Gastro888

I went to the Egg Custard King location on Grand Street this weekend and had two dan tats hot staight from the oven. That was some good eats. I like how there's more space to sit down in front for those who just want to eat one tart and a office. Hot dan tats rule but I've decided that I prefer mine after they've cooled off for about 15 minutes. It was delicious & it was tasty but I could still feel that "Ouch I burned my mouth" senstation on my walk from Chinatown to Chelsea.

(Asians. Not Orientals. Unless she's serving a room full of noodles or rugs. ) Keep up the good work! You're doing a fantastic job! Hey, if they like potatoes so much, why not try gnnochi? Or fried potato pancakes or mashed potato cakes? Just a thought.

How about oyster sauce? Or you could take some lime juice, soy sauce, chili oil and mix it to taste. Yummy!

Creme brulee or flan is not made with egg whites only. And yes, the egg white dan tat *IS* the diet verison of dan tat. It doesn't contain egg yolks, therefore it's less fattening and is a "healthier" alternative to the traditional dan tat that contains egg yolks. What apple pie recipe contains about ten ingredients? More or less it's a pie crust, apples, sugar, lemon juice, spices, salt. And a dan tat is not a simply compossed dessert tart. I've made them before, and ask anyone who's made them at home, they're a tricky dessert that's best left to the pros. Maybe if I compare it to pasta carbonara or a cheesesteak that might be a better reference point for you. All simple recipes that from various chefs or restaurants yield varying end products. It's not a cultural thing - my ethnicity has nothing to do with the facts that I'm stating. I speak from a culinary standpoint. This link might help you understand the complexity of what you think is a simple dessert. Link to dan tat cookoff in China and Chinese food forum

Egg Custard King offers more than just egg whites only. Per my post above they offer: Egg Yolk Egg White (bleah...who wants dan tat without the yolks?) Portguese Banana Strawberry Honeydew I've had the egg white one. It's the Diet Coke of dan tats. It's the skinless white meat chicken breast of dan tats. Bleah. Not for nothing, it's not bad but it's not great. Where were the various places that you had a dan tat? I've yet to tap into all of the bakeries in Chinatown. I've eaten these pastries all my life and there are distinct difference in the quality of the dan tat. That's what I'm getting at in your post - they're not all the same because they vary in quality much like an apple pie. Or hot dog. Choose your venom.

See it's not that easy and simple as you make it out to be. Like an apple pie (which is a fair comparison), the dan tat's recipe appears to be simple and streamlined but it's not. And there are areas in the recipe like apple pie that can be adjusted that yield various results. You don't address the difference between an oil/water crust versus a lard crust versus the quasi shortbread crust. Or whole milk versus evaporated versus cream versus half and half. Also, there's the technique of handling the dough or filling. Like any flaky pastry or egg based dessert, mistakes are easily made that could affect the outcome. Egg whites?!?!? Who uses only egg whites? Gah, that's not a dan tat.

We do as well here in NYC. Does it work?

The neon green one is honeydew. I respectfully disagree. The filling and crust varies greatly from bakery to bakery. There is a difference. It's like saying all apple pies pretty much taste the same if they're not warm.

Nice, thanks! I'll make sure to try Otto's gelato.

Yes!!!! That one. It's like soy sauce but different.

Chatham Square *is* Hop Sing! Yes, you've got it! Ooh, please share your findings when you do! FG, are you serious?!?!?!?! You dismiss these wonders? These little precious golden gems of silky, creamy, eggy sweet goodness nestled in a flaky, tender crust? Ai ya! *tsk* You loose foodie points for this.

Chatham Square is the chachanteng that serves overstuffed cha siu bao. Is that what you were talking about? Near the OTB? You can get Chinese donuts at the bakeries in Elmhurst and Flushing. I think Tai Pan makes Chinese donuts. What's the Cantonese name of the fried sugar balls? I've never heard of anything like that. Now I'm curious to have some. I do believe the dan zat is an afternoon treat on the weekdays and quite possibly the weekends (after 3pm). I could be mistaken. But I know for sure Mei Lai Wah has the dan zat on the weekends.

Really? Is Otto's gelato better than Il Lab's? I've had San Crispino's gelato and it was out of this world.

Seriously, what *is* Maggie Seasoning and what makes it soooo addictive?

Are you talking about Chatham Square? That one? You can get dan zat (the honey bows) at Mei Lai Wah on weekends only. Dan zats are so good. What are sugar balls? Please describe.

The pink egg custard tart is the strawberry flavored one that's for sale at Egg Custard Tart King. They have the following types of dan tats: Egg Yolk Egg White (bleah...who wants dan tat without the yolks?) Portguese Banana Strawberry Honeydew

Thousand year old eggs plus salted pork with lots of scallions and white pepper on top. Give me a crispy cruller on the side. Well done and freshly fried, please! Sometimes I'm lucky enough to get duck jook at home. My parents will make bak jook and put leftover roast duck on top. Me, I just take the skin and put it on top.

