We had a nice night of sleep after dinner at Bistro Na's. Frankie was staying with one of his favorites Aunties, so I used some points and booked an overnight stay. And though we had enjoyed trying some new places on this visit; when it came to dim sum, the Missus wanted Sea Harbour, especially since it had been about three years since our last visit. Of course we got there a few minutes before opening; the lines don't seem quite as long these days. And were promptly seated when they opened….where we got a close-up view of the spot prawns.
The Missus was specifically interested in trying something She saw in various Instagram posts (and no; I don't do "Insta")
Yep, basically squid ink colored – gold leaf topped har gow. shades of gold leaf topped sashimi (in Kanazawa)! So, this was nearly ten bucks….. But, it was well put together. Sea Harbour really knows how to make their shrimp; these were plump, tender, and full of flavor. The mushroom in the dumplings had an earthy sweetness to them.
Next up was the mushroom tart.
These looked better than they actually were. The mushroom filling was really mild and didn't stand up to the pastry. Meanwhile, the pastry started to break down rather quickly and got quite gummy.
I was really happy to see that the Fish Roe and Scallop Dumpling was back on the menu.
It had been taken off the menu on our last visit a few years back. Perfectly textured wrappers; sweet-oceany scallops, balanced out with the crunchy masago.
Of course the Missus had to get Her Chicken Feet. A favorite of Hers.
And I had to get a favorite of mine, the Shrimp, Dried Scallops, and Chinese Celery Dumplings .
And these did not disappoint, wonderful combination of savory (dried scallops) – oceany and sweet (shrimp), all balanced out with the palate cleansing and textural contrast of the Chinese celery. The wrappers were faultless.
On one of our previous visits we tried the Black Fungus and Celery Dumpling and didn't think it was very good. So, we decided to try them out again.
This time around, it was much better. Great texture, the flavor of the celery coming through. Still a bit on the mild side in terms of flavor, but again the wrappers were perfect.
I was really disappointed in the Soy Sauce Noodles this time around.
Overcooked (even the bean sprouts!) and bland. Where the heck were the scallions?
Things finished off with another favorite of the Missus; the Radish Cake with XO Sauce.
While I don't think the searing of the radish cake was done quite as well; it lacked the light coat of crispness, this literally melted in our mouths. The XO Sauce adds another dimension in terms of flavor. It's still quite delicious.
Overall a nice meal. A big plus was that SH opens at 10am on weekends, so we were able to get back on the road before 11am, and head home.
We need to head up to the SGV more often.
Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant
3939 Rosemead Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770