soup flavor is nice. The meat inside is tasty but sometimes a bit too hard (overcooked?). The wrapper was not as thin as DTF and a bit too chewy at the top where all the folds meet.

($8.95) Pork chop and rice with vegetable and ham - We needed to order something filling to supplement the dumplings and out came this big portion of rice in an interesting wooden bowl. The pork chops were very good and the rice was bland but together they balanced. Not stupendous in flavor yet very interesting presentation.

($5.95) Mixed bean curd salad - The bean curd noodles were very soft and slightly warm. The seasoning was mild and acidic. I enjoyed this dish and would get it again as a side.

($6.50) Wonton with spicy sauce - I was very impressed with this dish the first time I had it. This second time, there seemed to be too much peanut and peanut sauce. Maybe my standards have risen after the incredible version from DTF, or maybe memory doesn't serve me well. It's still good though and has decent heat.

($5.95) Cucumber with garlic - the cucumber side dish is a must when eatign all these heavy disehs. It helps me cleanse the palate for the next round of dumplings.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

Service was very slow here for no apparent reason. FOH seemed to be staffed ok but we still had to wait at the front. The hostesses/waiters were moving about in a chaotic way and not really communicating with each other about which guest needed what. Aside from that, the food is as I remembered it and is still a good place for XLB in the South Bay for those who aren't on the hunt for extravagant prices and long waits. I went here on a whim but for DTF I made a reservation for next month.

Golden Garlic - San Jose

Chinese food restaurants in San Jose seem to be scattered even though we have plenty of ethnic enclaves in our city. There are a few densely populated plazas but none of the restaurants seem to stand out. When we are in the mood for Chinese, we really have to hunt for the hidden gems. 

A few weeks ago, Golden Garlic invited me to try a complimentary meal at their new location on S. De Anza Blvd. It was everything we like in a Chinese food place. Tucked in a corner, simple decor and plates, but great food in large portions. Here are a few of the dishes we tried from the Sichuan and Tianjian cuisine.

($15.95) Diced Beef with Golden Garlic

Their signature dish, the eponymous dish of the restaurant, contained lots of garlic and beef in a special marinade. The cubed beef was extremely tender and flavorful. In contast, the garlic was crunchy but not spicy. This dish is a must-have if you go here. 

($4.95) House Made Jelly Noodle in Chili Sauce

Another must-have and at a very affordable price too is the jelly noodle appetizer. The house made chili and black bean sauce is to die for. It's very spicy and has layers of flavor with the umami of fermented black beans. The noodle has no flavor yet the interesting texture makes it worth while. They give plenty of sauce in this dish so don't waste it. Put it on the rice or other dishes to enhance the flavor too.

($5.95) House Special Fancy Cut Whole Cucumber

This is a standard dish for Chinese restaurants. One of my favorite appetizers and palate cleansers. Golden Garlic does a fancy cut on their large chunks. It was a good mix of sour, sweet, and spicy.

($10.95) Tianjin Mixed Stir Fry

The pork slices were very tender and the cucumber and woodear mushroom had just the right bite.

($12.95) Braised Pocket Tofu

The soft tofu was a good contrast to the other dishes which had stronger flavors. Each tofu piece was larger than it appears in pictures. The sauce was light and not too thick which is how I prefer it.

($12.95) Fish Ball with Tomato Sauce

This is more of a long fish cake. It is flaky inside like a regular filet and breaded then fried on the outside. The sauce does not taste like tomato. It's more sweet and sour. I was impressed with this dish too. I'm not sure I can handle alot at once but a little bit goes well with white rice.

Golden Garlic has a successful location in Milpitas which has been open for 3 years. This location in San Jose has been open for 1 year and I sense much success for them in the future. The prices are fair given that the portion sizes are large and meant for family style dining. All of the dishes were good especially their signature beef and golden garlic as well as the jelly noodle. The service was great and the owner is often there to provide hands on service. We would definitely eat here again. I am very pleased to be able to share their offerings with you.

Golden Garlic
1530 South De Anza Blvd, San Jose, CA

Classic Guilin Rice Noodles - San Jose

Like most Asians, I love a good noodle dish, be it soupy, stir fried, or deep fried. A name like Classic Guilin Rice Noodles really piques my interest. As I would learn from the menu, Guilin is a part of China and this is their traditional dish.

The restaurant is in a newer looking Asian plaza on De Anza Blvd. next to Go Fish Poke and 85*C Bakery. Many spaces in the plaza seem unoccupied yet. In Guilin Noodles, the dining area is spacious and the tables are a traditional wooden design. It looks a bit more elegant than it needs to be for the food they serve.

The menu explains 4 steps to eating classic Guilin rice noodles.

1. Smell

2. Mix in hot peppers

3. Eat

4. Pour the soup in and drink it

($1.50) This side dish of lily flowers was really enjoyable. It was not sour or spicy though it may ave been pickled or rehydrated and seasoned with oil. I liked the mellow flavor and subtle crunch. I'm not sure if it was meant to be added to the noodles so I just snacked on them on the side.

Chili flakes with chili oil on the left and a pepper mixture on the right

($8.97) Regular sized beef brisket with crispy pork Classic Series noodle bowl
The crispy pork pieces were tasty. The beef brisky was just ok. Both meats were sliced thinly and laid on top of cold rice noodles with other garnishes like scallions, fried onions, and peanuts. Each bowl has half of a boiled egg. 

