NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

Eggs. Toast. Bacon. Mere child’s play.

If you view brunch as more of an adventure outing than a spectator sport, Fortune’s full-contact dim sum assault may be just the gastronomic challenge you’ve been searching for.

The expansive Chinese restaurant always appears to be bustling, but never more so then when the army of steam cart-toting servers circumnavigates the main dining room (daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), hawking their myriad wares. Although the dim sum parade happens regularly, you get a wider sampling of more native dishes during the weekend runs.

Shrimp and banana rolls sprinkled with sesame seeds are a savory-sweet triumph. Pan-fried dumplings of ground pork and shredded leeks get rolled into savory bundles and wrapped in wonton skin on their way to a quick sear. An alien-looking snowball of shrimp and crab gets rolled in rice noodles and is then deep-fried to seal in the real seafood flavor. Cantonese-style roast chicken bears crispy, honey-colored skin and five-spice infused white meat beneath (delicious). An order of barbecued pork reveals a mound of jolly, red goodness, dousing fatty strips of tender pork in a sweet soy glaze. The shredded pork reemerges with a slightly tangier sauce and a buttery crust as part of an equally enticing baked treat.