Moon Palace menu questions

The Lovely Dining Companion and I will be enjoying the hospitality of Moon Palace tomorrow evening with family and, perusing the menu (we've never been there before), a few questions arise. I post in the hope that someone might be able to explain to me the details of a few items. Yes, we could wait and ask our server, but this is more fun

1. Anyone know what filling they use in their xiao long bao?

2. I am very tempted by the "Shanghai Style Eel Fish" and wonder how it is prepared. My research online led to this: "Very popular is Stir-fry Fresh (Water) Eel which comes to the table with a ladle of just added boiling oil and a dash of fresh ground white pepper atop. Try it and be prepared for a treat. It is very special when very hot but loses some of that appeal as it cools down." Is that correct--and is it the way Moon Palace prepares their eel?

3. How interested I am depends on a better notion of what "Jelly Fish with Turnip" is like--as to both texture and flavor.

4. What would "Beef and Chicken Nest" be?

Many thanks! (or would that be 谢谢 ?)

IIRC the dumplings are filled with ground pork--although I note that this old CH post says crab, so I could certainly be wrong.

Without knowing for certain, I would guess that the beef and chicken basket is the beef and chicken equivalent of their seafood basket, i.e. a basket of fried potatoes holding stir-fried meat and veggies. I will say that as much of a Moon Palace fan as I am, I have not ordered the seafood basket since the one time I ended up with rancid potatoes. Quite likely a one-time fluke, but it was enough to send me elsewhere on the menu.

I assume you've already scoped out the Moon Palace discussions in the Great Neighborhood Restaurants thread, but since the link to the chowhound feast is broken, let me add it here.

I'd be shocked if the XLB at Moon Palace weren't using pork. That's what it tasted like to me during the XLB-a-thon.

To tell you the truth, while I liked these dumplings, they were among the least popular of the day. I seem to recall VI noting their "catfood-like quality".

I can't help you with any of the other dishes, but I hope you'll try the eel and let us know. Sounds interesting.

Best,
Michael

Ann Fisher wrote:IIRC the dumplings are filled with ground pork--although I note that this old CH post says crab, so I could certainly be wrong.

I was just there last week, and the xiao long bao which I asked for by name were most certainly pork-stuffed.

A quick glance at the menu provided at MenuPages indicates that Moon Palace also has crab & pork "steamed dumplings with sauce stuffing," but I've no idea whether or not they too are xiao long bao.

At any rate, I've never found the pork-stuffed xiao long bao at Moon Palace to be notable, and last week's indulgence was no exception.*

E.M.

* In all actuality, last week's entire meal was quite poor.

I fully concur with Mr. Erik M. regarding the xiao long bao, I'm not sure that they even qualify as soup dumplings, and I personally avoid them.

The jellyfish with turnips is another story. The jellyfish has good texture (for jellyfish) and a mild sesame oil flavor. The turnips add a very nice crunch.

I can't comment on your other dishes, as I am not familiar with them. I do enjoy the rice cakes with preserved pickle and bamboo shoots and the chive pancakes are pretty good too (if a little greasy).

The Peking Duck (available without advanced notice (generally)) in two or three courses (upon request) is pretty good, except that the pancakes are really tortillas. My girlfriend really likes the duck soup (course 3), and the stir fried meat (course 2) is quite good. Good luck.

Erik M. wrote:In all actuality, last week's entire meal was quite poor.

Oh so dismayingly, accurately true.

Six of us trekked to Moon Palace, as noted above. Sad to say, the meal--each of the meals--was profoundly average at best.

We arrived early (6:30, before the rush) and had the misfortune to have a server interested in turning our table as fast as humanly possible. Thank goodness for all the other servers who brought dishes, cleared dishes, and otherwise interacted. Had we the ministrations of "our" server alone, we would have been even more unhappy. Based on the reactions of the various posters who responded to my query about the xiao long bao, I decided not to even try. So too with the eel, which I learned from a private message, was likely not to be to my personal textural liking and, in addition to which, loses much of its yum factor as it cools (rapidly). Much as I enjoy eel, I decided (perhaps unwisely, who knows?) not to risk it. And, when it comes to the jellyfish, I simply chickened out.

Our dinners ranged from mu shu to Shanghai-style fish fillet and a whole steamed pike (remarkably, the server offered to run to the store for a large-mouth bass if that would be preferred). Both orders of mu shu (one vegetable, one meat) were given a plate of tortillas (as noted in deesher's post) in lieu of the traditional "pancakes." I'm sorry but in my book that's just wrong. Period. Yes, they (the authentic pancakes) resemble tortillas but even the ingredients are different (unless they're including sesame oil in tortillas these days) and they're prepared differently. To substitute tortillas smacks of laziness at the very least. My fish was serviceable and nothing I haven't had a hundred times before in equally uninspiring incarnations.

This is a "Great Neighborhood Restaurant"? It may have been once. It may even be now if you know what to order or go with the right people. But all six of our six dinners were nothing more than average Chinese fare. For well over $150, nothing not calculated to bring a single return visit.

Gypsy Boy,

Sorry you missed the jellyfish. I think it would have been the highlight of your meal. I apologize for not providing you any warning regarding the "daily specials". While the Moon Palace prices are higher than most other restaurants in Chinatown in general, they really go to town on the specials like whole fish (at "market price"). I think most of the fish must come flown in overnight from the Tsujiki Market (except they don't taste that good). My friend refuses to order any item without a listed price. Once again, my apologies for not mentioning the dangers of "market price'.

When I was in Rome one time, I asked a Roman fellow for a restaurant recommendation. He told me that all of the restaurants in Rome were quite good, but not to order the daily special. The liguine with marinara would be 6,000 lira and the linguine with mussels would be 8,000 lira (this was some time ago). The daily special of linguine with marinara and mussels (market price) would be 35,000 lira. I think Moon Palace people must have talked to some of the Roman retauranteurs.

That being said, I still like a few things there well enough to return from time to time. Sorry you didn't.

Still good choices at MP, at least as of last night:

Chive dumplings (comparable, tho no better, than what I've had on Argyle at Thai Avenue and Pastry).

Three Delights (scallop, shrimp, octopus, all fresh, in a simple vegetable stir-fry brown sauce combo with a little bit of heat). Not of huge culinary interest but good.

IMO still worth a stop if not a detour.

I've always liked Moon Palace's version of shrimp or pork in garlic sauce. It's a relatively pedestrian dish, but MP does a really good version of it.

Hey Gang

Going to Moon Palace tomorrow for my birthday. Any recs since they reopened etc.
Found a couple of items after a forum search. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Dave

I enjoyed these knockout dishes, among others, last week:

Steamed flounder (with ginger, scallions and black beans).

Salt and pepper squid.

Kaufu - tofu in a dark rich sauce, served cold. (May not be on the English menu - my Chinese friend ordered it).

Eggplant with garlic sauce (better than Ed's IMHO).

Oh, and they make a helluva martini. Seriously.

Enjoy,

M

Cabbage & Black Mushrooms
Vegetable &/or Pork filled buns.

We did my Mum-in-law's birthday party there last fall before the remodeling. I got takeout 2 weeks ago, delicious as always. Oh yeah, very gracious about birthday cake if you are taking one.

Enjoy.