Located along Palo Alto’s bustling University Avenue is a quaint open-kitchen dim sum restaurant called Steam. Modern wooden interior design brings a warm atmosphere dulled by the constant playing of mall fitting room music. The kitchen delivers a range of flavors, some overly fishy or bland, and some incredibly delicious.
Spinach With Garlic: 5/10 ($19)
Though aggressively overpriced and a bit bland, this spinach side still serves as a nice accompaniment to the other dishes. The large amount of garlic mixed in brings some redeeming flavor, but the stems of the spinach are so long and tough that they are hard to chew. Overall, the texture of the leaves is pleasant, and the dish is a solidly average option from their vegetarian section.
Szechuan Spicy Chicken With Garlic: 7/10 ($22)
The Szechuan spicy chicken is an undeniable standout on the Steam menu: wonderfully salted and perfectly savory. From the assortment of chopped vegetables—the crunchy onions being a perfect touch—to the spicy, garlicky sauce, this chicken dish is delicious.
Shrimp Dumplings Har Gow: 4/10 ($10)
These dumplings are a complete miss. Although the chewy exterior has an enticing look, the shrimp filling is mushy and doesn’t have much flavor. With some soy sauce, the dumplings are just so-so and greatly overshadowed by the restaurant’s other offerings.
Lemongrass Popcorn Chicken Wings: 8.5/10 ($16)
The lemongrass popcorn chicken wings, which arrive warm, crispy, and well-salted, leave a party of four disappointed that the dish only serves six. Not only is the skin crunchy and tender, but the chicken itself miraculously preserves the taste of the sauce and seasoning applied to the wings’ exterior. And the garnishings, a beautiful visual choice, elevate the flavor of the staple food.
Stir Fried Seafood Udon: 5.5/10 ($20)
This stir fry is overwhelmingly fishy. The inclusion of shrimp and whitefish really brings out the marine elements of the dish in an unpleasant way. Though the dish’s soft noodles somewhat redeem the overpowering flavors of the seafood, they can’t compensate for the vegetables’ lack of flavor.
Filet Mignon Cubes: 6.5/10 ($26)
Flavorful and fatty, the filet mignon cubes are a main dish that complements the restaurant’s other offerings well. However, where the cubes shine, other aspects of the dish fall short. The filet mignon is accompanied by broccoli and onions, and though the onions retain much of the sauce, the broccoli (which arrives slightly cold and soggy) fails to do the same.
