Han Dynasty

I have heard so much about the Han Dynasty in Royersford and its outpost in Exton. The owner is a stickler for authenticity; he gets upset when people order the bastardized American Chinese food; its fiercely hot Sichuan cuisine; but more importantly, the food is really quite good. I wanted to visit the place. I have put it on the list but somehow I just never made it out that way. I even had made an attempt to go there with friends after one of our visits to the Sly Fox brew pub but the ½ price appetizers specials at the bar got us first. I still can’t believe we gave up Chinese food for chicken wings and fried mozzarellas.

Somehow, the eating god was on our side. Since I was too lame to trek out to Han, Han came to me. When I heard scuttlebugs that Han Dynasty owner Han Chiang was taking over the defunct Joe Poon restaurant in Old City, I started salivating. On a bitter cold windy winter night, after a brief stop at Eulogy for a pre-dinner beer, I finally stepped through the front door of Han Dynasty with a few intrepid dining buddies.

Since none of us know much about Sichuan cuisine, we asked Han to turn the heat up and surprise us (Well, we did tell him that our two lady diners were not as daring so just not to let them know if there’s anything “extraordinary” in the dish).

Dan Dan Noodles. Han came back to us with an aromatic bowl of noodles topped with a smart looking meat sauce. The fragrance of peanut, sesame, and meat permutated the air as he mixed the content in the bowl in front of us. The meat sauce was of the drier sort with distinct [bacon type] crispiness in the meat. There was a wealth of flavor coming from the bowl. A bit of heat, peanut, earthiness, sweetness, meatiness…; but unlike the last Dan Dan Noodles we had in Chinatown, this wasn’t swimming in grease.

Beef and Tripe in Chili Oil

This very traditional and popular Sichuan cold appetizer came drenched in flavors of herbs, sesame oil, mild sweetness, and lots of heat. The tripe was tender but the kitchen managed to maintain its slight chewy characteristic by not over-braising it to mush but yet able to get rid of that gamey organ taste. The beef was sliced paper thin. I particularly enjoyed the chopped peanuts and sesame sprinkled on top. They added texture and contrast to this winner.

Dumplings in Chili Oil

Learn something new every day: No chili oils are alike. In Sichuan cooking, there is a different chili oil concoction for every different dish. A sweeter, much less spicy, heavier dark soy sauce based sauce was used to marinate these al dente prepared dumplings. The dumplings were filled with little morsels of minced meat (pork, I think). The dough itself was a bit thick for my taste since I am used to the Cantonese style with a thinner yet more delicate skin. I did, however, enjoy these heartier pasta like dumplings although I would prefer the filling to be more, filling. A little more meat never hurts.

Stir-fried Peapod Leaves

The vegetable was not as soft as it could be and there was definitely too much salt in it. Regardless, it was a good diversion from the orgy of spices in our mouths, sort of like an intermezzo to cleanse the palates.

Fish in Dry Hotpot

Before this dish arrived at the table, one of my friends already proclaimed, ”Oh-no, my bald spot is sweating.” Fortunately, this dish was only “slightly” spicy even though the amount of red chili peppers was plenty evidenced in the pot. The grouper was tastefully seasoned. It was flaky, tender, and fell apart in my mouth. The fish was accompanied by plenty of crunchy and snappy bamboo shoots, carrots, green peppers, ginger, celery, and mushrooms. I have been known not to like fish since most kitchens overcook it but I did enjoy this concoction.

Pork Belly

More heat. The pork belly was steamed then stir-fried with hot peppers and scallions. The meat had the consistency of crispy bacon and braised meat with the crispiness on the outside and the tenderness within. There was a sweetness coming from within the heat generated from the peppers and spices. The fat in the belly also had made this dish delicious and extremely decadent.

Pork Belly in Garlic Sauce

Unlike the other pork belly dish, this one was served at room temperature with cucumber and bamboo shoots. The pork belly was sliced thin and very well prepared but the star of the dish was the sauce. It had heat, it had spice, and it carried lots of sweet garlic flavor. It was so addictive to me that I was spooning it on rice to soak up the maximum flavor.

Xiang Chong

Xiang Chong is the sweeter and more fragant version of the Lap Chong family of dried Chinese sausages. Unlike the Cantonese varities, xiang chang is plumper, less dried, and sweeeter. It is usually closely identified with Taiwanese food.

