Restaurant review: Chinese dishes shine at Emma’s Restaurant

There are a few Ping’s around and not just on your phone. One is at Northgate One and another is in south San Rafael, where the signage proclaims it as “Ping’s Mandarin” but it isn’t. It’s now Emma’s Restaurant. Confused? I was. Calling the restaurant, I was told there is a plan in the works to change the sign. Good idea. By the way, different people own Emma’s and the Northgate Ping’s but the original owner who retired in the early 2000s left his influence on some of the food.

Opening in August 2023 in the Graham Center, Emma’s owner Wing Pak introduced his concept of traditional Chinese cuisine with modern upgrades. The interior of the restaurant was refreshed and feels less cavernous than when it was Ping’s. Charcoal-colored carpets and walls with modern overlapping circular light fixtures and uplights keep the ambiance cozy. Most of the tables have charcoal tablecloths and all have comfortable chairs. Emma’s is a family-friendly restaurant and the carpets and cloths will help keep the noise level down even with lively children’s voices.

The red and white neon sign at the back of the room reads “Innovation meets tradition.” Executive chef To and Pak have worked together to add some new touches to the menu. To had been the chef at the original Ping’s for a number of years. Most of the menu will be familiar to those who have eaten at Chinese restaurants around the Bay Area and are looking for old favorites.

We were served a pot of hot tea and then went on to order a couple of beers. Our excellent server told us that Emma’s has an exclusive on Japanese Coedo beers. All the beers are priced at $5.50 a bottle. We ordered the Beniaka, which is brewed with roasted Japanese sweet potatoes and has a bit of a caramelized potato flavor, and the Shikkoku, a black beer with a taste of smoky espresso. Coedo also makes an IPA and Pilsner style as well has an unfiltered wheat beer. In addition to the beers, there are a few sakes by the bottle ($18.50 to $90). There is also a plan to offer sake cocktails.

While the Vegetable Spring Rolls ($9.50) are supposed to come with five pieces, there were actually 10. The crispy cabbage- and other vegetable-filled wrappers, with their ends twisted like Christmas crackers, were cut in half and arranged on the platter in a circle around the pot of sweet chili dip.

It was a festive presentation. They were tasty, lightly fried, greaseless and a nice start to our meal.

Our other appetizer was the Chicken Lettuce Wrap ($14.50). A bowl of chilled iceberg lettuce leaves was presented with a platter of uniformly cubed vegetables that included carrots and celery with wood ear mushrooms, scallions and tender pieces of chicken. This dish is often very oily but not in this case. The clean flavors of the chicken and vegetables were able to shine. Whenever eating these lettuce wraps, I always wish a different variety of lettuce is used, one that didn’t break when filled and rolled.

Emma’s serves generous portions that are easily shareable. We were ordering quite a lot and kept the attentive woman serving us busy bringing us to-go containers. She was sweetly and expertly accommodating.

We continued on our roll with wraps. Mu Shu Pork ($13.50) was the traditional, stir-fry rendition of this dish. Mu Shu translates as “cassia blossom” and is a reference to the yellow of the scrambled eggs in the mixture of slivered pork, wood ear mushrooms, scallions and lily buds. The wine and soy sauce marinade permeated the rehydrated mushrooms and buds and coated the pork. The stir-fry was served with thin Mandarin pancakes. We put a dab of hoisin sauce on the pancakes, topped it with the filling, rolled and devoured. I hadn’t had Mu Shu Pork in a while and really enjoyed this one.

The Singapore Rice Noodles ($13.50) on the menu mentioned curry powder, shrimp, vegetables and other seasonings. The bright yellow noodles harbored two shrimp, a couple of vegetables and some tired pieces of chicken and pork. An excess of turmeric dominated the curry, rendering the dish dry and one-dimensional.

The Sirloin Steak with Scallops ($18.50) was described as grilled and may have been. The beef was juicy and while the scallops were overcooked, their flavor nicely melded with the beef. The proteins were tossed with cremini mushrooms, chunks of red and green bell peppers and assorted onions in a savory sauce.

The colorfully worded menu descriptions are often more imaginative than accurate. The promise of “boldly redefined Asian cuisine” is, at this point, an aspiration. The food is appealing and satisfying to those looking for old favorites that are a little lighter, cleaner style. It will be interesting to see what transpires at Emma’s.

Ann Walker is a freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at ijfoodwalker@gmail.com.

Emma’s Restaurant

Address: 817 Francisco Blvd. West, San Rafael

Phone: 415-492-1638

Website: emmasrestaurants.com

Cuisine: Chinese

Noise level: Moderate

Seating: Tables

Liquor selection: Wine, sake and beer

Gluten-free selections: Yes

Vegetarian selections: Yes

Vegan selections: Yes

Dog friendly: No

Parking: Free lot

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily

Prices: Mostly $12 to $18

Reservations: Call the restaurant

Summary: Enjoy some lighter-style Chinese food favorites in a family-friendly surrounding with attentive service.