New Year's Day Fun at Wonton Gourmet, Asiatown, Cleveland Ohio

New Year's Day can be a strange time for us. My husband's mother celebrates her birthday on that day (this year was her 94th - and she's still sharp as a tack!). So, family doings sometimes get in the way of other social plans. This year, however, it was snow, more than commitments, that bollixed up the day a bit!

Thank goodness we scheduled a NYD meal with friends at Wonton Gourmet (Wonton Gourmet (3211 Payne Avenue, 216-875-7000, no website)(each of the last 8 words has a link to a different FPWF WG post) for the afternoon (and even with that, it was a struggle to get home in one piece). Among the new friends at our table were Greg and Sunny from Tremont's Ty Fun restaurant, which we have yet to sample, but which we have put on our list of New Year's Resolutions (which consists, BTW, of just that one).

We began with appetizers, which I've posted about many times before: turnip cake, chive potstickers, fish maw and conpoy soup. We also ordered the Cilantro Rice Rolls, which I decided to include in this post because they looked so good!

Also, with the first round of our order, we continued working our way through the newer Sichuan (or Szechuan) dishes depicted on the wall, a cold plate:

Hot Spicy Beef Two Ways 

 

This was a classic Chinese cold dish, and a time-honored way to use every bit of the animal. Tough, gristly meat and tripe were slow cooked for many hours, with spice and seasonings, then chilled and topped with an incendiary sauce featuring chilies and Sichuan Peppercorns. The result was tender and delicious and the plate was cleaned, even though neither Bob nor I would have listed tripe as a desired food before we tasted this.

We ordered 4 mains for 8 people and we still had a few leftovers!

Sichuan (or Szechuan) Hot & Spicy Fish

This dish brought the heat and the vinegar, as always. Fresh, crispy fish sat atop cabbage and below the chilies and delighted all of us.

Ma Lai Pork Chop

Given the name of this dish (Mai Lai means numbing and hot -- from Sichuan pepper and chilies), I expected a lot more heat than we got. Oh but the Umami of it all! I can't really describe it - but it was a taste and fragrance that made you want to just keep eating it. With a savory crunch and tender texture, to boot.

We determined to have a noodle dish for New Year's, an Asian tradition that reaches around the entire continent - we asked our server to recommend a good NYD choice, and having narrowed it down to three, we asked Sunny to decide. We were all delighted with his selection!

 Tai Pan Chow Mai

This rice noodle-seafood stir fry paired perfectly with the firestorm of spice on our palates from the Sichuan dishes.

 Finally, in recognition of both our need for vegetable input, and the resemblance of green leafy vegetables to money (another New Year's good luck food):

Sauteed Snow Pea Leaves with Garlic

Our server had recommended these - they  had a fresh-picked taste and texture, and  tasted delicious with the gentle garlic sauce treatment.

The snow was totally out of control by the time we headed home - after slipping and sliding on the highways and our local streets almost all of the way, we decided to wait until the next day to see Bob's Mom. We were also so stuffed from this feast that we put our traditional pork roast and sauerkraut dinner off for a day as well.

Wonton Gourmet continues to consistently deliver truly authentic and tasty Chinese food, and we enjoyed playing with every dish! I again encourage you to pay them a visit, and to venture, as least a little bit, into the world beyond your usual Chinese restaurant fare. It's fun!

Fun Playing With Singapore Noodles

Inspired by a recent post by fellow Cleveland food blogger Maybelle's Mom, I made Singapore Noodles for dinner Saturday night. I was overly generous in scaling my ingredients, so I also made it for breakfast this morning. Savory fried noodles are common breakfast food throughout Asia.

Singapore Noodles, called by this name in every corner of the world except Singapore (according to cookbook authors Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman), are named for the use of curry in the dish (Singapore is known as "Star Country" - though the connection with the curry is unclear, according to the late, great Barbara Tropp). After reading Maybelle's Mom's post earlier this week, I just started craving the dish. Then, I stopped at Heather's Heat & Flavor to replenish a number of spices, and resupplied our curry powder jar. While most good cooking authorities will tell you to make your own curry powder, the product at Heather's is as good as mine - which is why I no longer make it myself!



