NJ eGullet Dinner at China 46

[tommy]

no expert, but i'm pretty sure there are several versions of "soup dumplings".  perhaps the version you had in china was from a different region of china?

I was in the Shanghai region, Hangzhou, so it was Shanghai style Chinese..And even suring the time I was in the Southern Provinces, namely Guanzhou where the consulate is, htere are a variety of style restaurants...that's where i had the dumplings, but they were definitely in a Shanghai style restaurant..they are very distinctive from

the Cantonese ones.

you know what it was, then: the places you went didn't make them very well. they didn't capture that "balance" that China 46 does. no need to knock people over the head with crab flavor. you gotta *work* for it.

[KatieLoeb]

any sunday you want to take a drive up the Turnpike you just give me a holler. 

Thanks Tommy! I'll do that. Maybe if we do a dinner at Mie Thai or the sushi place in Colt's Neck I'll have a built in excuse. Not that I need one...

[=Mark]

Bad news... Went by the Colts Neck sushi place today and it looks pretty defunct.

Maybe coquille or KimWB could set up a central Jerset event around Princeton or Hightstown that would be accessible to the NY, NJ, Pa contingent? Anyone?

[pixelchef]

Could someone point out who is who in the photos of table1 and table2? :/

[Kim WB]

Maybe coquille or KimWB could set up a central Jerset event around Princeton or Hightstown that would be accessible to the NY, NJ, Pa contingent?  Anyone?

Mark, I'm waiting to see if Lou finds a place for a Fink's pig roast...otherwise, I have a few options I have already looked into...Tje WB family has just put in an offer on a new home, its an old one that needs a lot of work...in Trenton...so I'm not volunteering until I get a better idea of how that's working out. But I'll gladly find a venue for a pig roast!

K.

[jhlurie]

Bad news...  Went by the Colts Neck sushi place today and it looks pretty defunct. 

Maybe coquille or KimWB could set up a central Jerset event around Princeton or Hightstown that would be accessible to the NY, NJ, Pa contingent?  Anyone?

Well, its hardly Princeton, but there's always Penang--Malaysian cuisine. Two excellent New Jersey locations. Actually I've only been in the East Hanover one, but I've heard that the Edison one is good and that's certainly not outrageously far from ANY of us--its kind of smack dab in the middle, right?

[Kim WB]

Bad news...  Went by the Colts Neck sushi place today and it looks pretty defunct.

Maybe coquille or KimWB could set up a central Jerset event around Princeton or Hightstown that would be accessible to the NY, NJ, Pa contingent?  Anyone?

Well, its hardly Princeton, but there's always Penang--Malaysian cuisine. Two excellent New Jersey locations. Actually I've only been in the East Hanover one, but I've heard that the Edison one is good and that's certainly not outrageously far from ANY of us--its kind of smack dab in the middle, right?

Jon, a branch DID just open in Princeton...and my first two luch visits were disappointing..oversauced Chinese to me......However, I've always gone during lunch rush hour, and gotten the "lunch special"...I have a friend, who has a malaysian housekeeper, who has promised to accompany me there after their return from a vacation..in order to learn about the cuisine, and judge it fairly. Also, my son's roommate at boarding school is part Malaysian, and he is staying with us in two weeks, so I am hoping to get his opinion, and his Malaysian mother is picking him up 4th of July weekend..( she is a noted fashion designer, will be in France while I have her son...I think she is famous, I am not up on such things. She is thin, young and beautiful, for what its worth! ) I am hoping to discuss the cuisine with her as well. So I figure, a housekeeper and a jet setter, between t he two I should be able to learn about the cuisine and determine if Panang is the real deal!

However, I am really enthused about a central NJ Pig Roast..the location I have in mind is almost dead center in the state..I hope we dont' loose steamon that..but its all up to Fink, whom I have never met! But I'm working on that.

[awbrig]

Cool Pics. That Shanghai Shrimp looks awesome!

[KatieLoeb]

There's a Penang Chinatown location in Philadelphia. I agree with Kim. The food just doesn't awe me. It tastes good but is very oily and heavy by comparison with other Asian cuisines I enjoy.

Central Jersey Fink's pig roast is definitely sounding worthy of a road trip!

[jhlurie]

The thing to be careful of with Penang is that there are several competing franchises with the exact same name which don't have the same people running it. Perhaps, discreetly ask in these locations if they are under the same ownership as the East Hanover and Edison versions of Penang. Please note that the website for the Penang franchise I eat at does NOT currently mention either Philadelphia or Princeton, although its certainly possible that they simply haven't updated the website.

Or its a different Penang.

That said, its certainly not a better suggestion than the Pig roast. Its just something to consider putting in the long-term queue.

