Noodles House Frozen Green Onion Pie

There's a huge assortment of "frozen pie" type dim-sum in the freezer case at Kam Man. Compared to the buns, there are very few flavors, hence I have never delved deeply into the "scallion pancake" section. There's also the problem that a lot of these things don't cook up so well. If you bake them, they come out unevenly done, while pan-frying usually creates a tough outer layer that requires heavy pressure to cut. (Perhaps you are supposed to deep fry them?) That's why these Frozen Green Onion Pies from Noodle House made me so happy. They came out perfectly with pan frying. You could use a fork to cut them on the plate, but they still were a little chewy, with crispy outsides. They weren't over-dense like some of the other brands. On top of great texture, the flavor was buttery with highlights of pleasantly cooked slightly sweet onion. Never had this before, definitely going to have this again.

Score: 5/5 - Chewy, flaky, buttery, not too dense, and some good onion chunks. As good as (or in some cases better than) the restaurant versions.

Amoy Vegetable Rice Roll

Amoy Vegetable Rice Roll has long been a favorite of mine. The vegetables in question are mostly carrots, bamboo shoots, mixed fungus and such, they're chewy and textured under the rice-flour roll wrapper. You can cook them in the package in the microwave. Just cut open a corner, get the sweetened soy-sauce packet out of there, and nuke. The sweetened soy-sauce does add to the flavor, as the rice roll is bland by nature, and the flavor of the vegetable mix is pleasant but not strong. Another frozen purchase.

Score: 4.5/5 - The rice roll flavor is mild and pleasant, and the accompanying sauce is just right. The texture really works for me. I don't think I am selling these as "amazing" in my description, but it all the elements balance correctly to be really nice to eat.

Ponto Frozen Sweet Potato Pies

These frozen sweet potato pies are pretty good. I tend to bake them in the oven until crispy the flaky pastry crust gets a little brown. It's not super buttery, but it ends up crispy so I don't think I have to pan fry them or anything. I think I would like the crust a little softer and fluffier. The filling is definitely mashed sweet potato, and extends pretty far toward the edges, so all bites have that flavor. The filling is dry enough and spread thinly enough that it doesn't bleed out or make the layers separate, and I like that. It's pretty good plain, but also does well with sauces. Again, frozen from our local Kam Man.

Score: 4/5 - Good sweet potato flavor, pastry just OK. The crust sticks to the cooking surface no matter what and is messy to eat too.

Day-Lee Pride Vegetable Gyoza Potstickers

I bought these Day-Lee Pride Vegetable Gyoza Potstickers at Kam Man, frozen as usual. I've been cooking them using the pan-fry then steam technique, and I find that they come out very well that way. I like the skin texture of these, they're thin but they aren't soft enough that they rip. The inside is a good texture, too. The cabbage-based filling sticks together well. The flavor is pretty basic, with really the cabbage sticking out in my mind, but it's pleasant so that's alright. Add a little soy-sauce, and these are quite satisfying!

Score: 3.5/5 - Good texture, simple but nice flavor. Definitely will buy this brand again.

Prime Food Vegetarian Bun

More frozen food from Kam Man! These Prime Food Vegetarian Buns are a good execution of the basic vegetable cabbage bun, with carrots and textured soy protein bits and a little bit of radish and ginger. The filling portion is generous, and it's a good balance of textured and soft. It's a little slippery, so you can lose a few bits of filling. I've had these with sauces and without, and it's tough to decide which I prefer. The flavor is light enough to be overpowered easily, but is a little plain for my tastes. Still, a good bun and complementary to a dim sum selection.

Score: 3.5/5 - Good. I don't think of them as exceptional buns, but really, these are pretty much the best version of the simple cabbage bun I've had. Texture good, flavor good.