We had a bit of sauteed Kielbasa left over from the previous night's dinner, which had come from Mazullo's Market in Aurora. And, despising all forms of processed shrimp, I took a chance on some frozen bay scallops from Giant Eagle in Solon, after the fish counter lady, of her own initiative, showed me the box they came in that said "dry" (she had no idea what "dip" or "wet pack" or "dry pack" meant; it was my question about this that prompted her to offer to fetch the box - thank you!). And I have to say - they weren't the best scallops I ever ate, but they didn't smell or taste of chemicals, either.


Bay Scallops Tossed With Cornstarch and Crisped



I had picked up a red pepper, freshly packed mung bean sprouts, and surprisingly crisp snow peas at Heinen's, which had been my first Saturday shopping stop. [And - here's a "Not Fun" to you, Heinen's - the fish filet I almost purchased smelled horribly of chemistry, so I gave it back.] The scallions were better at Giant Eagle. I also chopped up half a roasted Garden acorn squash from Friday night's dinner, and gave that a saute in some rendered pork fat. Yes - the flavor did improve. I also chopped some carrot from the fridge, and onions and garlic, and two yellow hot peppers from our garden/freezer.

Once I organized my mise, I realized that I had enough food for two full woks. To avoid overloading the wok (and our stomachs) - I decided to split things in half, and make the second half for breakfast today. I decided this once all the veggies (except bean sprouts) were in the wok, Bogarting the space:



This was the second, Sunday morning breakfast mise:



The tub at 10 o'clock is the rendered pork fat. At 9 o'clock is some chopped banana, which I decided to add this morning because the banana wanted to be eaten, and I thought another sweet note would be a nice counterpoint for breakfast. The sauce is a combination of dark and light soy sauce, prepared curry paste, sesame oil, chicken stock, sherry, and a little sugar. The small plastic cup to the left of the bowl of noodles contains curry powder, tumeric and cayenne pepper.




Soaked Rice Noodles


Bean Sprouts


Friday Night's Finished Dish, With A Wedge of Lime


Saturday's Breakfast


Fun!

Even though I'm normally not a big fan of savories for breakfast - for Curried Noodles, I'll make an exception!

More 樂趣演奏用食物 Chinese Style!

The reason I was forced into enjoying my Mister Brisket turkey breast for breakfast was that Monday and Tuesday, I had lunch dates. As fate would have it, both meals were at Chinese Restaurants.

Monday's lunch at Hunan of Lyndhurst was lovely. I don't why it has been so long since I've been there (it is right down the street from my office), because the food and service are always delightful. Since their website appears to be "under construction" - they are in the Greens of Lyndhurst, 5670 Mayfield Road (440) 646-9100.


Chicken with Cashews


Beef with Garlic Sauce

Bob and Bernie each enjoyed their lunches. Lunch specials are served with the diner's choice of white rice or fried rice (except for noodle dishes).


Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce

Anna and I ordered the same (except that mine was la, or spicy). This is my "go to" dish at this restaurant. Black pepper sauce isnt offered at many Chinese Restaurants, and Hunan of Lyndhurst does a nice job with it. And when I asked for la - I got la - it was fabulously spicy, but the spice did not overwhelm the other flavors in the dish.



On Tuesday, I met my photographer friend at The Happy Buddha Cafe. I have written and posted photos from this wonderful place a few times before: first visit, second visit. She wanted to try the authentic Asian Noodle Soups and I was ready to tackle the Chinese menu posted on the restaurant website.

This is a simple, tiny place - about 5 tables in all. Shirley, who hails from Hong Kong but does not read characters, explained that her husband, Chef Gordon Liu, had written and posted this menu (which, to be fair, says it is "under construction") without her knowledge. With a little help from Chef, however, I decided to try the Tomato Niu Fan (Tomato, Eggs, Rice).


Vegetable Noodle Soup with Tofu and Mai Fun (Thin Rice Noodles)

Chris's soup was served with an extra bowl of broth, because the bowl was packed with so much goodness that Shirley was concerned there wouldn't be enough broth!





Chris enjoyed this immensely, and had quite a bit left to take home for dinner.