After adding the pepper mixture like so, I mixed up everything in the bowl. It's much like a Vietnamese vermicelli bowl except with larger noodles and less greens. Maybe we were supposed to order pickled veggies but we didn't. The pepper definitely has a kick to it but it helps add more flavor to the noodle. The soup on the side which we were supposed to pour into the noodle once towards the end was not good. On it's own it tastes like old toilet water. I know that sounds really mean but it's really not so tasty. Maybe with the spices and seasonings of the noodle it will balance well with the soup. 

($8.97) BBQ pork and crispy pork Classic Series noodle
My friend got different meats but the concept is the same.

Not sure what drink my friend got but I think it's tea with basil seeds. Most drinks are $2.99

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

The verdict is still out on this place. I think I need to go here with someone knowledgeable to show me what to order and how to eat it. Maybe the soupy noodles are better. Maybe we were supposed to order side veggies to mix in. The lily flower side dish was really nice. Service was fine and the dining room has more than enough space to move around. I would go back again one day. It's not over for Classic Guilin Rice Noodles yet.

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Noodle Talk - Sunnyvale

Cold rainy days warrant hot noodle soup. Better if that soup is also spicy AF! I was in the mood for noodle soup the other week and was tired of the usual pho and ramen. I could use a ramen break after my last review of Myzen. I was actually craving QQ Noodle which is farish from me and remembered a random place I stumbled upon through Instagram. It was called Noodle Talk and then some Chinese characters after it. So let's talk noodles. All the menu descriptions were in Chinese so I'll do my best to guess all the ingredients.

($10.99) Spicy Beef Shank Noodle Soup - thinly sliced and overly cooked beef shank pieces. You don't get that many per bowl. Some tofu pieces, cilantro, thick noodles, and a spicy broth. This had two pepper symbols next to it on the menu which isn't even the max but I was struggling with the intensity. It hurts so good. I wish the beef shank slices

($4.99) Spicy pig ear - cut too thick to my liking but not so bad. Ive had better though.

($3.99) Tofu skin salad - these bean curd sheets with sliced red onions and chili oil were very addicting. I love cold salads like this. 

($8.99) Spicy ground pork with sour beans noodle soup - this one had three pepper symbols next to it and it was less spicy than the beef shank soup. The sour beans balanced out the spice and gave it more variety of flavor than just one note chili oil.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

The restaurant is decently sized but the tables are squished close together giving it the feeling of dining at a smaller place. I'm not much of a fan of this type of food. I can handle spicy food but i prefer it to be layered with ither flavors such as sour, salty, or sweet. This was just spicy and it seemed like from one type of pepper or oil. I suggest passing on the beef shank noodles and getting te sour bean one along wit the variety of cold salads.

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QQ Noodle - Cupertino and Milpitas

Once in a while, there's a place in my life for generic, quick, tasty Asian food that is neither healthy nor mind blowing but it hits the spot. QQ Noodle is one of those places. On cold days like these when the thought of dragging myself out the house to grocery shop and then standing in my freezing kitchen to cook something is really off putting, I want a quick soupy fix like QQ Noodle. The following review is a summation of three visits over the last 2 years although the photos are only of my most recent visit.

($4.99) tofu skin salad - the seasoning on this salad was really nice. Very garlicky and mildly acidic. The tofu skin rolls were nice and big.

($4.99) Rouburger - This is like a pulled pork sandwich. While the shredded pork inside is tasty, the bread is dense and a bit cold even though it's toasted. I wish this was served on a softer bun.

QQ Noodle is known for their hand pulled noodles. It's advertised to be made fresh in house. I'm not sure if this is true. Maybe it's made in large batches and used later. The noodle texture in the next two soups didn't taste super fresh to me but they were still good.

($9.25) Pork spare rib noodles - I've ordered this dish twice now and have not regretted it. The spare ribs are really tender and flavorful. The soup is a little on the plain side but I wasn't feeling like eating super spicy. 

(about same price as above) Spicy fish noodle soup - This broth was spicier and I was not a fan. I find that the spice comes from the later addition of chili oil and peppers onto a base broth. It doesn't add much depth of flavor. The pieces of fried fish were great though. I still recommend this dish.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

I wouldn't say QQ is the highest quality but it surely does the job. Service is speedy because they basically make what seems like one type of broth and then add different meats and vegetables and flavors to it later. Prices are decent. The portions are huge. One bowl is enough for two filling meals. 

Mu Shu Pork Lettuce Wraps

Mu Shu Pork is one of the few ways I enjoy eating pork. It's not my meat of choice but on rare occasions I will have it. The Food Network website has this simple recipe I followed. I only used what I had and omitted the ingredients I didn't have, which were: Napa cabbage, peanut oil (substituted with sesame), eggs, ginger. It still worked out well.

Phil did a dandy job shredding carrots with the mandolin slicer. I'm proud.

Instead of wrapping the pork in Mandarin Pancakes, I put them in romaine lettuce leaves for a healthier and lighter meal. Even after following precise directions, the pork was still a bit bland. Squeezing a strip of Hoisin sauce at the bottom of the leaf before scooping in the pork helped alot. In the end, the each bite was really delicious. I love julienned woodear mushrooms; they have the best springy texture.

To round out the rest of the meal, I heated leftovers from the night before. Do you recognize the gai lan and the lotus stem salad? I also made a new batch of noodles with chives.