Another revisit coming at ya'…….
China Max:
A couple of weeks back, before things started getting really crazy at work, I managed to meet the Missus for lunch. If we manage to meet, the usual place would be Izakaya Sakura, but on this day, I was craving pan fried noodles and the Missus was craving something….well kinda weird in my opinion…just read further.
To me, China Max does the best pan fried noodles in the area….it has gotten pretty pricey though. The seafood pan fried noodles are now $16.95 and that's the lunch special price! Yikes!!! However, in this case we get the best of all worlds…..
The Missus gets the shrimp, fish, etc…..I get all the seafood She doesn't want and all the noodles I can deal with. Love this dish as the slow metamorphosis begins…starting at the crisp edges and the portion under the "gravy" which slowly becomes a "wet" noodle dish. Love the contrasts of textures, the flavor of the sauce isn't too salty, nor does it overwhelm anything….though I will say the quality of the fish has sometimes wavered.
The Missus had a weird craving for Shrimp with Lobster Sauce….which I just don't care for….
I think of it as shrimp cooked in pasty egg drop gravy….the Missus on the other hand has a strange affection for this.
I guess we needed some greens so the Missus ordered Gailan….nicely done, but we usually don't order vegetables when eating out unless it's something special….I can usually pull all of this off at home.
I've been a bit down on Dim Sum in San Diego…..for the last, say……four or five years. The lack of consistency, which to me, often appears to be a lack of effort, has kind of gotten old. But I always want to have my mind changed and over the last couple of years, I think China Max has done the best with regards to dim sum in the area. So why not try a couple of items since were here….
The Pan Fried Shrimp and Chive Dumplings looked good…..
But was barely lukewarm inside…it didn't look it, but was also on the greasy side. These dumplings always have a bit oiliness to them, but when not right, they edge to greasiness.
On the other hand, the wrappers to the Shrimp and Spinach Dumplings were dry and brittle.
The shrimp had good flavor, accented by the greens, but this is a dumpling and the filling is just half the story.
I'm wondering if and when dim sum in San Diego will catch up with what's going on twenty-first century. I guess as long as mediocrity can buy the children of these restaurant owner's Mercedes Benz's things will stay the same. I do enjoy traditional dim sum when it's done right….but it has been a long time since I have had dim sum where I thought that 2 out of every 3 dishes were ok. 1 of 3 might be ok in baseball, but not in dim sum…..
China Max
4698 Convoy Street #C101
San Diego, CA 92111