This dish was simpley steamed, sliced, and served. Eash bite rewarded me with a candy sweet taste in my mouth followed by tasty grease running through my teeth. Yes, it was juicy, it was flavorsome, it was not spicy, but it did pack lot of fat.

Bok Choy with Mushroom

A vegetable dish that made us feel less guilty about eating greasy Chinese food.

I love bok choy, especially the smaller Shanghainese varity but somehow this dish just wasn’t doing anyhting for me. It was a very pretty looking dish with the bok choy neatly arranged in a floral patten topped with Chinese black mushroom in the middle. The vegetables were cooked nicely but there was something missing. May be a bit more seasoning; may be some spice? My mouth could have been OD-ed from spicy food, but I just couldn’t taste anything from this dish. The sauce was bland.

Fish in Hot Sauce

Another dish with another different hot sauce. Large chunks of grouper swimming in a nicely spiced broth with a multi-dimensional depth of heat. The fish was well prepared and the sauce was scrumptious.

There are some definitely differences in the sauces, some subtle, some obvious. It’s like good red Bordeaux; they are alike but they are different. I asked Han what’s in this sauce. “Very involved in the making,” was his reply.

 

Triple Fried Pig Intestine with Green and Red Chili Peppers.


This was one of the most phenomenally splendid dishes we ever had. It’s crunchy. It’s slightly chewy. It’s tender. It had oomph. It had a sweet spicy salty taste from the seasoning plus the heat from the red and green chili pepper. It was just pure awesomeness!

The intestine was braised, then flash fried, taken out; flash fried, taken out; and flash fried again to attain its crispiness and to prevent it from getting too dried out from the frying. We totally enjoyed this dish as our lady diners were getting grossed out by it. Their lost, our gain.

 

Dumpling Soup.


We were going to go the Franklin Fountain for dessert after the spicy dishes, until Han dropped off small bowls of sweet dumpling soup in front of us.

There are as many different types of dumplings in Chinese food as the number of people in China. There are dumplings as dim sum, dumplings as snacks, dumplings as meal, dumplings as dessert…

Among the egg-drop in the sweet broth of this soup were little balls of dumpling made with sticky rice flours with a small dap of sweet bean paste in the middle. I have never found Chinese desserts to be too exciting for me and this soup did not disappoint. It was not overly sweet but it was not anything special besides looking a lot like a bowl of sweetened egg-drop soup. However, those little dumplings in the size of large malt ball candies were quite delightful on their own. The slightly chewy sticky rice flour dough with the sweet bean paste inside made a nice yet not over the top finish to an amazingly simulating meal.

We came to a conclusion at the end. Most of the dishes were lip numbing spicy but the heat did not linger. At the end of the meal, we remembered all the different spices that had passed through our mouth, but they were no longer burning our lips. The heat was simulating but not excruciating. It was like a tourist passing through a city instead of a mother-in-law staying over for a while.

In the sea of mediocre Chinese restaurants in the city, this one is a real standout.

P.S. We brought our own to Han Dynasty since it did not have a liquor license yet. Unless you are a hardcore Chinese who sips cognac with his meal, beer does go very well with spicy Chinese food. I prefer ale or lager on the sweeter side and would stay away from real hoppy or the darker varieties.

Romance at the Four Seasons

There is no better place to celebrate Valentine’s Day than the Fountain Room at the Four Seasons.* This restaurant holds a special place in our hearts with its food, its service, fine atmosphere and the many special occasions that we have celebrated there. Even after several executive chef changes throughout the years since we have been visiting the dining room, we have hardly noticed any difference and it has never failed to amaze us at every visit.


We went for the Valentine’s Day Tasting Menu which was available for us in advance of the Valentine’s Day and let our sommelier, Scott Turnbull, match the wines for us.

Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, Wonton Skin, Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette

 

The crabmeat in this amusée bouche was indeed jumbo and lumpy. I liked the use of the wonton skin as a vehicle to transport the crabmeat into the mouth. I did not find much taste from the skin itself which I suspect was intentional but I could not say the same about the refreshing strawberry champagne vinaigrette which was very enjoyable.

 
 
 
 

Ragoût of Grilled Langoustine, Steamed Mussels, Saffron Pool, Fennel Pollen
 
The aroma of grilled food followed by seafood hit my noise when the dish was put in front of me. I love the taste of grilled food and this langoustine offered plenty of such flavors with the smell and taste momentarily had my mind wondering to the Mediterranean. The piece was served split in half lengthwise and although not as meaty as I had expected, it was grilled perfectly. The mussels were moist, plump, and tenderly cooked to just the right texture. The dish was completed with a very subtle and buttery smooth saffron sauce. Yes, I would like to emphasis the word “buttery”. I guess that’s what made the sauce tasted so good.


