Okay, so I must admit to being very behind on posting. >_< Many apologies, but I think the food content in this next entry will make up for the long wait…maybe. A few weeks ago, I was very fortunate to be treated to dinner along with my parents by my parents’ friends at the Happy Harbor Restaurant in Rowland Heights, CA because this friend happens to be not only exceedingly generous, but also one of very refined taste, so I had the chance to dine on some of the best that this restaurant had to offer, and could not pass it up. It works out perfectly because I got an angle quite a bit different than either Elmomonster or Mmm-yoso! so it won’t be utterly repetitive.
The first dish was of sea cucumbers and an unknown chewy substance, sautéed with scallions and a bit of ginger. My mother thought that it was julienned geo-duck clam (also known as giant clam, or marugai when sashimi) however I’m not sure about this claim because I wasn’t immediately repulsed by the taste of it, and the texture was unfamiliar. The texture could be different because for once, it was actually seasoned and cooked, however I feel the sauce might have been too delicate to mask that distinctive flavor that I’ve come to dislike so much.
The next course, which I completely forgot to photograph, was a platter of freshly caught amaebi (sweet shrimp) sashimi. They were delightfully sweet and briny with a satisfying crunch gleaned only from the freshest shrimp, however I hold with my previous preference that they be cooked rather than raw. While delicious in either form, I must favor the supple crunch of the cooked version, over the somewhat slimy crunch of the raw.
This next dish is refreshingly creative and actually just plain refreshing. Served as a cold dish somewhat akin to a salad, it featured slices of real abalone and cooked sweet shrimp on a bed of fresh, sliced honeydew, cantaloupe and tomato, dressed in sweet mayonnaise and garnished with bright maraschino cherries. Arriving beautifully arranged on a large platter, it was quickly and skillfully divvied up amongst the 11 diners, hence the minor disarray pictured above. The abalone was perfectly supple and tender bouncing marvelously to all corners of my mouth before smoothly sliding down the gullet. To my surprise, the ripe melons were the perfect accompaniment to the abalone and shrimp; playing up the subtle salty sweetness of both, while tasting even sweeter with the mayonnaise dressing. Unfortunately, I don’t like mayonnaise so I spent several minutes scraping off as much as possible, but I will concede that it did well to bring out the innate flavors of each ingredient and harmonizing them. In my personal opinion, the tomato and cherry didn’t contribute anything to the dish except aesthetic appeal. Their flavors didn’t mesh with the others, and quite simply, they were just... there; probably just edible garnishes.
At this point, I’m about half full when a large bowl of shark fin soup with shredded crab meat. In my previous experience, shark fin soup contains a few small shreds of the delicacy so I was utterly flabbergasted when I gazed into my bowl and found a gigantic slice the size of my hand. Unfortunately, such was my surprise that I totally forgot to take a picture of it. Such sadness… Aside from the obvious deliciousness of the shark fin itself, the soup was delicious in its own right. A far cry from the usual thick gravy-like consistency of other specimens of the same name, this version had a reduced consommé filled with lump crabmeat.
Now this is one of the most amazing dishes I have ever beheld. Abalone is already a delicacy but this particular kind is even more uncommon. It is bigger in size than those found in the fruit/salad dish previously mentioned and has an extraordinary texture. I took a few extra pictures that will speak for themselves and shall thus refrain from gushing like a little school girl.
The first picture displays knife marks in this remarkably tender piece of abalone that I’d delicately sliced. The latter picture exists merely because I found the appearance of the slice comparable to the grain pattern of wood. Incredibly tender without the slightest bit of mushiness, this luscious shellfish gave easily between the teeth with a subtle rebound. Accompanied by clear, somewhat viscous gravy, steamed broccoli and chicken’s feet, this dish was stewed to perfection.
A massive dish of lobster was then presented before being removed and portioned by the server. Tangy and slightly salty, this was a preparation unfamiliar to me. At best guess, the lobster was sautéed with chopped scallions, cracked black pepper, soy sauce or black bean sauce, some sprigs of an unfamiliar herb and something unidentifiable that accounted for the tanginess of the flavor. Sweet and succulent it was obviously very fresh and wonderfully prepared.
Chilean sea bass with asparagus appeared next. By this time, I was beyond full, so I merely took a small bite and gave the rest to my mother who had hers wrapped up to take home. It was flaky and tender and very lightly seasoned in a way that could be considered somewhat bland. Although sea bass is quite delicious and this dish was well prepared and beautiful in presentation, it was admittedly a little boring after the magnificent fare that came before.
Fried rice appeared next, as though to ensure that no one went home feeling hungry. Most everyone had their portion boxed up to take home but I took a couple small bites before committing it to the Styrofoam. This was my least favorite dish of the evening. Not because it was not a delicacy, but rather that it was bland in taste, boring in texture and decidedly unimpressive. Though scattered through with different ingredients that probably should have beheld a variety of textures and flavors (including bits of unknown brown stuff), the dish looked far more appealing than it tasted.
For dessert, bird spit! I was quite wary with this one. A lightly sweetened almond soup speckled with gelatinous lumps. Sound familiar? No, these were not merely large, overcooked tapioca balls (an initial, fleeting thought of mine) but fairly flavorless bits of birds nest. O_o?! You mean birds nests aren’t made of sticks and straw??! A Chinese delicacy, these particular nests are made of the gummy saliva of the swiftlet. Harvesting these nests from cave walls is a treacherous task and bowls of this luxurious dish can apparently range from $30-$100 in Hong Kong. This was a special dish indeed, even if it was a bit of an acquired taste. For those who have not tasted this dish, I feel the texture can be likened to a sweet equivalent of fish maw soup.
Finally, a large platter of second dessert! The burnt orange object on the right was a sweet potato flavored hybrid of sweet and salty mochi. Fried like the savoury version, but filled with a red bean paste like some kinds of the sweet variant, the sweet potato attributed a delightful pairing of flavours. On the left was a specimen of the same outer texture, but filled with a black sesame paste and dyed to a delightful green.
All-in-all it was an amazing experience! I highly recommend this restaurant because the chefs are so skilled in preparing cuisine of any price range and almost everything is bound to be delicious.
