Saturday, June 9, 2018
For this months dinner Margie selected a new restaurant in Buena Park. New Moon Chinese Restaurant and Lounge. http:/newmoonresraurants.com. . Apparently there are several of these restaurants around. Near all the hubbub of attractions on Beach Blvd. They share the parking lot with Porto's Bakery which made parking a challenge. Portos is so popular that no matter what size parking area it will be packed all day long.
We were seated in the "Far East Room" in the back area which made for a good view of the constant parade of people into and out of Portos. The restaurant itself is very art deco/modern in a Chinese way. Lots of high ceilings, windows, hard surfaces and bad acoustics. It was a beautiful restaurant , eye catching. It should do well in that location because of the traffic going to and from all the attractions. It appeals to the tourist and younger crowd. Downside is sharing the parking area with the bakery.
There were 11 of us tonight and 16 wines. A wide assortment, some paired well with the food and a few were outsiders.
We started out with strips of fried wonton with a couple of sauces. Did not try the sauces but had a couple pieces of wonton. Slightly oily. Maybe the sauce would have covered it up. Next was a plate of Chicken Potstickers. Not impressed. Not much filling in them and they were not puffed up like potstickers should be. Overcooked on the underside. Again the sauce may have helped.
A salad called "The Original New Moon Chicken Salad" was served. Good flavor, lots of crisp, crunchy cabbage with chicken (not much) and nuts. Unfortunately the dressing seemed to be an after thought to the server. It came out after I had finished my salad. Maybe she should had paid more attention to the food serving instead of counting how many bottles of wine for the corkage fee.
Shrimp with candied glazed walnuts was the next dish,. Shrimp were fresh and cooked as they should be. But very little "sauce" on them or the walnuts. A bit on the dry side.
The best dish of evening was next, Beef with asparagus. Beef was tender and had flavor as did the asparagus. They were cooked in a black bean sauce. This was the winner of the evening.
A Chicken with basil dish was next. I am not a basil fan but the chicken was tender and the snow peas also.
BBQ Pork chow mein - it was the standard chow mein - not too much going for it but I have never thought chow mein was a great dish anyway. I have always put it in the cheap filler category. When we do the "authentic" Chinese dinners with Henry he will occasionally throw in Chow Mein to offset the higher end seafood dishes we have.
We also had Vegetable fried rice along with white rice and brown rice. Again fillers to me. If I had been brought upon rice I would probably have a different take on it. But I had potatoes growing up and still eat a lot of them and they are fillers also.
Dessert was a Fortune cookie dipped in chocolate. Margie did pass around a box of chocolates . She does this at every meal which is a nice touch.
This was an OK restaurant but unless Margie hosts a dinner here again I would not come back. There are a dozen Chinese restaurants available with better food and a cheaper price. To me it was more pedestrian Chinese food that has been adapted to American tastes.
Wines tonight were a big variety:
2013 Lorenzi, Temecula, Cabernet Franc - did not taste
2015 Fallbrook Winery, Chardonnay -did not taste2014 Laetitia, Brut Coguard - nice bubbly
2015 Lando, Russian River, Pinot Noir - always like this wine
2017 Sinor-LaValle, Pinot Gris - nice for a Pinot Gris
2016 Reid Mahlberg, Gruner Veltliner - did not taste
2011 Clos Pepe, Pinot Noir - always a good selection
2016 Stolpman, Combe (Chenin Blanc) - nice
2016 Brookis, Riesling - did not taste
2014 Shafer, Merlot - very good wine
NV Schramsberg, Mirabelle, Brut - this is always a winner
2016 Patricia Green Reserve Pinot Noir - again always good
2016 Dragonette Rose - did not taste
2014 LeCuvier, Malbec - very good
2000 McKeon Phillips, Ceazar - wine was over the hill, still had light fruit but nothing else
2002 Fess Parker, Muscat Cannelli - good
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