Macabéo Blend, Cava, Avinyo, Pénédès, Spain, NV
 
This non-vintage bubbly had a nice sauvignon blanc nose. The semi-sweetness of the wine complemented the grilled langoustine particularly well. I have always been pleasantly surprised by sparkling wines from different parts of the world.

Italian Parsley Soup, Crispy Frog Legs, Prosciutto, Toasted Garlic Petals
 
“Froggies swimming in a pond!” That’s what Tourist Tree called this soup. I just called it “Green!” Well, it was a parsley soup after all and very green in color indeed with lots of green flavor. I particularly liked the addition of the small pieces of the Prosciutto which had brought an additional depth to the soup. The “froggies” were good. I found them a little bit on the chewy side although Tourist Tree thought they were OK. We had several frog dishes lately in area restaurants but yet I still haven’t seen one that can match those found in Chinatown where the frogs are swimming live in the tank before they were cooked.
 
Cortese di Gavi, Gavi, Broglia, Piedmont, Italy 2008
 
This wine was a little sweet, a little tart, and moderately fruity. It went very well with the greenness of the soup.

Foie Gras, Almond Butter Pain Perdu, Mandarin Orange

Instead of the “froggies swimming in a pond”, I took a detour for the “duck in a pond”. The foie gras was seared until the outer caramelized but leaving the inside liquidly tender. As with the many times I had this at the Fountain previously, it was done perfectly. What was new to me was the interesting accompaniment of the slivers of almonds sprinkled on top, the almond butter pain perdu, and the mandarin orange. The chef took liberty into making the little French toast into a buttery flakey concoction which had added a substantial contrast in texture and taste to the foie gras. This was further enhanced with a sauce that had pieces of mandarin orange and very thin strips of candied rind. I particularly enjoyed the pleasantly surprising discovery of the citrus in the sauce that gave a very refreshing touch to the heaviness of the foie gras. A winning combination!

Long Vineyard, Johannesburg Riesling, St. Helena

“With our slight detour, I want you to try something different…” Our sommelier said as he was pouring the wine for me. Despite traditional wisdom, I am not a huge fan of sauterne with foie gras since a lot of those I have tasted were too sweet for the dish or my preference. This Riesling carried a nice note of lemon and sweetness. I found it sweet but in a light refreshingly way that the sweetness was very well suited to the dish.

Santé Muscovy Duck Breast, Foie Gras Pierogi, Wild Mushroom, Mâche Lettuce Salad, Game Vinaigrette


This dish was beautifully presented. There were even little dots of sauce in a pattern to resemble a duck’s tail on the plate. The meat was cooked perfectly at medium-rare and savory, but something was puzzling me. The duct breast was at room temperature. Intentional or accident? It was also on the chewy side which was more of a disappointment than puzzlement to me. What did not disappoint me was the mâche dressed with the game vinaigrette. Was there meat juice in that dressing? I thought I tasted some meat essence in the salad.


The star for the dish was in no doubt the foie gras pierogi. Despite taking a journey through the deep fryer to achieve a golden crispiness, the foie gras within managed to stay soft and tender. A bite through that crusty dough was rewarded with an explosion of juice with the foie melting away in the mouth. This however would not have been possible unless the pierogi was perfectly crispy and firm to allow it to be picked up by hand. A poke with the fork would pierce holes in the skin for the juice to escape and ruin the pleasure of enjoying this creation fully. A pleasure that caused me to lose all senses for a few moments when my eyes rolled completely up to the back of my head.


Pinot Noir, Sancerre, Dominique Roger, “La Jouline”, Loire, France, 2005

I was never aware that there were red wines produced in Sancerre. This easy drinking pinot had hints of tobacco and leather. It was a little acidic. It was a little spicy. We enjoyed this wine very much.

Surf and Turf

Roasted Petit Beef Filet, Butter Poached Lobster Tail, Asparagus Gratin, Lobster Américain, Truffles

When you go on a treasure hunt, you never know what you would find at each step. You might find things that you do not find interesting; you might find things that tease you to the next big discovery; you might find the ultimate big prize or you might find the ultimate disappointment.

