GrandDimSum
Free, compliments of the chef on New Year's. I would say that I wasn't a fan though - the minty cubes reminded me too much of Mouthwash/Listerine.
Managed to try a few more dishes during the holidays so I thought I'd share my thoughts!
Fried stuffed eggplant: This was a very nice take on an old dim sum classic. They shaped it like a maki roll, and laid it on the plate like a slithering snake. The fry job was really good; dry, crispy and not too much batter. The stuffing was well flavoured, and not too salty. It was a nice contrast against the subtly sweet eggplant. The sauce was not overpowering, nor was it overly salty. This was a nice new addition to the menu/selection:
www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4329672233
Eel seems to be their big thing with the newest version of the menu. They had a nice deep-fried pocket filled with eel. I enjoyed it. As you can see, the batter is light and crisp. The batter consistency reminds me of the pork or duck-stuffed taro dim sum dish. Overall, another strong entry. Not one of my favourite dishes, but I would say I wasn't disappointed: www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4329672287
A new dumpling was added to the menu. I don't immediately recall the name of it, but I would say it was probably the weakest dumpling they have on the menu. I'll try to get the name next time: www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4329672747
This is the second new eel dish. This was an eel maki; made with Chinese sticky rice. The eel was sweet, the sauce slightly salty, and the sticky rice sweet of course. It was fun, though I wouldn't say it was a strong dish. I found the rice to be too overwhelming due to the sheer volume of rice (ratio of rice to eel was too high). The rice paper wrapping was a pretty touch though: www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4330407958
A lotus leaf wrapped doughy 'dumpling' was another new dish. It reminded me a lot of my favourite duck and pine nut puff ball, but without the sesame coating, and not deep fried (steamed in lotus leaf instead). Was I a huge fan? No, I would have to say that I didn't appreciate the consistency of the dough: www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4266263297
Inside: www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4266263647
A classic superior dumpling in soup ('Goon tong gau'): www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4267010468/ . Better than average, that's for sure.
This stuffed pepper dish with noodles was a huge failure. It was honestly pretty gross. The noodles were soaked with a vinegar-y sesame dressing (it reminded me of the cold dressing on cold soba noodles), and the texture of the noodles were soggy. I couldn't bare to finish it: www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4266263431
Free during the New Year's (compliments of the chef for diners) was this jelly dessert. I would have to say that it was pretty, but the taste fell flat for me. The green 'mint' flavoured jelly reminded me too much of listerine (this is not what I want to think about when I'm eating dessert). The berry one was kind of bland. Overall, the jellies were too stiffened with too much gelatin. However, it was free. So free = good :)
www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4266263181/
And finally - dessert
Deep fried egg custard balls is another favourite dessert of mine: www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4266263807 . Picture 'lau sah bao', except deep fried. It's not quite as gooey, because it has less filling, but the crispy exterior is very satisfying. It provides a nice textural contrast.
The black sesame balls have been on the menu for a while, but I never save enough room for it. And now I know what I've been missing. This is a delightful confection that is filled with sweet black sesame paste. When you bite into the crisp and fluffy exterior, the warm, melty black sesame oozes into your mouth. The black sesame is above average for fragrance, which is nice. The batter surrounding the puff is light and not at all oily. I would say this is a very strong dessert, especially if you (like me) love black sesame: www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4329673029
Melty insides: www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi-snowpea/4329673121
Cheers and happy eating!
BokChoi