Fun Playing with Real Chinese Food at Beijing Garden, Twinsburg-Hudson, Ohio

It has been too long since a post has made it out of my larder! I am currently cooking for the Cleveland Area Mensa Regional Gathering in September, trying to utilize the bounty of our garden, planning some trips, working on a new business idea, and, oh yes, working my day job as an attorney. Busy, busy, busy - but always delighted when fellow blogger Tom Noe, picking up on a comment someone left on one of my recent blog posts, suggested that we visit a relatively new Chinese restaurant sitting on the Twinsburg/Hudson border. And so, four of us descended upon Chef Shawn Chen and his lovely restaurant, Beijing Garden, this weekend.

Located in a small strip mall on Rt. 91 (Darrow Road), and easy to drive to, even in a monsoon-like rain that whetted our appetite for Sichuan flavors, all of us made it from different directions around Cleveland-Akron in less than thirty minutes. Bob and I arrived a bit early, and enjoyed a couple of Tshingtao beers (happy hour priced, even on Saturday, at $1.75 each until 8pm). The restaurant has two sides - the left side, with kitchen in full view, is the casual/take-out side, with a few tables for dining in. The dining room on the right is a freshly built-out, contemporary space offering tables and booths (including two large round tables with turntables on them, for traditional Chinese dining). The restrooms (at least the one  that I visited) are spotlessly clean and fully handicapped accessible - my mother and her scooter would be perfectly comfortable here.

Service was friendly and enthusiastic. Chef-owner Shawn Chen was everywhere - front of house, dining room and kitchen. He explained his menu, emphasizing Northern China and Sichuan cuisines. We couldn't wait to dig in!

Our sturdy plastic kuàizi (chopsticks) came in this wrapper, a celebration of Beijing. A nice touch.  

Since there were only four of us, we knew we'd need to exercise some restraint in the number of dishes we'd order. We settled on two appetizers and four entrees, which we knew would generate some leftovers, without overloading ourselves.

Dan Dan Mein 

Wikipedia tells us that the name of this dish "refers to a type of carrying pole (a dan dan) that was used by ambulatory vendors who sold the dish on the streets. Literally, the name translates as Peddler's noodles." I hadn't had it in years; the story I'd always heard was that the name derived from the slapping sound produced during the actual noodle making.

The tender noodles have a gentler texture than your standard Lo Mein noodle, though they are similar in size. These were very fresh.

 

I could have slurped a big bowl of these noodles for my meal! Pork, vegetables and seasonings were expertly proportioned, and we all got a bit of mouth numbing heat from the Sichuan peppercorn in the sauce.  Yum.

Chef's Special Dumplings Pork and Shrimp

Dipping Sauce

We loved these dumplings. Smaller than a potsticker, and not sauced, this little package offered great flavors and textures - a little crunch, a little chew, and savory filling that did not upstage the wrapper, but harmonized with it. The dipping sauce leaned a little to the vinegar side, which cut nicely through the richness.

We took our time and ordered our entrees after enjoying the appetizers. Our servers were impressed, as this is a very Chinese way to order and eat; many Americans are in a hurry when they dine out.

Ma La Eel 

Shredded eel strips were battered and fried with sweet onion, water chestnuts, and a Sichuan Ma La sauce. Wikipedia tells us that "[t]he term málà is a combination of two Chinese characters: "numbing" (麻) and "hot (piquant)" (辣), referring to the feeling in the mouth after eating the sauce." This sauce absolutely delivered. The eel - not so much. I had failed to communicate to my dining companions what Chef Shawn had told me before they arrived - most of his seafood is frozen (which, given his location and price points below $15/dish, is not at all surprising or even disappointing). Though the breading and frying solved any textural problems the eel might have suffered - like most frozen seafood, it just didn't have a lot of genuine flavor. 

