Elite Restaurant Dim Sum, Monterey Park, CA

Yet another friend leaves Los Angeles for places far away...my heart is sad, but momentarily consoled a bit because this good-bye involves eating a delicious meal.

Jonathan Gold said Elite Restaurant in Monterey Park is better than The Kitchen, Alhambra (which I visited in April 2008). And, who could doubt a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist? Not me. Mr. Gold, you saved us again.

By the way, Cris, who is leaving Los Angeles to take a job in her native Portland (I'm in denial about the whole thing), is really going to miss the variety of ethnic food in Los Angeles...she recently read a review of a Mexican food place in Portland. It said, no kidding here, "put the cilantro on your taco and squeeze lime juice on it - really, it's good that way." Oh dear. Dear Mr. Jonathan Gold, could you clone yourself for Portland?! Cris needs someone who has reviewed all the taco trucks! If anyone has recommendations for good ethnic food in Portland, pass 'em along!

There were nine of us, so we ordered a bunch of stuff. As the name implies, this is elite dim sum (hee hee) and you order off a menu - no carts. Here's the take:

Round One:

Shark's Fin & Red Clam Dumpling
Click here for the internal view

Vermicelli Singapore Style
I could eat this everyday. Every meal in fact.



- Click to enlarge -

1. Deep "Fired" Bean Curd "Warp" (This was our favorite misspelling. Who cares about the spelling? It was delicious. Sorta like a laminated dough/puff pastry of bean curd!)
2. "Fired" (or Fried) Taro Cake
3. Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

4. Baby Bok Choy with Fish Stock

Elite BBQ Pork Bun

The breather between round 1 and round 2. Insert a serious discussion of fire fighters, how the DVR transcends the time-space continuum, and the uncanny ability of pre-schoolers to use the remote.

Round Two:

Macau Roasted Pork
One word: Suc-cu-lent

Shredded Pork Rice Noodle


Baked Durian Pie
The menu said "Duran" so it was the Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes pie. Here is an internal pic. The durian filling (from the smelliest fruit on the earth) wasn't Cheryl's favorite. I thought it was okay but the crust was too greasy.


Sesame Balls with White Bean Filling
If there was an election for favorite dim sum dessert, my bumper sticker would read: "Sesame '08"


Pan Friend Turnip cake with X.O. Sauce (Nikki's favorite!)


Crystal Sweet Cake (although not what we were expecting when we ordered it, this was a light jello with flowers) and Fresh Mango Pudding (if Mango is on anywhere on the menu, it's in front of me)


Snow Bun with Almond Flavor
Delightful. In a little cloud of heaven.

Yes, we ate even more food. We also had: Crystal Shrimp Har Gow, Pork Shui-Mai, Bean Curd Wrap (yummy!), Steamed Turnip Cake (get this! get this!), and egg custard tarts (Cris' favorite)

Elite Restaurant
700 S. Atlantic Blvd.
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 282-9998

Eat Drink & Be Merry's blog has a review from 2007. His photos are much, much better! Take a look!