Edited June 15, 2003 by jhlurie (log)

[tommy]

There's a Penang Chinatown location in Philadelphia.  I agree with Kim.  The food just doesn't awe me.   It tastes good but is very oily and heavy by comparison with other Asian cuisines I enjoy.

Central Jersey Fink's pig roast is definitely sounding worthy of a road trip! 

me three. on both points.

how's bout's a pig roast thread, so we can keep this one "clean", and so others might see it.

edit: wait, i think fat guy started one a while back. why aren't we there? i'm so confused. nevermind. i need a coffee.

Edited June 15, 2003 by tommy (log)

[=Mark]

There's a Penang Chinatown location in Philadelphia.  I agree with Kim.  The food just doesn't awe me.   It tastes good but is very oily and heavy by comparison with other Asian cuisines I enjoy.

Central Jersey Fink's pig roast is definitely sounding worthy of a road trip! 

me three. on both points.

how's bout's a pig roast thread, so we can keep this one "clean", and so others might see it.

edit: wait, i think fat guy started one a while back. why aren't we there? i'm so confused. nevermind. i need a coffee.

Ya mean this?

[Kim WB]

edited, I meant to add this comment to the Pig Raost thread!

Edited June 15, 2003 by Kim WB (log)

[Fat Guy]

Are we still waiting for the full report on the actual food we ate at the dinner?

[jhlurie]

Are we still waiting for the full report on the actual food we ate at the dinner?

We ate food. It was good. I had a beer. We stood outside and stared at the seedy motel next door.

The End.

(Sigh. There goes my imminent career as a food writer.)

[Jason Perlow]

Are we still waiting for the full report on the actual food we ate at the dinner?

Yes, coquille was supposed to do the writeup.

[Kim WB]

The thing to be careful of with Penang is that there are several competing franchises with the exact same name which don't have the same people running it.  Perhaps, discreetly ask in these locations if they are under the same ownership as the East Hanover and Edison versions of Penang.  Or its a different Penang. But I have not independently confirmed this...I'm just not up to another lousy lunch in order to ask!

Working on totally second hand info, from the waitress at my favorite sushi bar, Penang is affiliated with the Edison one. She used to work at Penang in Edison.

[coquille]

My First eGullet Event

by coquille

OK, there was so much that went on at this event, it’s hard for me to know where to begin – plus, since we were at 2 tables, I can’t offer a complete picture of what everyone thought. But, Mark, Bara Sapir, Rosie, Lowell, Kim, Tommy, Brodsky, DoubleO, Rachel Perlow, Jason Perlow, jluhrie, Steven Shaw, Ellen, Jenny (Steven’s mom), Nick, coquille, Brian, and Maria were all on hand to chow down on about a bazillion courses and to down a bunch of alcoholic libations. A run-down:

Appetizers: Spicy Kelp – not on the original list, but a welcome start to the meal. A mound of “sea noodles” with a kick, it was popular at our table.

Pork Soup Dumplings – Very delicate, but not lacking in taste… Jason’s pix and Kim’s description say it all – other than “mmm!”

Pan Fried Shanghai Buns – Nicely fluffy dough, but I would have liked the filling to have a bit more spunk; a drizzle of the dipping sauce brought it all together, though

Spicy Capsicum Cellophane Noodles – with bits of chicken and shrimp on top, this dish was all about the right balance of “textured heat”. And cilantro on top was a bright addition.

Scallion Pancake Deluxe – not sure what made them deluxe – seemed like a standard scallion pancake to me, but that fit the bill quite nicely.

Ox Tongue and Tripe in Hot Sauce – the tongue had a bit of a corned beef texture, which was fine by me, but the tripe may be best summed up by the “Ew” that reached me from somewhere across the table. Chewy with no purpose, in my book. I don’t get the impression this was a bit hit.

Jellyfish – not sure of the prep on this – this was another surprise addition to the menu. Tough and cartiledgy, Rosie compared it to eating someone’s earlobe. Kim summed it up as, “Very yucky.”

Soup: Fish Head Casserole – Rich, nicely seasoned broth, but it was like “Fish Surprise” – a tail here, a facial bone there, and lots of flabby skin were all things that needed to be eaten around. Looked like what gets washed ashore on a bad beach day. I think straining these elements out would have made this more enjoyable. I’ll happily take the chef’s word for it that there are plenty of fish heads involved in the recipe, but I don’t really need the entire corpse floating about. More broth, less flotsam.

Mains: Ruby Pork with Sesame Buns – lovely flavor, but the pork product was awfully fatty (maybe I just got the wrong pieces). An extremely tasty combination, though, when an actual piece of meat was stuffed with some greens in a piece of toasty, flaky sesame bun.

Salt and Pepper Softshell Crab – Hands down the winning dish of the evening. The flavor in the batter was remniscent of fried Vietnamese springrolls, and the sauteed green peppers mixed in with the bed of lettuce were a delightful surprise. Super.

