42227 Thu Dec 22 03:16:04 -0800 2005 59 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 204736 For #31 in the San Francisco Lunch Series, 20 hounds made a field trip to Lafayette to celebrate the winter solstice at Lily's House. I'll lead off with a few comments and ask my co-celebrants to post their opinions here. This time the food was even better than my first visit and well worth the drive in the rain. Yet, I believe my lasting memory of the evening will be seeing the broad smile of our chef and his obvious pleasure at cooking for our big group. During our time there, a handful of customers passed through one-by-one to pick up take-out orders, and there might have been a couple other diners sitting down for a quick meal. I couldn't help but think that a chef of his caliber gets bored in that daily grind. We started with a round of cold dishes, all of which are available from the Chinese language menu. A couple of them are included on the English menu as well. The cold dishes were: Veggie duck Kaufu Whole shrimp sauteed in shell Cold tofu with preserved egg Soybeans with black pickled snow cabbage Chicken with wine sauce Tea smoked fish Jellyfish Our main dishes included some things that required advance order either due to the preparation needed or to acquire ingredients not used daily. These were: Beggar's chicken Red-cooked pork trotter (tipang) Pork kidneys with shrimp Pork tendon with shrimp roe We also had: Fresh winter carp tail braised with brown sauce Pan-touched tofu with spinach Yellow croaker chowder Steamed rice And, for dessert, Tang yuen in rice lees syrup. When I first saw the bill, I burst out laughing. Peter Yee, sitting next to me, asked if this was hysteria from an outrageously high cost or disbelief that it was so cheap. It was the latter, ridiculously low. The total for this dinner to feed 20 people, tax, and $28 corkage for 4 bottles of wine was $415. We ante'd up $500 in cash, and looking back on it that was still too little. Lily's House 3555 Mt Diablo blvd. Lafayette, CA 925-284-756 If you would like to sign up for the e-mailing list for the SF Lunch Series, please go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFLunchSeries/ to join. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/41953#203012 Thu Dec 22 03:16:04 -0800 2005 0 Melanie Wong 1 204737 good company, great wine, wonderful food, I felt lucky to taste such delectable morsels of Shanghai cuisine from a master chef. The stand-outs were: *) tea smoked fish, sweet and succulent with a crispy texture, in my virgin mouth it was like a good lay *) beggar's chicken, cooked in clay, falling off the bone, the skin was so fragrant and melt-in-your-mouth you forget it was pure fat *) pork kidneys with shrimp, something I'd like to order again the next time I'm in town *) pan touched tofu with spinach, oh my goodness, silky tofu inside, expertly fried omelette texture outside, fresh spinach, worth a second look Aside: the pork kidney dish took me back to my mother's home cooking, where she would buy kidney from the store, expertly remove the offending vessels, slice the deveined kidneys in a criss cross pattern, pan fry, and garnish with wine and sesame oil. Like Rick said to Sam, my mom needs to play that again next time I'm home. Thu Dec 22 04:00:35 -0800 2005 204736 0 tpc247 1 204739 Sounds fabulous. I have an office and work in Lafayette, but have never tried Lily's. With this report in hand (and a number of friends), I'll soon be enjoying some nice lunches there. Cece Thu Dec 22 08:42:55 -0800 2005 204736 0 Cecelia 1 204744 All the dishes were well prepared and good. Here are my favorites. Tea smoked fish, sweet, flavorful and not dry. Kaufu flavorful, but not too salty. Beggar's chicken cooked in bread dough. Wish it had a little more of the lotus leaf favor to it. But the stuffing was very good, shimp, fresh scallop (other tasted dry scallop but I did not), the shritake mushrooms pickup a wonderful favor. The shrimp and pork kidney's, the shrimp was prefect the kidney was a little overcooked to my taste (not overcooked but I like to "bite" back). The pork shank was a little tough another half an hour would have been prefect. Also it was the opposite of my normal complaint too little sauce and as RWCFoodie stated in our trip back home wish it had some veggies under the shank. All and all well worth the trip and very