We used to eat here more often when they had a branch at Ala Moana.
Sign
"The Art of Chinese Tidbits"
Had a bit of a scare when I drove past the original location, near the university. The parking lot that they share with an apartment building was blocked off and some of the restaurant’s signage looked knocked off (like abandoned). I thought the restaurant suffered a similar fate to Tanabe Superette (see 28 April 2011 post).
Further down the street, there was a sign at a public lot that read “Kirin Parking”. I pulled in to see if indeed the restaurant was closed. As I got to the entrance, one of the servers was opening the doors. Turns out, the apartment building is being renovated and some of the attached signage had to be taken down. Whew (sigh of relief).
Dim sum can be quick or leisurely, economical or not-so-economical. The quick versions are usually served from steam carts that roam through the restaurant. The leisurely method is to mark your selection on chits which are then taken to the kitchen and the dim sum is made to order. To me, both are good for different purposes. Kirin uses the chit system.
Enough talking, on to the food. This was my order this past Saturday.
#9 Chinese Style Pickled Cucumber
Chopped cucumber, sliced peppers, sliced raw garlic, salt, sugar, sesame oil, one of my favorite cucumber dishes on the island.
Before I forget, the restaurant’s version of chili sauce.
House Made Chili Sauce
Chili pepper paste, chopped raw garlic, and I don’t know what else. Enough heat to let you know who’s boss but controlled enough so that your taste buds are not short circuited.
# 7 Spicy Szechuan Pork Won-Ton
These were good. More bark than bite though, the jar of chili sauce and it’s all good.
#2 Steamed Barbecued Pork Buns
Char Siu Bao in local speak. No matter where, no matter when, I rarely get tired of these.
#10 Steamed Beef Balls with Vegetables
No, not that kind of beef balls (hee hee), Chinese style meat balls. More the consistency of fish cake balls. I like these. I can imagine these with some kind of Chinese noodles with a tangy sauce, like beef tomato flavor.
#18 Pan Seared Sesame Coated Beef Patty
The Money Shot
These were really good. Crispy on the outside, moist, chewy, and beefy on the inside. somehow, I think these would make really good slider filling with a touch of garlic chili paste.
#31 Red Date Gelatin
For dessert, gelatin made from the soaking water of dried Chinese red dates. I think they used agar (Mandarin: haicai, Japanese: kanten) instead of gelatin (there is a subtle difference in bounce texture). Not sweet like American gelatin, but enough to end a meal (especially lunch). I may attempt to make in the future.
The restaurant prides itself in making some dim sum dishes not normally found on the island. Good job.
This weekend is pretty full with eating events. We have one more to go to. Probably the next post. Until then …
Enjoy.
The Mouse
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