Tomato Niu Fan

This simple yet complex-tasting sauce was thick with, well, thickener (I don't know if it was cornstarch or another starch) - while normally this might lead to gloppiness - here it was a perfect vehicle for the delicate flavors of fresh tomato and gently cooked eggs, which infused the sauce with goodness. There was a little sweetness, balanced with a hearty dose of garlic and the sweet sharpness of fresh scallion, and accented by the tasty strips of stir-fried beef.







Chef Chiu will make any dish to order. While I was happy that all of the tables were full of customers, it was disappointing (to me) that every plate I saw come out of the kitchen was typical Chinese Lunch Special - the menu has plenty of options for those willing to try something new. Our food was simply fantastic - I can't wait to eat here again!

The next time someone at the office says "lets go out for Chinese Food" - be a little daring. Look for something on the menu you've never had before, or ask the server - "what is especially good today" - you may be pleasantly surprised. Even if you aren't wowed - it won't set you back a lot to play with some new food at your local Chinese Restaurant - and here in Cleveland, we are lucky to have so many places that will be delighted to help you play more with your Chinese Food!

More Fun Playing with Authentic Chinese Food at Wonton Gourmet

We last played at Cleveland's newest Asiatown star, Wonton Gourmet, at the end of March. Solicited by a friend who had not yet dined there, we met for lunch as a foursome on Sunday. Both our young server, and the older gentleman who kept watch from the front of the house (who I suspect is the owner) were thrilled that four Anglos went for the authentic side of the menu (actually ordering mostly from the "specials" up on the walls in Chinese characters; thanks be to Stuart Spivak for getting translations for most of them). Wonton Gourmet is located at 3211 Payne Avenue, Cleveland (no website, (216) 875-7000).

We began with a delicacy we'd enjoyed the last time we visited: Fish Maw and Dried Conpoy (Scallop) soup:




Here, a few drops of Red Vinegar have been added







This soup is amazingly delicate and complex; don't be put off by the icky sounding name. The fish maw actually lends more texture than flavor, and the dried scallop delivers with intense flavor.

Since it was Sunday lunch, we decided to try a few Dim Sum items:


Turnip Cake



This was the freshest turnip cake I've ever tasted. Creamy inside, crispy outside - it did not require any condiments.


Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll

This ubiquitous item was also very good - the rice sheet tasted freshly made, and the shrimp had no objectionable smells or tastes.


Guotie (Pot Stickers)

These were the best pot stickers I've had in Cleveland - right up there with the ones made from scratch by Annie Chiu at Sun Luck Garden in Cleveland Heights.



The bottom was perfectly charred.



And the top was crispy but soft - perfect texture.



Hard to make out the inside - but there was pork, shrimp and something yellow which I think was scrambled egg, as well as a green herbal. It was served with a very simple dipping sauce, and the combination was simply dynamite!

And now, onto the entrees:


Lap Cheong (Cured Sausage) and Pork Belly Sausage Stir Fried with Rice Cake

This dish also pleased. The older gentleman explained to our table how Wonton Gourmet makes the rice cakes from scratch - and they had the taste and texture of freshly made rice pasta. Stir fried simply in the pork fat, with crisp vegetables and a dash of soy/vinegar to finish it - it was a perfectly balanced, satisfying dish.



The top piece of sausage is the bacon-like type; the bottom is the lap cheong. The server said they make it in-house.


Salt Baked Softshell Crab

Our server was delighted that we took such delight in the "real" Chinese food - he brought one of these fellows out to our table briefly, alive and not yet cooked, to show us that we were getting the rare treat of live rather than frozen softshell crabs. It was simply delicious! Not greasy, but perfectly crunchy, with a little spice and lots of garlic.




Stir Fried Ong Choy (Chinese Green Vegetable) with Garlic

This dish helped to round out our meal. Our friend Tom exclaimed that this lunch was worth an hour's drive from Akron - healthy praise indeed!

We are lucky in Cleveland to have a good sized Asiatown, and Wonton Gourmet is a fabulous addition to that community. You don't have to be able to read the characters to be able to order a fantastic meal here, and you can play with food that is as authentic as your palate dares.

