Chris Yu
Latest Reviews
Secret Pizza
Finally found the not so secretive Secret Pizza at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, which is on the third floor for those of you who don't know. I came here Christmas Eve for dinner and there was practically no line because apparently no one wanted to get pizza to celebrate the holiday. The slices were bigger than I imagined and more expensive than I thought but seeing how it's Vegas, it doesn't surprise me. I ordered pizza by the slices to-go and not sure if it's because I didn't eat it right away but it wasn't as soft as I thought it would be. Each slice that I ordered ended up being hard, almost as if it was stale but not to that point yet. Flavor was good but for some reason it didn't have that freshness in the dough, especially the pepperoni slice. It could've been a bad slice but I still enjoyed it. I would still come back and try a different flavor next time or just order a whole pie so it would indeed be fresh.
Nature Pagoda
Not a bad spot for clay rice pot. I've driven by this restaurant for so many years without realizing what they served here. I came to know the name thanks to the sisters from HangryDiary when they mentioned this restaurant is their favorite for rice pot. Hailing from Hong Kong, I love all types of clay rice pots, especially the crispy rice on the bottom. So going into Nature Pagoda, I had high expectations as to their taste.
I came here alone on a Monday afternoon and it was very quiet. There were only 2 other tables occupied by groups but the workers had a lot of time on their hands. I ordered their lunch portion preserved meat rice pot, which also came with a small soup. I don't know the exact name but it tasted a lot like chicken soup with winter melon but I could be wrong. Once the pot came out, I waited a couple minutes before digging in because I wanted the rice at the bottom to get even crisipier so that I can struggle and dig for it at the end of the meal.
Overall taste was just okay; the soy sauce they provided was more on the salty side and not sweet enough. Soy sauce for this dish needs to be dark and sweet in order to fully enjoy it. The amount of meat was less than abundant but then again, it was a lunch portion. The part I was longing for was a disappointment though. Not enough crispy rice at the end but there still was some so enjoy at least, which is why I gave this place a four. I honestly believe I would come back and try other dishes in the future but I'll just stick to a different restaurant for my clay rice pots because I get a lot more crispy rice.
I came here alone on a Monday afternoon and it was very quiet. There were only 2 other tables occupied by groups but the workers had a lot of time on their hands. I ordered their lunch portion preserved meat rice pot, which also came with a small soup. I don't know the exact name but it tasted a lot like chicken soup with winter melon but I could be wrong. Once the pot came out, I waited a couple minutes before digging in because I wanted the rice at the bottom to get even crisipier so that I can struggle and dig for it at the end of the meal.
Overall taste was just okay; the soy sauce they provided was more on the salty side and not sweet enough. Soy sauce for this dish needs to be dark and sweet in order to fully enjoy it. The amount of meat was less than abundant but then again, it was a lunch portion. The part I was longing for was a disappointment though. Not enough crispy rice at the end but there still was some so enjoy at least, which is why I gave this place a four. I honestly believe I would come back and try other dishes in the future but I'll just stick to a different restaurant for my clay rice pots because I get a lot more crispy rice.
Delicious Food Corner
You gotta love Hong Kong breakfast because you get the most value for your money. Nothing can truly beat authentic Hong Kong breakfast in Hong Kong but this place is close enough. When you come here, expect a bit of a wait because it gets crowded early in the morning.
From what I hear and tasted, the porridge is exceptionally good. I tried their chicken and abalone porridge and it was quite delicious. At first I thought it was the fake abalone but from what I can tell, it looks like canned abalone. Regardless, it still tasted like abalone and not the ones that have no taste. It also came with a side order of stuff shrimp rice rolls that looked good but was mediocre. It came out cold so I'm not sure if it sat their as an extra and was given to us.
Our table also ordered a side of the Chinese donut, which also came out cold. It tastes way better when it's freshly fried and crunchy and dip it in the porridge. Another order was a breakfast set A, which came with spam macaroni and toasted egg sandwich. All in all, The food is good and so was their Hong Kong milk tea.
