Lunch #54: Purple Dot Cafe

The MSG150 crew had our last street crossing for the official MSG150 route today. We still have three sides of this final restaurant packed block to do, but the end is near. To mark the occasion we sacrificed Rob. It was sad to lose Rob, I hope his family will understand, but it's comforting to know that the various ID gods will shine upon us during the final days of our journey. Today's target is the Purple Dot Cafe. The one eyed baby dinosaur logo that greeted us as we entered did very little to explain the odd name.

More press today: Caroline Li, a writer for the Northwest Asian Weekly and Mastermind & Founder of Earthwalkers Magazine, joined us to expose the faces behind the elusive MSG150.

Purple Dot Cafe, Seattle
Address: 515 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Dim Sum, Chinese: Hong Kong
Average rating: 3.6 chopsticks
Lunch date: 5/15/2008 @ 12:03:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 0 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 0 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 77 minutes
Chopstix quality: Nice Plastic
Do they use MSG?: "A little bit"
Where is the owner/chef from?: Hong Kong
Number of tables: 22
Number of occupied tables: 8 (36%)
Number of business lunch tables: 3 (37%)
Number of "local" tables: 3 (37%)
Healthcode Score: 25
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon

Family Style Dishes

• 2 x Pan Fried Sesame Shrimp Dumplings
• Fried Shrimp Ball
• Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant
• BBQ Pork Pastry
• Green Pepper w/ Shrimp
• Ginger Pork Bun
• Pork Pastry
• Steamed Shrimp & Pea Vine Dumpling
• Steamed Shrimp & Scallop Dumpling
• 2 x Shu Mai
• Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf
• Egg Custard
• Rice Noodle w/ Beef

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Emmett's Review

Purple Dot has a strange logo, an odd color scheme on the wall, and has an enormous menu. I guess the logo portrays a dragon coming out of an egg, and has some weird eye patch on it. Another fact: It's one of the few restaurants open past 2 AM in the ID, so on Saturday night's you can get your drink on and then eat Chinese until you explode. I've seen lines out the door to get in at 2 AM. For lunch, however, this place doesn't quite fill up.

On my previous lunch excursions, I've not been particularly impressed. However, Purple Dot delivered some good food. I'm wondering if our recent coverage in the news has let the cat out of the bag, and these places have anticipated our arrival. Not a big deal, if we get some delicious food out of the deal. This place pretty much mimics the other dim sum places in the ID, serving all the same dishes. Nothing particular stood out, but everything was fresh and tasty.

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Geary's Review

I have been to Purple Dot for Dim Sum before, but it has been over a year. Today was similar to my previous experiences although it was a bit more crowded than I remember. Today it was only about half capacity, but the carts seemed to be moving well and the food was still warm when served. We started out with a couple buns and dumplings while we tried to explain to Caroline why we were doing this. I suspect she figured out that we are nuts. The small Ginger Pork Buns were great. I usually avoid the buns because I'm not a big fan of the typical sweetened BBQ pork they usually contain. The shrimp ball and shrimp dumplings were typical. They could have been hotter though. The real standouts were the Steamed Shrimp & Pea Vine Dumplings and the Steamed Shrimp & Scallop Dumplings. The Shrimp & Pea Vine Dumplings were an amazing green color with pea vines baked into the dough as well as mixed into the shrimp stuffing. The Shrimp & Scallop Dumplings were the best I've had with flavorful scallops mixed throughout. We ended with a Beef Rice Noodle Roll. It was good, but not as flavorful as the Beef & Cilantro Roll at Jade Garden.

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Adam's Review

Dim Sum. OK. I think this is the last one. I'll be happy to not going to Dim Sum for a while. Dim Sum is like visiting your Aunt that lives in Kansas: she's fun to hang out with a couple times per year; not once-a-week.

This was standard Dim Sum. No shining stars here. The food was warm, not hot.

• The dumpling that was in a green-wrap was pretty interesting. It was tasty, and I hadn't seen one before.
• The rolled noodles were a late comer to our lunch. Geary saw another table get them and forced them upon us (a very Rob-esque move). Good call.
• Shu Mai, etc - all good and standard.

The decor of this place has been updated... its quite nice. This would probably be a good place to take a first-time-dim-sum-er to because its very clean looking.

Luncher: Joey

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Joey's Review

I had no idea Purple Dot had dim sum. I wasn’t really expecting much to be honest. In fact I was tempted to get my own order and opt out of dim sum altogether, but I didn’t want to be a party pooper. When we got there it wasn't very busy, which for dim sum usually is a bad sign, because the food is more likely to be lukewarm since it’s sitting on the carts longer. I was pleasantly surprised by the courteous service we got from our waitress, which was in stark contrast from many of the harsh comments I read on yelp beforehand. Maybe they knew we were the "MSG150 guys" and they put on their best behavior.

The food came quickly and was hotter than I expected. It could have been hotter, but I wasn't complaining. My favorite dim sum were their scallop dumplings and the pea vine shrimp. They were decent sized, the seafood seemed fresh, and the temperature was satisfactory. Everything else was average, but overall it was a satisfying meal.

Luncher: Jared

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Luncher: Michael

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Michael's Review

I've always liked the Purple Dot. That cute little dragon busting out of his egg. The clean modern interior with happy bright colors. And tasty food. It's a fun place to go for lunch.

The food here is as tasty as any other dim sum in the neighborhood. I really enjoyed the scallops, the green dumplings, and those tasty rolled noodle things we got at the end.

It seems to me that much of the dim sum in the ID is similar - and good. So you have to pick your lunch spot on other criteria. In the future I'm going for this little fun dragon.

VIP Luncher: Caroline Li from Northwest Asian Weekly

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Caroline Li's Review

Purple Dot is always a favorite of mine because you can always count on having your traditional dim sum items and try some new ones as well. The constant flow of dim sum carts keeps you engaged in your meal so you won't find yourself filling up on tea or playing with your chopsticks. Unlike some "next generation" dim sum spots, Purple Dot doesn't trying to do it all. You won't find portions of their dinner meal on the dim sum cart, just to keep the picky people happy. The restaurant serves enough variety of the real stuff that there's something for everyone.

Purple Dot Cafe Photos

Purple Dot Cafe


Purple Dot Cafe Logo


Shrimp on Green Pepper


Ginger Pork Buns


Pork Pastries


Shrimp Balls


Martian Green Shrimp & Pea Vine Greens Dumpling


Scallop & Shrimp Dumpling


Shu Mai


Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf


Egg Custards


Rice Noodle w/ Beef

Lunch #53: Honey Court Seafood Restaurant

Six of us showed up today for our next stop, Honey Court Seafood Restaurant. Honey Court is primarily Dim Sum for lunch and, lucky for us, six is the perfect number for Dim Sum since most items come in threes. For those keeping score at home, this is the 53rd MSG150 lunch and the 8th Dim Sum.

