Round 2!
As I hemmed and hawed about what to order, the server, who throughout my meal would stop by my table with a tip translated on her phone, convinced me to get the candied sweet potatoes. They come as a plate of browned sweet potato chunks coated in molten sugar. The technique for getting them from plate to mouth is fun, up there with xiao long bao or fondue. You use your chopsticks to yank a chunk from the molten mass, ooh and aah at the floating sugar threads, dip it in a water bowl to crystallize the sugar, then put it on a tray to finish cooling. The server demonstrated the technique and then handed me the chopsticks— I was by myself, so had to work fast before the sugar seized up— it was the culinary version of the movie Speed, only without the bad actor taste.
I’ve never had a vegetable dish before that was flavored like cotton candy-- very tasty. Fun for the whole family, but watch out for severe burn injuries.
The BBQ A-vegetable (A choy) : I’ve liked versions of this preparation when charring brought out romaine-like flavors, and the leaves got crisp. I wasn’t a fan of their version, which was saucy and had limp leaves. Lots of cumin seeds. But greens are greens, and for $1.50, I’ll get it again.
Shrimp and vegetable dumplings : chive, egg, and shrimp filling was pretty good. Dumpling shape was odd, with a fin so big the dough didn’t cook all the way through.
Tofu skin and peppers (and pork) : Green chilies added some heat, but this was a mellow dish that paired well with the aggressive cumin/chile seasonings in the BBQ items. The sauce tasted brothy.