After lunch, we visited the newest Asian grocery to open in Asiatown: "Park to Shop", 1580 East 30th Street, (216) 781-3383. This large, sleek, modern store was a delight to shop in. Prices were very competitive with the other Asian groceries in town, and the selection was very good.

Bob and I stopped at the cooked meat counter and pondered roasted duck, roasted pork, char sui (BBQ Pork), pork parts of every description, roasted fowl and roasted squid. We wound up getting char sui and and roasted pork to accompany our lunch leftovers for dinner. Sorry - no photos, but take my word for it - they were delicious!

The fish counter looked (and smelled) very nice; there were some live items (including frogs) and the already dispatched ocean dwellers looked fresh and tasty.

And so, we experienced another great Cleveland option for playing with authentic Asian food, whether you want to be served by an expert, or play with it yourself.

Fun Playing with Authentic Chinese Food in Cleveland's Asiatown

Cleveland's Asiatown continues to grow and thrive. One of the newest arrivals, taking the space formerly occupied by New Wong's at 3211 Payne Avenue, is Wonton Gourmet & BBQ (no website, (216) 875-7000). New Wong's had been an Asiatown staple for BBQ, Noodles, and Seafood, but the space had gotten old and worn. Last year, the owners relocated to the far East Side.

The new owners have transformed the space into a bright, clean, friendly place. The kitchens are sparkling new, as are the restrooms. The parking lot has been expanded - and they needed it last night! The restaurant was fully packed by 7pm - the only open tables were reserved for a large birthday party that didn't get started until we left (too bad - I wanted to see what they were going to eat).

In addition to two printed menus containing a fabulous selection of small plates, Congee, Noodles, Rice Plates, Hong Kong Style Noodle Soups, Casseroles, Fresh Fish and Seafood, traditional Chinese dishes and a full "American style Chinese" section - daily specials hang from the walls on neatly calligraphied yellow banners.

Our friend Stuart - who is an amazing food photographer - photographed all of the banners, and then found some people who read characters to translate most of them. So, when we met last night for dinner, we were able to go beyond the printed menus. I think our hosts were impressed with our selections, and how much we enjoyed them!

We started with one of my favorite things: Fish Maw and Conpoy Soup. I wish there was a sexier translation for the first ingredient (the second ingredient, Conpoy, is dried scallop), because it sounds icky to the Western ear. But trust me - this delicate soup packs delicious taste!







The perfectly clear broth was gently seasoned, so it was easy to taste all of the ingredients - the finely chopped scallops, the fish maw (which had been lightly fried before being added to the soup) and the egg white ribbons.

Before we could finish a small cup of soup - dishes began appearing at the table, to the point that our little four top was completely overwhelmed (especially with three people photographing the food at the same time). I was pleased that they served us Chinese style - no standing on ceremonies or courses - each plate came out hot as soon as it was ready.


Salt & Pepper Squid



Squid is one of those tricky-to-prepare foods - cook too long or too short and it becomes rubber. This plate was perfect in taste and texture, and accented with mouth-numbing slivers of chile.


Minced Garlic Snowpea Sprouts

This dish is ubiquitous in Chinese cuisine - yet this version was the best we ever tasted. Exquisitely fresh vegetable, cooked perfectly, with lots of garlic and just a kiss of gentle sauce.


Beef Ribs in Black Pepper Sauce

I love black pepper sauce - and this dish delivered lip smacking flavor.





Who'd have known that flanken could taste this good?


Pork Belly Braised with Pickles

This was hands down the table favorite. It took a few moments for us to get the server to understand that yes, we understood this dish has a lot of fat and yes - we like that!! He was delighted!

The "pickles" are various Chinese pickled vegetables that soak up fat from the braise. The perfume of star anise permeated the dish, and the meat and fat melted on the lips.




Dry Fried E-Fu Noodles

This was very tasty, but didn't amaze as much as the other dishes.



Of course, we barely scratched the surface of the offerings at Wonton Gourmet, so we'll have to return - a few dozen times, I think. The stir fried crabs served at the table across from us looked fantastic, as did the clams with black bean sauce served to another table. If you enjoy playing with authentic Chinese food, and you are in Cleveland, this is a must-stop.