Honey Court Seafood Restaurant, Seattle
Address: 516 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Dim Sum, Chinese: Hong Kong
Average rating: 3.7 chopsticks
Lunch date: 5/12/2008 @ 11:45:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 0 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 0 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 40 minutes
Chopstix quality: Cheap Plastic
Do they use MSG?: "Little Bit"
Where is the owner/chef from?: Hong Kong
Number of tables: 30
Number of occupied tables: 22 (73%)
Number of business lunch tables: 2 (9%)
Number of "local" tables: 20 (90%)
Healthcode Score: N/A
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon

Family Style Dishes

• Fried Shrimp & Green Onion Dumpling
• 1 Sweet & Sour Fish
• 2 x Shu Mai
• Shrimp on Green Pepper
• Tofu Wrapped Shrimp
• Scallop and Shrimp Dumpling
• Pan Fried Shrimp & Green Onion Patty
• Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce
• Rice Noodle with Beef
• Shrimp ball with Mushroom
• 2 x Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf
• Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce
• Deep Fried Seaweed Shrimp Roll
• Rolled Rice Noodle with Soy Sauce

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Adam's Review

One of the best nights of my life took me through Honey Court, so I'll always have a soft-spot for this Chinatown staple. This monument's reputation is: "Holy f*cking sh*t I'm drunk. Honey Court HO!" So, I wasn't sure what to expect 14 hours before "4th meal" rush.

The Dim Sum cart strolled up, and we loaded up on the Dim Sum standards, and the few variations that Honey Court had. The baseline of Dim Sum dishes seems to be roughly the same at all Dim Sum places... the only real variation is the temperature and the amount of grease contained in said dishes. Honey Court had warm Dim Sum with an extra hint of grease.

The dishes that we hadn't had at other places were good, but tasted right at home in a Pork/Shrimp-tastic Dim Sum rotation. But, in the sea of totally standard Dim Sum tastes the Sweet and Sour Fish was the only dish that really broke away from the school (oh snap! did you see me use that literary device? I likened Dim Sum to both a sea and a school of fish in a single sentence. Suck it Grisham!).

There are several better Dim Sum places in the International District... this is just standard ol' Dim Sum.

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Geary's Review

Honey Court was packed when we arrived. We were fortunate to get a table right away. We were the only non-Asian table in the place, a good sign. We were quickly besieged by forks and egg-rolls. Actually, the profiling wasn't as bad as other spots. The carts were plentiful and dishes were hot. We quickly filled up the table with the standards and a few originals.

The Shrimp and Green Onion Dumplings were extra greasy but were piping hot. The Seaweed Roll was new to us and a winner. The Sweet and Sour Fish was void of red syrup and was delicious. The combination of tang and slight sweetness was perfect. The Sticky Rice, a Dim Sum staple, was a standout: lots of flavor, with tasty Chinese sausage, pork, and other goodness mixed in.

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Emmett's Review

Seriously, after 53 of these damn restaurants they all seem to look the same. Walking in, this could just easily be China Gate, Sea Garden, Jade Garden, Ocean City. Though I've been to Honey Court before, I don't think I've ever had Dim Sum. I have heard good things. We'll see.

The cart unloaded on us fast and furious. Everything was incredibly hot and fresh. Lots of interesting choices too. The fried fish was sweet and tasty. Pork, Shu Mai, scallop buns were all solid. One of the dishes had cilantro, which lended the dim sum a nice flavor. I was definitely impressed with the quality and freshness of everything. I think this place competes well to Jade Garden.

Luncher: Erin

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Erin's Review

Honey Court is one of those long-time ID standards for dim sum. I have been here many times as it is a Kohlenberg family favorite spot. The place seems cleaner and tidier than the last time we were in. I met the group after a quick walk down the hill just as they were sitting down.

We were served by the cart ladies very quickly. Most items were shrimp-based. I tried the sticky rice, which had lots of Chinese sausage and pork. It was served in smaller, more manageable individual packets. There was a sweet & sour fish, cooked perfectly and in a tangy, vinegar-based sauce. This was much different than the other items, and quite delicious. I also tried a shrimp & green onion cake, a stuffed bell pepper, and shumai. These were all quite standard, with not a lot of flavor, but very fresh from the kitchen. I also had a fried seaweed roll. This was a deep fried item, seaweed wrapped around some stuffing (with shrimp of course) and then battered and fried. It was a bit different and very tasty.

Overall, the food was fresh, although I thought there were not a lot of different flavors present in the selections. It was nice to see some different offerings that weren’t chicken feet, and when I tried the non-standard items they were worth the risk. The place seems clean and fresh. This is definitely worth a return trip with the extended Kohlenberg clan.

Where’s the fortune cookie?

Luncher: Wayne

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Wayne's Review

This was a middle-of-the-road dim sum experience. I’ve had better and I’ve had worse. It wouldn’t be my first choice for going out for dim sum, but I wouldn’t mind coming back here either. Fav’s today were Chinese broccoli, Shu Mai dumplings and sticky rice.

Luncher: Jared

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Rating:

Honey Court Seafood Restaurant Photos

Honey Court Seafood Restaurant


Fried Shrimp and Scallion Dumpling


Sweet & Sour Fish, Pan Fried Shrimp Pattie


Shu Mai, Shrimp on Green Pepper, Tofu wrapped Shrimp


Spareribs w/ Black Bean Sauce


Shrimp & Mushrooms, Rice Noodle w/ Beef, Scallop w/ Shrimp


Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf


Chinese Broccoli


Fried Seaweed Roll


Rice Noodle Rolls w/ Soy Sauce

Lunch #44: Ocean City

We started into the inner most loop of the MSG150 route today as we headed up Weller to find the next lunch spot. Even though we only have a handful of blocks left, the restaurant density is pretty high so I figure we still have a couple of months to go before we have to expand the DLZ. We headed out with a good sized group today and met up with Erin in front of Ocean City, arguably the most ornately decorated restaurant in the ID. They make China Gate look like they are not even trying.

