Dynasty

<2010-10-13 Wed>

No. 128

Dynasty is one of the many restaurants in "China Block".

I have been thinking about coming this place for a while. I was very curious about their crab. The entrance says: Live Crab, limit 1.

I like crab and I don't get many opportunities to eat it at lunch time.

As the waiter approached, even before I sat I said: "I want the crab". The waiter looked startled. He asked me if I wanted , to which I replied I wanted the crab special mentioned in the entrance. Another waiter had to be called, and she looked like she understood. Later came back and said that no crab was available.

No crab. Darn! I feel cheated.

I looked at the menu. It is rich with options, and less formulaic than the Ocean Garden. Had I come with somebody else I'd venture into more expensive dishes that seem made to share, like the steamed salmon. I settle for eggplant and pork belly schezuan style (I have "a thing" about Schezuan style of cooking). I suspect I was given the dinner menu because it only had one "special", and most dishes were above 12 dollars. I am ok with that. I actually prefer good food that value food.

Almost every table has a Chinese person. Its size is in the "medium" range, compared to the other Chinese restaurants in the block. The music--Chinese style--is slightly loud, making it somehow annoying. Even though it only has windows in the front, it feels brighter than Ocean (which is in a corner). Partially it is the white cloths on the tables, which beautifully bright the place, and make the tables more elegant.

As I waited, I observed how the table next ordered. They were given a different menu than me, one with photos. I later discover that they have dimsum at lunch. I suspect that, because they don't the number of clients as Don Mee, people have to order their dim sum from the menu. It also explains why the other tables have dim sum. Ok, my mistake. I jumped the gun by ordering before I got a menu.

The dish arrived. I could hear the signs of approval of the looks of my plate from neighbouring another table. It looked and smelled wonderful. And it tasted wonderful too. The meat was tender and the eggplant was braised to perfection--soft but without falling apart.

When I think about the dish I was served the day before (schezuan prawns on rice, at Ocean Garden) and compare it to this, there is no contest. Dynasty is head and shoulders above Ocean Garden's food. I paid more, but I was left with leftovers for dinner.

How does it compare to the other Chinese restaurants? That is a more difficult question. The food I received was recommendable, and I am already planning my dim-sum lunch visit. And yes, I still want my crab!

The crab-bait-and-switch scam was the only thing that made me cautious of fully recommending it.

Verdict: tasteful food that feels authentic.

For more information, including address, please visit:

How Paprika became Stage

The Times Colonist has a feature article about George Szasz, the owner and chef of Stage.

I haven't been at Paprika since he sold it in 2009, but I have been at Stage, and I like it. It is, however, out of the areas where I am usually, and I don't think about it frequently. I think I'll try it this weekend. I wish they would open for lunch. Definitely one of my favourite restaurants in Victoria.

--dmg

Ocean Garden

No. 127

Located at the corner of Government and Fisgard, I consider it the most "tourist" oriented of the restaurants in China Block.

If you ever walked by it, you will see that this place is usually full of non-Chinese. Yet, the signs are written in Chinese and English.

I wasn't sure what to expect. The place is large, clean but feels run down. Its best times are long past.

The lunch menu is massive. Items range from 7 dollars to 10. As I have learned, at Chinese restaurants I avoid the preset lunches; instead I try to find interesting dishes in the menu. Its menu, like it is frequent in Chinese restaurants, is really a bunch of "combinations": do you want rice or noodles? soft noodles or crispy noodles? do you want pork, beef, shrimp, seafood, chicken? do you want sauce X, Y or Z? It would be significantly easier to decide if the provide a "choose one of each" type of menu, rather than listing every possible combination.

I settled for "Schezuan prawns on rice".

The dish is huge, full of vegetables, but too much sauce on it. It disappoints. It is messy and lacks good flavours. There is nothing special about this dish. My suggestion? there are better restaurants in the block, hence avoid, unless you are looking for a lot of cheap food.

Surprisingly, the restaurant always looks busy from the outside. Go figure.

Verdict: Avoid

Paid: 10 + tip

For more information, including address, please visit:

Bagels on Broad

No. 126

<2010-10-09 Sat>

When I am downtown and want a quick sandwich, I turn to Bagels on Broad. Ok, it is not a sandwich, it is a bagel, but the objective is the same: a quick bite.

I like their California Bagel, which is essentially a vegetarian one. The bagels are good (I think they come from Mount Royal). It is not a "gourmet" dish, but very satisfying nonetheless. It is comprised primarily of artichokes, spinach and cheese.

You have to wait few minutes for the oven to do its magic, time you can invest sitting by the window looking at the people passing by.

There are one fast food alternative close by: the taco truck of Puerto Vallarta Amigos. They are very different products and types of locations, and my choice will depend on my mood.

Verdict: simple, cheap, but good fast food.

Paid: It was around 6.50, but was treated, so I didn't keep track.

For more information, including address, please visit:

Shanghai City

<2010-10-07 Thu>

No. 125

This is a huge restaurant, in the second floor of a building in China block. It probably sits around 200 persons, and at 1:30, I was the only one. Perhaps it is the grey weather outside,

It feels as Chinese as a restaurant in Canada can be: many round tables with a lazy Susan. There is Chinese music playing softly in the background. A small water tank shows the customers that the crab is fresh. And there is the usual Chinese paraphernalia found in any Chinese restaurant in the world (including China).

The entrance advertises crab, and I was tempted to order it. Next time, when I have a little more time.

I was seated at a table next to the window. It is a nice view of the street from up here.

The lunch menu is full of options: around 20, plus 2 "typical" specials (what every Westerner expects in a Chinese restaurant). The full menu is also available at lunch time, but didn't look at it.

I ordered the "Shanghai Style Beer Brisket Noodle Soup". It is a mouthful to pronounce. At 8.95 it is one of the most expensive lunch specials (the cheapest is 5.95, which sets a new "record" for places I have visited). I reckon that, if the name of the restaurant is Shanghai City, then a dish with the name should be a speciality.

And it is also a mouthful to eat: it is a huge bowl. Brisket is a hard meat to cook, and one the best ways to do it is to braise it. The meat in this dish has been braised, and had a slight sweet flavour in it, which I enjoyed (but some pieces were still a bit tough). The noodles are nicely cooked, but the broth could improve with some zest. I liked the large vegetable in it (I have to look it up). I finished the bowl, and I am absolutely full. I need a walk!

Verdict: good value, but not a lunch that gets me excited.

Paid: 10.02 + tip