Great times, great company, great food. To wit:


birds of happiness welcomes the spring - pair of roasted squab ... they were staring at us


joyful laughter - walnut shrimp salad - also with fried rice noodle - the shrimp may have been a highlight of the evening


good luck at the forefront - mike's fried chicken


spirit of the horse, strength of the dragon - lobster w/ ginger and green onions - my companion's favorite dish. I didn't taste much ginger, though.


abundance every year - steamed dover sole - intricately delicate fish flavor. Kelly explained that by keeping the fish whole, the wish lasts for full years


photo courtesy MarlaCollins'Husband
wealth and good tidings - black moss and dried oysters stewed with maca root - also served over braised iceberg lettuce. I actually liked the flavor of the reconstituted dried oysters, although the texture wasn't as supple as a fresh oyster


Barbequed Pork was a last-minute substitution for the blessings of the four season - four item combination platter of roast pig, ham hocks, beef brisket, and marinated squid. Kelly explained her Dad didn't have time to make the brisket.


house filled with pearls - house fried rice with egg, pork and vegetables


young and old at peace - king oyster mushroom w/ japanese tofu - served over steamed greens


family unity - pan fried year cake - made with glutenous rice flour, it was likened to a lightly fried gummi bear. But a fine way to end the feast.

Sun Wah - always reliable, always almost dazzling. But several of us lamented the fact that there was no duck among the ten courses. We enviously eyed the Peking ducks carted out and carved at adjacent ables. Oh well. Next time.

JoelF wrote:The dessert, "year cake," came out as sort of Chinese French Toast. I'll have to try to make that. Kelly said it was glutinous rice flour, coconut milk and sugar.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:I was wondering what went into that desert. Someone at my table pegged the rice flour and sugar, but we figured there had to be something else. Coconut milk makes sense.

The new year cake was coated in a thin layer of beaten egg to give it a crisp crust after pan-frying. Sun Wah's version definitely uses brown sugar. Some cakes are made with refined sugar and end up white after cooking.

These cakes are always sold as rounds in red boxes (I'm sure the shape and color symbolize something). In the Philippines, where there's a large Chinese community, they come in many different colors and flavors and coconut milk may be one of the variations. I'm pretty sure coconut milk is not traditional in new year cake.

Thanks to Mari Beth for starting this dinner and to Jen for stepping in and finalizing it. I am always happy to go to Sun Wah. The highlights from this dinner for me were the shrimp with walnuts and the lobster with ginger/green onions. The shrimp popped with flavor. I wish I could better describe what I tasted other than it "popped" as I only had one small bite. I wish I had more! This was served early in the meal and I was excited for the rest of the meal based on this item. As for my other highlight, the lobster was cooked perfectly. I tasted a hint of ginger, which is fine for me as the flavor of the lobster wasn't lost.

Overall I thought the meal was good, with a few highlights, but it wasn't exceptional. Don't get me wrong, I love Sun Wah. Each time I go, I seem to get the wow factor. I truly appreciate the restaurant and the food they serve. I think I got myself hyped up by looking at the menu and expected more.

Happy to do it! Highlights for me were the sole--delicate but full flavored if that makes sense (and one of the best versions of a ginger sauce that was actually balanced) although I wish the bones had been removed for us as Kelly mentioned at the end; the shrimp, and the mixed meat platter--particularly the sauce. And anyone who wants to go back for Duck, just say the word (and when Joel F floated the idea of ordering it at the end, I know he wasn't kidding and I was totally up for it but didn't want to admit it )

the word

throw out some duck dates!

Thanks for the great pics nr706, I can't believe I had to miss this dinner. Even warm weather in LA doesn't make up for missing Sun Wah, I'll just have to get there as soon as I get back. Jen, thanks so much for taking this over and doing such a great job of organizing.

If I understood nr706 (and I definitely understood JoelF), a Sun Wah duck dinner may be forthcoming

If I may make another menu suggestion for the next trip, the GNR awards dinner from 2008 included roast duck and pork chow fun, and I don't think I've ever had a better pasta dish, not even at Babbo.

I have a couple of friends who want to check out the Peking Duck ... after I coordinate possible dates with them, I'll let the world know and see who else might be interested.

nr706 wrote:I have a couple of friends who want to check out the Peking Duck ... after I coordinate possible dates with them, I'll let the world know and see who else might be interested.

Great--believe it or not, I've never had it so would love to join if it works out!

Question: Are the shrimp-walnut and mushroom-tofu dishes available on the regular menu?