Ocean City, Seattle
Address: 609 S Weller St, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Dim Sum
Average rating: 3.4 chopsticks
Lunch date: 4/7/2008 @ 12:00:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 0 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 0 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 41 minutes
Chopstix quality: Nice Plastic
Do they use MSG?: Didn't Ask
Where is the owner/chef from?: San Francisco
Number of tables: 30
Number of occupied tables: 20 (66%)
Number of business lunch tables: 2 (10%)
Number of "local" tables: 18 (90%)
Healthcode Score: 0
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon

Family Style Dishes

• 2 x Shu Mai
• 2 x Tofu Wrapped Shrimp
• 2 x Fired Tofu w/ Shrimp
• Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant
• 2 x Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf
• Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce
• Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce
• BBQ Pork Hum Bow
• BBQ Pork Turn-over
• Steamed Dumpling with Scallops
• 2 x Egg Tart

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Fortune: You are surrounded by true friends.
Rating:

Emmett's Review

This place is huge. Big, fancy, ornate lions guard the entrance. They're not fucking around - they have a parking garage. Walking inside - what is this? Is that a ... an Elevator? Don't know where it goes, but dang, those other dim sum places don't have elevators.

As is often the case, we were the only white people in the building. They have disco balls on the ceiling and a big throne in the corner. So the king can sit there and watch minions eat dim sum and dance the night away. I didn't inquire to the rental rates, but I will.

The dim sum itself? Nothing stood out. The scallops were alright, I guess. I think I remember having some chinese brocolli. The rice was really hot. The Sui Mai weren't bad.

Nothing here really distinguishes it from the competition. The hustle and bustle of Jade Garden is just more fun. But the atmosphere here is relaxed, and the service was good.

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Fortune: You will soon travel on a business trip.
Rating:

Geary's Review

Ocean City is all about the glitz. Other places have private parking lots, Ocean City has an underground parking garage with an elevator to the main dining room. Other places have murals with pandas, Ocean City has giant golden dragons on the walls and golden lions flanking the entrance. It's a bit more toned down once you get into the dining room, but they do have fancy chandeliers and, like House of Hong, they are set up for Chinese weddings with a large dance floor and stage with a golden throne.

The large dining room was not completely full, but there was a large crowd of mostly Chinese. This was a good sign and offset my innate fears brought on by all of the gold paint. Dim sum appeared to be the lunch of choice and a cart showed up as soon as we were seated. It started a bit rocky as they brought us all forks and were quick to offer egg rolls and pork buns, but we were able to work through that and were even glad that they served us all ice water. Not all profiling is bad. It's a shame that they didn't recognize that I'm accustomed to foot massages during my lunch. We loaded up the table pretty quickly and set about working away at our bounty. This part was made slightly more difficult than it could have been since our large table had no lazy susan and the plates were tiny. They have an elevator but no lazy susan.

Even though we were there in the midst of the lunch rush, many of the items were only lukewarm. Nothing was bad but most was just average. The sticky rice was good but the shu mai were sub par as were the spareribs. I think we were recognized at some point during our lunch. Near the end of our lunch, the managers started each stopping by making sure we were happy and making suggestions like, "make sure you get a picture of the throne". Unfortunately, however, there were no bribes.

In the pantheon of Seattle ID dim sum (so far) I place Ocean City just above House of Hong (even with all of the gold, it doesn't feel as much like Disney's version of a Chinese restaurant; It's more like the Vegas version) and just below Sun Ya.

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Fortune: Your lover will never wish to leave you.
Rating:

Adam's Review

Another day, another dim sum. This is one of those places we've walked-by and noticed... but never bothered to go in.

We ordered all the standard stuff, and it tasted like all the standard dim sum. The shu-mai was tasty, as per usual. The one real kicker about this place was the potatoes in the blackbean spare ribs. I took a big bite of (what I thought was) a spare rib, but it was soft and mushy... and felt like a big piece of pork fat. But, it wasn't, it was just a potato.

This is decent food, but in the sea of dim sum of the ID, swim elsewhere.

Luncher: Wayne

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Fortune: You will soon find a treasure.
Rating:

Wayne's Review

• Plus 1 for the giant golden throne at the end of the room.
• Minus 1 for hot dishes that weren't hot.
• Plus 1/2 for the wild bird flying around inside the restaurant.
• Minus 1/2 for the lazy-susan that wasn't at our table.

It was an OK dim sum experience. They had some tasty dishes, but nothing particularly exceptional. Worse yet, some of the dishes were not served as warm as they should have been. The worst was the Asian broccoli which was barely warm.

If Ocean City was the only game in town, I’d give it another try. As we have multiple better choices, I doubt I'll return.

Luncher: Michael

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Fortune: You will have an opportunity to reach your goal.
Rating:

Michael's Review

A really nice looking place to have lunch. Very tasty foods at a very affordable price. My only real complaint was the forks that were rushed to our table as we sat down.

The little egg custards at the end of lunch were flaky and fresh. Egg custard good, forks bad.

Luncher: Erin

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Fortune: You will speak to an important person today.
Rating:

Erin's Review

Ocean city has a very elaborate building – like something I imagine would be in Hong Kong (from what I’ve been told) – so it’s very distinctive. It has a grand entrance. Inside it has very old school Chinese decorations, lots of red and gold, and we were seated at a table on a dance floor. A dim sum cart arrived almost immediately after we sat, and several more streamed by in short order. The dim sum offerings were pretty standard, although well executed. I tasted eggplant stuffed with shrimp, a square of tofu with a shrimp stuffing, a honey walnut shrimp, sticky rice, some Chinese greens, shu mai (shrimp and pork), and of course an egg tart. Some of our food was not as warm as it should be, since it looked freshly prepared; some was nice and hot. It seemed to depend on which cart it came from. Everything was fresh and tasty, but not really different from any other dim sum offering in the ID. The egg tart was very good, with a fresh eggy custard and a nice flaky crust. This is a place to return to, especially if you wish to introduce a newbie to dim sum. I give this 3 chopsticks instead of 4; it was well done, but nothing was particularly outstanding.

Luncher: Al

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Fortune: You will have good luck in your personal affairs.
Rating:

Al's Review

If you can’t get a seat in the Garden, the larger Ocean will suffice.

Luncher: Jared

Lunch: Family Style - $10.00
Fortune: You will receive a promotion soon.
Rating:

Ocean City Photos

Ocean City Restaurant


Ocean City with Adam as The Lion Tamer


Ocean City Parking


Throne


Dining Room


Shu Mai


Tofu Wrapped Shrimp


Fried Tofu w/ Shrimp


Chinese Eggplant w/ Shrimp


Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf & Spareribs


Chinese Broccoli


Pork Buns


The Spread


Again with the Spread


BBQ Pork Pastry


LBB (little brown bird) on Party Lights


More gold dragons

Lunch #42: Sun Ya

Adam: Hey! A New York Times writer who wrote a book about Chinese food in America is going to be at Elliot Bay Books in a few weeks.
Emmett: Yeah. I saw her on Colbert. Her middle name is a number.
Adam: That's her, Jennifer 8 Lee.
Geary: That's the kind of VIP we need lunching with MSG150. Let's see if she'd be up for it. Adam, pour on the charm.