Chicken with Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

This was Tom's entree selection. Chinese eggplant was stir fried with lots of garden-fresh zucchini, onions, green peppers, whole dried chilies (Stuart actually ate one - I was impressed), and chicken, in a light garlic sauce. The sauce was much gentler than the sweet-and-soy-heavy versions often seen on Americanized Chinese menus, and it really allowed all of the flavors of the ingredients to shine through. We all thoroughly enjoyed this dish.

Our next dish came out of the kitchen on a flat plate, with a bowl inverted over the food. I immediately recognized this technique from a Chinese cooking class as a molded presentation. The contents had probably been steamed in the bowl, which was topped with a plate. Now, plate on bottom, the server coaxed the steaming hot bowl off of the top of the dish with her bare hands:

Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetable

In contrast to the Ma La or chili heat of the previous dishes, this dish said "Beijing" loud and clear! The preserved vegetable had to have stewed for hours to reach this consistency, and it was very tasty. The pork could have used some additional braising time - the connective tissue was still a little tough. But the meat tasted clean and the meat, vegetables and rice came together as a nice dish. I got the impression that they don't serve it often, and that is a shame. This is a dish that demonstrates how much more there is to Chinese cuisine than stir-fry, by combining braising and steaming with a lovely presentation.

Ironically, the order for our last dish got confused somewhere between the server and the kitchen - after we waited quite a while (remembering that we were being served Chinese style, which means dishes are served as they are ready and not in pre-ordained courses), we asked where our Ziran Lamb was.  This is ironic because the pork dish above could have used that extra cooking time.

Ziran Lamb

Sliced marinated lamb and slices of sweet onion were cooked in "cumin flavor spicy sauce," a "signature dish," says the menu. I love Cumin Lamb, which is a classic Sichuan item, and this version had all of the elements for a wonderful dish - tender lamb, bold spicing and crunchy onions. Unfortunately, I think the kitchen may have rushed this plate a bit because of the ordering mix-up - it was a little over-seasoned for my palate. But don't let that comment deter you from trying this dish - if you like lamb and you like bold spice - you will probably love this dish. 

I was very happy to see two groups of Asian diners enjoy some traditional-looking treats during our visit. I was less happy to see that the restaurant wasn't well populated on a Saturday night. We left around 8pm, and I don't think they ever had more than 4 other tables occupied, in addition to ours, at the same time. So, I'm getting the word out! You'll find all of your Chinese-American favorites priced under $10 a plate (except seafood items, which average $12), and a lunch special ranging from $5.50-7.95.

Beijing Garden has a beer and wine license and happy hour is 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday and all day on Sunday. I didn't look at the wine list and I don't know what the happy hour discount is; the small beer list is light and lagery, which pairs well with spicy food, and is priced at Happy Hour at $1.75 for the imports and either $1.25 or $1.50 for domestic (sorry, I should have written that down). The restaurant offers four different varieties of tea. The menu has recently been revamped a bit, so the one you are handed may not entirely follow the on-line version, but the substance is the same.

If you enjoy Chinese food - whether authentic or Americanized, you will enjoy dining at Beijing Garden. Put yourself in Chef Shawn Chen's hands and be prepared, if you are willing, to journey to Northern China, Sichuan - or both! We had fun playing with Sichuan and Beijing food at Beijing Garden and look forward to returning.

Fun Playing with Korean Food at Ha Ahn, Cleveland, Ohio

Sometimes, things have a way of working themselves out. My friend and fellow food blogger, Tom, who writes "Exploring Food My Way", wanted to sample some of the steamy goodies I'd recently written about, at Superior Pho in Cleveland Asiatown. We made a date and my mouth was watering for some pho and banh mi! I arrived at 3030 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, and entered the back door - only to see that the gates were closed over Superior Pho. Horrors! A closer examination revealed that Superior Pho is always closed on Monday. Well, what to do? When life gives you steel gates - eat Korean food! Or something like that.

I'd heard about Ha Ahn (Golden Plaza, 3030 Superior Ave., #108, Cleveland, 216-664-1152, no website) from a few food people I trust, and the talk was all good. It certainly looked clean, though not well attended at 12:45pm on a Monday. When Tom arrived, we discussed our options, and decided to walk down the short hall and lunch at Ha Ahn. A wise choice it turned out to be!

