Wednesday circuit breaker dinner — delivered Chinese spread from a restaurant that’s normally a sit-down spot but pivoted to delivery during lockdown.

We ordered:

Egg fried rice
Xiao long bao
Prawn wanton soup

Total: $29 delivered.

The egg fried rice was the classic Cantonese-style version — short-grain rice wok-fried with whisked egg, scallion, and a touch of soy. Each grain coated in egg, which is the technique tell: rice tossed in beaten egg before hitting the wok rather than egg scrambled into already-cooking rice. The result is golden coated grains rather than rice with random yellow chunks. Light, fluffy, properly wok-heat’d even after delivery.

XLB were the headliner. Eight pieces in a bamboo basket, each one with the proper 18-pleat skill on top, holding hot soup inside without leaking. The skin was thin without tearing, the pork filling was juicy and clean-tasting, and the soup released the moment you bit through. Came with a side of black vinegar with fine julienned ginger — the classic dipping condiment.

Prawn wanton soup arrived in a sealed container of clear chicken broth with eight plump wantons floating, blanched choy sum, and a sprinkle of white pepper. The broth was the test — proper bone-stock depth, not just bouillon-cube water. Wanton skins were silky, prawn filling had clean snap.

$29 for a proper Chinese restaurant spread during lockdown was a fair deal. Sit-down equivalent would run higher.

Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Solid lockdown Chinese dinner — would absolutely re-order.

Original IG post