Wing Lee / Banana Leaf

San Francisco, CA

Popped into Wing Lee...Happy Bakery...er, whatever it's called on 23rd and Irving for a quickie breakfast.

Mmm...I love shortbread crusted egg custard tarts (dan taat). Shoosh...I'm a part of the smaller shortbread/cookie crust faction. I only wish this sucker was hot...and the custard silkier and eggier.

Dan taat rating: 6.5/10 Passable. Eh, it's all about the timing...hot, fresh ones are the best!


________________________________________________________________

Milpitas, CA

After some shopping at McCarthy Ranch, we stopped off at Banana Leaf for a belated birthday lunch for my aunt. We weren't terribly hungry, so decided to order 3 apps and one rice plate.

Green papaya salad ($6.95)

Roti prata ($2.95)

Satay combination - chicken and beef ($6.95)

Hainan chicken with rice ($8.50)

The papaya salad had a heavy hoisin-based dressing that smothered the papaya shreds in sticky sweetness. I much prefer the Thai fish-sauce based dressing in som tum (green papaya salad).

The roti prata was airy, crisp, light, yet with slightly chewy sections. Wonderful! Nearly every table had this appetizer. The curry had a light coconut flavor and a teeny bit of heat. Would definitely order it again - but next time, I want one for myself. =P

Now the satays - the highlight of the meal for me. Super succulent, juicy chicken and beef skewers. The meat had to have been marinated as they didn't need the requisite peanut based sauce. Need I say it again - no dryness!!! Damn good juicy meats on sticks!

The Hainan chicken rice was decent. Auntie complained that the chicken wasn't a free-range or Empress chicken but the meat was very juicy. Mom complained that the dish did not come with the ginger condiment. I complained that the rice wasn't chicken-y enough. But hey, it was pretty good and we're just selectively picky, especially with my aunt and chicken.