Saturday, December 15, 2012

Jasmine Seafood Restaurant

Shrimp har gow


Chinese broccoli


Turnip cake cart--it was hard to get a good picture since it was right behind me, but we were charmed by the lady grilling the cakes right there in the aisle. Fun!


Turnip cake


Taro thing


Flaky pork thing


Shrimp noodle, yum.  The noodle part was more delicate
and less gloopy than others we've had.


Foreground, BBQ pork bun.  Background, egg custard bun.


"Soup" dumplings -- not very fresh, so no soup any more!


Potstickers.


Sesame balls, still warm and so good!  Anna even liked them
despite having overdosed on them as a child --
 her mom worked at a Chinese restaurant and brought them home all the time. 



Rating: Two thumbs up
Date: 12/15/12
Time in: 12 PM
Time out: 1:33 PM
Servers' recommendations: Chicken feet (we really pressed her for a recommendation and I (Jenne) wondered if she recommended that to freak us out on purpose!)
What we ordered: Dim sum
Number in our party: 5 (Laura, Kate, and Anna as guest judges)
Final check amount: $69.07
Notes:   
  • The restaurant is huge, loud, and festive.  It feels like you're at a wedding or a giant graduation party.
  • We broke our rule and did not order the chicken feet.  Jenne wanted to, but I have a horror of chicken feet.  Shudder.  They look like they're going to grab onto your shirt. 
  • The cart ladies were very nice and didn't mind us constantly asking what things were.
  • The shrimp har gow was simple, but tasty.  A good baseline starter.
  • The strong fishy flavor in the turnip cake was surprising, but most of us liked it once we got used to it. 
  • The greens were good, not overcooked.
  • The filling could be better for the BBQ bao.
  • The fried taro was lukewarm -- it would be much better hot.
  • The shrimp noodle was QUITE delicious.  Better than China Max's!
  • I thought that the meat filling in the potstickers should be pureed a bit more. It was a bit gristly.
  • Favorites:
    • Anna: Any steamed bun, potstickers, flaky BBQ pork pastry
    • Kate: Greens, sesame balls, flaky BBQ pork pastry
    • Jenne: Shrimp noodle, sesame balls
    • Laura: Shrimp noodle, flaky BBQ pork pastry
    • Miko: Shrimp noodle
  • If you want to experience the crazy but fun chaos of dim sum on carts, go to Jasmine!  If you'd like a more relaxed atmosphere where you can talk, go to China Max!  Just don't ever go to Emerald!
RESTAURANT INFORMATION    
Address: 4609 Convoy St
Phone number: 858.268.0888
Website: http://www.jasmineseafood.com/jsr/html/home.html
Accepts credit cards? Yes, but they take a maximum of only 2 cards per bill.
Parking: Crowded shared lot
Ideal group size: Any, as long as you're willing to wait
Noise level: 3.5

2 comments:

  1. Looks so great.
    I wish we had something similar in my area, nowdays it's all trendy places, one is all bao, the others are mostly dim sum, nothing to cover the vast majority of dishes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aw, too bad! You should come visit!

    ReplyDelete