Hong Kong Royal

I felt like dim sum yesterday and ended up at Hong Kong Royal in Carrollton, a northern suburb of Dallas. I had no idea there was such good dim sum out in the provinces!

I ordered three of my favorites, and each one was excellent. The taro puffs were perfectly fried - the lightest I've ever tried. The ground pork filling was enlivened with a bit of preserved vegetable.

My all-time favorite dim sum item, sticky rice steamed in lotus leaf, was top-notch. It can be a bit tricky to get right, but this was steamed the right amount of time, with lots goodies like black mushroom, roast pork, and Chinese sausage inside.

The fried glutinous rice shrimp and pork dumpling was also exemplary. Slightly crispy, chewy - almost light.

I would be thrilled to be served dim sum this good anywhere in NYC.

Dim sum is served all day, from carts until 3 p.m., to order after that. Not cheap, but the quality makes it a great value.

Hong Kong Royal
3030 N. Josey Lane, Carrollton, TX 75007
972-492-9999
website

Sikhay

Doing a bit of internet research on possible interesting things to eat in Fort Worth, I was quite surprised to find out there is a decent-sized Lao community here. And when an ethnic community reaches critical mass, restaurants - thankfully! - pop up. Sure enough, there are at least three Lao restaurants in Fort Worth and neighboring Haltom City - which is three more than in NYC or its immediate environs. I decided to check out the one with the best reputation first, Sikhay. It did not disappoint.

Not knowing much about Lao cuisine, I had a look at the extremely informative Wikipedia page. While it's difficult to know whether it has been edited people with strong national pride, it appears that Lao cuisine has strongly influenced neighboring cuisines, and that many dishes I had thought of as typically Thai are, in fact Lao (such as larb and papaya salad). If I had actually consulted the article before going, I would not have been slightly puzzled by our friendly and helpful waitress's answer when asked what the most typical Lao dishes were. Her response: larb (or laap, spelled on the menu here as luap) and sticky rice. Laotians apparently eat more sticky rice than... anybody. It's beautifully presented here in its own woven bamboo basket:

Companions on this occasion were my wonderful Fort Worth Opera colleagues from the Fort Worth Opera Rosa Betancourt (a fabulous soprano - you really must hear her sing - and, as it turns out, cousin of my friend Josue in Puerto Rico who introduced me to Diana's!) and coach/conductor/chorusmaster Stephen Dubberly. They were, fortunately, game to try just about anything, and seemed to like the food as much as I did. The beef luap was a hit - more interesting and memorable than most Thai versions I've had because of the utterly fresh flavors, and the inclusion of bits of stomach, intestine, and tripe with the not-quite-ground, minced beef. (The lighting is terrible in there for picture-taking, so pardon the uneven quality of the photos.)

Even more extraordinary was the koi pa, a sort of fish larb. Freshwater fish of some stripe (Laos is landlocked) is minced and marinated in lime juice and fish sauce, then seasoned with cilantro, mint, lemongrass, and chilis, and served as a salad. Clean, vibrant, yet subtle flavors make this a truly special dish, seen here with the typical Lao meal accompaniment of chopped, raw greens (in this case, cabbage and cucumber):

I thought I saw what looked like fresh dill in this dish, but couldn't isolate its flavor in the mix, and thought, "dill isn't used much in southern Asia anyway". But apparently Lao cuisine, in fact, does use dill - who knew? Perhaps there was some in there after all.

The appetizer section of the menu contains some true gems. "Fried chickens" is a plate of disjointed chicken wings that have been beautifully seasoned and deep-fried.

Utterly extraordinary are the "Asian Sausages" (sai oua). These are the most beautiful sausages I've had since those of Sister Zhu's now-defunct Maple Snacks stall: quite obviously homemade sausages made with pork, galangal, lemongrass, hot pepper, kaffir lime leaves, and fish sauce (for just a hint of sweetness). You MUST taste these.

Our waitress seemed keen on on the seafood ladna (often spelled lard na). This turned out to be as mellow in flavor as the other dishes were vibrantly spiced: bits of scallop, crab(stick), shrimp, and squid in a mild brown gravy, poured over chow fun noodles (the wide, flat rice ones). Very nice.

Their red curry with chicken is also well worth eating. A really beautiful balance of flavors: curry, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, basil, to mention just some of its components. This marks the first time I actually enjoyed eating Thai eggplant (the small, round ones - just not a fan).

The papaya salad (tam mak hoong) was, flavor-wise, the fieriest dish on the table. Shredded green papaya in a marinade that is a bit less sweet and quite a bit more robustly flavored than any Thai version I've had. Fantastic.

Closed Tuesdays. But you should definitely give them a call before going - twice now I have gone out there at times they were supposed to be open, only to find them closed.

Sikhay
3301 NE 28th St., Fort Worth, TX 76111
817-838-6199

Drew's Place Restaurant

The opinion of my operatic colleague Michael Mayes is always worth asking when it comes to barbecue and Texas eats. Luckily, I had the good sense to do so last week. It yielded a real find: Drew's Place.