Subjectively, I am not a fan of beef filet. I prefer the more muscular strip steak meat in my mouth over that mushy texture of a filet. Objectively, I found this to be an excellent piece of meat; thick, cooked to a perfect temperature, properly seasoned, deliciously tender. The sauce for the filet with its enormous depth of complex flavor gave me an “OMG” moment. A little star on the treasure map.

The succulent lobster meat reaffirmed my long time belief that the Fountain Room kitchen turns out the best lobster dish in the city. I don’t know what it does to it but those little critters coming out of that kitchen have always been magical. A bigger star on the treasure map.
 

A side is usually what it is, a side: Something that fills up the rest of the plate (and your stomach), makes the dish look pretty and makes you feel better for shelling out the money.


With the Cirque du Soleil of flavors from the surf and turf already dancing around, I was hardly paying attention to the little plate sitting on the side of the plate. Sure, I could smell the aroma of the gratin and the truffle but I was too taken by the principles of the dish and was overlooking the melted cheese on asparagus with a few drops of truffle oil in it….until Tourist Tree asked, “Is this truffle? You gotta try this,” while putting a fork full of the “side” into her mouth.

What a’duh me thought was mushroom laying on top of the gratin was indeed generous pieces of shaved truffle! This was confirmed by my nose inching into the dish with the intoxicating smell reaching into the far side of my cerebral cortex. Taking a bite, the four walls of my mouth were rewarded with euphoria from the orgy of the sweetness of crispy fresh baby asparagus, creamy satisfaction of melted cheese and butter, coarse texture of the breadcrumbs, and enlightenment of the truffle. As our waiter commented, “This is gilding the lily, isn’t it?” Yes. I have found the mother lode!


Petit Verdot, Trinchero, St. Helena, Napa Valley, California, 2005

A very nice wine with all the typical characteristic of a California red. It is on the lighter side of the slightly dry scale. I have been getting to like more and more of this grape and was happy to see one served with this dinner.

Goat Cheese Strudel, Pickled Beetroot “Hearts”, Toasted Walnut Vinaigrette

Goat cheese folded with finely chopped herbs inside an amazingly delightful strudel pastry shell accompanied by pieces of whimsically shaped beets, walnuts and a few more dollops of goat cheese on the side. The light and fluffy buttery pastry was an excellent compliment to the denser heavier goat cheese.

I was enjoying this decadent cheese course so much until out of a sudden, I hit the wall. The heaviness of the goat cheese had gotten me. I simply could not finish the plate … , after I picked off all the heavenly strudel pastry pieces.

I bet all the girls having this dinner would say at this point, “Oh look, the hearts are so cute…!” The pickled heart shaped beets were very refreshing but unfortunately they could not revive my appetite to finish the cheese.

Sauvignon Blanc, Pouilly FuméDomaine de Bel Air, Loire Valley, France, 2008

A delightfully refreshing light wine full of citrus. I enjoyed it very much on its own but I think the weight of the cheese had rendered the characteristics of this wine moot and thus had completely overwhelmed it.

The artistic Tourist Tree decided to create a mini snowman out of the goat cheese.

Peppermint White Chocolate Hot Chocolate

This little pre-dessert sent out by the pastry chef was light, pepperminty, a little on the too sweet side for me, but very easy to drink and luscious. We could not figure out what the little piece was in the cup. We thought it was a sugary marshmallow but it had an in-between bread/cake consistency. We did know for sure though it was very sweet!

 
 
 
 
 

Flourless Chocolate Cake. Passion Fruit Sorbet, Roasted Strawberry Compote

 

Another dish with more edible hearts on the plate! It must be that time of the year.
Flourless chocolate cake has never been on the top of my list for dessert. Most are so dense that it makes me feel like I was sucking on a piece of fudge.
 

There was no fudge in this dessert. The cake was moist and spongy. The chocolate was apparent but not overpowering. What was also equally satisfying was the little scoop of passion fruit sorbet sitting on top of the cake. It had such true flavor of the passion fruit and it played so well with the character of the chocolate cake.


Amontillado Sherry, Dios Baco, Xérès, Spain, NV
 
A very nice sherry that was not too intense in flavor but carried a nice hint of amaretto. A very pleasant compliment to the dessert.

