Ping Pang Pong
Crispy Duck with Roasted Peanuts
Pork Belly with Roasted Peanuts
Shrimp Ball with Mayo
Chive Dumpling
Almond Coated Shrimp with Mayo
Steamed Pork Bun
Har Gow
Shumai
Baked Pork Bun
Baked Coconut Bun
Egg Custard
Stuffed Eggplant
Pan Fried Red Bean Cake
Red Bean Donut
Red Bean Bun
Found inside the Gold Coast Casino, and said by some to offer the best Dim Sum in a City oft lamented for lacking anything on par with other locations of similar size, it was with three friends that an 11:00am arrival was planned at Ping Pang Pong – one showing up far later than the rest, but really not missing much as the majority of items proved mediocre to decent at best, though service was admittedly far superior to several spots on Spring Mountain Road…perhaps to be expected considering the price.
Served in traditional cart format, the table provided cattycorner the kitchen giving a good vantage of carts being loaded with fresh items throughout the duration of a two-hour stay, Ping Pang Pong features most of the usual suspects with minimal variation and taking a slow-but-prudent approach to ordering as the restaurant sat almost universally full it was with teas both iced and hot that service began, a duo of crispy duck and supple pork each served with peanuts and complimentary sauces proving well roasted and full of flavor, though the former was riddled with bones that left some pieces virtually devoid of meat.
Passing on snails that later went half-uneaten by the tardy member of the party, course two featured fried shrimp balls with a sidecar of creamy mayo along with surprisingly delicate and aromatic chive dumplings that rivaled the best found anywhere in town, and moving onward to a trio of plump crustaceans covered in sliced almonds it was here that the savory highpoints of the afternoon were found, the freshness of each item assured by the good fortune of location though the increasing smell of cooking oil and gas would eventually render that impression unsound.
Underwhelmed by both shumai and har gow with skins that trended too thick, and personally finding both styles of pork buns almost ‘dessert like’ given the significant amount of sugar present in the sauce, it was a bit of a surprise that the lightly set egg custards were almost entirely natural in flavor atop flaky buttered pastry, a duo of coconut buns ordered as the first of several sweets equally impressive without the gloppy filling that sometimes ruins the texture of the bun.
Adding one more savory, the soft eggplant with an herbal stuffing coated in fermented bean sauce, before going all-in on a trio of sweets to finish, suffice it to say that those fancying red bean paste are well served at Ping Pang Pong, and although items featuring both green tea, pineapple, and sesame were offered the pan fried cakes of red bean as well as baked buns and filled with the same were every bit as good as any tasted anywhere to date, the lack of pressure to turn a table while drinks were repeatedly refilled without request allowing time to linger, chat, and enjoy – an admitted rarity in during peak hours at restaurants serving in this style.
TWO AND A HALF STARS: Charging approximately 25% more than other similar spots in town, and failing to nail the standards despite executing a few items quite well, Ping Pang Pong is just another average Dim-Sum joint intended to cater to the growing Asian tourist population, a better option for those confined to casinos found at nearby KJ in the Rio while those with a car would be well served to check out Chang’s just a mile and a half to the North.
RECOMMENDED: Almond Covered Shrimp, Chive Dumplings, Coconut Bun, Red Bean Donuts
AVOID: Har Gow, Shumai, BBQ Pork (unless one enjoys it really sweet.)
TIP: Those interested in menu items are encouraged to request a copy as kitchen items are offered made-to-order, a congee and Chinese Donut cart also seen just before exit though it never made its way to the right half of the room. Seating is first come, first served and the line appeared to peak at noon.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://www.goldcoastcasino.com/dine/ping-pang-pong
