Revisits: China Max for lunch

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

Comments

[Dennis]

Win some, lose some, dim sum! Sorry really old and bad joke. China Max is the only place that has Fujian/Fukien style fried rice on the menu if I remember right. Never ordered because of the price!

[Jason]

It's always so depressing when someone asks "where's the best place for dimsum in san diego"... and they stare at you while you think about it. I usually say China Max, however I usually go on the busy weekends where the food turnover is really frequent, so maybe that helps. Too bad about your visit though, although I agree that the shrimp with egg goop dish never really appealed to me.

[santos.]

hey Kirk! do you have a favourite dim sum place in SGV? i went to elite last april and it was good--but not as great as i remember--yet people seem to still rave about it. i don't think it's as innovative as it was, say, 3-4 years ago either.

[Kirk]

LOL Dennis! You should be "pun" - ished for that comment!

Hi Jason - I think China Max probably does the best in San Diego.....but most times it still kinda falls short.

Hey Santos! It's nice to hear from you! Our favorite is Sea Harbour.....by a lot. We've actually been back to Elite and I thoguht it was better than our previous visit, but still not up to Sea Harbour.

[santos.]

hi Kirk! thanks! i semi-forgot about sea harbour, although the giant roosters are hard to forget :) final question (for now): do you have a favourite XLB place in SGV? i was not impressed by din tai fung, and i haven't been to giang nan in a long time (is it still around??) but i remember really liking those. meilong village, maybe? is there any place relatively new? i feel like all my SGV favourites are from 2007 or so.

[Kirk]

Hey Santos - I still like Giang Nan over Mei Long Village which we use as a back-up...DTF's wrappers are overworked and over-hyped. You know, it seems our favorites are from a while back too....Tianjin Bistro, Newport Seafood, Hunan Chilli King. Hey, maybe you'll find something new you can share with me? As always, it's great to hear from you!

[santos.]

ugh! giang nan, sold! http://la.eater.com/archives/2012/09/14/macchiato_opens_giang_nan_sold_more.php

[PedMa]

Hey Kirk, hope you and the missus are just fine.

Agreed, the dim sum in SD is mediocre, however, China Max is the top of the pack.

I would suggest you try Tiki Taka grill in Hillcrest. Ms. PedMa has been raving about it so today I go for lunch.

Take care

PedMa

[Kirk]

Hi PedMa - It's a mighty small "pack".... Let me know how you enjoyed Tiki Taka!

[Kirk]

Hey Santos - I heard that Giang Nan might reopen in the Rowland Heights/Hacienda Heights area....I'm hoping....

[PedMa]

Tiki Taka was very good, they give you fresh made flat bread and a couple side when you sit down, gratis. Be careful, portions are quite large. Had the Israeli salad and a lamb skewer sandwich (using their homemade flat bread) and that was it for the day, done out commission. We have also tried Tecchan which took over from Raku. Very good addition to the hood. www.tec-chan.com. More variety on the menu, including Mozuku which we love!

Best,
PedMa

[Kirk]

Thanks for the info PedMa!