Well, long story short, we somehow tricked her into joining us. She was filming a TV talk show in the morning and had an interview in the afternoon followed by a book signing, but she still managed to have lunch free to eat with MSG150. It seemed a shame for her to come all the way out to Seattle on her whirl-wind book tour and be subjected to some random lunch spot in the ID. Shouldn't we take her to one of our favorite spots? Sorry, no. We have rules. The next spot on our list was Sun Ya, a large Dim Sum restaurant that was somehow completely unknown to us. Jennifer would meet us there.

BTW, I was able to read the first chapter of her book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, before our lunch. Unfortunately, I didn't have it with me to get it signed. ("To a really great guy. Stay real. Jenny 8.") It's a fun read so far, and not at all like The Chronicles of Narnia or even The Chronicles of Riddick. She brings together her personal history as a second generation Chinese American with actual real facts and stories (unlike the kind you get here) to explore Chinese food in America. It reminds me a bit of one of my favorite books, Swallowing Clouds, by A. Zee.

Sun Ya, like Four Seas and House of Hong, has its own parking and even a parking attendant. When we arrived today, just after noon, the lot was full and the attendant was juggling double parked cars to get more in. I don't recall ever seeing the lot even close to full before. Maybe I didn't look on the right day. Luckily, we were able to walk right in and grab the last large table in the back. Jennifer had written to let us know that she had some other friends of hers joining us. They showed up first and we chatted a bit until Jennifer arrived. It turns out that Larry is a fan of Sun Ya and has been a regular for years. OK Sun Ya show us what you're made of.

Sun Ya, Seattle
Address: 605 7th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Dim Sum
Average rating: 3.7 chopsticks
Lunch date: 3/31/2008 @ 12:30:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 0 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 0 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 79 minutes
Chopstix quality: Nice Plastic
Do they use MSG?: Yes, some.
Where is the owner/chef from?: Hong Kong
Number of tables: 32
Number of occupied tables: 32 (100%)
Number of business lunch tables: 4 (12%)
Number of "local" tables: 25 (78%)
Healthcode Score: 7
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon

Family Style Dishes

• 2 x Fried Squid
• 2 x Roast Duck
• Roast Chicken
• 2 x Honey Walnut Prawns
• Chicken Feet
• 2 x Pot Stickers
• Shrimp on Green Pepper
• 2 x Shu Mai
• Chow Mien
• BBQ Pork
• Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce
• Shrimp Ball (Ha Gow)
• Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant
• Fried Tofu
• 2 x Lemon Custard
• Sesame Ball (Gin Duey)

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Family Style - $17.00
Fortune: The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know.
Rating:

Geary's Review

Right off the bat Sun Ya passed two key litmus tests for dim sum: no large red dragons or other gaudy decor and lots of Chinese customers. The place was packed. Jennifer told her friends to look for the white guys and they picked us out right away based on that alone. They didn't even see my "I <3 Jennifer 8" lapel pin. The carts seemed to be flying around and we never had to wait long for another to pass by. We grabbed lots of the usual dim sum staples as they went by plus lots of the specials. We really went all out on the specials. We had multiple orders of squid, roast duck, and honey walnut prawns.

All of the food was good, but nothing really stood out. The squid were tasty, if not a little greasy. The shu mai and other dumplings weren't as flavorful as some I've had nearby. It was also on the spendy side. It ended up over $15 a person, which is twice what we usually spend at Jade Garden.

So far, my stack ranking of the Dim Sum spots is as follows:

1. Jade Garden
2. Vegetarian Bistro
3. Sun Ya
4. House of Hong
5. Four Seas
6. China Gate

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Family Style - $17.00
Fortune: Exercising now will cut your medical bills later.
Rating:

Adam's Review

Ahh... the dim sum. We were meeting Jennifer 8. Lee and some of her friends at the restaurant. Jennifer said: "they'll be the group of white guys." Are we that transparent? Anyways, we had quite the spread of food-- I liked that they had more of a selection than other Dim Sum places we've been to.

I didn't feel like anything was tastier or noticeably better than other Dim Sum places, and even though the place was packed... we kept getting luke warm food. The duck was a welcome option, and I devoured several pieces... although I think it still could have been a bit more flavorful. Fried Calamari was good. Then a popular dim sum dish that I've never had before: fried chickens' feet. They're just like fried chicken drummettes but with less meat. Its pure skin, batter, and sauce. It's OK, but nothing to write home about.

Some of the reviews of this place on Yelp! were way off base. This is definitely a decent place for some dim sum, and they're doing enough traffic that you know the food is pretty fresh. But, having negative reviews keeps the riff-raff out. Thats probably why Rob wussed out on this trip-- typical vegetarian.

Behind Jade Garden and Vegetarian Bistro... this place falls right into line for good dim sum.

And its worth noting that Jenny 8 brought us fortune cookies filled with fortunes she wrote.

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Family Style - $17.00
Fortune: The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.
Rating:

Emmett's Review

Like Four Seas, this place has a parking lot, which is incredible. The interior: average. We were seated at a large table. Being Mariner's Opening Day, I was a little bit excited for game day street meat, but these are the things we do for the cause. My buddy Sam spoke highly of this place, saying it was his favorite after Jade Garden. We had guests again! It was a beautiful Seattle day!

By the time I sat down, there were about 15 options already on the table. Highlights were the duck, pork, pot stickers, greens. The noodles were okay, as were the Chicken Feet I tried! Years ago in Taiwan I got suckered into eating Chicken Butt. Now the feet. I think I need to get some beak and I'll have that whole friggin bird covered. The shrimp buns were alright, but a little on the doughy side. Everything had a nice flavor, my one complaint would be that the food was slightly cold. Service was excellent.

We got to show our guests the unfortunate fortune cookies at the Fortune Cookie Factory! I also learned that they sell Ginger, Apple, and Pina Colada fortune cookies by the door. They look like normal fortune cookies, but there's a little label on the bag indicating the flavor. We tried some of the strawberry in our unfortunate bag and they were a real treat.

I liked Sun Ya. I teetered on 3 vs 4. Their selection and service break the tie. I'll be back.