good. Hope to return soon. Thank you Melaine for setting up the event. Always nice to see old hounds and meet new ones. Thu Dec 22 11:09:39 -0800 2005 204736 0 yimster 1 204747 It was a great pleasure to be back on the road with fellow hounds after a couple months of exams and other chores! Thanks Melanie for organizing...what a banquet! While many dishes were very good, a few truly stood out as exceptional. I have always loved Shanghai appetizers, and this was no exception. The Veggie duck, Kaufu, Tea smoked fish and Cold tofu with preserved egg were amazing. As always I had to skip all the shellfish due to allergies. Only the Jellyfish was a bit salty for my taste, a minor gripe. One of my favorite dishes ever since I had it in China is Beggar's chicken. This was as good as any I had in the mainland. Also very good was the Red-cooked pork trotter (tipang). A new dish for me which I loved: Pan-touched tofu with spinach Can't wait for the next event!!!! Thu Dec 22 11:42:35 -0800 2005 204736 0 marlon 1 204774 I can only reiterate what the others have said. This dinner was the perfect way to celebrate that the days will be getting longer from here on out. Of course, the good company of other hounds just made it all the better! There were some new (to me) dishes on the menu, always fun. It was great to have Anli to patiently explain every five minutes when we would ask, 'what's this?'. Still, my favorite dishes of the evening were familiar flavors, prepared in new (to me) ways: the beggar's chicken and tofu in particular really stood out. That tofu reminded me of the silkiest, best omelette ever, with such a creamy interior. As others have noted, the smoked tea fish was also excellent; I wanted more! The Tang yuen was an excellent warm end to a winter's meal... Did anyone get a picture of them breaking open the chicken? At $25 per person, an outstanding deal. Ridiculous, actually. I would have been happy paying the $40 p/p we had been told it might cost. By the way, when you enter the restaurant there were two seperate outside doors: one into the room we were in and another into an adjacent room, which I thought was part of the same restaurant, although I couldn't see an internal hallway between the rooms. Is it part of the same restaurant? If yes, there were more families eating on the other side. I hope so, since yes, this place does deserve the attention. Thanks again to Melanie for organizing, and to Anli for the heads up and menu guidance. At the end of the meal we were plotting where the group should go for its next field trip. We had to laugh at ourself: who else but a group of hounds plans the next banquet over dessert? Looking forward to that next field trip, with pleasure! Thu Dec 22 13:17:15 -0800 2005 204736 0 susancinsf 1 204786 Thanks to Melanie for including me and for a great job of ordering. It was a pleasure to finally meet many of the folks who have shaped my eating habits for the past couple of years. Indeed, they didn't charge us enough, especially as we basically had a private party. My favorite dish was the pork kidneys and shrimp. I too remember my mother patiently cleaning, scoring and then blanching them several times to get out any offending odors, then stir frying them. I agree with others about the ti-pang, could be braised a bit longer with more sauce. The aroma of the chicken was lovely. The pan touched tofu (our table had it without the shrimp roe) was just as delicious as in previous meals. Of the cold appetizers, I remain disappointed with his versions of veg duck (too tough) and jellyfish (oversalted and one dimensional). Otherwise, the shrimp in shell was lovely, the preserved greens with soybeans would go well with plain congee, the same with the kaofu. I can't remember the wined chicken as there were too many flavors on my plate at the time. Lastly, the flavor of the fermented rice soup (jiu niang tang yuan) was perfect. You could tell that this was freshly made, as there was the right balance of winey/sweet flavors. I usually don't care for the broth as much as the tang yuan. Susan asked about the other doorway. That actually leads to another restaurant, Amarin Thai, which has been there a long time. I have also noted that for every one person that enters Lily's House, 4 go into the Thai place. A side comment regarding the house management - when the first group arrived, the waiter had