Menu change

Another meal at Fook Lam Moon (福臨門) with a group of guys (and girl) that seems to only dine here when we meet. Tonight, however, there would be changes to the menu. We had gotten tired of ordering the same old dishes - however delicious they might be - and asked for something completely different. So here goes...

Chicken soup with sea whelk and bird's nest (螺頭雞湯燴官燕) - OK so there was no sharks' fin today, but we had bird's nest instead. It's a pretty darn good chicken soup, except there are expensive ingredients. I'm not big on bird's nest but at least it's more environmentally friendly than sharks' fin...

Shredded soft-shell turtle stir-fried with pickled mustard stem (榨菜絲炒水魚絲) - I haven't had turtle in a very long time as I normally don't order it, but this was pretty nice, especially with the pickles. Yet another dish that's out of the ordinary...

Pan-fried twin eastern star garoupa (煎封雙東星斑) - I really liked this dish, even though this isn't the most popular Cantonese preparation for fish. I have always liked the way fish is braised, having been pan-fried first to have a bit of crispy and crunchy skin. Really enjoyable and a nice break from the normal steamed fish.

Deep-fried crab claw (百花炸釀蟹拑) - these giant claws must have come from Sri Lankan crabs, because there is no way they could be this big otherwise. The shell has been removed, then the claw was coated in a layer of shrimp paste and deep-fried. As we were armed only with chopsticks and spoons, the only way to get at this is to pick it up my hand and chomp... But I have to say that this was really delicious.

Wolfberry leaves in ham broth (上湯浸枸杞菜) - no pig liver this time, but I'm really happy that this veggie is back in season.

Steamed goose with plum and taro (梅子芋頭蒸鵝) - a really delicious dish. The taro was done separately and so nice, even for a guy like me who doesn't normally eat it. The goose was fatty and yummy - is there any other way to have it? There were also lots of goose kidneys inside the claypot, and it's been a while since I've had it at a restaurant (instead of mom's). I think this was generally very well-received.

Wontons in soup (上湯韭黃粒雲吞) - really nicely done here. The wontons were plump with a good amount of shrimp packed into them, and the flavors of the yellowed chives was just classic.

I was already stuffed (again) but couldn't leave without having a bowl of the almond cream with egg white (蛋白杏仁茶).

I didn't realize we were celebrating a birthday today, or else I would have brought much nicer bottles of wine... But these were meant for casual drinking:

2006 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - from the great 2006 vintage and still pretty young, a sweet, honey and caramel nose with hint of orange blossom. Sweet on the palate, this was somewhat surprising to people who don't drink German Rieslings.

1997 Beringer Merlot Bancroft Ranch Private Reserve - hint of coffee, vanilla, toasty oak, red fruits with a bit of smoke. Still drinking pretty well.

2006 Mollydooker Merlot the Scooter - this was my first bottle of Mollydooker, even though I've bought a bunch of them. This was a stereotypical Aussie wine... Very sweet nose, with toasty oak, vanilla, coffee notes. Really sweet on the palate and a spicy finish, and very "hot" from the high alcohol. It is not difficult to see why Parker gives high scores to these wines but for my taste... let's just say that even I prefer something with a little more finesse...

I'm happy to have come to Fook Lam Moon and tasted some of tonight's dishes, so that I can mix it up in the future...