May 6, 2013 Dinner at M.Y. China Restaurant in SF

I am so sure that anything Martin Yan touches turns to gold, and M.Y. China is no exception. Don’t let the location fool you, it could be somewhere in Las Vegas, other than here in the Westfield San Francisco Centre. It really doesn’t matter though. If delicious Chinese is the kind of food that you dream about, well dream no further. M.Y. China is here to stay.

James Beard Award winning chef and TV host Martin Yan, Chef Partner, transport the sights, tastes and discoveries of modern day Chinese food to America. He and his all-star crew have created a fun and approachable restaurant where every visit offers a new experience. Martin was inspired by years of experience traveling throughout China, and discovered, by bringing the finest ingredients, flavors and techniques he could create authentic Chinese Food at its best.

With M.Y. Chinas open kitchen you can see all these great dishes being prepared right in front of your eyes. Your experience will come with world champion noodle dancers; pulling giant balls of dough into thousands of thin noodles in minutes using only their bare hands. And then there’s the oh so delicate hand-folded dim sum, another must try. Martin, shares the best of what he has experienced from traveling, cooking, and eating in China through a unique, multi-sensory dining experience. His culinary vision; is shaped by over 3,500 culinary TV shows, 30 cookbooks, and the establishment of a professional culinary academy in China. He brings the same engaging, charismatic qualities to life at M.Y China that makes him a global icon.

Chef Yong Dong (Tony) Wu, Executive Chef is part of the new generation of talented Chinese chefs. This vanguard chef brings a dynamic and innovative approach to traditional Chinese cooking by experimenting with both new ingredients and cooking methods. Chef Wu is from the culinary mecca-city of Tian Jian; his expertise encompasses both Northern and Southern Chinese cooking including mastery of eight different noodle preparations, knife work and vegetable carving. Winning top honors and 33 gold medals in various culinary events; and he was the first chef to set a record for pulling 16,000 noodles in two minutes! Chef Wu has traveled extensively working and studying with top chefs including National Treasure Chef, Gao Bing Yi, one of the most respected and accomplished culinary masters of Modern China. He is proud to have cooked for the a true culinary genius, he cooked for the Prime Minister of Japan, and at a state banquet for the King of Thailand. In 1996 Chef Wu moved to Toronto to work at the famous Peking Men Restaurant before moving to Vancouver to open Lee Shen Dek. Chef Wu is one of the few certified judges for culinary competitions.

Ronny and Willy Ng, the managing partners have been culinary leaders for over 37 years. Born in Hong Kong, they moved to the US in the 1980s where they began their ascent in the restaurant world. Together they opened Koi Palace in 1996, famous for its Dim Sum, in Daly City. The restaurant has earned international recognition, called one of the best Chinese restaurant’s in the Country by Gourmet magazine, and being named in the “Top 100 Restaurant in the Bay Area” by the San Francisco Chronicle for nine consecutive years.

David Dodson, managing partner founder of Cultivation Corps, which focuses on restaurant concept development and advisory. David has worked on business development strategies, brand vision, and management development with restaurants and hotels nationwide such as Rosewood Hotels, Fairmont Hotels, Dolce Hotels, Caesars Palace Casino, Tomatina Pizzeria, Gracie’s and Bistecca, and individuals such as Chef Michael Chiarello, Iron Chef Cat Cora, and former Google Chef, Charlie Ayers.
Sous Chef Mike Lim was very helpful in describing the menu items and his vast motivation for every dish. He was my very own wealth of knowledge the night I tasted, explaining every little culinary nuance that went into every plate.
For my tasting they made a special menu with my name on it, I was so honored.

Cocktails:
Mixologist and Bar manager Nate, really made some amazing drinks.
East Meets West Baby Chrysanthemum, infused Tito’s Vodka orange blossom honey. Very delicate and lovely, a nice way to begin your experience.
Fire in the Wok with Azul Tequila, limejuice, Fresno pepper, agave, and soda. Spicy but thirst quenching, go figure.

Here’s what I tried:
Spicy Seafood Dumplings with scallops, shrimp, spinach. The garlic spicy flavor of these are so good, this will be one of my new cravings.

Wild Boar Juicy Dumplings with ginger, garlic, M.Y. seasoned salt. They are served in Chinese soupspoons, which is a good thing. They are so juicy; this is Chinese comfort food at its best.

Tea Smoked Pork Belly Sliders with pickled daikon, cilantro, Sichuan peppercorn oil. Just the right amount of smokey flavors make these sliders very special.

Beef Hand Pulled Noodle Soup – slow simmered rib eye, baby bok choy, star anise jalapeno, M.Y. seasoned salt, fried shallots. What an accomplishment! They walk around and do their noodle-pulling dance before they serve this to you. The meat is so tender, but does not fall apart, and the noodles are worth every penny.

Kung Pao Chicken with Huang Fei and jalapeno, peanuts mango, birds eye chiles. They somehow fry the peppers, but they are not hot, just crispy. This is not your usual Kung Pao, it is not saucy, but the flavor will make up for that.

Forbidden Rice with red rice, brown rice, barley, wolfberries. This rice is very complicated; it went well with the Kung Pao chicken.

Sugar Egg Puffs chocolate fondue, vanilla bean Chantilly crème, this was just what the doctor ordered, a luscious ending to a great experience.

The interior is very cool, modern Chinese. With its neon hanging light fixtures, looks like an upside down carnival ring toss. Very sleek with lots of Asian splendor. The dark wood floors give the interior a provincial classiness.
Thank goodness I met Martin Yan at The Food and Wine event in Palm Desert a few months back, as he was way too busy to make an appearance on this night. The good news was, he invited me to come and try his new venture.

Now after my tasting, I can highly recommend this out of this world restaurant. M.Y. China has discovered ancient Chinese traditions brought to life and interpreted in a thoroughly modern way. This is magnificent high-end Chinese food at its apex. Now I will be forever spoiled and going to my nearest neighborhood Chinese restaurant will never be the same…M.Y China has ruined me!

M.Y. China
Westfield
San Francisco Centre
Restaurant Collection
Under the Dome
845 Market St. 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
P. 415.580.3001
mychinasf.com

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