mistakenly seated us at a long table against the wall. I inquired as to why we weren't at the round tables, then they realized that we were the party of 20, because there was supposed to be a party of 12 there that same night. After the dinner started, I noticed that the long table was never occupied. I asked Lily where the other party was, and she told me that the other party had also wanted the ti-pang, but the chef had only prepared 2 for our tables, so the other table cancelled. What a shame, the chef deserves a more appreciative audience. Thu Dec 22 14:00:06 -0800 2005 204736 0 anli 1 204807 Thanks to Melanie for organizing and Anli for discovering Lily's House. Hope our posts will drum up enough business to allow Lily's to survive and be my family's new favorite neighborhood restaurant. My top 7 dishes: kaufu, soybeans with black pickles, tea smoked fish, pork kidneys w/ shrimp, pan touched tofu, braised winter carp tail and tang yuen. Pricelss moments: Melanie roaring w/ laughter when handed the bill. Karen and I sighing in unison w/ tasting carp tail. Yimster's effortless perfect carving. The best: the happiness on the chef's face when he realized how much we enjoyed and appreciated his work. Especially enjoyed camaraderie of new and old Chowhounds. (I have yet to meet a dull Chowhound! Do they exist?) Thu Dec 22 15:14:53 -0800 2005 204736 0 chowfish 2 204809 >>> (I have yet to meet a dull Chowhound! Do they exist?) <<< Chowhounds are all very tasteful people. I'm glad you mentioned the carp because I was surprised more people didn't mention this. Can anyone expand on the preparation of this dish? Thu Dec 22 15:23:33 -0800 2005 204807 0 rworange 3 204819 This dish is a good example of the "red braised" cooking method. The fish is briefly marinated in a soy, salt, pepper, sugar, wine and cornstarch mixture, seared on both sides in a hot, oiled pan, then braised in broth and ginger slices. Thu Dec 22 15:49:55 -0800 2005 204809 0 anli 4 204862 I have never made this dish but I have a idea to cook this. But first try next week after my first effort I will posted. I just discussed this dish with a chef the other day and he led me to think that the process is not braised fish but poaching first the adding the sauce. Check back with home cooking board lately . It was very nice to meet you and thanks for finding this place for the hounds. Thu Dec 22 18:21:01 -0800 2005 204819 0 yimster 5 204864 Good to meet you too. I've posted a recipe that you might try on the home cooking board. Thu Dec 22 18:31:55 -0800 2005 204862 0 anli 2 204982 Some of us were so impacted by this meal that we could have been confused with being dull. It was pleasure overload. Fri Dec 23 15:07:59 -0800 2005 204807 0 nestorius 1 204813 Greeting and salutations! First, I can't believe how long it's been since I've had the pleasure of posting on the ole' Hound board. Yes, I'm still alive and noshing my way through life :) To that end, last night's excellent Winter Solstice Banquet was yet another tantalizing stop on the long and satisfying culinary prominade with my good friends and new friends of the inexorable SF Chowhounds group. Many years ago, I worked in Lafayette and it was a substantially different restaurant landscape indeed. Gone are the heady days of Tourelle, but I was extremely pleased to see how nicely the little city has grown. Lily's House was a warm and cozy respite from the wet weather, but in the face of its bustling neighbor and the intersection in general, it almost fades into the background which is truly a shame. Like others, I mistook the Thai restaurant's dining room as an adjunct to Lily's and, amusingly in retrospect, asked the woman at the front where the Chowhound/Melanie Wong party was seated. After realizing that our party had taken the whole of the dining room, I found my way over to the table and settled in for what was to be a highly memorable meal. As to the appetizers, I particularly enjoyed the Tea Smoked fish as this was the fist time I had tried this dish. It was moist and flavorful with a delicate smoky note. Perry and I also agreed that the soybean and pickled greens were particularly good. The shrimp was another clear winner that was as delicious as it was perfectly cooked. I will never fully understand the tendency of many restaurants to boil a poor shrimp until it shrinks from the shell and is tougher