Sheesh. Little sisters are so demanding.
The other day at 9 a.m., we hear a tap, tap, tap on the window. Lil' sis's friend was waking us up for some dim sum. Dude! Too early. So we promptly went back to sleep and woke up again at the more decent hour of 11:30 a.m.
Since it was a weekday, there were no lines at NBC Seafood Restaurant in Monterey Park (There's also a CBS and an ABC restaurant...). Normally on weekends by 10 a.m. there's at least an hour wait and people are jam-packed into the spacious vestibule and the front of the restaurant. The crowds actually made a difference as I think the higher turnover results in fresher and hotter dim sum. On a weekday, the dim sum was mostly good (we had a very poor quality tofu dessert), but it's better on the weekends. Just make sure to get there before 10 a.m. or be prepared to wait, and wait, and wait.
Small items are $1.90, medium items are $3.10. I don't think we got anything that was large so I don't know how much that cost.
First up was the fried breadstick wrapped in a shrimp noodle sheet, served with a side of hoisin sauce. Crispy on the inside, soft on the outside.
The egg rolls were filled with meat, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, served with worchestershire sauce.
These are my favorite char siu bao (Chinese barbecued pork buns). A generous mix of barbecued pork and onions on the inside, but the bun is incredibly soft, with a sweet, sticky glaze.
Steamed book tripe. Very tender, slightly seasoned.
Siu mai were really meaty.
Har gow. The shrimp had a nice bite, the skins were translucent and chewy.
Shrimp and chive dumplings. Yummy.
Shrimp cheong fun were tender, but not melt-in-the-mouth tender.
Lil' sis was complaining about having to wait while I took pictures before she could eat, but then she was the one that reminded me I forgot to take a picture of the spare ribs before we almost polished them off. I thought they were a little oily, but she really liked them.
The tofu dessert was grainy, the texture was so off that lil' sis's friend was visibly upset. It tasted OK, but part of the appeal of this dessert is its silky smooth texture.
Since lil' sis's friend's family was in the restaurant business, he also didn't like that the workers seemed unprofessional, at times standing around gossiping and even swearing. Granted it was in Chinese, but hey, somebody understands what they're saying. I was more annoyed by the white guy next to us who, from the sound of it, was introducing his date to the culinary wonders of dim sum and would make the dim sum cart ladies pronounce each item as he shouted in repeat.
Total bill for all of the above, plus tea $28.40, including tax.
Other dim sum restaurant posts:
Bon Marche Bistro/B Village Cuisine (Dim Sum) - Monterey Park
Capital Dim Sum & BBQ - Monterey Park
CBS Seafood Restaurant (Dim Sum) - Los Angeles (Chinatown)
Dim Sum Express - Monterey Park
Elite Restaurant (Dim Sum) - Monterey Park
Full House Seafood Restaurant (Dim Sum) - Arcadia
Lunasia Chinese Cuisine (Dim Sum) - Alhambra
NBC Seafood Restaurant
404-A S. Atlantic Blvd.
Monterey Park, CA 91754
626-282-2323
Dim sum 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dinner 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Haha, I totally remember NBC Seafood Restaurant when I used to live in Southern California. I'm glad to see that it is still a successful place. Also, you said that there is CBS and ABC, but is there a FOX Restaurant or a CW Restaurant? If not, we'll open those together!
ReplyDeleteIt's been toooooooo long since I went out for dim sum. It's more fun with a big group :-)
ReplyDeleteim not big on dim sum, but i do like char siu bao, shu mai, and banana leave rice.
ReplyDeletenever ate there for dim sum before.
t
I was just about to ask about FOX restaurant, and CNN! Buahahaha.
ReplyDeleteAll the sorbets remind me of scorching summer heat!:O
I haven't had dim sum for ages so I loved your photos! Hehe - my husband complains about waiting for me to take photos of food before he can start eating as well!
ReplyDeletePE is right. There oughta be a dim sum restaurant named after every major network. And one that serves dim sum 24-7 called CNN.
ReplyDeletemmm your pictures make me want dim sum again! especially those spare ribs...i like it when the oil drips off my chin
ReplyDeletePE,
ReplyDeleteYou're on. Although I think we should open PE and WC restaurants. Hopefully, no one confuses my restaurant for the water closet. ;)
Nikki,
I like larger groups for dim sum too so we can try more items.
t,
Are you sure? I thought our families used to eat here and that's how I knew about it?
Tigerfish,
Summer's coming soon enough. Those sorbets will come in handy.
W&S,
I know! But then my lil' sis has totally gotten into my food blogging. :P
Elmo,
24-hr dim sum? I'm so there. :)
Lil' sis,
As long as I don't have to wipe your chin for you anymore. ;)
Those pics are making me drool, especially the har gow. And no fair the dimsum places here only give 3 dumplings, not enough for me. :P It's been too long since I've had dim sum. I think I only go once or twice a year. :(
ReplyDeleteAmy,
ReplyDeleteI think if they give you more har gow, they just charge you more. ;) I usually get two plates of har gow anyway. Only once or twice a year for dim sum? But Seattle has lots of Chinese restaurants. I remember a pretty good meal at Hong's for dim sum way back when...