From what I hear and tasted, the porridge is exceptionally good. I tried their chicken and abalone porridge and it was quite delicious. At first I thought it was the fake abalone but from what I can tell, it looks like canned abalone. Regardless, it still tasted like abalone and not the ones that have no taste. It also came with a side order of stuff shrimp rice rolls that looked good but was mediocre. It came out cold so I'm not sure if it sat their as an extra and was given to us.
Our table also ordered a side of the Chinese donut, which also came out cold. It tastes way better when it's freshly fried and crunchy and dip it in the porridge. Another order was a breakfast set A, which came with spam macaroni and toasted egg sandwich. All in all, The food is good and so was their Hong Kong milk tea.
Ho Kee Cafe
I've always see lines out the door for this small Cafe and decided to check it out. The seating area is quite small do you'll end up waiting for awhile.
Food:
1. Our group ordered the house special fish porridge. At first thought, I imagined it to have big chunks of fish meat in it but in reality, they're very small chunks of tilapia meat. What I didn't think was that they'd include peanuts in it as well. There was also a whole lots of ginger slices, which I'm not a fan of. Be careful though because you may come across bones and scales in the porridge.
2. Wonton and dumpling noodle soup. The noodles were hard and didn't seem fresh to taste. The wonton and dumplings were great and was flavorful.
3. Char Siu Pork and duck noodle soup. The pork was ordinary like any other Chinese restaurant that serves it. I particularly thought the duck was moist but I'm sure it would've been even better when it wasn't soaked in the soup.
4. Crispy Beef Brisket. It was truly crispy and I've never thought of a dish like this. However, the meat isn't as tender as you'd hope but still good. It also comes with a sweet sauce and that's what makes it a good dish. Eating it without the sauce, it's bland and doesn't taste like anything.
5. Chinese donut. This was crispy and has a little salt in it. A bit oily in my opinion but at least they fry it right then and there and doesn't seem like they microwave it.
6. Hong Kong Milk Tea..as good as it tastes in Hong Kong.
Service:
Better than most Chinese restaurants but there was one lady who tells at other workers and it scares the hell out of me. I'm sure that's just her personality but still, the restaurant is small so everyone hears it.
Food:
1. Our group ordered the house special fish porridge. At first thought, I imagined it to have big chunks of fish meat in it but in reality, they're very small chunks of tilapia meat. What I didn't think was that they'd include peanuts in it as well. There was also a whole lots of ginger slices, which I'm not a fan of. Be careful though because you may come across bones and scales in the porridge.
2. Wonton and dumpling noodle soup. The noodles were hard and didn't seem fresh to taste. The wonton and dumplings were great and was flavorful.
3. Char Siu Pork and duck noodle soup. The pork was ordinary like any other Chinese restaurant that serves it. I particularly thought the duck was moist but I'm sure it would've been even better when it wasn't soaked in the soup.
4. Crispy Beef Brisket. It was truly crispy and I've never thought of a dish like this. However, the meat isn't as tender as you'd hope but still good. It also comes with a sweet sauce and that's what makes it a good dish. Eating it without the sauce, it's bland and doesn't taste like anything.
5. Chinese donut. This was crispy and has a little salt in it. A bit oily in my opinion but at least they fry it right then and there and doesn't seem like they microwave it.
6. Hong Kong Milk Tea..as good as it tastes in Hong Kong.
Service:
Better than most Chinese restaurants but there was one lady who tells at other workers and it scares the hell out of me. I'm sure that's just her personality but still, the restaurant is small so everyone hears it.
One One Dumpling
One One Dumpling is probably my go to spot for affordable and delicious dumplings + noodle combo!! I've been going to this gem for over ten years, when their combo's were about $5. My parents and I always reference Luscious Dumplings as the $5 combo because it's been that long since they've been around the SGV. I believe they've been around for about 13 years and within those 13 years, they have yet to disappoint me once. I always crave their pan-fried dumplings because it's just different from the other restuarants in the neighborhood. I recommend that you simply get the Fried Pork Dumpling and Chive, Pork, Egg, Glass Noodle Fried Dumpling. If I could, I would eat plates of those alone. Also, their beef tendon noodle soup is amazing. One One Dumplings will not disappoint and it's always nice to change it up from soup dumplings.