than Charles Bronson on a bad day. Our table was of a general opinion that the tofu with preserved duck eggs was the weakest of the dishes, but I tend to think that the tofu itself was the culprit. Neither the silky smooth nor satisfyingly coarse version with which I am most familiar, instead it was almost crumbly in the mouth in an odd sort of way. As we segued onto the hot dishes, they were consistently well executed with a particular nod going towards the excellent Beggar's Chicken. I must admit that it has been some time since I've enjoyed this dish, but for the life of me I cannot conceive of why I've waited this long. As a child, I always enjoyed the ceremony and presentation of the "whack" of the clay/mud and the resulting rush of aromas that it harkoned. Lily's put an interesting twist on this dish by substituting bread dough for the traditional mud of Beggar's Chicken lore (Lambert expertly reminded and regaled our table of this culinary fable in his patented Mark Twainish style). As you'll see from the pictures, it was a rousing success and some speculated as to the relative merits of the bread shell. As the chef deftly peeled away the crusty bread (assisted by Lambert) and opened the foil packet within to expose the leafy wrapper and ultimately the succulent fowl at the heart of the dish, the escaping steam filled the room with such an intoxicating aroma that several Hounds remarked that a camera that captures smells as well as images was in order. The flavors were as satisfying as the nose foreshadowed and the otherwise lively level of conversation wanned to a momentary lull as everyone tucked into this special dish. As others have espoused, the kidneys and shrimp was another highlight of this sumptuous meal. To any who have shyed away from innards/organ meats in general, I can think of no more persuasive an endorsement to rethink your position than this dish (okay and maybe the Florentine tripe at Delfina or the lengua tacos at this little place on Fruitvale, but I digress). The kidneys were tender and delicious and again complimented by the perfectly cooked shrimp. Hmmm, this is getting a bit lengthy so, although it goes against my nature, I'll try to wrap this up without retracing too much of my fellow hounds' posts :) My own personal favorites were the carp tails and the pork tendons which had an excellent flavor and texture. The savory soup towards the end was a bit too salty for my tastes, but the dessert soup was very good and the perfume of the wine was an excellent way to end such a memorable meal. As always, I cannot overemphasize my encouragement for any of the folks that peruse this forum to join the SF Chowhounds for a meal. The company is always a pleasure to be part of and is as diverse as it is congenial. As I reminded some of my fellow hounds, when you hang out with a group like this, your own food obsessions will seem normal. Thanks again for planning this one Melanie! a sante, Curtis Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/ce4d08f0.jpg Thu Dec 22 15:41:41 -0800 2005 204736 0 Curtis 2 204814 Someone remind me of the name of this dish please. Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/abdfec07.jpg Thu Dec 22 15:43:08 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 204824 Here's a link to a previous Chowhound discussion on kaufu. One poster said "It's a preparation of wheat gluten, mushroom, peanuts and, perhaps, other ingredients that I am forgetting in a soy based marinade/sauce." Yimster added: "Since Kaufu does not set recipes other ingredients can inculde, tofu skin, bamboo shoots, pressed tofu and whatever the chef wants to add to the dish. " I know ours had very good fresh ginger on top. What else was in there? I've tried kaufu ... how cool is that ... and delicous. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/301072#1677331 Thu Dec 22 16:03:37 -0800 2005 204814 0 rworange 2 204815 Vegetarian duck. A bit tough, but flavorful nonetheless. Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/5f914592.jpg Thu Dec 22 15:44:28 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 205057 Yep, the glaze was tasty, but the sheets of tofu skin were stiff and tough. To answer rw's question, the seasonings can mimic those used to make marinated duck. Also, most places plate this in a way that makes it look like a slab of duck breast with a golden skin that has been cut into slices and fanned. Sat Dec 24 00:03:52 -0800 2005 204815 0 Melanie Wong 2 204816 The tofu wasn't great, but I'm with Sam I Am and will always love the green eggs no matter what they're served with... Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/15ca0940.jpg Thu Dec 22 15:47:05 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 205061 It's too bad the tofu used for this wasn't better quality, as the seasoning was delicious. Because of this, I was reluctant to order the pan-touched tofu dish later, but luckily, that batch of tofu was much better. Sat Dec 24 00:34:21 -0800 2005 204816 0 Melanie Wong 2 204817 A big hit with everyone. Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/3c71d080.jpg Thu Dec 22 15:48:13 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 205065 I love this shot of the shrimp "pinwheel". The chef has a great touch with each form of shrimp in our dinner. I especially loved the heads with the sweet roe and shrimp fat. The shells were very suckable to get every bit of the sweet and briny essence. Sat Dec 24 00:52:23 -0800 2005 204817 0 Melanie Wong 4 205082 Aw geez, this was one of those items I was watching other people on how to eat it with chopsticks. I missed the roe and shrmp fat as no one at my table seemed to go for this. I guess I'll have to take a ride up there and get an order. Sat Dec 24 01:50:16 -0800 2005 205065 0 rworange 5 205131 well, that might be partially my fault, for having the bad luck to get the one mushy shrimp in the lot (apparently!). I saw the roe and fat but was too discouraged by the initial taste to go for it.... For future reference: the way to do it though would be to pick up the shrimp and eat it: forget the chopsticks. At least, that is how I would do it! :-) Since the shrimp seems to have been such a hit otherwise, I guess I just really did get a bad one(?) Sat Dec 24 18:51:18 -0800 2005 205082 0 susancinsf 6 205134 I only had one, but it was sweet and tasty. The way I eat them is to pull off the head and suck on that first, then eat the body in 2 bites, spitting out the shell. Sat Dec 24 19:04:18 -0800 2005 205131 0 anli 7 205149 I guess I'm crude or uneducated but I just munch the whole thing starting with the head! The best shrimp I've ever eaten were in Alaska this June - steamed side-stripe shrimp - so loaded with roe we couldn't believe it. Imagine getting off a cruise ship where you're being fed 5 star food all day every day and scarfing fresh caught and steamed shrimp at a little trailer on the docks!!! The best thing was when the ship's Captain and First Mate came walking thru the muddy parking lot in their whites to buy shrimp and crab to take back for their lunch! Sat Dec 24 22:35:33 -0800 2005 205134 0 RWCFoodie (Karen) 8 205205 ok, (especially since I am going back to Alaska again this summer), enquiring minds need to know (on the elsewhere in America board perhaps): Which port of call?:-) Sun Dec 25 20:30:24 -0800 2005 205149 0 susancinsf 2 204818 A bit salty, but not as tough as others I've tried. Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/00743689.jpg Thu Dec 22 15:49:54 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 205066 The texture was great and I liked that the jellyfish wasn't so overseasoned to wipe out its own flavor. But this was way too salty. I bit into salt crystals. Sat Dec 24 00:53:49 -0800 2005 204818 0 Melanie Wong 2 204820 Hmmm, what lies beneath this crusty exterior? Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/76764908.jpg Thu Dec 22 15:52:51 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 205055 When this first appeared, I couldn't help but think it looked like an artisanal bread ala Acme. (g) Fri Dec 23 23:55:50 -0800 2005 204820 0 Melanie Wong 2 204822 Armed with his trusty cleaver, he'll show us the way... Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/0518ccf6.jpg Thu Dec 22 16:03:16 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 205067 At first he was surprised when all the cameras came out, but then I think he got into the showmanship side of his cooking performance and seemed pleased that we wanted to memorialize the occasion. I hope we'll see the other shots people took of the chicken unveiling here. Sat Dec 24 00:55:52 -0800 2005 204822 0 Melanie Wong 2 204825 Beggar's should be so lucky Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/bbada305.jpg Thu Dec 22 16:06:07 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 204871 I was wondering what the filling ingredients in case I think I try to make this. Dry and fresh scallops Fresh shrimps Lotus seeds Whole shitake mushrooms Things I did not taste that may go with this dish. barley (because it picks up favors) wheat gluten chestnut Please add anything else that may fit in. Thanks Thu Dec 22 18:59:38 -0800 2005 204825 0 yimster 4 204885 Ohhhhhhhh it was sooooooo goooooooood!!!! The list seems to be about right... The shitake mushrooms were amazing... They melted in my mouth and it's really a shame that there weren't more in there. Thu Dec 22 19:44:34 -0800 2005 204871 0 Chowchild 3 204981 Terrific pix but where's the smell-o-vision! This was one of my favorites of this meal. So fragrant and flavorful; the shitakes, dried and fresh scallop and lotus seeds were so tasty with the chicken. Fri Dec 23 15:07:57 -0800 2005 204825 0 RWCFoodie 2 204826 He's as deft a carver as I've seen. Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/2abdfa59.jpg Thu Dec 22 16:08:28 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 204884 If only we had a shot of him punching through the layer of hard bread... Reminded me of that scene in Indianna Jones... Thu Dec 22 19:40:27 -0800 2005 204826 0 Chowchild 4 205072 Here's the one picture I took of the evening --- the steamy hot filling escaping from the chicken. Was I the only who was surprised that the skin was browned like a roasted chicken rather than pale like a steamed chicken? Image: http://home.earthlink.net/~melanista/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/lilysbeggarschicken.jpg Sat Dec 24 01:09:33 -0800 2005 204884 0 Melanie Wong 5 205197 I too notice it and have been thinking how he did that. I am wondering if he roasted it before putting it into the bread or his marnide give it that color. But I sure I will not know until someone give it a try. But this is not a Chinese New Year dish. Sun Dec 25 18:37:43 -0800 2005 205072 0 yimster 2 204828 Just a bit longer in the braise, with a touch more the the braising liquid and it would have been perfect. Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/8d64b091.jpg Thu Dec 22 16:11:50 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 204882 While I do agree it could have been braised longer and more thoroughly I have to say that it was still very good. I particularly enjoyed cutting it up in my rice bowl... it's a good technique to use with any nice meaty dish as the rice absorbs the flavor. Thu Dec 22 19:38:29 -0800 2005 204828 0 Chowchild 4 204929 Chowchild, I’m so sorry not to visit the other table. I’ve loved your posts since you were a pup and find your posts on Lilly’s on target. Fri Dec 23 01:28:07 -0800 2005 204882 0 rworange 3 205073 This was anticlimactic. BTW, this was the small size of tipang. I liked the braised pork belly I had my first here much better. Sat Dec 24 01:12:37 -0800 2005 204828 0 Melanie Wong 2 204829 If I didn't tell you they were kidneys, you never know...Delicious! Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/74b4f2a4.jpg Thu Dec 22 16:13:11 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 205074 The chef said that this was a popular dish in Shanghai. It was new to me, but my favorite of the evening just edging out the magnificent chicken. The kidneys were cleaned very well and cut beautifully to be extra frilly. I agree with Yimster that a little less time on the fire to leave a bit more crunch would have been nice, but not a deal breaker for me. The shrimp had the same wonderfully fresh sweetness and texture that I loved so much in the long jing shrimp I had my first visit here. Sat Dec 24 01:16:27 -0800 2005 204829 0 Melanie Wong 4 205119 The long jing shrimp is the dish I must try next time I go to Lily's. I have had a few verison and if done right it is a real winner. After seeing what the chef did with the kidney and shrimp I can hardly wait. Want to go tomorrow but they are closed. Sat Dec 24 16:06:05 -0800 2005 205074 0 yimster 2 204830 Wonderfully sublime Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/9557d75f.jpg Thu Dec 22 16:14:07 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 2 204831 Hurray for connective tissue! Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/25cf6c91.jpg Thu Dec 22 16:15:26 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 3 205075 This was my first encounter with tendons from a pig. The lightness and almost spongey texture was very interesting. Sat Dec 24 01:17:55 -0800 2005 204831 0 Melanie Wong 2 204833 Slightly sweet, just a bit tart, and ever so delicate. Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/cwooesq/Chowdowns/6ad88a33.jpg Thu Dec 22 16:16:50 -0800 2005 204813 0 Curtis 1 204930 I’m not adventurous with Chinese Food. Lilly’s has a number of interesting dishes that would appeal to the broccoli chicken crowd and, as can be seen in other posts, interesting to knowledgeable diners Thank you, Melanie for organizing the event. Thank you, Anli for guiding our table through the dishes and your previous reports on Lilly’s. In terms of food, the best thing was trying new dishes that I would not even have known to order supervised by people knowledgable in the cuisine, so the dumb-down factor was eliminated. Not only would I never have known about Lilly’s, but I never would have known there was such a place as downtown Lafayette. So that’s where another Chow is located. While some of these dishes were exotic to me, many of the dishes would make the palate sing for people who might not want to expand their horizons. It was a shame to see Chow packed while Lilly’s was empty except for Chowhounds and a few take out orders. VEGGIE DUCK First time I tried this. Is veggie duck supposed to taste like duck? I don’t like duck. While this wasn’t great, it was pleasant enough. KAUFU This wheat gluten based dish was tasty. I would have thought it was some type of tofu. WHOLE SHRIMP SAUTEED IN SHELL Deliciously done simple sautéed shrimp which would please any taste. COLD TOFU WITH PRESERVED EGG OK. Not memorable. Did not know there were preserved eggs until reading the posts. SOYBEANS WITH BLACK PICKLED SNOW CABBAGE . Tasty little green soy beans … snow cabbage is a dark color, almost black. CHICKEN WITH WINE SAUCE The second best of the cold dishes for me. This was chopped pieces of in-bone chicken. However, I picked off a few pieces without the bones. The wine sauce permeated the meat which tasted very silky to me. TEA SMOKED FISH The poster who called the fish succulent was so on target. My favorite cold dish. The smoke flavor wasn’t pronounced, but it was pleasant. JELLYFISH This was my second try of jelly fish. The first time it was wonderful and refreshing with a nice al dente texture. So I was looking forward to it. This disappointed me. The texture was not as crisp as my first dish and as everyone said, there was too much salt. BEGGAR'S CHICKEN If you don’t like this dish, you have no taste buds. This was the best dish for me in terms of taste and presentation. It was so flavorful and tender. The shitake mushrooms so delicious. The fresh shrimp was so tender. RED-COOKED PORK TROTTER (TIPANG) Like chowchild, I thought this was tasty. Although at the time I knew there was something about it that could have been better. Reading the other posts I agree that a little more braising would have elevated this dish from very good to excellent. PORK KIDNEYS WITH SHRIMP Didn’t realize they weren’t naturally frilly. Nice match to the shrimp. I have no comparison, but I liked them and they were not at all scary. PORK TENDON WITH SHRIMP ROE I expected pork tendon to be gelatinous, and not have the softer than I expected texture. I like pig’s feet so I was expecting something like that. They were ok, but not very memorable. FRESH WINTER CARP TAIL BRAISED WITH BROWN SAUCE This is another dish that would appeal to anyone. Very nice, clean tasting fish with a light sauce. This was my second favorite dish. PAN-TOUCHED TOFU WITH SPINACH Despite the raves, this dish wasn’t that memorable to me. It was ok. YELLOW CROAKER CHOWDER Others liked it more than me. I enjoyed it, but wouldn’t order this fishy soup on my own. Are soups often served at the end of the dinner? STEAMED RICE Nice rice. What can you say? TANG YUEN IN RICE LEES SYRUP. I lucked out and got the pink and white mochi balls in this comforting warm soup that made going out to the rainy night more bearable. The broth tasted like it was laced with sake. Yes that was it … it was like warm sake soup. Very nice and pretty finish. What? No fortune cookies. I’ve always enjoyed the Chowhound chowdowns. I’m not very social, but there is a group of people who share a common