Shanghai Jumbo Shrimp (shell on) – The shrimp (perhaps a little overcooked?) provided nice variety, and the broccoli was a great conduit for the lightly sweet sauce.

Stir Fried Greens with Garlic – Straightforward, nicely prepared bok choy, but I didn’t get much of a hit of garlic.

Sea Cucumber and Pork Tendon in Shrimp Roe Sauce – this dish confused me. A seemingly random combination of ingredients and textures that I did not find enjoyable . Furthermore, I was not convinced that this was a shrimp roe sauce – seemed more of a “generic brown-sauce”. However, to be fair, this was better than the jellyfish.

Aromatic Chicken Stuffed with Sweet Sticky Rice – I envision this being on the table in “A Christmas Story”. Tasty dish, though sometimes a little tough to distinguish between bird and starch, as it was so meltingly tender that it almost all melded together. Chinese comfort food.

Beef with Vegetable in Roast Pepper Sauce – nice kick, but I had major problems with the texture of the beef. Maybe I just got a bum piece or two, but it seemed rather gristly.

Fresh Bacon Sauteed in Spicy Sauce – not especially bacony, but a pure spiciness came through in the sauce. Our table was very pleased with this dish.

Dessert: Pancake Stuffed with Sweet Red Bean Paste – crepelike flavor in the dough and a subtle filling made this a very pleasing dessert. Kim says she usually gets it with confectioner’s sugar dusted on top, and I could see that being a nice addition. But this was very tasty and a great match for the dessert wine. Was it DoubleO who called these “Chinese Fig Newtons”?

Wine Flavored Sweet Rice Ball in Soup – Lightly sweet “broth” with bits of white rice (picture diner chicken soup) and little rice “gnocchi” remniscent of tiny bay scallops. Perfect flavor to go with the dessert wine, but those rice balls were disconcerting. Tommy likened the texture to bubble gum, and it’s true that chewing had very little effect on the critters. Basically, a bowl of starch.

Oranges – please tell me I don’t need to describe these?

All in all, a very interesting and filling! dinner. I love when others design the menu, as I wind up trying things I would never pick out on my own, but I want to go back and try some other items that caught my eye while reviewing the menu I picked up .

It would be nice to hear some of the comments from “the other table”…

[Kim WB]

Jellyfish – Rosie compared it to eating someone’s earlobe.  Kim summed it up as, “Very yucky.” 

Thanks Coquille...hmmm..I really have a way with words!

[Rachel Perlow]

Soup: Fish Head Casserole – Rich, nicely seasoned broth, but it was like “Fish Surprise” – a tail here, a facial bone there, and lots of flabby skin were all things that needed to be eaten around.

Oh no, I think you missed something here. Unless you are 100% sure that it was fish skin, I think what you are describing is the cellophane noodle, which is an integral part of this soup, according to Ed, eGullet's Chinese Cuisine Coordinator. The broth was so good, even Jason ate it, and he usually avoids most things fishy.

As I wrote above, I agree with you about the scallion pancake, they were good, but "deluxe"?

[Kim WB]

Interesting, sometimes your first impressions of the meal can change, depending on what you remember..and truthfully, as much as I loved the Crabs,a nd soup dumplings, its this fish head soup that I recall the most distinctly, and enjoyed the most. I'm really glad it was part of the menu..you guys did a great job with that menu, BTW.

[Fat Guy]

Pork Soup Dumplings – Very delicate, but not lacking in taste… Jason’s pix and Kim’s description say it all – other than “mmm!”

These were excellent examples, as good or better than what I've had at Joe's Shanghai et al. I prefer crab-and-pork, as a general rule, and I don't find the whole soup-dumpling phenomenon to be as overwhelmingly compelling as many people do (to me, it's mostly a novelty food, without a legitimate taste-basis for the preparation), but these were as good a specimen as one could hope for.

Pan Fried Shanghai Buns – Nicely fluffy dough, but I would have liked the filling to have a bit more spunk; a drizzle of the dipping sauce brought it all together, though.

I've been eating a lot of these lately in Manhattan's C-town, and these were better than any I've had. The genre is bland -- that's not the fault of the China 46 kitchen -- and it's mostly about texture, which was in this case superb.

Spicy Capsicum Cellophane Noodles – with bits of chicken and shrimp on top, this dish was all about the right balance of “textured heat”.  And cilantro on top was a bright addition.

This dish was awesome; I was surprised at the lack of enthusiasm people displayed for it. I personally consumed approximately half our table's ration.

Scallion Pancake Deluxe – not sure what made them deluxe – seemed like a standard scallion pancake to me, but that fit the bill quite nicely.

I thought these sucked. Doughy and unremarkable.

Ox Tongue and Tripe in Hot Sauce – the tongue had a bit of a corned beef texture, which was fine by me, but the tripe may be best summed up by the “Ew” that reached me from somewhere across the table.  Chewy with no purpose, in my book.  I don’t get the impression this was a bit hit.