Black Chocolate Mousse Napoleon, Macerated Orange Segments, Mint Créam Anglaise

The pastry shell on this napoleon was lovely with its flakiness and airiness. It was like going through a cloud made of little pastry crumbs. The black chocolate mousse was contrary to a conventional mousse. It was solid. It was dense. The flavor was intense. It was like … a fudge! I took a detour for what I thought would be a lighter dessert than the fudge like flourless chocolate cake. In an ironic twist of fate, my chocolate lover’s dream of a black chocolate mousse napoleon was closer to a fudge than the flourless chocolate cake.


Pedro Ximenez, Dios Baco, Jerez, Spain, NV

The heavier black chocolate napoleon was paired with a sherry made with white grapes dried on straw mats to become raisins in order to achieve a more intense flavor. The chocolate, taffy, coco note in this wine worked very well with the heavy essence of the chocolate mousse.

We reached the end of our eatathon, but did not cross the finish line until we popped the petit fours into our mouth while sipping on the coffee.

We lamented at the fact that we would have to trek through the messy snow in order to get home as we were changing into our snow boots to go outside; but with delicious food in our stomachs and warm memories fresh in our minds, we were ready to conquer the cold winter night!

* I am a true believer that going to a restaurant on any “special” day, i.e., Valentine’s, Mother’s, Thanksgiving or New Year Eve, is one of the dumbest things to do. We had this dinner a few days before the actual day of reckoning when the crowd was fewer, the kitchen more relax and the staff more eager (not that we would suspect the Fountain Room would deviate from its usual standard on any given day).

Sampan

What’s the deal with all these gweilo chefs cooking Asian nowadays? A creative showcasing of their talents in marrying the East and the West or just another gimmick to make a quick buck? We have seen success stories and we have seen complete disasters.

I have heard a lot of accolades on Michael Schulson and his restaurant Izakaya “down the shore”. I had been curious about his cuisine but it was his daily tweets on his “interesting” ice cream of the day creation that really had gotten my curiosity at its peak. So on a night after snowing stopped during snowpocalypse #2 #3, we decided to pay a visit.

We were surprised that the restaurant was crowded. We thought people would still be busy digging themselves out but no, we were wrong. I guess cabin fever had gotten to the best of them. There was even a private party going on one side of the restaurant and a bunch of bachelorettes ushering the bride-to-be around wearing penis antennas on their heads

The restaurant is dominated by two things, the large bar and the large open kitchen. The bar pretty much divides the space into two dining areas with the kitchen anchoring at one end. The décor is modern with a bit of funkiness thrown in with a whole wall that changes color while you eat. Oh, there is also one more thing that dominates this restaurant. A desktop size fishbowl of a concoction of liquors and fruits on [lots of] ice called the Scorpion Bowl that has funky colorful twisted straws sticking out like antennas. Seemed like there was one on every table around us. It must be their version of the Mai Tai sans the silly paper umbrella.

Short Rib, Lo Mein, Bok Choy, Apple

Three chunks of super tender braised short ribs sit on top of a small mount of egg noodles topped with brunoise cut apple.

The short ribs were slightly sweet. There was an abundant hint of the hoisin sauce and sugar but it was saved by the crunchy and slightly tar apple that had provided a good contrast and balance to the sweetness. The two pieces of vegetable sitting to the side were well prepared but I was annoyed that the kitchen could not tell the different between baby choi sum which was in the bowl and bok choy which was stated in the menu.

“Bufflo” Frog Leg, Blue Cheese, Chili, Celery

Little pieces of frog legs lightly battered and fried with a subtle yet flavorful blue cheese sauce.

I like the cheese sauce very much. It had all the flavors and characteristics of the blue cheese but without the heaviness and that super dense creamy feel. Unfortunately, Tourist Tree thought it was overpowering but she’s never a big admirer of blue cheese in general.

We both did agree that the frog legs were meaty and nicely done in this super light batter. I enjoyed the spiciness of the sprinkled chili powder which had brought out the flavor of the food nicely despite I found the meat to be a bit on the chewy side and not all pieces of the frog legs were of similar size. This is a nice interpretation and innovation of the traditional buffalo wings. I wish we could see more of these in different places.

Ramen Noodle Soup, Scallion, BBQ Pork, Egg

It is the soup base that makes or breaks a ramen bowl. This soup had some excellently intense flavor and was a nice home for the al dente cooked noodles.

The pork was pulled into shreds and carried a nicely balance BBQ taste. The meat itself could make a very nice BBQ sandwich.

