Ocean Star Restaurant-Closed

Ocean Star Restaurant
145 N Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park
626-308-2128

After getting some dim sum to go from Capital BBQ & Dim Sum Express,  I went across Atlantic Blvd and went to Ocean Star.  A huge restaurant on the second floor, I can imagine how busy they are on the weekends.

The weekday dim sum had the ladies with the carts full of dim sum walking around.  You pick what items you want and they will stamp your ticket. 

All these items are $1.68, expect the lobster e-mein, which was $12.

Shrimp har gow.  The inside was very flavorful.  But, eating the inside was like eating gummy bears.  Very gummy and chewy.

Baked BBQ pork bun.  Most people are used to the steamed BBQ pork buns, but I've started ordering the baked BBQ pork buns.  This was just ok, the outside is sticky, maybe made with honey, and had a tough chewy texture.  The pork was ok, not a lot of pork, and lacked flavor.

Steamed BBQ pork bun.  The pork is the same as the baked BBQ buns, but the the outside was good, with a firm texture.

Pork siu mai.  I wasn't too impressed with this.  The pork was ok, it could have used some more seasoning, but the portion size was good.

Lobster e-mein, $12.  The lobster was steamed perfectly.  But, the gravy lacked seasoning and was pretty bland.  The noodles were cooked perfectly too, but the lack of seasoning made this a mediocre dish.  But, the amount of lobster made this a great value, really, it's a steal!

Service was good, but the sui mai cart only came around once during my visit!  Not sure why, because sui mai is one of the most popular dim sum dishes.

I wasn't that impressed with the dim at Ocean Star.  But, the lobster e-mien is a steal, and a bit more seasoning would have made it a very good dish. 

Capital BBQ & Dim Sum Express

Capital BBQ & Dim Sum Express
727 W Garvey Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91754
626-289-6338

In the same shopping center as NYC Seafood, is Capital BBQ & Dim Sum Express.  The to go store for Capital BBQ & Dim Sum, which is about five stores down.  I had only planned to get dim sum at Capital BBQ & Dim Sum, but afterwards we went to Ocean Star and even more dim sum!

Like other fast service dim sum places, like Four Seasons or Seafood Village, there is a large steam table stacked with dim sum. 

All items are $2.08.  I'm not sure if Capital BBQ charges more for dim sum on the weekends.

Pork siu mai, four in an order.  This was well steamed, had pretty good flavor and I like the portion size. 

BBQ pork bun, three to an order.  The portion size of BBQ pork buns have decreased as prices increase.  Not a good sign.  The bun was soft and moist, but the filling lacked flavor and the small amount of BBQ pork was tough.

Service is pretty good.  The lady is nice, but you do get the idea she wants you to order and get out as quickly as possible.

Capital BBQ & Dim Sum Express isn't some fancy dim sum.  But, if you need a quick dim sum fix, this is a good place to get it. 

Four Seasons Seafood Restaurant-Closed

Four Seasons Seafood Restaurant Dim Sum & BBQ
18558 Gale Ave
Industry
626-964-8833

When I go for dim sum, I usually only eat three things; shu mai, chao siu bao and har gow.  So, when I see places like Seafood Village Dim Sum, where it's fast and to go, I'm all over it.  I found out about Four Seasons while driving on Gale Ave.  I thought about going into the restaurant, but when I saw the Dim Sum and BBQ To Go, next door, I went there instead.

A small sized place with steam tables for dim sum, entrees, and roasted duck and BBQ pork hanging in the display case.  For dim sum, all orders are $1.83 Mon-Fri and over $2 on the weekends.  Just like Seafood Village Dim Sum-I wonder if they are owned by the same people?  Anything left over at 3pm, Mon-Fri is every further discounted to $1.33.  But, that also means the items have been sitting at the steam table for a very long time.

Har gow-shrimp dumpling.  This was bland, dry, and not appealing.  The shrimp was ok, but the dumpling wrap was too dry.  Add soy sauce or hot sauce to this to add flavor.  I wouldn't order this again!

Pork shu mai with shrimp- A very good example of pork shu mai.  Tender, flavorful, well seasoned pork, wrapped in a thin wrapper.  The shrimp was on point and tender.   A steal, even at the weekend prices.

Chao siu bao-though they are fairly small, the BBQ pork is well cooked with lots of flavor.  I would prefer a fluffier, lighter bun, but overall a good chao siu bao.

Service is good.  The lady is friendly, nice and helpful.

I would go back to Four Seasons any time.  If I had to pick between Four Seasons and Seafood Village, they would be a tie for the shu mai, but Four Season wins the chao siu bao.

Update Dec 7, 2013