This joint serves the best soul food I've had in years. On my first visit (for which I, unfortunately, forgot my camera), my friend ordered fried pork chops - a much better choice than what I ordered. They were perfectly fried - still moist (how easily American pork chops dry out, thanks to American pigs having had the fat bred out of them), with a delicious, slightly-peppery breading. The meal was capped with the most delicious pecan pie I have ever tasted (photo coming soon): tender pecans in a rich, not-too-sweet filling. This is a dessert that's worth the calories.

Since I had been having dreams about those pork chops, I returned today to try the smothered pork chops. Two of the same fried pork chops are stacked and smothered in a brown onion gravy. They were divine.

Each main dish is served with your choice of two sides from a list of fairly typical Southern "vegetables" (like macaroni and cheese). Quite possibly the star of any meal where they appear is the turnip greens. Beautiful - simmered long and slow with lots of cured pork product and some finely diced turnip and onion.

The mashed potatoes are fantastic and, of course, homemade, with just enough tender little lumps of potato to confirm the fact. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't particularly recommend the macaroni and cheese here - it's not bad, exactly, but it's not baked, and the cheese sauce almost certainly comes from a can.

Their sweet potato pie is almost as good as their pecan pie, and - naturally - palpably house-made.

As a New York City resident, the early closing times of restaurants in other parts of the country takes some getting used to, but one definitely needs to plan around Drew's closing time of 6 p.m. if one is thinking dinner.  Closed Sunday and Monday.

Drew's Place Restaurant
5701 Curzon Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76107
817-735-4408

Diana’s Pizza

Recently, I had a gig in Puerto Rico, and since it was my first trip to any place in the Caribbean, I was, naturally, curious to try comida criolla in its natural habitat. So, after a day of rehearsals at the Ferré Performing Arts Center, my flutist friend Josue suggested we go to "pizzeria" – the local moniker for Diana’s Pizza. Since I have virtually no filters, my first response was, "I did not come to Puerto Rico to eat pizza." I was assured I would be happy, and I most certainly was.

The food here is about as homemade as it gets for a small restaurant, made by someone who definitely knows what she's doing. It also made me realize just how bad most of the Puerto Rican and Dominican food in New York really is.

Carne guisada is surprisingly tender chunks of beef simmered with potatoes:

It’s a stew rich with the bright flavor of sazón, tomato, and onion – no muddy brown sauce here.

The arroz con pollo was marvelous – shreds of chicken in some beautifully seasoned rice (with side dishes of red beans, and a plate of tostones in the background):

Rice and beans are standard sides here, and in Puerto Rico, red beans are the norm. The beans are palpably homemade, and utterly delicious. Platanos maduros (ripe plantains) are called amarillos in these parts, and they are infinitely better than any I've ever tried elsewhere. For one thing, they are cut completely differently – into ribbons, rather than the mushy chunks one gets in New York (seen with a bottle of the signature Puerto Rican beer, Medalla):

And I have never actually enjoyed eating tostones (smashed slices of unripe plantains fried until crisp) before – I have no idea what the secret might be, but they make 'em the right way here.

Diana’s Pizza
126 Avda. De Diego – Santurce, 00911, Puerto Rico
787-289-5326
(near the Doubletree San Juan hotel)

Szechuan Dish - 美四川 (New World Mall) (CLOSED)

Quite a few stalls in the New World Mall food court have closed recently, followed by some new arrivals. For me, the most interesting of the newcomers, open just six days, is Szechuan Dish (美四川) in stall 25, sharing the southeast corner with the wonderful Tian Fu.

Manning the counter is an energetic and engaging young fellow named Michael who will happily explain any dish to you (his English is great - no language barrier here). I quickly guessed this was a family operation, and sure enough, his mother and father are the ones cooking in the kitchen. They are from Chengdu (the round badge in their sign has Chinese characters that mean "Chendgu flavor"), and are serving some dishes I have not encountered in New York before. I was told they import from Chengdu the preserved tofu used in the cold dish cōng xiāng dòu jīn (葱香豆筋), shreds of preserved tofu (often called "bean gluten") in a vinegar-scallion sauce, a dish of which they seem especially proud. And with good reason - it's unique and delicious: the bracing sauce is the perfect counterpoint to the heartiness of the slightly chewy preserved tofu shreds.

Also new to me is liáng bàn xīn shé (凉拌心舌), a cold "salad" of sliced heart and tongue in chili oil. It's marvelous - sort of the pig's response to the famous Sichuan dish fū qī fèi piàn (夫妻肺片) - ox tongue and tripe.

They're keeping it fairly simple to start off, with plans to expand the menu a bit later. So for now, there are dumplings in red hot oil (hóng yóu shuǐ jiǎo - 紅油水餃), some interesting-sounding noodle dishes (I'm quite eager to try ròu shào dòu huā miàn - 肉紹豆花面 - noodles with soft tofu and pork), and several other cold dishes. These include a má là crispy fish to rival Sister Zhu's of the now-defunct-but-resurrecting-at-some-future-date Savor Fusion (where is she now, anyway?), and the delightful liáng bàn jīn zhēn gū (凉拌金针菇) - enoki mushrooms in a tangy sauce. That's it there on the lower right:

So, stop by and welcome them to the neighborhood. You'll be rewarded with some unusual - and unusually tasty - cooking.

