南小館Plus (Closed)

Item: The Dining Room Plus
Rating: 4
Author: veil337

The Dining Room Plus

3.5

236 Reviews

Taste

Decor

Service

Hygiene

Value

8588

Causeway Bay

$101-200

Shanghai Dim Sum Wonton/Dumpling Chinese Buns Stir-Fry

135

veil337

Level3

Read full review

I used to come here quite often with my kids simply because the place is bright and open and the decor is full of little points of interest to keep the rugrats entertained, and today I dropped by purely because I had a cranky, sleepy toddler on my hands and desperately needed to find a place with empty seats he can take a nap on. With two kids, the afternoon tea was a rather hectic affair, but the open space meant our kids didn't bother any other innocent diners and the wait staff was tolerant and helpful.
My favorite dish here is the sauteed baby bok choy with minced garlic--it's a very simple dish, made just the way my mother makes it at home, with very little oil, fresh, tiny little bok choys, short cooking time (to ensure that the bok choy doesn't wilter in the heat) and with a splash of broth to bring out the flavor (no MSG, thankyouverymuch). The baby bok choy is so young and tender that you don't even have to cut it into smaller pieces for small kids to chew on--their tiny baby teeth can handle the veggie just fine.
The stars of the savoury options are the buns --xiaolongbao and shengjianbao, one steamed, one wok-fried, are both favorites. The wok-fried pork buns are crunchy on the bottom, fluffy on the top and juicy and tender in the middle with a burst of meat juice when you bite into them, and personally I like them much more than the steamed xiaolongbao.
The desserts are very pretty and delicate, not too sweet--they elevate a regular meal onto a different level altogether. They are my favorite parts of meals at The Dining Room.
PS: One very touching episode--while I was there, an exhausted-looking mom with a toddler in tow dropped by the restaurant and asked the staff whether she can borrow one of the empty tables to rest her feet and feed her son (the food court was completely full), and the restaurant staff did not hesitate to accomodate her, giving her an empty table and letting her use the restaurant's high chairs and utensils. Such a friendly, social approach to treating non-customers and rescuing a mom in distress--positively heroic!