Jellyfish – not sure of the prep on this – this was another surprise addition to the menu.  Tough and cartiledgy, Rosie compared it to eating someone’s earlobe.  Kim summed it up as, “Very yucky.” 

Like coquille, I'm glad we got these dishes, because I'd never order them on my own. I didn't particularly like either, but was glad for the experience.

Soup: Fish Head Casserole – Rich, nicely seasoned broth, but it was like “Fish Surprise” – a tail here, a facial bone there, and lots of flabby skin were all things that needed to be eaten around.  Looked like what gets washed ashore on a bad beach day.  I think straining these elements out would have made this more enjoyable.  I’ll happily take the chef’s word for it that there are plenty of fish heads involved in the recipe, but I don’t really need the entire corpse floating about.  More broth, less flotsam.

I agree the flotsam was unappetizing, but that doesn't stop me from thinking this was the dish of the evening. A brilliantly complex soup.

Mains: Ruby Pork with Sesame Buns – lovely flavor, but the pork product was awfully fatty (maybe I just got the wrong pieces).  An extremely tasty combination, though, when an actual piece of meat was stuffed with some greens in a piece of toasty, flaky sesame bun.

Crappy pork, well prepared.

Salt and Pepper Softshell Crab – Hands down the winning dish of the evening.  The flavor in the batter was remniscent of fried Vietnamese springrolls, and the sauteed green peppers mixed in with the bed of lettuce were a delightful surprise.  Super.

There seemed to be disagreement between the tables on this dish. It's the only dish where there was overflow of food from our table to the other table. In other words, we didn't finish ours, because nobody at my table thought they were particularly special. I thought they were over-breaded, kind of like the scallion pancakes. There were 4 or 5 other dishes that our table took from the other table in order to finish them -- this was the only one that flowed the other way.

Shanghai Jumbo Shrimp (shell on) – The shrimp (perhaps a little overcooked?) provided nice variety, and the broccoli was a great conduit for the lightly sweet sauce.

Crappy shrimp, well prepared.

Sea Cucumber and Pork Tendon in Shrimp Roe Sauce – this dish confused me.  A seemingly random combination of ingredients and textures that I did not find enjoyable .  Furthermore, I was not convinced that this was a shrimp roe sauce – seemed more of a “generic brown-sauce”.  However, to be fair, this was better than the jellyfish. 

This was the one dish that neither table finished and neither table took off the other table's hands.

Aromatic Chicken Stuffed with Sweet Sticky Rice – I envision this being on the table in “A Christmas Story”.  Tasty dish, though sometimes a little tough to distinguish between bird and starch, as it was so meltingly tender that it almost all melded together.  Chinese comfort food.

Very similar to a dish we had at the NY banquet, though not as skin-oriented. Again reminded me of European-Jewish comfort food.

Beef with Vegetable in Roast Pepper Sauce – nice kick, but I had major problems with the texture of the beef.  Maybe I just got a bum piece or two, but it seemed rather gristly.

Crappy beef, well prepared.

Fresh Bacon Sauteed in Spicy Sauce – not especially bacony, but a pure spiciness came through in the sauce.  Our table was very pleased with this dish.

The taste we identify with bacon comes mostly from curing and smoking, so uncured-unsmoked bacon doesn't taste like bacon. The only dishes where I really like fresh bacon are braised dishes, like they're doing at a few of the French and New American restaurants these days. This dish didn't have much appeal to me. I also think they gave us the leanest possible pieces, because that's what Westerners tend to like, when in fact this dish tastes much better when made with bacon that is almost all fat.

I've never had a particularly good Chinese dessert (other than fresh fruit and the like) and the desserts at this banquet did nothing to make a convert of me.

Great ordering job by Rachel and Jason, and a terrific meal overall -- there were a few disappointing dishes but also several big hits. And hanging out with the people from New Jersey really wasn't that bad.

[Jason Perlow]

In my opinion, C46's best shrimp dish is their Salt and Pepper shrimp. But since we did the salt and pepper soft shells, we opted to do a different one.

BTW you guys forgot about the noodle dish, the sauteed rice cakes with shredded pork. That one is always one of my favorites.

[Fat Guy]

Yes, I saw it go out to another table and it looked really nice. Smaller shrimp (probably from a completely different source) than the ten-ton frozen ones we got in our shrimp dish.

[Fat Guy]

BTW you guys forgot about the noodle dish, the sauteed rice cakes with shredded pork. That one is always one of my favorites.

You're right. That was a great dish. That's one of the dishes we took off the other table's hands, and we could have eaten a whole 'nother plate of it even though it came late in the meal.

Anybody want to comment on all the wines and on that Korean fire-water stuff I brought?