Elaine P.
Yelp
I've been meaning to try this restaurant for a few years. In a post in a local Facebook group, members were recommending local Chinese restaurants and this was one of them. The most notable comments were that it was authentic, and "Asians go here" lol. I had business in Newbury Park today, so my husband and I decided to try it out for lunch.
As we entered, a younger lady asked how many, motioned us to a side table with chairs on one side and a banquette on the other. Once we sat down, she offered us a different table similar to a booth. We were fine so we stayed put. She motioned to the QR sticker which we scanned to reveal the menu.
There's some weird stuff on the menu... chicken feet, pigs feet, pig intestine, tripe, etc. Go to their website and check it out. There were some things I recognized and many I didn't. I viewed it as an opportunity to taste something new. So we decided to order one we recognized: veggie chow mein, and one we didn't: stinky tofu. We used their menu system to order. A few minutes after submitting our order, the server came up to ask if we meant to order the stinky tofu. I thought, how bad can it be? She clearly didn't think we should order it. She said Chinese people like it, but not us crackers. So we bent to her will and ordered House Special Tofu. She asked if we wanted pork in it. Sure why not. She's in charge anyway lol.
Both dishes were made with super fresh ingredients like snappy soy bean sprouts. The tofu was amazing with a curdled texture. It appears they ferment their own tofu. I must admit, I've never had home made tofu. There was a lot of it in the dish, many pieces tree ear fungus, sliced garlic and ginger, some special hot pepper with a citrus overtones, and tender pork. All this was served in a two-part clay caldron. I must say, it was fantastic; some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. It tasted to me like they make their own fish sauce, everything was so perfectly savory yet balanced.
Four stars because their soft drink beverages are in cans, there is no iced tea -- just hot oolong and jasmine -- and they're kinda racist, albeit in a very sweet and accommodating way.
Enjoy! Embrace your inner honky and trust the recommendation of the nice girl.