First taste of Silk Road's dim sum

"They sparkle!"

Such was the outburst from one of my dining companions when a quartet of stuffed tofu skin packets hit our table at Silk Road. Indeed, the glassy, fragile wrappers glinted under the lights. You could see right through them in places.

They shattered under the teeth. Inside was a delicate mix of shrimp and water spinach. The effect was ethereal—so complete that the lightly sweet plum sauce alongside went virtually untouched.

Once we had crunched and crackled our way through a plateful, we ordered another $12 round. Couldn't help ourselves.

That was just one of the highlights at this improbable dim sum restaurant right off the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott in West U. I had been trying to get there all month, while the fledgling restaurant was still working out its schedule, adding lunch service, and finding its footing.

The idea of Silk Road's suburban-motel-like location was catnip to me. It felt very Houston Past (I have fond memories of an ambitious Chinese spot that once reigned in a low-key motel on the Katy Freeway); and Houston Present, as one of the hybrid restaurant arrangements that have flourished here during the pandemic, and beyond.

I was intrigued by the Thai owner; by the fact that she had plucked her two Thai chefs from top-tier hotel postings in Bangkok; and by the fact that both a trusted dining companion AND my former Chronicle colleague, Bao Ong, had issued good reports.

The buzz was driving me crazy. I actually heard some young friends trash-talking the fat content of the pork filling in a Silk Road dumpling—too lean, they carped—which cracked me up. Finally out-of-town friends booked rooms at the hotel, and the stars aligned.

Readers, I loved it. Not unreservedly, mind you. But Silk Road traffics in the kinds of gorgeous textures that, to me, separate good dim sum from great dim sum.

Another case in point: cheung fun, the soft rice noodle rolls that are one of my tests of a kitchen. These slippery wrappers for meat or seafood fillings can be thick and stodgy (as at Fung's Kitchen, alas) or light and delicate (as at Tim Ho Wan). Silk Road's steamed wrappers were gossamer stuff, and a "crispy shrimp" filling added a super-fine layer of crunch to each bite.

The cheung fun came with a light soy bath ladled on by our server, but they needed nothing to shine. I can already hear the lamentations from Houston diners that these morsels are too small, a common—and to me, wrongheaded—dim sum complaint in a city which prizes Big. And yes, they were pricier at $13 for two small rolls, each sectioned into halves, than their Houston peers.

But to me, the experience of simply biting into Silk Road's cheung fun was priceless.

I was less thrilled by the seared turnip cakes (lo bok go) that are usually a favorite of mine. They were heavier and less crisped than my ideal, but the presence of soft lengths of daikon radish and flaps of Chinese bacon added interest to the gently bitter, savory squares. The accompanying Sriracha-style sauce seemed humdrum, but I rejoiced that the condiment trays on our table included black vinegar—a key spark for my dim sum enjoyment, to the point that I have contemplated bringing my own. (B.M.O.V.?)

At Silk Road, I won't need to.

The shrimp-filled bonnets called har gow were nice and juicy under their thin, crimped wrappers, although they had less of a leapingly fresh, briny flavor than the pace-setting version at Tim Ho Wan. Lava bao turned out, with their custardy "molten salted egg yolk" filling, to resemble dessert—perfect for our final course, and for our beautifully brewed oolong tea with its soft tannins and smoky aromas. It left me eager to try the other tea varieties here.

Sean, our server, radiated an infectious enthusiasm. He was quick to offer suggestions when it turned out the kitchen had run out of several items—they're still getting a feel for demand.

So how did it feel to dine in view of a suburban hotel lobby? I found it charming, and disarming. The room feels warm and nicely lit. The chairs are notably comfortable and the music notably well modulated. The stray glimpses of hotel details were amusingly off kilter. Excitement about upcoming plans and initiatives practically bubbled out of the staff.

I can't wait to go back.