Year in Bells site; more about Chinatown

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat of Jan. 14, 2014:

Craig LaBan: In case you haven't explored our Inquirer.com website, I'd encourage you to check out the gorgeous site, designed by Frank Wiese, for my Year in Bells and last Sunday's mega-package on Chinatown, with beautiful graphics and a neat map that works on your mobile device, and would be handy walking down Race St. Wiese designed the page to make all my reviews and articles (for the last few years) searchable by bell rating, name, neighborhood, or style. Go to http://data.inquirer.com/laban.

Reader: I definitely welcome the diversity of Chinatown, but it's such a shame that the Cantonese cuisine has been declining since the chef of Shiao Lan Kung died and since the closing of Lakeside. Thank God that we still have Ting Wong.

C.L.: Both were huge losses. Lakeside was pretty much unparalleled in the dim-sum category - even if it was made-to-order, not exactly the giant dumpling-hall experience most people expect. It's one of the true weak points of our Chinatown - and definitely an area where there's an opportunity. As for Shiao Lan Kung, my recent meal was OK, not terrible, but the magic touch of the master chef (R.I.P.) was not there. Still has great hot-and-sour soup and salt-baked seafood. But it's no longer a standout address.

Reader: How will you compare Tai Lake with Ken's Seafood?

C.L.: Tai Lake is an old Chinatown standby for Hong Kong-style seafood. I know lots of people who like it, including my friend the undertaker, who swears by the big lobster salad. I was there a few years ago for an OK dinner. But my meal at smaller Ken's Seafood was more memorable - in part because the seafood was more carefully cooked, from the amazingly sweet and tender live shrimp (boiled simply) to the wok-fried eel which was, by far, the most tender eel I've eaten in C-town.

Reader: Who has your absolute favorite soup dumplings? I'm obsessed with them.

C.L.: We did a side-by-side tasting of xiao long bao between my previous favorite, Sakura Mandarin and C-town's original soup-dumpling purveyor, Dim Sum Garden. SM's had more juice, but overall, I liked the flavor and textures of the handmade dough better at DSG. I especially liked the crab-flavored dumplings, which were genuine broth bombs. One hot tip: Dim Sum Garden actually sells those soup dumplings frozen to go, and they're easily reheated in a steamer basket for eight minutes. That's how they go to Garces' noodle bar at the Revel, apparently.

Reader: What is your take on Alan Richman's latest cheesesteak ranking?

C.L.: Well, everyone has his own take on cheesesteaks - and I remember being turned off by Campo's when I did my roundup years ago. Remember being mildly impressed with Sonny's in Old City, which was (I believe) GQ's top pick. I'll give Richman props for taking along Maria Gallagher (ex-Philly mag critic) and her husband, Ray Didinger, who both know a thing or two about steaks. I found ridiculous, though, a comment from Jeff Ruby, a Chicago mag resto critic and a cheesesteak newbie - who found the seeded roll an "intrusion" on the purity of flavor of his steak at John's. Seeded rolls, while optional, are completely authentic. And a sign that a steakery uses a quality bakery.