VIP Luncher: Jennifer 8. Lee from Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Lunch: Family Style - $17.00
Rating:

Jennifer 8. Lee's Review

pi chopsticks

VIP Luncher: Tig & Serena from Adventures in Remuddling

Lunch: Family Style - $17.00
Fortune: Tig: You will make a life-altering decision soon. Serena: You should accept the next invitation that comes your way
Rating:

Tig & Serena's Review

Knowing the table was filled with mostly young westerners, the dimsum cart lady was a little pushy with pork buns and other popular dishes. Vegetables were in slim supply with only an order of chinese broccoli at our table. The roasted duck was middle of the road, flavorful but lukewarm and the skin was a little soggy. Given that the restaurant filled pretty quickly, I expected the food to turn over more and be hotter off the cart. The fried sesame ball is my ultimate barometer for dim sum quality - not entirely a fair benchmark since the sesame ball is a dessert, but that's my favorite dish. The sesame ball was visually very pretty and symmetrical with a light golden color. No sagging of the sides which means it was relatively fresh. The inside was airy and half filled with a smooth sweet red bean paste. The only quip is that I think it should have been fried a little bit longer. Overall very good and quite tasty, thus bringing the overall rating up from 2 chopsticks to 3 chopsticks.

Luncher: Erica

Lunch: Family Style - $17.00
Fortune: Crossing a bridge will bring you closer to what you seek.
Rating:

Erica's Review

My dim sum needs are quite simple to meet, really. Tasty pot stickers, some sort of fried delight (chicken or shrimp, I am not too picky), and a satisfactory sesame ball or egg custard. However, if these needs are not met, Erica will not be happy. I am pleased to say that Sun Ya delivered satisfaction on my trifecta of dim sum demands.

In addition, there was a wide array of well done other options, such as delicious roasted chicken, a generous portion of lean yet flavorful bbq pork, and even duck. The quality of their meat was high, and the items were never greasy (not that I really would mind).

What prevented Sun Ya from going over the top for me was the temperature of the food, which even when first delivered, was luke warm. Sun Ya, you have such a good thing going – who knows what you could be capable of with the retention of more heat!

Furthermore, though the basics like the honey walnut prawns and steamed pork pot stickers were enjoyable, none of these blew me away with their succulence, and believe me friends, this happens a lot to me. However, the delightful surprises of the various meat dishes, combined with the lack of failure on any item, would bring me back to Sun Ya many times over.

VIP Luncher: Larry from WaMu

Lunch: Family Style - $17.00
Fortune: You will receive an important telephone call.
Rating:

Larry's Review

My overall dining experience was great. I not only got to catch up with an old friend after 10 years, but also crash the MSG150 Crew's table for lunch. If you are contemplating a dining experience with this hardcore Crew, you should know that they appear to be open, talkative (in a good way), and optimistic that each restaurant experience will deliver good food. I had a great time. Thanks!

So here's my actual review: Sun Ya's pan-fried dumplings and duck were okay. Come to think of it, I don't recall any dim sum dishes. Well...I believe that speaks for itself. Lately, I've been easy to please. In terms of cleanliness, I did not see any cockroaches so ~ Great job, Sun Ya.

Luncher: Jared

Lunch: Family Style - $17.00
Fortune: You will receive an important telephone call.
Rating:

Luncher: Michael

Lunch: Family Style - $17.00
Fortune: Patience is a skill that can be learned.
Rating:

Michael's Review

Fantastic. This is where the crazy practice of visiting every single spot in the ID pays off. I don't think we ever would have stumbled on this place if we hadn't started this crazy road trip. Now we can get down to the serious business of arguing about what the best dim sum in Seattle is: Jade Garden or Sun Ya? The answer of course is neither. The best dim sum in Seattle is still 3 hours to the north in Richland/Vancouver.

At the risk of never being able to lunch with Geary and Adam again I suggest that Sun Ya is very nearly equal to or even better than Jade Garden. I propose we settle this question once and for all by going back and forth between Jade Garden and Sun Ya every day for at least a week. We need more data... and more shaomai.

The only thing I didn't see at Sun Ya was that goofy Sticky Rice thing that Geary always orders. I love that stuff, but its so heavy that it's nearly a meal in itself. Sun Ya did have awesome shrimp stuffed green peppers. Possibly the least popular item on the table. Which is good, because it leaves more for me.

The most important criteria: The Egg Tarts were pretty darn good. Maybe not burn your mouth fresh out of the oven ultra-awesomeness, but easily worth eating at least two.

Sun Ya Photos

Sun Ya


BBQ Chicken (or Duck)


Chinese Broccoli


BBQ Duck (or Chicken)


Fried Tofu


Chow Mein


Fried Squid remainders


Chicken Feet and spread


Shu Mai


Pork Sparerib


Honey Walnut Shrimp & Shrimp Stuffed Peppers


Sesame Balls


Steam cart


MSG150 & Guests


Jennifer 8 chocolate fortune cookies

04/17/08 - Added Larry's Review

Lunch #30: China Gate

Another dim sum... this is awesome. We walked in, and instantly recognized the man seating us-- he also sat us when we went to Vegetarian Bistro. He's actually the owner of China Gate but the owner of Vegetarian Bistro is a friend, and they help each other out when needed. (Sorry for the blurry pictures today. Primary MSG150 camera was a no-show today.)

China Gate, Seattle
Address: 516 7th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Dim Sum
Average rating: 3.6 chopsticks
Lunch date: 2/25/2008 @ 12:05:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 0 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 0 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 45 minutes
Chopstix quality: Cheap Plastic
Do they use MSG?: The server didn't understand my question... and I gave up. My Body is screaming "Yes... they used MSG."
Where is the owner/chef from?: Hong Kong
Number of tables: 29
Number of occupied tables: 5 (17%)
Number of business lunch tables: 1 (20%)
Number of "local" tables: 4 (80%)
Healthcode Score: 0
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon

Family Style Dishes

• Hum Bow
• BBQ Pork Turn-over
• 3 x Sticky Rice
• 3 x Shu Mai
• Shrimp Ball
• Pork Spareribs
• 2 x Sesame Ball with Shrimp and Veggies
• Green Beans with Pork bits
• Vegetable and Shrimp Steamed Dumpling
• Fried Bean Curd
• Taro Root
• Pork and Mushroom Football
• Beef Spare Ribs
• Fried Rock Fish
• Fried Shrimp Ball with Seaweed

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Rating:

Emmett's Review

China Gate is all that separates us from our our Mt. Everest - the Uwajimaya Food Court. The outside is pretty groovy looking, and they have karaoke every night - seems like a recipe for something good.

We were seated immediately. As I walked through, the spacious interior was medium full - a good sign for a restaurant this size. And the clientele definitely originated from the Far East. I think they were blinded as I walked in, cause they gave me a quick glare and returned to their food. Our friendly server had previously served us at Vegetarian Bistro. Service was quick, and the Dim Sum staples soon covered our table.

