Summer of 2014. It is a sweltering evening in June and I am sitting with a group of friends at Sam Doo, a popular Chinese restaurant near Central Market. We have all gathered here to celebrate the return of one of my best buddies following a lengthy trip home. He is running a bit late, and I absentmindedly start skimming the room.
The decor strikes me as flamboyant and incongruent: the walls alternate between colours of salmon and pistachio while laminated posters advertising alcohol serve as art. A shiny Chinese shrine ornamented with Christmas lights looms conspicuously over the door, its lights flickering on and off.
My friend finally enters. Lucio looks a bit fatter and his rosy cheeks denote a lack of sunshine and an indulgent lifestyle. His face beams with an exultant smile, and I can sense that something big has happened. He cannot wait a second longer and spills the news: he just got engaged. To our surprise, his fiancé is in town and will be joining us later.
As we digest the overwhelming news, the table fills with all kinds of dumplings, wonton soups, bottles of Tsingtao beer and cups of tea. All around me, I can hear the unmistakable fast, choppy sound of Mandarin.
The dumpling egg noodle soup with BBQ pork ($3.50) is authentic. The fat wontons are the very definition of juiciness and tenderness. I bring the whole bowl to my lips and enjoy the salty, flavourful, dark broth. Irresistible youmian noodles (thin egg noodles) complete this great dish.
The steamed dumplings have that sticky, supple consistency and juicy innards that characterise good dim sum cuisine. The phoenix dumplings ($2.20) are bite-sized packages of dainty shrimp, while the BBQ meat dumplings ($2) come in the form of fat parcels of succulent pork and tasty vegetables. In comparison, the deep-fried wontons ($6.5) seem a little bland. Not only are they lacking flavour, they are also a bit pricey.
We wrap up with fried meat cakes ($2): sesame-covered deep-fried dough enveloping lumps of minced pork; the sweet-savoury dichotomy is very satisfying.
All in all, Sam Doo serves good, honest Cantonese food that will not disappoint connoisseurs of Chinese cuisine. Its extensive menu covers a wide array of dim sum dishes and other Chinese delights. The service is not great, but it does the trick. Taking the quality of the food into consideration, the price is not bad: for a full meal, expect to pay $6 to $8 per person, including beer. Toilets are clean and well stocked. Finding a parking spot for your car might prove impossible, so best to come here by other means.
I come back from the bathroom only to encounter Lucio standing near the table, leaning over the figure of a woman. Her arched back is supported by Lucio’s right arm and their lips are conjoined in a passionate kiss.
She straightens up and I have a clear view of her face. It takes me a second to assimilate what I find, but when I do a shiver runs down my spine. We both try our best to suppress our reactions, but from the petrified look in her eyes I can see that she recognizes me.
“This is Soklang, my future wife,” Lucio announces with a triumphant grin.
To be continued…
Sam Doo, #56 Kampuchea Krom