China Village in Albany

Abalone Mushrooms and Pea Shoots at China Village in Albany (12/31/17).

We were trying to go to other restaurants today in the East Bay, but one was closed, the other had a huge line. We decided, hey, let's go to China Village, haven't been in a while, and it's always quite excellent. We started off with Szechuan Cold Noodle with Chicken and cucumbers above. Never had this here, totally spot on.

Above and below: one of the Chef's Specialties, Abalone Mushrooms and Pea Shoots. Every bit was pure heaven.

However, something was amiss: according to Robin, who knows much more about mushrooms than I do, these must be Trumpet Mushrooms, which have a dark cap. Abalone are all white, and half the price.

Anyway, we also ordered some Dim Sum.

Above: Pork & Shrimp Shumai. Perfect flavor and texture!

Above and below: Lamb Dumplings! The best!

Pickled cabbage appetizer at China Village.

Been some time since Robin & I went to China Village, so did our visit on the Fall Equinox 2016 live up to our expectations?

Absolutely no doubt. Here's China Village's version of Cold Chile Chicken. What sets this apart from the rest? The use of discernably better quality spices.

Pea shoots sauteed with roasted garlic in chicken broth.

Beijing Duck. That sauce (of course) tastes like it's made in-house. I've never tasted a plum sauce quite like that.

Five Spice Seasoning brushed on the duck.

Note the pool of chicken broth, infusing all the pea shoots. Unbelievably rich for a vegetable dish.

Here's an old shot from the first time I went to China Village in 2013. 

Today (12/5/15) Robin & I had a late lunch at China Village. We started with one of the day's specials, without a doubt the best Kale dish I've ever had in a restaurant, which tasted like it was cooked with fragrant oil, a bit of soy sauce and stock. First of three dishes we'd never had here before.

I've been wanting to try Dim Sum here, but usually I'm only there after 6pm. Here's a great one, Lamb Dumplings, obviously made by hand, very juicy inside. Nice texture and rich flavor.

Here's why I thought of China Village in the first place: Duck. Last time we had the Tea-Smoked Duck, this time roasted and served with bao and a rich plum sauce that to me tasted of a hint of orange zest. Perfectly crisp skin and juicy meat. Ooh, and we've got leftovers...

Chef John Yao of China Village in Albany continues to astound me every time I eat here. My friend Jeff & I ate here shortly after I returned to the Bay Area, and I was an immediate convert. I've probably eaten at 50 other Chinese restaurants (which represents maybe 5% of the entire Chinese restaurant scene here), and while I've found a handful of places pretty close to this good, I'm not sure I've found his equal. Highly recommended are his Specialty dishes, including the amazing Pork Shoulder with Five Spice Powder. There's a complexity and subtlety at work here, in terms of the aroma, flavor, balance and mouth feel of China Village's cuisine. 

You sit down for dinner, they serve you tea and pickled cabbage. Lovely.

First they brought us Pea Shoots & Garlic. Why is it the best vegetable dishes always seem to be Chinese? Perfectly cooked. 

Manila clams in black bean sauce. Been meaning to try a good version of this, and boy, I was not disappointed. No skimping on ginger & garlic. The interplay of sauce and clam was superb. The contrast between the soft clams and crunchy vegetables is another layer to savor and appreciate.

Tea Smoked Duck. What can you say? I've had a number of earth-moving dishes in my life involving duck, from my mother's Duck Ala Orange, to the Mole Verde Duck I had many years ago at Fonda San Miguel, before chef Miguel Ravago retired. Course, in Chinese cuisine, they cut the duck up against the grain, so to speak, so that more aromatics sink into that lovely, rapturous fat.