China Mama
Beef Roll
Green Onion Pancake
Steamed Juicy Pork Buns
Mama’s Special Pan Fried Pork Buns
Steamed Red Bean Bun
Tea Smoked Duck
Walnut Prawn
Technically located on Jones, but just steps from Spring Mountain, China Mama had long been on my ‘must visit’ list thanks, in part, to strong reviews from several palates I trust. Every bit an unassuming space, a veritable ‘hut’ in the lot adjacent Chada Thai, it was on entry that friends were located at a nearby table and with the extensive menu quickly perused under the watchful eye of a server who seemed intent on making sure there was never a moment of pause throughout our 70-minute stay an order was placed – the seven item onslaught soon to begin as the table filled quickly with far too much food for any three people to eat.
Beginning with items from the oft-raved “pastry” section before progressing to selections delineated by the origin of their protein, the meal began with Mama’s signature Beef Roll and with the pan-kissed noodles stuffed thick with supple beef and light scallions both flavors and textures popped, a similar compliment due to the unctuous pancake – the poignant flavor profile bolstered by a side of thick hoisin-like sauce that paired beautifully both here and with plate of intensely smoky bone-in duck.
Delving next into a steamer of XLB that was a bit light in soup despite excellent sapor from a ball of briny pork it was onward to walnut shrimp that our meal progressed and although occasionally overwhelmed by mayonnaise this version was perhaps the most impressive of the afternoon, a large portion of crisp and sweet crustaceans more than justifying the $18.95 menu price that proved on par with those at Blossom for best I’ve tasted in Las Vegas to date.
More than sated at this point it was almost comical just how large Mama’s Special Pan Fried Pork Buns turned out to be, and although some were regrettably packed up as leftovers due to a frank lack of capacity the crispy exterior yielding a pocket of seared pork amidst rich aromatics still enticed me enough to eat three, a steamer of red bean buns intended as ‘dessert’ picked at simultaneously with subtle sweetness proving an excellent juxtaposition to the brine of the pork while the creamy filling was forgivingly light at the end of a rather substantial meal.
FOUR STARS: No different than many of the eateries surrounding Spring Mountain in terms of scene and service but excelling with regard to the food China Mama is every bit worthy the high praise it has received from persons both local and distant. Admittedly a bit more expensive than Cathay House or Chang’s but far superior to the former and without the dim-sum service issues of the later a large-group exploration of a more extensive swath of the menu seems pertinent.
RECOMMENDED: Beef Roll, Mama’s Special Pan Fried Pork Buns, Walnut Prawns
AVOID: Tea Smoked Duck was not only a bit tough, but also almost “too” smoky to be enjoyable past a few bites.
TIP: Featuring a rather large space it has been said that both service and quality vary depending on the size of the crowd, our visit taking place at 12:30 on a Saturday finding the restaurant less than 1/3 full with service friendly enough as empty plates were cleared quickly while beverages remained filled at all times.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
