lakeside closed

[ibcnunhell]

I tried going to lakeside today but found a sign saying the owners have retired and they are closed. The sign said to go try out imperial inn, I tried it but wasn't too impressed. Any recommendations for dim sum now that lakeside is closed?

[Chinon00]

If someone doesn't mind: what should I be looking for when eating chicken feet at dim sum? I ordered them last Saturday at Ocean Harbor and it was just skin, bone and tendon. And what are the things that look like small off-white rectangular bricks that are sort of pan fried?

Thanks?

[Dib]

Personally, I enjoy the texture of chicken feet. They are kind of tricky to eat though, and they're not much good when cold.

I'd guess the pan-fried rectangles are turnip cake. Soft texture, starchy, often has bits of shrimp embedded. Does that sound right?

[mulligatawnybreath]

I've never understood the appeal of chicken feet. There's not much to them and grabbing them with chopsticks is a task. Then I consider what they've been standing in all day...

[Chinon00]

No the rectangle item is nearly the size of a bar of soap.

[croutonpiggy]

Trying to get this to post at the bottom of this thread; sorry for the reply to the wrong post.

Craig LaBan wrote a great article about Lakeside today in the Inquirer, including its history. I didn't realize that it had been open since 1989. Also included are recipes for some of our collective favorites, including Meat and Peanut Dumplings:

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/food/2...

[sylviag]

We were so sad to hear that Lakeside is closed. We just discovered it about a year (or more?) ago, and we have been there many times. I wrote some long posts about it.

I loved being able to order from the menu instead of guessing at what was on a cart. We tried many, many items and were rarely disappointed.

Does anyone else make those beef and peanut dumplings?
This place will be missed!

[swanly21]

im so sad! these were the nicest friendliest hosts anywhere that made ordering different chinese food non itimidating :( i guess im happy they can afford to retire tho...

[rabidog]

it sounds like we should go on a reverse-strike!! if i get super-motivated (by subpar sesame balls elsewhere) i might just print this thread and leave it in the mail, in case the owners come by. sounds like they will be missed!

[saturninus]

No!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rondo]

This is truly bad news! Lakeside was my favorite Dim Sum place! Tried to go to Ocean Harbor New Year's Day. It was packed and the people I went with didn't feel like waiting. Will definitely have to try it another time.

[joypirate]

yeah, i walked by friday and saw that as well (was coming just now to post it).

rabidog, for the sesame balls, you mean the fried dough w/sweet paste (lotus I think)? If so, most of the bakeries have those. I'd start with Mayflower or Greenland Tea (across the street from Lakeside).

i think i might slightly prefer ocean harbor to joy tsin lau, and lately i've discovered that ocean harbor DOES have Nye Wong Bao but you almost always have to ask for it.

[Bride of the Juggler]

The fresh, hot sesame balls at Lakeside were a world away from the cold, heavy ones they have sitting on the shelf at delis. Are there any other dim sum places where you can order off the menu (so I can get veggie and my husband can get meat)? Thank you.

[pamd]

I agree- the sesame balls I've seen are nothing like the great ones at Lakeside. Luckily I was there at the end of December for a final visit. They actually ran out of sesame balls, so they brought us the last 2 & then gave us another type just to try. They will be missed!

[bentley1530]

Lakeside was my favorite place to go for beef with black bean sauce. I am really unhappy about this.

[leepinleemur]

wow this is horrible, there's really no other place to get dim sum on demand whenever you want.

[rabidog]

oh no, not after i'd JUST discovered them!!! i've only been twice, and i have been dreaming about those sesame balls ever since. so where does one go for sesame balls in chinatown, then? has anyone seen them anywhere else?

[Dib]

I thought sesame balls were pretty common at dim sum places. I know Ocean Harbor can be more intimidating for some people than the relaxed environment of Lakeside, but OH does have a larger variety of dishes, and I think they always did the steamed dim sum better. It's true their fried dim sum, such as the sesame balls, is oilier than Lakeside.
PS rabidog, mochi is made with a glutinous rice flour similar to what's used in those sesame balls. Guess you really like that stuff :)

[rabidog]

a little slice o heaven! :)

yep, i had 'lotus balls' at a crazy weird dim sum place in NY made from the same stuff, it's great.

oh, and there's also a red bean / green tea / strawberry mochi trio out at stonewall, the korean/japanese place in plymouth meeting (i think they may have stopped serving the korean dishes, last time i was there, unfortunately), that's the dessert that turned me on to the stuff.

[Chinon00]

I heard so much about Lakeside but never got there. I'm a regular at Joy Tsin Lau, Ocean Harbor, Phoenix, and the one across the street from Joy Tsin Lau. If I had to rank them though:
1) Joy Tsin Lau
2) the one across the street from Joy Tsin Lau (virtually all Asian customers)
3) Ocean Harbor
4) Phoenix

[productionjon]

What a complete bummer. Lakeside was the best

[lawslaw]

GO to OCEAN HARBOR!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Buckethead]

I had a really good lunch at Kingdom of Vegetarians recently, but it's (naturally) all vegetarian. Too bad about Lakeside, I always heard it was great but never got a chance to go there.