“Wow, that’s the best one of ‘X’ I ever had” was our mantra for this delightful meal.  Which was good, as Rowland Heights was quite the hike.  We have been to most of the famous and not-so-famous dim sum haunts across LA, but this one was definitely one of the most impressive.  We liked it all, but meeting the “best one of ‘X’ I ever had” criteria include:

Siu Mei:  Exceptionally succulent, garnished with a slice  of chinese sausage
Fun Zhao (Chicken Feet): Very large sections with the right touch of five spice and some nice kick
Shrimp noodles, Har Gow, Seafood Dumpling:  Shrimp steamed to just cooked so texture was spot on.  Each type of noodle was very thin, not doughy at all.
Congee:  Easily the best congee we have ever had.  The rice porridge had a depth of flavor from pork and chicken and just the right touch of thousand-year-old egg.
Tripe:  Not Greasy, Not Chewy!  Generous portion served over braised daikon chunks.  Better than I have had in France.
Taro Cake: Not mealy – very smooth texture and just the right amount of pork flavor. 

And two other highlights we never had before:
Bitter melon + seafood: Slices of bitter melon stuffed with seafood mix in a savory pork/chicken broth.  Part stew, part soup, the bitter melon was cooked to tenderness and the broth accentuated it beautifully.  A delicate and delightful dish, and a great low-carb option!
Almond “Soup”:  This was unbelievable.  Served in ceramic terrine and covered with a layer of flaky puff pastry, this dessert item consisted of a delicate almond milk broth (served warm) with an amazingly pure almond flavor.  As I enjoyed it, I was visualizing someone milking almonds the way one would milk a cow.  This was far better than almond soups I have had in fine European restaurants.  Incredible.   I am craving more now. 

We got there at 11:30AM on a sunday and waited about 40 min. Service was friendly, we were able to communicate reasonably well to the point where we had waitstaff seeking out special requests for us.  They brought us extra chili oil and we didn’t even have to ask.

I have read that a favorite at this restaurant is the duck tongue.  This was unavailable during our visit but we do plan on going back and trying it.

Prices are a bit lower than than average.  Our bill was $45 but we easily ordered enough food for 6 people.  Our fridge is quite full with leftovers. 

To quote Scot:  “This dim sum has the best combination of texture and flavor I have had in LA.  Most places tend to have one or the other, this one has both.”

Hong Kong Palace