Ryan W.
Yelp
TL DR:
If you're looking for traditional Cantonese style flavors, or really authentic dim sum, that rivals out of the bay area, the greater Toronto area, or other metropolitan areas with a robust dim sum scene this place is not it.
Ambience:
Consistent with that of a Cantonese style banquet hall that you would find in any major metropolitan area. Clean, lots of red, fresh seafood.
The good :
Staff is very multilingual. Staff is able to speak. Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. Staff is also friendly and attentive. Best part of the restaurant was the staff.
The tea:
Chrysanthemum tea was made very well. Whatever base they use is fantastic. Tea tasted fresh very clean, really helped with the meal.
The stuff that could use work...
dim sum:
Firstly, very very limited selection of dim sum.
When you googled/yelp dim sum this is one of the few places that comes up in the Phoenix area. Unfortunately the selection of dim sum is very limited. I'm wondering if I went during the wrong time which if I did I can't fault them for that but do you know that if you go later in the afternoon or evening there's a very small menu. Please see picture attached to see the options of dim sum. I ended up ordering the har gao (shrimp dumplings) and the sui mai. I also went on a weekend. Assuming there would be more options. I was very incorrect.
Both were very bland. There was a chew in the shrimp dumpling. The wrapper/skin was fine. The sui mai had zero flavor. Skin was again fine. Not worth the cost.
2/5
Cantonese style barbecue :
Char siu and the duck
Hands-down this was the worst Cantonese style barbecue I've ever had in my entire life. The meat had no flavor overcooked and dry. The duck lacked any flavor on the skin, the accompanying duck sauce, really elevated everything, but that was not enough to rescue meats. It comes with a lot of rice. Also does come with bok choy, which was done well. The price for this dish alone was about $20 which was comparable to what you might find in the bay area. However, it does not taste like what you would find in the bay area, Vancouver, Toronto, Portland, or Las Vegas. I was also really surprised that on a Sunday at 4 PM they ran out of the roast pork and some other staple barbecue dishes.
This is the first time I may not venture back in a restaurant. I realize I often give places more than one opportunity, but there was so much negative with regards to the taste of the food, the flavors of the food where I would be very hesitant to try again.
If you're craving Cantonese style cuisine, a place where maybe they don't have dim sum, but where the flavors are more authentic go further down the road. There's a little café with an excellent looking menu that would be my recommendation.