interest in food so conversation is always easy and interesting. Although I’ve been fascinated by the Chinese get togethers, I’ve avoided them because I am not adept with chopsticks. I should not have worried. This is a group focusing on food. I think I could have stood on my head and scooped the food up with my hands and no one would have noticed. Anyway, very pleasant and delicious event … good food, good company. Thanks to all again. Link: http://chowhound.safeshopper.com/21/cat21.htm?56 Fri Dec 23 02:16:52 -0800 2005 204736 0 rworange 1 204984 Love those little cold plates; can easily make a meal of just these :-) Pretty much agree with everyone else, I enjoyed this dinner and the company very much. The shrimp with kidneys was something I just wanted to keep eating and eating. The dessert soup was the sweet I needed at the end of the meal. Great to see some people I haven't seen in quite a while and to meet some new ones. Worth the 2+ hours it took us to get there (thank you Yimster). Thanks to Melanie for ordering, and Anli for the find! Hope this place can survive; wish they would translate the Chinese only menu for those of us don't read Chinese... Thanks Chowhound for being there for us! Fri Dec 23 15:24:44 -0800 2005 204736 0 RWCFoodie 2 205022 Actually, the banquet menu is a good point to begin. Other than the beggar's chicken, the ti-pang and the kidney&shrimp dishes, all the other items we had are available daily on the Chinese menu. I have a barely legible copy of the menu, which has about 40 items listed. We tried 15 of them. Of the rest, here is what I have been able to translate: Shanghai wonton soup, small, med. & large, $5.95/7.95/10.95 Shanghai stirfried thick noodles 7.95 Stirfried rice sticks 7.95 Lion's head meatballs 10.95 Black mushrooms and bamboo with gluten 8.25 Black mushrooms with shanghai cabbage 8.25 Fish slices in wine sauce 10.95 Sea Cucumber and pork tendon with shrimp roe 11.95 Shanghai Stir fried shrimp 12.95 Dragon well tea shrimp (longjing shrimp) 12.95 Shanghai style spare ribs 8.50 Pork in Chef's master sauce (pork belly) 10.95 Crispy fragrant Duck (not tea smoked) 12.95 Tofu with 3 varieties of shrimp 9.95 Fish with pine nuts stir fry 10.95 My copy got cut off a bit so some of the characters are a little fuzzy. There is also at least one lamb dish, a spicy one (probably not Shanghainese, but would be interesting to try). I am sure he has a larger repertoire, but these are the dishes that they have been asked by Chinese customers to feature. On the English menu under Chef's suggestions, there are a few of the same dishes listed. Fri Dec 23 18:07:36 -0800 2005 204984 0 anli 3 205054 Sounds very good, especially the Crispy fragrant Duck (not tea smoked)- is this the one where the duck is steamed first and then deep fried? Where it's soooo tender that all it takes is a little pinch of the chopsticks and you eat it with steamed buns??? Fri Dec 23 23:49:29 -0800 2005 205022 0 RWCFoodie (Karen) 4 205114 yes, but don't know if he serves it with steamed buns (something tells me he doesn't make his own buns as he doesn't make his own xlb). Sat Dec 24 14:19:12 -0800 2005 205054 0 anli 5 205148 Anli, I hope that you or someone else in that area (Jennifer) will have a chance to try this dish and report back even if he doesn't make his own steamed buns! I haven't eaten this since 1976 while on a trip to Hong Kong & Taiwan - went to a cooking class given by Fu Pei Mei. She made this dish and I'll never forget watching the prep and then devouring it... Transcendent, miraculous, unlike any duck dish I had ever had before and pretty much since. Might be enough to make me take the trip from Menlo Park back to Lafayette! :-) Sat Dec 24 22:28:53 -0800 2005 205114 0 RWCFoodie (Karen) 6 205151 Closer to you, I've had the Shanghainese crispy duck at Shang Hai Taste Delight in Mountain View and at Su Hong in Palo Alto. Confit-like meat texture with crispy skin. Neither were served with buns. Sat Dec 24 22:48:14 -0800 2005 205148 0 Melanie Wong 1 205031 I always enjoy reading about these lunchtime adventures in eating and wish I lived in the Bay area so I could join in. Well perhaps someday I will visit when such an event takes place and I can attend. Great descriptions and photos, the pan touched tofu looks awesome, just the kind of dish my wife craves. Fri Dec 23 19:12:09 -0800 2005 204736 0 SFVisitor