Ocean Seafood Dim Sum Extravaganza
Monday, September 11, 2006 23:34Ocean Seafood: DIM SUM - Chinatown
750 N. Hill St.
Los Angeles, CA
8.27.06 - Sunday, 11:00 AM
Moi + 9 other hungry crazies
Dim sum, anyone? A little of this, a gigantic boatload of that? Yes, well, me too!
I already know Ocean Seafood makes a mean baked crab. Their veggies are sub-par, the rice sucks, and every dish comes complete with a fun little surly attitude, ala the wait staff. But this is a sentimental favorite amongst myself and my crew, as we’ve have oh-so-many good times inside the tacky, outdated walls, and this throw-down was no different.
We arrived before the massive Sunday crowds by just a hair, and secured the only remaining banquet-sized table. Lucky for us, too - one of our beloveds speaks Mandarin, so lo and behold, we actually received precisely what we intend on ordering. See how magical this is already?
The beauty of dim sum is that it’s literally instant gratification - the very moment our butts are in the seats, folks are descending with glistening carts full of dumpling goodness. I’ll list the sample treats in just a jiffy, but let me say this, in overview — is it the best dim sum in LA? Gosh, no. But it’s really rather tasty, inexpensive, and crazy-fun. I’m not sure I’d want to take on the task without a companion who speaks the language, however - the raw energy and chaos of the place has a tendency to overwhelm me. But I’m wimpy like that.
Now on to the dims!
* Scallop dumplings
Not too tasty due to a significantly soggy texture. Next, please.
* Shrimp with Spinach dumplings
Much better - not the greatest, snappiest consistency in the world, but I like the flavor oodles
* Eggplant with Shrimp Paste
Woof, no, this is all kinds of wrong - evil texture, and I adore eggplant
* Leek dumpling
A surprisingly lovely combination - garden fresh and super good
* Black mushroom Shiu Mai
I’m a huge fan of these little honeys too, but you have to be butt-ass crazy about mushrooms to appreciate the delicacy
* Sugar cane shrimp
Heavenly fried little morsels with a sugar sweetness kick
* Shrimp rice noodle
My favorite! Huge, pancake-like noodles stuffed with fresh shrimp, and topped with a salty soy-based sauce. This is the must-have for moi.
* Braised vegetable buns
Their buns leave a little to be desired - only so-so in the flavor department.
* Pecan shrimp
Another hug crowd pleaser, albeit a high-calorie one. Shrimp are flash-fried and coated in a sweet mayo sauce, with lots of candied pecans. I gained a pound just writing that.
* Vegetarian egg rolls
Save room for the more stellar offerings - these are rather bland.
There were other goodies being passed around, the like the hundred year old egg soup and bean pies, but I had reached capacity. Next time, my hungry friends, I will serve thee better. And yes, there will most certainly be a next time - it’s a bit of a ritual. See you there?
Say hi any time at PoetKitty.
Blessings,
Kitty
By PoetKitty (see more of her posts). You can find more of PoetKitty's writing at her own website OMG Food!
Matthew Ash says:
September 12th, 2006 at 8:37 am
I’m curious, what is the best Dim Sum in LA? My girlfriend and I used to love the Empress Pavilion, and we’ve been without Dim Sum since it was closed
poetkitty says:
September 13th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
Great question, honestly - I don’t have a definitive answer, except to go north and hit SF’s multipe gems :) This is why Ocean Seafood is ye olde standby for me.
stelle says:
September 16th, 2006 at 8:47 pm
Thanks for the review - will be trying Ocean Seafood! On a sort-of related note (Sichuan food), does anyone know if there is an L.A. grocery where æœ?天椒, (Pinyin: cháo tiÄ?n jiÄ?o, English: facing heaven chiles) can be purchased?? Are the restauranteurs importing directly from China, or is there a local supplier somewhere?
Andy 食神 says:
October 16th, 2006 at 11:30 pm
Empress is closed now? I was there Sep 9th! My goodness!
I went to Ocean Seafood for dimsum a couple of months ago. The last time I went there was when it was still Miriwa, the first HK palace/banquet restaurant to arrive in the states… but it’s been a 10-13 years since then. Coming in at 9:30 in the morning and ordering è?¦é¤ƒ hargow, siu mai 燒埋, 鳳爪 phoenix claw, and some rice rolls 腸粉… I thought the food not that great at all. Empress does a better job by far. However, I do have a lunch appointment at Ocean this Saturday, so hopefully it will be better this time around.
I think the best places for dimsum is Triumphal Palace (on 6th and Main) in Alhambra and Mission 261 in San Gabriel (across from the Mission).
Some ppl really like 888 Seafood on Valley, in San Gabriel. Ocean Star in Monterey Park on Atlantic.. but personally, I will pass on the later two despite how others like it.. the atmosphere and cleanliness are horrible at those places. For a push cart type restaurant, I feel Ocean wins on taste.
Andy 食神 says:
October 16th, 2006 at 11:34 pm
hmm…. thinking again, perhaps the undisputed Dimsum champ is former Seafood Harbor…. the name has changed, though I’m told the chefs have not. It is in the 99 Ranch Plaza on Gale and Nogales in Walnut. I believe the Chinese name has 凱港 in it.
the former Seafood Harbor, Mission 261, and Triumphal Palace are all made order dimsum places.
MeltingWok says:
December 30th, 2006 at 9:47 am
oh you guys gotta try out NBC Dimsum in Monterey Park, on the corner of Atlantic & few blocks South of Garvey. Those humongous, crispy shrimp dumplings are sinful, those BBQ Pork rolls are flaky on the outside, juicy on the insides, & don’t forget the walnut paste dessert (only available during the weekends) which is absolutely s-w-e-e-t !!