Review: Jin Xuan Hong Kong, Puchong Jaya

No 7 & 8, Jalan Kenari 8,
Bandar Puchong Jaya,
47100 Puchong, Selangor.
Tel# 603 – 8075 0866/603 – 8070 8677
http://www.jinxuan.com.my/

As part of the mid autumn celebration, we decided to have brunch here. My initial suggestion was Foo Hing but that place is apparently usually packed to the brim. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Waze took me on a detour all the way to Old Klang Road. Sure, it is reachable but if you could feed yourself from the front, why would you twist your arm around to  the back instead?

The quintessential dim sum: har gao or steamed prawn dumpling.
Happy to report that the skin is not very thick and the prawns were rather fresh and juicy.

Another must order: siew mai or steamed pork dumpling topped with fish roe.
This used to be my preferred choice over the prawn version but over the years, it slowly disappeared off my eat list as most places make this in such a way that the pork flavor is overpowering. Almost nauseating. Thus, I didn't try this. We ordered a basket of 3 only anyway.

My father's favorite: steamed pork bun. Truly though, he likes any of the steamed bun variety.

This is one that I have taken a liking for over the years. Unfortunately, Jin Xuan's version had a rather overpowering taste of veggie so it was not to my liking. The bun itself was soft and fluffy.

Do note that their steamed dim sum are made to order so you are guaranteed freshness and hot food. 

Loh mai kai or steamed sticky rice with pork and chicken. Another of my pop's favorite, you should be able to tell how much he adores dim sum in general. Perhaps even more than his youngest offspring.

Glutinous rice is something not very digestive-friendly. Too much of it and you can either end up with diarrhea or constipation; neither of which is fun, that I can tell. Or maybe it is just me. Thankfully, I didn't get either of those (or didn't eat enough to render such symptoms). The rice was cooked till just soft, not too sticky. Meat itself was just average.

Left: Steamed fish paste ball. Right: Steamed sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf.
I didn't get to try the former but the latter was slightly better than loh mai kai though they are both essentially the same damn thing. The leaf gave the rice a slight sweetness and it helped to lock in the moisture.

Chee cheong fun or steamed rice roll in light soy sauce. One of my childhood favorites, this was just mediocre as the rolls were too thick.

A not so traditional dim sum: baked oyster with pork topped with cheese.
As expected, the oyster was overcooked, almost rubbery. Just almost.
The pork is a unique addition to the seafood but the cheese just brings them all together.

Stuffed green chili. This is one of those things I never got into because I was afraid it will be too spicy for me. Nvm that spicy (really spicy) food is my favorite food.
I did get to try the stuffed eggplant version and surprisingly, the sweet sauce made a significant difference. In a good way.

Deep fried prawn and mango spring roll.
Crispy on the outside, the prawns were still hot which was awesome. The sweetness from both the seafood and fruit were complimentary.

Deep fried stuffed bean curd was a hit around the table with its crispiness and sweet chili sauce.

Deep fried prawn dumplings. Ever and always my favorite, the slightly sweet savory skin is best enjoyed with some mayo. Or lots of mayo if your diet allows.

Pan fried fish ball stuffed with minced pork. Similar to foo chow balls, these had a thinner fish meat and more pork. Good stuff.

Wan tan mee soup version. Usually, I'd give these noodles as pass as they are limp and have no bite to them. Thus, it was pure surprise when a bite of these had none of those. In fact, the noodles were springy despite having been in the soup for awhile.

The dry version fared better and I'd recommend this over the other as  you get to fully enjoy both the texture and taste of it. The roast sweet pork was not too bad either but don't expect it to be awesome.

What's wan tan mee without the wantan? These were fine, nothing too memorable.

The thing about dim sum is how it encompasses the appetizer, mains and eventually, dessert.

Baked sweet pork bun. These were delightfully soft and fluffy. The  fillings were not too sweet either.

Deep fried sesame balls with sweet lotus paste filling. Fresh out of the fryer, these were sinfully crunchy and sweet.

A very funny thing happened with these egg tarts.

Arriving late, my cousin already had few of these while waiting for me. We like egg tarts, almost to a vengeance. Difference being I could afford to eat them until I puke my guts out with them tarts while he is at the mercy of his parents though it's always the other way round.

So, he was playing with my father and things got rough that the brat got annoyed and started bawling his eyes out. As a means to shut him up, my aunt offered the last tart to him. Of which, the father went:

that's amy's. she hasn't taken any. 

Which is true and I was honestly looking forward to end the meal on a sweet note. It was slightly annoying because I ordered these specifically for myself and it was right in front of me before my aunt conveniently scooped them out and gave it to the brat.

oh, sorry. here, I give it back to you. 
like really? you have already offered it to him. just give it to him.

It wouldn't have been such a big deal.... if this was not literally the last egg tart for the day T_T
Since I sort of organized this brunch with the extended family, I was annoyed at having to pay and not get my beloved tarts. That is quite a silly reason to ruin the day but it turned out to be my silver lining as my aunt ended up paying though my purse was already out :D

So, maybe nice guys don't really finish last.