Wow, we loved the big comfortable room and the large menu selection.  We were excited to find a place we could bring the dumpling-phobic members of our family; there’s something for everyone here.  But the big bonus was… BEER AND WINE!  (Next girls night out, yeah)

The food?  Great.  I can comfortably recommend this spot.  We’ll definitely be back and try some more of the non-dumpling options.  UPDATE – On our second visit with the kids we must say we were a bit disappointed overall the food seemed a bit greasy so I must amend this by say it can be spotty.

Garlic Vinegar Cucumber Salad- fresh, light, good starter

Kim Chi- solid

Fried Pork Dumpling- OMG!  Excellent.

Boiled Fish Dumpling- very good but no one holds a candle to our beloved Kingburgs.

Green Onion Pancake-  Soo good I forgot to snap it before we dove in.  I think this is my favorite GOP; crispy, flakey, chewy!

Mandarin Style Beef Chow Mein- Lovely; not oily or over sauced, great balance of light and hearty.  This made me want to try some of their other options.  Can’t wait to bring my noodle obsessed daughter.

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As with all of our stops we find that each place has it’s shining moment and in the case of Michelle’s Pancake I would say the Smoked Pork Pancake was the highlight.  If you go don’t miss this one.  I also really enjoyed the shredded tofu salad and am now on the hunt to find a grocer that sells them.  UPDATE: I found them @ 99 Ranch Market!

Free Boiled Peanut appetizer

Fermented Garlic Paste- Sis and I were fascinated by this unusual condiment.  I’m not sure if it is in fact fermented but it sure packed a punch.  Anybody know what this is let me know.

Cold Shredded Tofu Salad- light and refreshing dressed with a bit of garlic, vinegar and sesame oil

Smoked Pork Pancake- Chinese version of a taco. Assemble the goodies, add a touch of, hoisin, vinegar and garlic paste…sooo good.  Along with East Dumpling King’s Beef  Roll, I CRAVE these things like BAD!

Tomato Egg Handmade Noodle- this was another assemble it dish.  These noodles were amazing and the mixture was a perfect compliment to the rest of the meal.

Beef and Carrot Pancake- beware these guys squirt.  OK, not my fave but oddly enough they tasted better once they cooled down considerably.

Pan Fried Fish and Pork Dumpling- I think these would have been better if we chose to have them boiled however they don’t hold a candle to our beloved Kingburg’s Sole Dumplings (show and tell soon)

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One of our favorite vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills is Melville.   The comfortable Mediterranean villa style tasting room offers some beautiful wines some at very affordable prices.  Last time we picked up a couple of bottles; one being the 2008 Pinot Noir from Verna’s Estate, a great value @ $24.  One word I would use to describe it would be elegant.  This would be a lovely addition to Thanksgiving dinner and you don’t have to tell your guests how much you paid, they’d never guess.

2008 Melville Pinot Noir Verna’s Estate

Over the last 5-6 years Melville has consistently been producing some of the best Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay the Central Coast has to offer. Better yet, the wines are completely affordable and generally ready to drink on release. The new Verna’s Estate Pinot Noir is a perfect example of the frugal drinkability Melville has to offer. From the get-go the nose tells you that you are going to be in for a wildly delicious ride. Strawberry, lavender, Rainier cherry are all presented on a crisp, vibrant frame. The lightweight nature here is nothing to fear, remember this is Pinot and Greg Brewer, more prominently know for his work with Brewer-Clifton and Diatom, makes some of the most feminine, and yet flavor-packed Pinots in California. Using 12% new French oak and 33% whole cluster fermentation, Greg keeps the raw materials in full view. The red fruited nature of this wine resonates throughout backed by echoing flavors of beef carpaccio, flowering thyme, spearmint and Asian plum. Is it too early to start thinking about turkey? (Bryan Brick, K&L) tasting notes courtesy of K & L Wines

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Oooh Shrimp balls!

Fresh Sashimi!

Large Live Maine Lobster $6.99 a pound!  I’m so tempted to get a lobster pot but still squeamish about having to actually kill it.  I may have to get over that.

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Anyway, as I’ve said before, shopping in Asian markets and dumplings are two of my favorite things in the whole world.  So imagine my glee when I stumbled upon Square Market (formerly 99 Ranch) in Rosemead; a two for one-derland.  You see, Square Market has an attached food court and this ain’t  your typical pizzahut/taco hell kind of joint.  This food court is populated with an assortment of Asian “mom and pop” stands.  A veritable cornucopia of culinary wonders, although I admit there’s really no ambiance to speak of- this is a down an dirty experience.

Last time I went to the market I was lucky enough to grab a quick snack at East Dumpling King which kept calling me back so, I knew I had bring Sis.  East Dumpling King is run by one lady who does it all, takes your order and cooks it from scratch.  They also sell frozen bags of dumplings.  YUM!

The unassuming yet delicious East Dumpling King

Beef Roll- This is by far our favorite Beef Roll of all that we’ve tried, crunchy, chewy, succulent…we still dream about it.

Pan Fried Pork Dumplings- Another winner right up there with Luscious Dumplings.

Juicy Pork XLB’s- nice respectable but compared to the rest of the meal just aiight.

The secret black vinegar, soy and chili sauce given to you premixed

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Pulmone Organic Sweet Brown Rice- nutty, sweet, creamy, arborio like but healthier! Also used for genmai (brown rice) sushi

Sweet Brown Rice Cooked

Mineral Balance Sea Salt- loaded with magnesium, potassium, and calcium (5x that of milk)

Nori Komi Furikake- seaweed and sesame seed seasoning mix, my daughter loves this sprinkled on rice

Sweet Brown Rice and Nori Komi Furikake

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Pear, Arugula and Stilton Panini- nicely executed with a lovely balance of flavors.

Fig, Brie and Hazelnut Crostini-  super fresh figs and the nuts were a nice surprise.

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