Seafood Village: Chiu Chow, SGV Style

Everything I know about Chiu Chow cuisine, I learned from eating at restaurants representing that regional fare, growing up in Hong Kong. So, what I know may just be the 'Hong Kong version' of chiu chow, but what I do know, I dearly miss when I am in LA: sugar vinegar double fried egg noodle pancakes, oyster omelettes, soy sauce duck parts, stir fried cow spinal cord...

So, I was excited when I read about David Chan, man who has feasted on and documented an incredible volume of meals at Chinese restaurants all over the country.  Surely, he would know where I can get a decent chiu chow meal in LA.  The answer was not what I wanted - there isn't any restaurant, even in the great SGV, that serves such specific and authentic regional Chinese dishes -  but he did have a place that is one of his favorite restaurants in the city, and it just happens to be chiu chow.  I won't be able to get the niche dishes I've been craving, but I will be able to get an excellent meal nonetheless. So it was that I embarked on a journey to Seafood Village in Monterey Park a few weeks back - and was so impressed with my experience that I plan to be back again, and again.

Located in a non-descript strip mall, in a no frills place with specials listed in Chinese only (albeit with photos) along the walls, Seafood Village struck me as very authentic (Chinese) right away.  You're definitely not going to visit for the ambience.  A glance at the menu confirmed, as David said, that the items I wanted were not going to be served there.  But they had some amazing sounding dishes with ingredients that are not seen everywhere even in the SGV.  One of these was the Sauteed Clams with 9-Level Pagoda Basil ($11.99)  - yes, this is the same kind of basil (九層塔) used in the signature lobster at Newport Tan Cang restaurant.  A little sweet, with the slightest hit of spice, often described as 'clove-like'.  Legend has it (because you should believe everything you read on the internet) that the basil got its name when a Chinese emperor was stranded by flooding in a 9-Level Pagoda, and stumbled upon the herb growing on its roof.  Basically our people seem to have to have a story for everything...it does make things more interesting that way.  Whatever the origin of its name, I love this unique tasting herb with shellfish - cuts through the briny flavors and more...robust textured creatures nicely.  The clams are perfectly steamed at Seafood Village in a clear broth with garlic and the foodgasm inducing basil.
 

For the token vegetable dish, and only because my server said the magic words "XO Sauce" and it sounded interesting with a mix of surf and turf in it, I sprang for the Stir-fried Chives with XO Sauce, Dried Shrimp and Ham ($13.99). I never really thought of chives as something you would eat as the main component of a dish - usually it's as flavoring or garnish.  But who knew, the tips of chives look like blushing baby flower buds, and the 'stalks' give off a fresh, delicious crunch when stir fried.  And were perfectly punctuated by pops of dried shrimp, ham and I think bits of squid - along with my beloved savory/spicy/sweet magic XO sauce (a Hong Kong invention usually made of dried shrimp, dried fish, dried scallop, chili peppers and garlic).  And yes, you guessed it - there's a story behind the name XO sauce too: basically Cognac XO was a popular liquor in Hong Kong that had an established brand as the ultimate in luxury, representing refined tastes and wealth - a status good that all self-respecting-consumers-with-fine-palates should aspire to experience. So when this sauce was invented, with all the expensive seafood needed to create just a small amount of sauce - it was decided that naming it XO would be a reflection of its luxurious ingredients, and give it instant appeal to status conscious Hong Kong uber-consumers.  I do love the name of this sauce, but it's really its amazing layers of flavor, that unfurl like the culinary equivalent of a fine aged brandy, just a little different every time, that get me every time.

Then came the House Special Crab ($26.15 for 3lbs, varies with market price) although that works out to less than $10 a pound when I went, it's a minimum of 3lbs per order so best if you go with other people.  I managed to inhale about a quarter of the platter and had to take the rest to go.  This crab is simply amazing - if you go to Seafood Village, don't leave without tasting this.  Chopped garlic, fried to a crisp, spring onion, peppers and salt give it instantly addictive flavor - you can scrape off the stuff and use it as topping for rice and make a delicious meal of that alone - while the meat inside is tender and softly sweet.  The crab is deep fried so you get that tasty crispy coating on the shell that had me frantically trying to scrape off with my teeth.  I'd never had this dish in chiu chow restaurants in Hong Kong - but I'm in love with it now and will definitely be coming back for more.

As typical to old school Chinese restaurants, the meal is finished off with complimentary dessert.  Seafood Village provides Red Bean Soup - this wasn't mind-blowing, but very nicely done and especially lovely because it was free.

Also wanted to take a moment to note the attentive service - the waiters are not here to chat with you, so if you're looking at it from a western perspective, you're not going to think it's great because you don't get the banter here - but with all the seafood they are very quick with replacing dirty plates with clean ones and offering napkins / towels.