I snagged some lotus sticky rice first, which was dang tasty, and went through some Sui Mai, Shrimp Balls, Shrimp Dumplings, some crab and shrimp thing. They brought out some beef short ribs in a sweet tangy sauce, and some rock fish deep fried, which was delicious. It was all pretty tasty, a little better than House of Hong, but not quite Jade Garden. On the flip side, they use a ridiculous amount of MSG. I can feel it in my brain.

I'll be back for Karaoke.

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Rating:

Adam's Review

I was scared this was going to be another low-traffic old-food Dim Sum place. Luckily there were more people and fresher food than I expected.

We ordered a ton of food. And after we ordered all that food, the owner came over and cooked us some special food (I'm pretty sure he figured out we were reviewing the place). The dim sum was pretty standard. The only really outstanding dish we had was the Rock Fish (which was one of the specials that the owner brought out). It was lightly fried and served with red peppers and jalapenos. The spice was perfect and the breading flaky and not overdone. The shu mai was good... but it's always good.

The other special dish that the owner made for us, the beef spare ribs, were a little too sweet for my taste. One diner in our group called it "meat candy." The owner also described another dish that he makes, with a sauce based on coffee grounds. It sounded interesting... and I hope to remember it next time around.

This place is a Sunday morning favorite. So that is a really fun time to go.

Standard Dim Sum. Good food.

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Rating:

Geary's Review

It's two days later as I'm writing this and I'm just recovering from the massive dose of MSG that we were hit with on Monday. China Gate has a cool, fortress like exterior and like some of the other large Dim Sum joints they are clearly trying to make up for average food with flash and color. The inside is much more subdued and has a bit of a cafeteria feel. Dim Sum needs a crowd to work well and there were only five other tables seated when we arrived. Not a good sign.

We were seated quickly and loaded up on most of the non-chicken feet options. The Dim Sum cart ladies seemed pushier than other places. Luckily we arrived early enough to get mostly hot dishes, but as the lunch progressed, it was clear that the few carts that made the rounds (or sat parked in the corner) were no longer being reloaded with fresh, hot dishes. There was nothing really stand out. The sticky rice was tasty, but about half the portion of Jade Garden. The green beans had good flavor but were over cooked and not even comparable to Veggie Bistro. The dumpling dough was dense and chewy. The shrimp in most dishes was fishier than I like. The owner was very friendly and when asked for recommendations he prepared two special dishes for us. I suspect one of these was the MSG bomb that destroyed me for the rest of the day. I can take MSG in reasonable doses, but after China Gate I had ringing in my ears and was slimy with sweat for the rest of the day and I wasn't able to fall asleep until 4 am. Three chopsticks minus one for excessive MSG and no sleep equals two chopsticks.

Luncher: Jeff

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Rating:

Jeff's Review

I really liked China Gate. The staff was friendly, plenty of seating, plenty of food, and lots of options. If we weren’t comparing to other lunch stops, I’d probably rate China Gate as 5 Chopsticks.

Like Jade Garden, this really is first rate Dim Sum. And, as usual, I eat way too much at these stops. My only gripe with China Gate was price. We ordered about the same amount per person as we had at Jade Garden. However, at Jade Garden we got out for ~$9.00. At China Gate it was $13.00 per person before tax.

I’d happily go back to China Gate… but with Jade Garden only a block, I’d just as soon go there and save my $5.00.

Luncher: Jared

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Rating:

Jared's Review

Very good food. I also liked the fact that they gave us water right at the start.

Luncher: Al

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Rating:

Al's Review

> House of Hong and < Jade Garden

Luncher: Erica

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Rating:

Erica's Review

Candied meat (yes, I was the diner referred to by Adam), sesame adorned hot dumplings, and scary looking Alaskan King Crabs in the aquarium as you enter. I just can't ask for more.

China Gate Photos

China Gate Restaurant


BBQ Pork Turn-over


Shu Mai


Fried Shrimp Ball with Seaweed


Sesame Shrimp & Vegetable Ball


Green Beans


Fried Bean Curd


Beef and Mushroom Football


Taro Root Puff Ball

Lunch #27: Jade Garden

It was touch and go today getting out of work, but in the end 7 of us headed out for Jade Garden with Erin joining in from her perch on the hill. All of us have been to this spot many times and everyone was looking forward to it today. The last MSG150 non-veggie Dim Sum lunch experience was not good.

Jade Garden, Seattle
Address: 424 7th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Dim Sum
Average rating: 4.6 chopsticks
Lunch date: 2/11/2008 @ 12:08:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 1 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 2 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 20 minutes
Chopstix quality: Smoothed Wood
Do they use MSG?: Yes
Where is the owner/chef from?: Hong Kong
Number of tables: 33
Number of occupied tables: 32 (96%)
Number of business lunch tables: 5 (15%)
Number of "local" tables: 25 (78%)
Healthcode Score: 10
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon

Family Style Dishes

• Pork Spare Ribs
• 2 x Shu Mai
• 2 x Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf
• Beef with Rice Noodles
• 2 x Pork and Ginger Dumpling
• Shrimp-stuffed Eggplant
• Shrimp and Chive Dumpling
• Pork, Shrimp, and Mushroom ball
• Scallop and Shrimp Dumpling
• Honey Walnut Prawns
• Chinese Broccoli
• Fried Calamari
• Pan Toasted Sesame Shrimp & Scallion Balls

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Family style - $8.00
Rating:

Adam's Review

Probably the best dim sum in the city. I was split on whether to give this place a 4 or a 5... and I settled on a 5. This place is really good. No matter how busy Jade Garden is, I've never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to get a table... even with groups as big or bigger than 10 people.

All of the food was delicious. The pork spare ribs seemed bigger and tastier than normal. But, the highlight of the meal for me was the Pork and Ginger Dumpling. I'd never had one before, but they were simply awesome. Very tender and well flavored pork along some tasty ginger.

Good price for dim sum. The dim sum restaurant in the ID.

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Family style - $8.00
Rating:

Emmett's Review

Jade Garden is where I come when I want Dim Sum in Seattle. This place has huge tables, is always crowded, and the selection of food on the carts is terrific. And you never have to wait more than 30 seconds to get your food. They use liberal amounts of Pork and Shrimp in everything, which just plain rocks. Compared to other places, the dim sum here just tastes a little fresher, a little more flavorful.

My favorites are the Sui Mai, the little bits of pork spare ribs, and the rice in lotus leaf. You can also order a plate of fresh fried calamari, which tastes terrific. I also tried the garlic pork buns for the first time, they were also good. And then everything with shrimp in it and sesame seeds on it - good.

