Tom's Seafood Restaurant - All You Can Eat Dim Sum

Well I am a happy man. Tom's Seafood Restaurant has brought back the all you can eat Dim Sum deal. For those who are not familiar with Tom's it is located at 3048 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland Ohio, right between Slyman's and E.30th Street and the Inner Belt (see map here). Set in a stand alone building with a mock red Chinese front, the outside may appear dated and a bit run down, but the inside is a different story. Consisting of one large room with some Chinese decorations and the fish tanks in the back, Tom's is light and clean and creates a nice impression. Depending on the time of day, there can be a wait for a table, especially when all you can eat dim sum is going on. In the past I have been seated at a large table with a number of other different people, so they work hard to get everyone served. All you can eat Dim Sum is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am to 3:00pm and costs $9 per person. The way that this works is that a number of carts are wheeled about the dining room and you select which items you would like. Dim Sum is basically small appetizer sized items in a number of configurations. For an idea of what Tom's offers you can go here on their website. The choices are varied and will change from time to time and during the time you are in the restaurant. Among the items you will be offered are steamed items, such as shrimp dumplings, shue mei, chicken's feet, tripe, and bbq buns. There will be fried items such as eggrolls, stuffed eggplant and pot stickers. They have noodle dishes and a rice porridge called congee. Also there are desert items and other varieties. One of the challenges can be the language barrier, those who are operating the carts do not always have the best English skills, however they are always friendly and willing to show you everything on the carts. The regular wait staff is attentive and will help out on requests as they are permitted. Tom's does have some photo menus that can help you navigate through the varieties of Dim Sum. Having learned that the all you can eat Dim Sum was back, I headed down there at about 1:00pm on Saturday. This was about the end of the lunch rush and I was seated quickly. I started with an egg roll and an order of Chinese Broccoli in oyster sauce. This was soon followed by orders of Shrimp Dumplings, which are my all time favorites, combining shrimp in a translucent dumpling with just the right amount of sesame flavor. I also had the shrimp and chives dumpling, the shrimp rice roll, some stuffed tofu, a helping of noodles and a couple of the custard tarts as dessert. This is probably the best all you can eat deal in town; the food is fresh and well made, there is a wide variety and it is unique. Be warned that when Tom's is very busy, such as Sunday lunch time, the most popular items (such as the Shrimp Dumplings and the Custard Tarts) can be snatched up quickly, so it pays to keep a eye out and don't be afraid to get up and get what you want. The advantage of these busy times is that there is even more variety of items offered and the carts are frequently restocked. Tom's draws a heavily Asian crowd and provides great food and a chance to be daring in your choices. One of my true favorite food experiences in Cleveland it is hard to go wrong here. The most fun is if you get a group of adventurous friends and head down together, that way you can share the experience. I highly recommend you head down to Tom's during the weekend and check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Wonton Gourmet & BBQ - Asiatown Hidden Gem - Updated

I headed down to Asiatown for lunch on Saturday and wanted to try someplace new. Had heard mention of Wonton Gourmet and noticed it had taken over the spot at 3211 Payne Avenue in Cleveland's Asiatown. Under a previous name and ownership this used to be just another smaller average Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood, ate there once and was neither very good or very bad, just kind of average. Pulling up to Wonton Gourmet I was not particularly impressed, although there is a good sized parking lot next door, the outside of the building is a bit run down. But walk inside and it is a complete 180 degrees. Decorated in a very modern and clean style Wonton Gourmet looks the complete opposite of its exterior. The place virtually gleams and there is very little decoration. On the far wall a large flat screen shows presumably Chinese shows; along the walls hang small Chinese signs listing menu items with their prices. Luckily there are printed menus with English. The tables are simply set, but in a good sign in addition to the ubiquitous soy sauce there is a container of the hot chili oil. Very nice black plastic chopsticks are brought upon request. The menu lists very standard items; Chow Mein, Fried Rice, Egg Foo Young, Lo Mein and similar items at very reasonable prices. Although I didn't order anything from them on this trip, looking at other tables, the food looked good with very well sized portions. What immediately caught my attention was the separate menu on the table with the Hong Kong style items; Noodles in Soup, Congee and Chow Fun, Delicasies and other dishes. I tried the Shrimp Wonton soup with Egg Noodles. For $4.95 I got a large bowl with a light but well seasoned broth, a large portion of thin noodles, greens and 5-6 large shrimp wontons. The soup was excellent with the Shrimp Wontons being the highlight. Adding just a few drops of the chili oil added the needed punch and it was excellent. Overall I was very impressed; the decor is excellent, very restrained and modern; the menu has plenty of interest while still touching on a lot of what we are familiar with. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering the portion sizes. Bringing a taste of everyday Hong Kong style to Cleveland, this is definitely a place that I will be hitting again, especially at lunch time. Update: I stopped at Wonton Gourmet for a quick dinner and was once again impressed. The dinner menu is extensive and has some items that are new event to me. I was in the mood for squid so I tried the Salt and Pepper Squid. It was a good sized portion of well prepared deep fried squid with a nice salty batter and plenty of hot pepper slices to get my tounge tingling. This is a great addition to the Cleveland Chinese food scene. A very nice place, with an interesting menu of well prepared food and reasonable prices. Go and try it out.