Szechuan Dish - New World Mall food court
Main & Roosevelt (enter on Roosevelt), Flushing 11354
718-353-4957
(7 train to Main St.-Flushing)
New World Mall food court website

Lao Dong Bei (老东北風味)

When I first tried it about six weeks ago, Lao Dong Bei immediately took its place among my top three favorite restaurants in Flushing. We were so enthusiastic that the chef came out to chat with us, and we learned a couple of things: that he is the former chef of Fu Run, and that he is from Harbin, one of the northernmost cities in China, quite near Siberia. Ever since I moved to New York City... um... the first time, I discovered that the then-famous Harbin Inn on the Upper West Side had recently closed, and I, geek that I am, had wanted to try Harbin-style food ever since (not that the Harbin Inn necessarily served any of it - I haven't been able to find that out). And sure enough, the fare here tends to be hearty and warming. LDB is the only culinary representative of Heilongjiang province in NYC that I know of (there may well be others - the more I find out about Flushing, the more I realize there is to learn). Lao Dong Bei is also one of the few Chinese restaurants in Flushing whose "English" name is, in fact, the same as the Chinese name: lǎo dōng běi fēng wèi (老东北風味), or "old Dongbei (Manchurian) flavor".

The percentage of dishes I've tried here that I would gladly order again is extraordinarily high. Tonight's meal, however, was the first for which I actually remembered to bring my camera... I was also solo, so I could only order a couple of things (I'll add other standout dishes later).  The meal started with a delightful little free dish of pickled radishes (luó bo - 蘿卜).

Pickled in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper, I can't remember ever enjoying a radish so much in my entire life.

The weather having just turned colder, I was craving something really warming. I certainly got it! The "Baby Cabbage with Meat Ball Soup" (xiǎo bái cài wán zǐ tāng - 小白菜丸子湯) is possibly the perfect winter soup: warming, satisfying, but not heavy in the least.

That large bowl is not just some meatballs floating in broth - it's practically solid with meatballs and cabbage. The pork meatballs are actually somewhat delicate, and the broth is enlivened by some minced scallion and ginger shreds. A bargain at $7.50 - it can easily feed 4.

I think "Beer Duck" (pí jiǔ yā - 啤酒鴨) is a truly great dish.

Chunks of duck (on the bone, making it a bit difficult to eat for the uninitiated) braised in beer, star anise, ginger, and more dried hot pepper than you think at first - I noticed my lips were tingling after eating three or four pieces!  It's a warming dish in every conceivable way.

Another recent find here is "House Pork Elbow" (bā zhǒu zǐ - 扒肘子):

Slices of pork shank (for some reason, pork shank gets translated as "pork elbow" much of the time) are braised in an ever-so-slightly sweet broth until almost unbelievably tender, surrounded by baby cabbage halves. A really lovely dish.

There are several good versions of zī rán yú piàn (孜然魚片, or "Crispy Sliced Fish w. Cumin") in Flushing, and Lao Dong Bei's holds it's own in the top two or three:

Slices of deep-fried flounder filets are tossed in a mixture of cumin, caraway, and dried hot pepper.

During a recent visit, a free plate of Pork Skin Jelly (ròu pí dòng - 肉皮凍) just appeared. Its appearance was a most welcome one - cubes of pork skin in a milky-white aspic jelly with a dipping sauce of black vinegar spiked with minced ginger and garlic on the side.

 (Cue my mother's question to me years ago, "What's an aspic?"  When I replied, "Well, it's bigger than a toothpick..." I thought she was going to slap me.)

The chef also has his famous "Muslim Lamb Chops" on the menu (here called "Lamb Chop in Xinjiang Style" - xīn jiāng yáng pái - 新疆羊排). They are every bit as spectacular as they were at Fu Run.

I don't miss Fu Run one little bit.

Lao Dong Bei (老东北風味)
44-09 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11355
718-539-4100
(7 train to Main St.-Flushing, south on Main St. to Kissena, veer left, then 6 more blocks)

Fu Run: Dead to the civilized world

This evening, a good friend told me about a recent visit to Fu Run (40-09 Prince St., Flushing) where said friend was subjected to the most abysmally bad behavior - in fact, the term "bad behavior" doesn't begin to describe it  - by both patrons and management alike.  While I'm not at liberty to go into the details, I was sufficiently shocked by what I was told (and let me tell you, I don't shock easily) that I feel I must rescind any past recommendations that anyone patronize this establishment.

Anyway, the old chef is now at the excellent new Lao Dong Bei (44-09 Kissena Blvd., Flushing 11355, 718-539-4100).  I haven't blogged about this place yet, but plan to soon.  In the meantime you can read a bit about it on Joe DiStefano's wonderful new website, Chopsticks and Marrow.