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2009-11-08
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D.S. has long raved about the puff bbq pork buns at che’s cantonese restaurant (車氏粵菜軒), so we decided to give a try at this place before i leave (if i receive a dollar for every farewell meal i should be pretty rich by now).the restaurant is on the 4/F of a commercial building where uno mas is located, and it would be easy to miss without having the exact address. when we arrived, the restaurant was already packed but tables were reasonably spaced out, so noise level was still very bearable.Deep
the restaurant is on the 4/F of a commercial building where uno mas is located, and it would be easy to miss without having the exact address. when we arrived, the restaurant was already packed but tables were reasonably spaced out, so noise level was still very bearable.
Deep fried taro: outer crust was very crunchy; the taro filling inside was actually a bit small, but velvet smooth.
chinese fried donut wrapped in rice noodles: this is actually quite a tricky dish and not many chinese restaurants get it right. the donuts were crunchy but a bit too chewy, and the outer rice noodles were too thick.
Pan-fried turnip cake: there was generous portion of preserved meat and julienned turnip; the crust gave a nice crispy texture while the inside was filled with turnip aroma. but unfortunately the cake fell apart as soon as i picked it up with my chopsticks…
steamed ox tripe: tripes were crispy and yielded easily to the teeth.
egg custard bun: the shell was very nice – it carried a faint smell of lard, was moist and slightly chewy, and i could see different layers when i opened the bun in the center. custard inside was molten as its chinese name suggests and was steaming hot. however, i personally prefer a much higher mix of salty egg yolk which gives stronger aroma and the saltiness to highlight sweetness of the custard.
Puff bbq pork bun: tada! the famous bun that D.S. and J.T. have been craving for. the top crust was slightly browned and very crunchy; when i sank my teeth in, the crust started crumbling and gave off a sweet buttery smell. even the bottom of the buns were crunchy and buttery. the bbq pork sauce inside was a tad too sweet though. the bbq pork buns here were nice, but i think they’re still inferior to what i have at fu sing and, of course, lung king heen.
shrimp dumpling: it was mostly shrimp inside with very little pork fat. however, there was no bamboo shoot which is an important ingredient to add to the dumpling’s crispiness and slight sweetness. skins were reasonably thin.
we also ordered pork siu-mai and shrimp rice noodles, which were good within normal range. service was minimal but hey it was not my first time at chinese dim sum restaurants where i am often at the mercy of royal waiters for attention.
overall, food quality was above average but far from excellent, and it is not something that i will travel from central to wanchai for. north garden also serves similar food quality but much better proximity and service. i like the puff bbq pork buns at che’s but its other dishes failed to impress. fried dim sums here tend to be more toasted/browned/fried than usual, which is tasty (but IMO is cheating). on the other hand, the kitchen is relatively weak in steamed dim sums and rice noodle skins. it is amazing how celebrity star power can have an effect on us.
full post with pictures: http://randomnomad.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/ches/
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