Why is it that most dim sum places do *not* pan fry the lo bah goh until it's a nice golden brown? Why do they only lightly pan fry it? I love the crispy bits and I hate it when it's flabby. Is this normal for them to be lazy on the frying?

Those are rice cakes and they're similar to the rice cakes (ddok, forgive my spelling) that Koreans use. Super yummy! But is a rice cake like a noodle or does it deserve its own thread? I'm surprised no one's talked about yee-fu (E-fu) mein. Braised with lobsters, yum!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database...rib_81804.shtml Try this - it should work now ← That doesn't look like an egg custard tart you find in Chinatown. Nice recipe, though! Here's a Gothamist.com dan tat photo

Egg Custard King does make excellent tarts but I pose this question to you: are they good because they have high turnover and are usually served fresh and warm? Or are they good because they're inherently good? Nothing's better than a hot egg custard tart fresh from the oven. Especially if it was made with either a oil-water crust or (even better) a lard crust. I hate those gross quasi-shortbread crusts that I see in some bakeries (Fai Da Bakery). What the hell is that?!?! I can tell you what makes a bad egg custard tart for me: -Quasi-shortbread crust -Bright, unnatural, neon yellow filling -A filling that's too firm -An artifically flavored filling -One that still has a soggy bottom crust -A crust to filling ratio that's off (more crust than filling. It's a sad egg custard tart that has this. Just sad.) -If it's too small (no mini tarts for me) I dislike the artifical flavors that Egg Custard King has to offer. The honeydew one reminds me of the nuclear power plant that Homer Simpson works in. Ick. My favorite is the standard dan tat (Cantonese for egg custard tart) and then the Portguese dan tat.

MAGGIE SEASONING RULES! I don't know what's in it, but my goodness! I can eat a plain bowl of rice with Maggie on top if I'm in a really lazy mood. It's liquid crack.

Funny. I used 6 egg yolks and no whites for last night's dinner for two. Less pecorino?! Are you sure? It's the cheese that gives it that nice salty taste. Without it, the pasta would be flat tasting. In regards to adding the pasta water, that's up to you. The sauce I made last night with 6 egg yolks (medium sized US farmer's eggs) and a 1/2 wedge of pecorino with 2/3 bacon coated every inch of my pasta very well - but! - did not leave a pool of sauce whatsoever at the bottom. Now I've been trying to recreate this pasta carbonara I had in Rome that was so silky & smooth and I think the secret is the pasta water. I could be wrong, though. Someone should donate to my research project! ETA: That carbonara I had in Rome was bright egg-yolk yellow. I've not seen many carbonaras like that. I figure they used *alot* of yolk which is why I do, too. (Also, b/c I love egg yolks.) My pasta last night was about the same color as this smiley face.

Are we supposed to fry it in lard? What are the traditional sauces that accompany the lo bak goh? I like hoisin and chili sauce but in the dim sum houses they always give me oyster sauce. Which is the "correct" one?

Sure. I'm not saying it's authentic but it's my recipe. While the salted water's boiling for your pasta (of your choice) prepare the following (I used this for a 1/2 box of pasta last nightand I like my stuff rich, so be warned. The ratios may be a bit skewed. I made this for two and had leftovers for breakfast this morning.): A) Separate six eggs, 5 yolks plus one whole egg in a very large bowl. Reserve the 5 white for another use. Grate an obscene amount of percorino cheese into the egg yolks. The more the better! I used 1/2 a wedge (the wedge was 3" long and 1/2" wide) last night. I should've grated the whole thing! Beat the yolk and cheese together. Crack some black pepper into it and set aside. B) Dice 2/3 of a pound of bacon into 1/4" dice. (I ran my knife through them. Nothing fancy) Fry up bacon in a pan until cooked to your liking. I like my bacon slightly chewy so that's how I cooked it up. (You can mix chew and crispy bacon by cooking in staggered batches. Place 1/2 of it in the pan first and then wait a few minutes and throw the other 1/2 in.) C) When the pasta's al dente, drain but *reserve some of the pasta liquid*. This is used to thin out the sauce. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the bacon to the pasta with about a teaspoon of the grease. Stir and wait about a minute to let the pasta cool down just a touch so that when you add it to the eggs, it won't curdle. Add the pasta to the egg-cheese mixture. Toss like crazy and don't stop until every bit of pasta is covered. If it's too thick for your liking, thin it out with a bit of the pasta water. Add more cheese. Enjoy. And go running the next day!