Lunasia: Does expensive dim sum mean better quality and taste?

For dim sum, we usually hit up the always reliable and affordable Capital Seafood. The other day, though, we decided to mix it up and live on the edge by hitting up a fancier and higher priced (too expensive according to our Chinese parents) restaurant. One of these "tai gway" places is Lunasia where the cheapest plate is $1.88 . We're moderately firm believers that prices = better quality in foods, so we decided to gel out the extra money and move our expectation meters up.


Walking into Lunasia, we immediately noticed a difference from the traditional dim sum atmosphere. No loud cart ladies pushing giant pieces of metals. Instead, we had to order from a list that was somewhat well translated into English. Chatter was kept at a moderately low level. The clean, serene decor, better china, and the addition of an orchid centerpiece (which is taken away when you arrive at the table) made the place feel classy and relaxed. The beautiful sunlight also radiated through the tall windows. We were beginning to like what we're seeing.

After going through the list of dim sums and orderly mostly from the $3.08 section, we eagerly waited for our food.

MACAO ROASTED PORK BELLY ($6.88) is categorized under the Chef Specialty section. The delicately sliced pork had a crispy skin and a small amount of fat that balanced with the meat and skin.

Since Evelina loves durian, the DURIAN CAKE ($3.08) was a must try. As you can see by the picture, it isn't exactly a cake but a flaky pastry with a durian filling. Evelina wasn't too impressed because it was too oily, and there wasn't enough durian filling to balance the flakes.

Lunasia's EGG CUSTARDS ($2.08) have a rich egg custard filling and a delightfully toasty crust.

The B.B.Q PORK BUNS ($2.08) had a sticky, sweet top and a generous amount of BBQ pork filling. It meets the BBQ pork bun standard.

The BEEF TRIPE WITH SCALLIONS ($3.08) was pleasantly not too oily. The taste of scallions is deliciously infused into the tripe, which was chewy, but tender enough.
The SOFT SHELL CRAB ($6.88), also a chef specialty, is not your typical dim sum dish, but we like to order the untypical. The fried soft shell crab was spicy and salty, but, like the other dishes, not too oily.

PEA-TIP SCALLOP DUMPLING ($4.08) had a soft skin, chewy toppings, and warm insides. A delectable, different type of dumpling.

What we're beginning to notice about Lunasia that their dishes are not too oily or fatty. This consistency was also seen in the BLACK BEAN SPARERIBS ($3.08), which usually has really fatty pieces of spareribs that are drench in a bed of oil. Lunasia stood out with this popular and simple dish. The pork pieces were lean and the sauce was not mostly oil.

The SHRIMP RICE NOODLE ($3.08) had huge pieces of shrimp that were NOT overcooked. Evelina loves shrimp, but overcooked shrimp, which is typical at most dim sum restaurants, disgusts her. This time she actually consumed the shrimp.

The BEEF RICE NOODLE ($3.08)'s herbs complemented the meat very well. A standard, well made dish.

HONG KONG ROASTED DUCK ($5.88) was our last chef specialty item. The top pieces of the duck were a bit fatty, but the rest seem like quality pieces of the bird, which also had a crispy skin.

The SHRIMP HAR GOW ($3.08) was larger than what is usually served. The shrimp was huge and the outer skin was soft but still able to hold well.

The grand finale of the dim sum meal was the huge PORK SIU-MAI ($3.08) packed with pieces of pork and shrimp with tiny pieces of mushroom and a sprinkle of fish eggs.

Aside from the spotty service, we thought Lunasia had good quality dim sum. We're definitely coming back to this place when we're craving huge siu-mai and har gow. Otherwise, we'll regularly stick to our affordable dim sum places, which also have a bigger selection of food (many of our favorite dishes were not on the menu). Our Chinese parents would be proud.



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