England Rose Garden – Fremont, CA

Before I begin with this post, I’d like to issue a formal apology for the lack of food related updates.  I usually take food photos with my phone, and a couple weeks ago my phone decided that it would no longer read the external microSD memory card where all the photos were saved.  I thought I had lost the photos forever (because I do not have another microSD card reader nor an adapter to use).  Today, possibly because my phone has been in an exceptionally good mood, it decided to read the microSD card again.  Yay!  Miraculously, all the photos are still there!

Since we are on the subject of apologies, I would also like to take this time to apologize for the food photos…  Definitely not as nice as the photos that I took of the places I went last month.  :(

Anyway, on to the England Rose Garden.  I will admit that I’ve been to this restaurant a number of times before, but I thought that I would go ahead and post photos anyway.  Despite the fact that the name states “England”, this restaurant offers a variety food with a slight Asian flair in a ‘tea house’ type setting.  The dishes served ranges from steaks to baked rice dishes to cold plates.  The nice thing is that you can order a set meal that is usually served with soup (usually a corn soup), salad, garlic bread, main entree, ice cream, and a tea/juice.  The lights are kept dim to preserve a sort of quiet/private ambiance, and the patrons usually keep to themselves and talk quietly.  Quite a difference from a normal Chinese restaurant for sure!

I find myself ordering the German Pork Knuckle each time I come because it is so very delicious.  The outside crusty skin is nicely seasoned, and the meat inside is tender.  The only complaint I have about the dish is that the fatty layer can feel a bit “sticky”.  Make sure to remove it before eating the meat!!  The pork knuckle is served on top of sauerkraut and has some boiled baby carrots/broccoli on the side.  Not a whole lot accompanying the meat, but the side dishes aren’t why I order this.

The other dish that was ordered that particular day was the steak special.  I can’t exactly remember what it was called, but it wasn’t really worth it.  I would say, get the pork knuckle instead!  XD  The sauce in which the steak is sitting is a black pepper sauce.  For some reason, Chinese people really like black pepper sauces.