祥興 Cheung Hing Seafood & Dimsum Belmont, CA

"Xiangxing" seafood and dim sum (tea drinking) restaurant is our class reunion dining spot. At noon, there is a variety of dim sum available (fried, steamed, baked, stir-fried, etc.) for tea, with options for both meat and vegetarian. Fortunately, we have our gathering on Thursday, so there won't be too many people waiting for a table. A friend tried it out last weekend and found the parking lot full, making it hard to find a spot. During the reunion, eight of us sat around a large round table, which was convenient for dining and chatting.

The food at this place met my expectations for dim sum and even brought surprises. Delicious and satisfying.

(1) Vegetarian: braised tofu, pepper salt tofu cubes, fried dough sticks, golden sand pumpkin, vegetarian soy sauce fried noodles. One vegetarian classmate does not eat meat or onions, leeks, or garlic. I've always loved "golden sand pumpkin," and fortunately, vegetarians do not avoid salted egg yolk, so they could enjoy this delicious dish. "Fried dough sticks with rice rolls" is quite special; I had never tried it before, but it was quite tasty, something worth ordering in the future.

(2) Steamed, pan-fried, and fried (not "truly cunning," haha!): Chaozhou rice cakes, pan-fried chive dumplings, XO turnip cake, golden shrimp balls, honeycomb taro balls. "Honeycomb taro balls" is a must-order for me, and I wasn't disappointed. These fried foods cannot be made at home.

(3) Specialties: boiled beef tripe, spicy beef tendon. What's special is that the "boiled beef tripe" is served with bean sprouts, giving it a unique flavor. Some people love it, but I eat little beef, and I didn't want to make an exception, so I didn't try it.

(4) New favorite addition: stir-fried glutinous rice. Generally, Cantonese dim sum includes this dish. It has diced sausage and shredded eggs, different from Taiwanese oil rice. The taste is very good. I like both Taiwanese and Cantonese styles. But to control my blood sugar, I will only have a small taste.

In summary, I highly recommend the "Xiangxing" meals. I plan to try out other branches closer to home in the future.

Bonus: Did you notice the wonderful design of the menu categories? (It truly speaks to my love for Chinese idioms.)
Steamed dishes: "Steaming ahead."
Rice rolls: "Rolling for a long time."
Desserts: "Sweet and lovely."
Preserved meats: "Full of flavors."
Congee: "Heart full and satisfied."