As much as I love this place, it's missing something that I can't put my finger on. The service is kind of rude, but that doesn't bother me. I think I'd just like to see more specials - new dim sum every time. In any case, it doesn't matter. The dim sum here is good every time.

By the way, I had dinner here, and it sucks. Stick with the Dim Sum.

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Family style - $8.00
Rating:

Geary's Review

Jade Garden is large, yet it still somehow maintains the feeling of a small restaurant. The 30+ tables are packed into five or so distinct eating areas, some at slightly different elevations and one, at the back of the maze, in what was once a neighboring restaurant. It is exactly how I expect a popular Hong Kong dim sum restaurant would be: always packed, lots of dim sum carts, great food, and lots of locals. It doesn't have the splashy decore or the bright fancy exterior that others use to cover up their sub-par offerings. But what it lacks in style, it more than makes up in taste and attiude. Also unlike its neighbors, Jade Garden is packed for lunch every day and by mostly Chinese speakers. It is not unusual to have to wait a few minutes for a table. However, since hot carts are always passing by, it's easy to get in and out in forty minutes or less.

Today we walked right in and got one of the large tables in the far back room. (Note: If you get stuck back here, make sure you get an early seating when the carts are still moving through. If not, you have to be a bit more assertive to get food flowing past.) We started with dumplings, shu mai, and noodle rolls, then the sticky rice and spare ribs and more dumplings. We topped it off with Chinese broccoli, deep fried calamari, and honey walnut prawns. Everything was great. The standouts today where the Pork and Ginger Dumplings, the Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf, and the Calamari. The dumplings were hot, with a nice meaty wrapper and tangy, gingery pork filling. Yum! The sticky rice is always great and today was no exception. It has the perfect combination of rice, pork, mushrooms, and tiny shrimp. The calamari was amazing. It is spiced with diced fresh red and green hot peppers that add just the right bite. Every piece I was able to sneak away with was hot, tender, and tasty (just like I like my... er, other types of things). The Pan Toasted Sesame Shrimp & Scallion balls are usually a highlight, but today our order was a bit cold. Still delicous though.

The other great thing about the Jade Garden is the price. We ate more than we should have today and walked away paying $9 each after tax and tip. Usually it's only $8. Again, that's all you can eat of the best Dim Sum in Seattle, for well under $10!

Luncher: Jeff

Lunch: Family style - $8.00
Rating:

Jeff's Review

The Jade Garden may be nearly the perfect ID dim sum experience. Before I even get to the food – let me clarify. It’s fair and affordable. There is plenty of seating. During lunch, the service is nearly immediate. The food is hot, fresh, and readily available. The establishment is staffed to support large lunch rushes. The table service for extras like beverages is good. Payment check-out is efficient. The only potential complaint is that it’s busy and somewhat loud. If you're looking for a quaint personal lunch with soft ambiance... this isn’t the right choice.

About the food - this is where I show my naivety. Essentially any time I go to dim sum with Geary, I simply default to whatever he pulls from the cart and I try everything. In this lunch I ended up eating more than I should and didn't have a single bad item. I had seafood, pork, vegetables, rice in varying combinations. Everything was warm, well cooked, and appropriately flavored. Even though I don’t know what everything is called, and I don’t even know what some items were - I feel confident that a dim sum rookies could randomly select just about anything from the carts and end up with a great lunch. The Jade Garden just makes great food - and makes it easy to enjoy your lunch experience.

Luncher: Al

Lunch: Family style - $8.00
Rating:

Al's Review

"Fast food" that tastes great

Luncher: Laurent

Lunch: Family style - $8.00
Rating:

Luncher: Jared

Lunch: Family style - $8.00
Rating:

VIP Luncher: Erin from Harborview Medical Center

Lunch: Family style - $8.00
Rating:

Erin's Review

Jade Garden is yummy. Today we had an excellent selection of dim sum, all of it tasty and fresh. Although the selection is somewhat standard for dim sum, we did have a delicious pork and ginger dumpling, which was my personal favorite today. I also enjoyed the stuffed eggplant. I think this is one of the best places for dim sum in the ID. I burned off all of the calories walking back up the hill to Harborview!

Jade Garden Photos

Jade Garden


Beef in Rice Noodle


Pork Ball


Eggplant with Shrimp


Sui Mai


Spare Ribs (not blurry in real life)


Shrimp & Scallion Dumpling


Pork & Ginger Dumpling


Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf


Deep Fried Calamari


Pan Toasted Sesame Shrimp & Scallion Ball


The HCG in all its post dedication glory

Lunch #26: Vegetarian Bistro

Today was MSG150's third backtrack. The MSG150 route is an integral part of our plan. Without it we would wander the ID aimlessly and eat at the good and known stuff up front and leave the dives to the end. So, to keep us on the rails, we follow the route and only backtrack if necessary. We had to backtrack for Szechuan Noodle Bowl, it's closed on Mondays, Mike's Noodle House, it was too crowded on our first attempt, and now the Vegetarian Bistro since it was closed on Tuesday when it was due up.

Vegetarian Bistro, Seattle
Address: 668 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Dim Sum
Average rating: 4.4 chopsticks
Lunch date: 2/6/2008 @ 12:20:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 1 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 10 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 60 minutes
Chopstix quality: Nice Plastic
Do they use MSG?: No, but apparently you can order some.
Where is the owner/chef from?: Hong Kong
Number of tables: 11
Number of occupied tables: 1 (9%)
Number of business lunch tables: 1 (100%)
Number of "local" tables: 0 (0%)
Healthcode Score: 0
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon

Family Style Dishes

• 2 x Steam Sticky Rice with Lotus Leaf - $3.00 ($6.00)
• Sui Mai - $3.00
• Steamed Vegetable Dumpling - $3.00
• 2 x Pan Fried Vegetable Pot Sticker - $3.00 ($6.00)
• 2 x Deep Fried Mashed Potato Stuffing Pear - $3.00 ($6.00)
• Enoki Mushroom with Pea Vine
• Salt and Pepper Tofu
• Spicy Green Bean
• Green Onion Pancake

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Fortune: You or a close friend will be happily married
Rating:

Geary's Review

The Vegetarian Bistro is a beautifully decorated restaurant. It is clearly targeting the higher end ID market. We arrived a bit after noon and were the only people there. This is now my third visit and it is always empty. I hope they do better business with the dinner crowd. In the past, the owner has served us. She is very friendly and clearly passionate about her food. Our waitress today was also friendly and a bit wacky. We ordered a good selection of Dim Sum offerings and a couple of greens. We stayed away from the meat substitutes, but they have some amazing ones. Lots of "shrimp" and "pork", but the oddest was the abalone steaks. Is there really a large demand for vegan abalone steaks? Our waitress tried to push the General Tsoa's "Chicken" on us, but we were having none of it. She was certain we were not going to get enough to eat. She was wrong.

