Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Fu Lam Mum--Mountain View, CA

My dad treated us to Fu Lam Mum for dim sum last weekend. Soon after it started serving dim sum a few years ago, Jenny and I went for lunch on a weekday but were disappointed. However, it's difficult, if not impossible, to survive for so long in downtown Mountain View without serving quality stuff. So, we decided, why not?

We're glad we stopped by. Arriving at 11:45, the five of us weren't able to get a table on the first floor, so we were seated upstairs. We started with the standards, like siu mai and har gao. They were hot, fresh and met expectations. One of the boys downed six of the har gaos seemingly without effort. Good, too, were the pork ribs and cheong fun. Though tender, the char siu (sweet pork) lacked a sufficient amount of honey glaze and hence wasn't as flavorful as that found at Joy Luck Bistro. The Peking Duck was delectable and made even moreso with the plum sauce.

Making the lunch memorable were the dishes one wouldn't find at a middling dim sum restaurant. The sesame sweet roll, was an excellent combination of crispy (outside) and gooey (inside). The sausage added flavor in its own right. Also adding a wow factor was the big bowl of tripe. Neither my dad nor I had ever seen such large, complete pieces. Moreover, the tripe was prepared to just the right crunchiness.

For dessert we had the Thousand Layer Cake, which was soft and sweet but also had a flavor dominated by flour. The top had the texture and taste of marshmallows.

Overall, Fu Lam Mum performed well. I regret, though, we weren't able to sit on the ground floor, where the variety--and, with the high ceilings, the airy ambiance--was even better. Food often made its way to the second floor by way of the stairs and elevator limitations restricted the number of carts making it up. Getting to the restaurant by 11:30 on a weekend day will likely get you a ground-floor table. Getting there after 12:20 will probably mean a wait.

153 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 967-1689