This bowl immediately had earned extra credit for having a hard boiled egg but unfortunately this egg could not make up a deduction from the dish for being just lukewarm. Hey chef, ramen noodle soup is meant to be served piping hot!

Crispy Chili Crab, Hong Kong Noodle, Black Bean, Ginger Chips

There were a few nice big plump pieces of crab meat in the bowl. Other than that, it was pretty much a mess of noodles with some garnishes thrown in. As for the crab meat, it took some effort to dig them out since there weren’t that many in number and there was definitely not much trace of chili.

I love crispy noodles. I loved the crispiness of these noodles. But they were too broken up and the whole dish was suffering from an overdose of salt and taste of MSG. In Asian culture, noodles represent life. Broken up noodles is a bad sign as well as a bad reflection of the chef. However, as an “Asian Fusion” restaurant, this mess of noodles is a success. It had a nicely prepared protein, it had crispiness, it had contrast of texture, it had [salty] flavor, it managed to present itself on the brighter side of authenticity to a generally gweilo audience inexperience in true Asian food.

Peking Duck, Tamarind Pancakes, Scallion, Cucumber

Flavorful pulled duck meat served in a miniature mason jar with all the usual Peking duck accoutrement.

You may call it whimsical, I may call it a pain. The duck meat was delicious with its subtle flavor and on the spot tenderness. It was served inside the jar topped with foam. The lack of taste from this foam prevented me from figuring out what it was supposed to be. I did not see the genius or the humor in putting the meat in the jar which required a certain degree of finger and hand contortion for the excavation.

The corn tortilla texture like pancake made with tamarind was an interesting match with the softer duck meat and the snappy cucumber and scallion. The concoction would be more enjoyable if the pancakes were warmer.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Peanut Butter Cups
 
Peanut butter and mascarpone folded together into chocolate tart shell with a dollop of mascarpone ice cream on top. The sauce was a peanut butter syrup with chopped peanuts for added texture. These silver dollar size tarts were very tasty. They were not overwhelmingly sweet which a lot of pastry kitchens have failed to achieve, although the sauce could be dialed down a bit in sugariness.
 
For a few split seconds, we considered to follow the couple next to us in sharing a Scorpion Bowl for dessert. There was probably just as much sugar in the Scorpion Bowl as the peanut butter cups. We were happy that we had made the right decision to really enjoy these little tarts.
 

Ice Cream

 

This was what sealed the deal for me to trek through snow to get to this restaurant.

 

The flavors for the night were banana burnt toast and Nutella. OK, I was actually hoping for something like Pop Tart, Ovaltine, bacon syrup, Red Bull or something crazy like those. Nevertheless, these two flavors were delicious. We asked them to be served “twisted” instead of separately. We sucked these mini cones up faster then we could inhale. The mixture of flavors was like…eating a toasted Nutella banana sandwich. Hey chef, how about a Nutella banana crepe next time? Better yet, can you do a Vegemite ice cream?

 
I had a can of Sapporo silver can with my dinner. I chose the Sapporo not because I like Sapporo, which I do, but because the drink list was thin. With all the great craft beers available, local or afar, this restaurant could afford to carry a few of them other than the Sapporo, Kirin, plus the usual industrialized beers from the big evil manufacturers. Same for the wine section.
 
There are waiters; there are order takers. Our waitress was very prompt in greeting us and to take our order. She had a bit of trouble in answering questions not listed in the training menu and never followed up with an answer that she had promised she would (I did get the answer when the manager was doing his rounds from table to table later that night after our waitress had disappeared for a while). However, I do have to give her credit for making the items on each dish into even numbers so we could share them easily (even though there was an additional a le carte charge for each additional piece, which we did not mind paying)
 
Like our waitress, Sampan needs some polishing. I still crack up when I see a gweilo manning a wok in front of the stove. However, this gweilo (well, there were actually more South American than gweilo in this kitchen) staffed kitchen managed to turn out some pretty good creations despite some shortcomings. Every dish we had has its strength and weakness. For some, the weaknesses could hide comfortably underneath the strong points. For the others, the strengths just couldn’t make up for the deficits.
 
Unlike those restaurants who makes lame attempts in making “Asian” food by dumbing down characteristic dishes into a culture insult; this place has considerable talents and skills in making the “fusion” a success. Sampan earns some good points for its effort and creativity. After some polishing, it will in no doubt earn some stellar points for its effort.