All in all, a great meal and one that has turned me from skeptic to fan of SGV-style (or at least, Seafood Village style) chiu chow!  Thanks David Chan for the rec!!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6.5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Seafood Village
684 W Garvey Ave, Monterey Park,CA 91754
Ph: 626.289.0088

Parking:  Free in attached open air lot

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1MB Travels: Hong Kong: Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant

Much as I love my friends, foodie or not, when one says they "really like Chinese food" and gives Panda Express as an example, it makes me really, really, really sad.  I may be completely biased as I consider myself lucky to have grown up with it, and know that 'real' Chinese food does not consist of 'item combo' plates of battered meat that look like they could glow in the dark, or single-note stir-fries, but a nearly limitless feast on an ever-spinning lazy susan of wide-ranging ingredients, unique flavor profiles and regional preparations.

That is why I love Hong Kong - all kinds of regional cuisines running the gamut from haute to homey are a snap of the chopsticks away, that are either not easily accessible or not well done in the U.S.  One of my favorite cuisines is Chiu Chow for its beautifully simple but flavorful dishes.  In my last visit to HK, I was introduced to Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant 百樂潮州 in Causeway Bay, its entrance half hidden in a recessed hallway in an office building.

The only visible sign of the restaurant from the street is a butcher window, that at any standard Chinese restaurant would have marinated chickens, ducks and/or barbecue pork hanging from the racks, but at Pak Loh has whole crabs dangling by their claws.  This is as cold crab is a famous Chiu Chow dish, as possibly the only traditional Chinese cuisine that serves the crustacean cold.

The inside of the restaurant is no frills, unlike the latest western style Chinese restaurants with ostentatious interior design and locations at the top of highrises - but it is clean and comfortable.

Chiu Chow meals always start with a serving of tiny cups of 'Kung Fu Tea' - literally just enough for one mouthful.  I'm told these 'shots' have at least twice the caffeine of normal teas, but have never investigated - it's a little more bitter than regular Chinese teas served at restaurants, and definitely wakes you (and your taste buds?) up before the feast.

We started off with Lo Shui Sliced Goose ("Soyed Goose Slices" on the menu, HK$150 ~$19) 鹵水鹅片.  "Lo Shui" is a type of soy based marinade and a Chiu Chow signature preparation for all kinds of meats.  The goose slices at Pak Loh were tender, and the saltiness well balanced with the sweet & sour dipping sauce (not the Panda Express kind, but a clear, liquid sauce).

Next up is a childhood favorite - Omelette with baby oysters 香煎蠔仔烙.  The name is pretty much self explanatory. This dish is a bit about contrasts - the omelette is fried to a crisp on the outside, which sandwiches the creamy oysters in every bite.  Pak Loh's version was fine, but not as incredible as I've had at other places, mainly because the oysters did not retain their structure, and was sort of an amorphous, gelatinous spread inside the egg.

There is a Chiu Chow dish that I had as a kid, that I had not been able to find in the U.S., which up until Pak Loh I had mistakenly believed to be stir fried bone marrow (which led to the disappointment with American/Italian preparations like roasted bone marrow, which is not the same consistency at all).  The Chinese name is "quat shui" 脊髓- the first word means "bone".  In fear of mad cow disease, my parents had warned me away from this dish in recent years.  However, on this visit I had a huge craving for it and absolutely had to have it before I left.  So my mom kindly relented and ordered up a dish that was named on the menu as Stewed Abalone with...*drum roll*...Boned Goose Web and Cow's Spinal Cord (HK$118 ~US$15) 鹅掌脊髓.  Yep, big revelation that surprised even my parents.  In terms of consistency, cow spinal cord sort of feels like gnocchi, but a bit firmer and more chewy, without the separation of shell and filling, and tube-shaped.  I haven't found anything else that tastes and feels like this - so although the thought of what it is may be a little appalling, since I grew up with this dish and like the taste and feel, it didn't bother me.  Boneless goose web (which I'd never had) functioned the same as the baby corn and mushrooms, to offset the tender chewy pieces with crunch.

Another childhood favorite is "Tong Cho Mein" ("Fried Crispy E-fu Noodles served with Sugar and Vinegar" on menu, HK$88 ~US$11) 乾煎糖醋麵.  This is like a pancake of thin egg noodles pan-fried on both sides to a beautiful golden brown, which you then season with vinegar and sugar - and is a shining example of sweet and sour done right.  Every mouthful is a combination of crispy, chewy, light crunch from the granulated sugar that lends sweetness to the savory noodles, and vinegar to hydrate the mix and provide a burst of sour to counterbalance the sweet.

Simple, yet deliciously designed layers of flavor and texture.

We finished off the meal with 'Crystal Baos' ("Steamed Sweet Crystal Dumplings" on menu, HK$24 ~US$3) 水晶包 - another Chiu Chow signature dish, so named for the transparent mochi-like dough wrapped surrounding lotus seed paste.  In this case, two types of lotus seed paste are served up - red and white.  At Pak Loh the crystal bao dough was perfectly chewy, and the paste was smooth and served at just the right right temperature - hot but not enough to scorch the roof of your mouth.

All in all, a lovely family dinner.  As expected at the end of a Chiu Chow meal, the same tea served at the beginning is also offered at the end (the better to wake you up from food coma, because you WILL overeat) before stepping out into the night. 

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 5 bites
Originality - 5 bites
Ambience - 5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 5.5 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 90%

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Hong Kong
Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant 百樂潮州
G/F 23-25 Hyson Ave., Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Ph: 852-2576-8886

Website: pakloh.com
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