On a recent visit to the Bay Area I enjoyed as good a meal of its type as I’m ever likely to experience. My Chowhound friend Melanie Wong has been tracking Chef Zhongyi Liu, a Beijing-trained chef who once represented China in the Bocuse D’Or. He was chef at the legendary China Village in Albany, moved to Fresno after that place burned down, and is now back at Royal Feast in Millbrae.
Chief Liu at work (vidcap from a screen in the dining room)
This was the latest of several many-course feasts commissioned by Melanie in which the kitchen is invited to explore its creativity with dishes that are not on the regular menu. The only requirement was that it top out at $40 pp (later bumped to $45) including tax and tip. This precluded outrageous ingredients like gold leaf and abalone, but it was still pretty luxurious as we shall see.
Here are the six cold appetizers in my dish, going from left to right in front row: Pork Feet Jelly, Sister’s Rabbit Dice, Chicken with Chili. In back: Okra with Sesame Paste, Beef Tendon, Favorite Eggplant.
Royal Feast has made quite an investment in serving vessels so each guest gets their own portion instead of sharing on a lazy susan. This unorthodox touch proved highly convenient and was much appreciated.
The kitchen has quite a way with offal, and I enjoyed the Pork Feet Jelly most among these tastes. However, the jelly had a very mild flavor. It could have used some star anise and other aromatics.
Next up was one of my two favorite dishes of the meal: Seafood and Egg White with Vegetable Soup. Chef Liu had steamed egg whites in the serving cups and then added the other ingredients. When you stirred the soup the egg white broke apart, creating delicate threads. The bright red thing is a goji berry–an unexpected but welcome jolt of acid.
My other favorite dish was next, Ocean Clam with Fish Maw in a chicken and pork stock that had been reduced to the consistency of zabaglione. The big, juicy clams were the most luxurious and expensive component of the meal, and the fish maw was like a sponge but with a more interesting texture, sopping up the amazing broth and dispensing a little of it with each chew.
A native-speaker guest described the above dish as “very Tanjia” meaning in the aristocratic style of the Tan Hotel where Chef Liu trained. According to this history “Tanjia cuisine is famous for its two principles: First, only the finest ingredients may be used and cooked carefully to retain the flavor; secondly, the taste should reflect the essence of Tanjia cuisine. The dishes taste soft and original, with light, fresh seasonings, not too sweet nor too salty.”
The next dish was a bit of a letdown. Kung Pao is a standard Szechuan prep including peanuts, and this rendition included both shrimp and chicken. But it was nothing special and some guests found the proteins overcooked.
Nothing wrong with the dish that followed: fat spears of asparagus were perfectly cooked and topped with crab meat and a light seafood gravy. It was the refreshing touch we needed at this point in the meal.
Lamb with Dates was a claypot dish, served in a miniature pot for each guest. The kitchen does good things with lamb, and the Cumin Lamb on the regular menu is not to be missed. This rendition was tender but I didn’t discern any date flavor or texture in my bowl.
Next came a dish that probably doesn’t get served too often, which the kitchen calls Beijing Duck Two Ways. The portion on the right consisted of some strands of meat wrapped in a pancake, while the one on the left is almost a duck salad, heavy on sweet mayo, in a spongy fried wrapping. Seems this was a favorite of a distinguished diner at the Fresno restaurant, and Melanie ordered it in tribute to him. I’m glad I had it, but won’t need it again.
Sea Bass braised in a brown sauce was served over noodles for our final dish before dessert. I wasn’t crazy about this dish, partly because there were bones to pick out. And I was way too full at this point to eat noodles.
Finally, it was time for dessert. I muffed my photo of the croquembouche-style stack of banana balls that was brought to the table and then dismantled with a ball for each diner. The bananas were mixed with a batter, fried and coated with spun sugar. It was sweet but not too sweet, a light touch to complete our meal.
A personal observation in summing up: this was the most pedigreed of half a dozen Cantonese and Szechuan banquets I’ve enjoyed, and I have noticed that the dishes are often not as exciting to me as regular menu items at the same restaurant. I think there is a desire to show off the kitchen’s artistry against a simple backdrop of ingredients, and to tone down the spices so everybody will be happy. Still, it was an unforgettable experience and I’m very glad I was there to enjoy it.
This selection from the regular menu, Cold Pork Ears, is still my favorite dish at Royal Feast and it gives any of these banquet dishes a run for its money both in flavor and appearance. Be sure to order it if you dine here.
Royal Feast is at 148 El Camino Real in Millbrae, CA 94030. It’s easy to visit on a layover at SFO and just a few minutes from the airport by BART or Lyft. They do get packed at peak times, so call first: (650) 692-3388. And yes, they’ll pack up a meal for you to take on the plane.
I hope you tipped at least 100%.
That’s what the dishwasher deserved, for sure.