The food was all delicious and all very carefully presented. For presentation, the Steamed Dumplings (not pictured) and the Mashed Potato Pears get top marks. Each "pear" consists of mashed potatoes with a mushroom based center, a crisp rice flower breading exterior, and a single rice grain as a stem. Not only are they a wonder to look at, but they are delicious to eat as well. For taste, however, the winners were the Salt and Pepper Tofu, the Sui Mai, and the Pea Greens. The tofu was piping hot on the inside and crispy on the outside; the Sui Mai had a deliciously complex makeup of textures and tastes including something with a bit of a spicy kick; and the Enoki Mushroom with Pea Vine was heavenly.

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Fortune: You will use your ideas for great benefit.
Rating:

Emmett's Review

I didn't think it possible, but I'm giving out 5 chopsticks twice in two days. Vegetarian Bistro surprised in every way possible. I'm definitely an omnivore and tend to go nuts on meat, but veggies can be pretty good too. Vegetarian Bistro succeeds with inventive takes on chinese dishes that are hearty and flavorful. The restaurant is well decorated. The service is attentive, and the food is outstanding.

I started with the Jasmine Tea, and let the veterans place the order for food. We got an interesting tea made from Chrysanthemum, which also had little prunes and orange raisins floating in it. I tend to dislike teas made out of flowery shit, but this was pretty good. It also came with a little candle below the pot to keep it warm.

The dim sum came out and was fantastic. The Sui Mai were delicious, as were the Steamed Vegetable Dumplings. The Tofu was freshly fried, liberally spiced with salt and pepper, and was probably the best Tofu I've ever tasted. It was actually crispy. The Pot Stickers were the highlight - they had a starchy crunch on the inside that could have been potato or perhaps a baked chestnut. The Deep Fried Mashed Potato Pears actually looked like Pears, and also had a nice crispiness to them. The Pea Vines and the Spicy Green Beans were both perfectly cooked and had great taste. The only thing that was kind of average was the Steamed Sticker Rice in Lotus Leaf. Jade Garden's, which has pork, definitely 1-ups them here.

I sampled a bit of everything and got nicely full. Their deep frying doesn't lend a greasiness to the dishes, and unlike other Dim Sum places, I didn't leave with a knot in my stomach. Everything was vegetarian. I couldn't believe it. I'm definitely coming back.

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Fortune: You will inherit money and jewelry.
Rating:

Adam's Review

Oh the irony of veggie Dim Sum. Dim Sum should be all sorts of combinations of pork and shrimp in some sort of dumpling form. Unfortunately, I knew there was no pork+shrimp combos to be had at a place like this. *tear*.

How does Vegetarian Bistro make up for not having meat? Their strategy is three-fold:

• Have fake meat. Not just the standard fake meats of "chick'n" or "beefe." You can order fake ABALONE! I'm no vegetarian, but none of my veggie friends have ever said: "man... I've got a wicked hankerin' for some Abalone."
• Their second prong of attack is "presentation." The food comes out, and it just looks good. The mashed potatoes come out shaped like little pears. PEARS! And they havea a little piece of mushroom inside (yay!) and a little piece of waterchestnut (boo!).
• And the finally tactic is having the pushiest server to date. This lady kept telling us to order more and more and more. And we did and did and did. The server was great though. Super nice and very attentive. Our tea pots (all three of them) were always full.

This place is definitely a great place for lunch. It was kind of sad how few people were in here, but with food this good... they must do a killing at dinner and on the weekends.

Great food. Great service. Great atmosphere. Definitely check this place out.

Luncher: Rob

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Fortune: You will have good luck in the springtime.
Rating:

Rob's Review

Yay! Finally, the MSG150 reached the one restaurant in the ID where I'll happily eat anything on the menu. And yes, I happily ate everything on the menu that we ordered. The waitress was very helpful with our ordering. Yeah, okay, so the waitress was a little too helpful with our ordering: she happily tried to convince us to order twice the amount of food we did end up ordering, and if we spoke too loudly about other dishes while waiting and then while eating, she tried to take that as a cue that we wanted to order more. She was good-natured, and it was funny, but it made me feel like I was in a Seinfeld episode. Soon, though, the lazy susan in the middle of the table began to turn and turn, and scrumptious veggie dishes kept going by, one after the other. The dim sum choices (favorites: potstickers and potato "pears", and sticky rice, and dumplings, and... okay, you get the idea) were all good -- some were steamed, some were fried, but all were good. The regular dishes we ordered to share also got two thumbs up from me. The salt and pepper tofu was particularly noteworthy, I thought. Breaded and quickly deep-fried nuggets of soft tofu -- crispy on the outside and soft on the inside -- not your usual fried tofu. Overall, it was our most expensive lunch so far, but worth it, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I can hypnotize the other MSG150 folk and make them believe we haven't yet gone to the Vegetarian Bistro so that we can go again soon.

Luncher: Kara

Lunch: Family style - $13.00
Fortune: You will be called to fill a position of high honor and responsibility.
Rating:

Kara's Review

First, you can't really beat a vegetarian dim sum place when you are vegetarian..they had my at the Meat-Free Zone sign on the door. Not being the biggest fried food fan...the greens were amazing. I applaud Geary's great push for the pea vines...those were the best. Followed closely by the spicy green beans (though not really spicy but nice and crunchy) and then the 'pear' that was really potatoes. I also loved the green onion pancake...I think I'm listing all the food because it was all quite tasty. I'm still in a bit of a food coma as I write this. The only thing I didn't really love the crysanthimum tea...though I appreciated the orange raisins and plums floating in it that improves one's eyesight and general good health. The presentation alone would make me choke some down.

All that said, our waitress was the best. I would go back just for her..and to try the General Tzao's 'chicken' that she was pushing so hard. Just don't mention a dish that you don't want with her around. She'll hear you from the back kitchen and want to add it to your order.

Vegetarian Bistro Photos

Vegetarian Bistro


Tea


Green Onion Pancake


All Spiced Up


Salt and Pepper Tofu


Sui Mai


Pot Stickers


Mash Potato Stuffing Pear


Steam Sticky Rice with Lotus Leaf


Sticky Rice Disrobed


Enoki Mushroom with Pea Vine


Spicy Green Bean


Meat Free Zone


Our tea. Apparently it's good for the eyes.