As the photo above shows, Ha Ahn is a very simple, small place (housed in the former Golden Bakery). Open 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, the restaurant offers lunch specials (Monday-Friday), at $6.95-$7.95. Regular menu items top out around $15. Unfortunately, they didn't have a menu I could take, and the only one I found on-line is a bit truncated. As the photo above shows, Ha Ahn offers photos of most of its menu items on the walls, which is very helpful to the non-Korean diner. Tom did a much better job documenting the menu than I did; I refer you to his blog post if you'd like to see it.

 
Table condiments include rice wine vinegar (the clear liquid) and soy sauce (dark bottle).

All thoughts of Vietnamese food having vanished from our heads as we smelled the goodness in Ha Ahn's kitchen, we pondered the walls and the paper menu trying to decide what to eat. Everything looked good to us! We decided to start by sharing an order of dumplings.

 

Chili Dipping Sauce for Dumplings

 

Mulmandu (Steamed Beef, Tofu, Vegetable Dumplings)

These amazing dumplings are made in-house - the freshness of all of the ingredients, especially the wrappers, made them literally burst with flavor. Add a little of the chili sauce and, well, I could eat a plate of these for lunch and be very happy. The textural contrasts were simply amazing - creamy wrapper, unctuous fillings, crunch from the green vegetables and the cellophane noodles binding the whole package together.

But this was a Korean meal - so not only would we each enjoy an entree - but our dumplings would be followed by banchan, or little palate teasers. I again fell down on the job in photographing Ha Ahn's unique presentation of each diner's banchan in a bento box - but Tom came to my rescue here.

Kim Chee

This fermented cabbage is a staple of every Korean meal. For some reason, it is usually not a favorite of mine - probably the fermented taste. This version, however, was so clean and fresh that I loved it.

Chicken Salad

Yup, you read that correctly. A ubiquitously American-style, mayonaisey chicken salad. Tasty, but it seemed so out of place that we finally asked our server if we were served this in place of something else the restaurant thought we would not like (you'll understand why we thought that when I discuss the entrees) - but she insisted that this banchan was being served to everyone today. Ok.

 

Chili-Sesame Potato

 

 

Caramelized Goju Root (or Gobo)

This was very sweet, almost candied. A little like ginger, but different.

We were already a little full from the dumplings, so we tasted our banchan, but saved plenty to dip in the entrees. Everything but the chicken salad, which just didn't seem to go . . . .

Tom's order was straightforward and easy, once he confirmed that the egg would be runny.

Dolsot Bibimbap (mixed rice served in a hot stone bowl)

This "deluxe" version of Bibimbap is served in a sizzling hot stone bowl, which crisps the rice at the bottom. I had never seen nor tasted this version of the dish before. Tom chose well!

Dolsot Bibimbap With Chili Sauce 


As you can see, Tom did not spare the chili sauce. The chili sauce he received came in a squeeze bottle. I got something completely different with my entree. This was more sweet than hot.

Dolsot Bibimbap Stirred Together


Aha - the reason for wanting a runny egg - the yolk juice mixes into the sauce - heavenly (and yes, Tom let me have a taste).


The story behind my entree is a little more complex. After hemming and hawing over the many fantastic-looking choices - I was drawn to the one I'd never heard of or tasted before, and which didn't translate very well. When I told our server my choice, she tried to talk me out of it, saying that  she didn't think that a non-Korean would like it (that was what made us wonder about the chicken salad banchan). Anyone out there who knows me knows that this is the type of challenge I can seldom resist. I asked the server, do you know why Americans don't like it? She thought it was the texture. I assured her that I would eat the dish, and love it, no matter how unusual the texture. She didn't look convinced - but she took my order to the kitchen!

Kongbiji Jige (Bean-Curd Dregs with Pork and Kimchee in Broth)


What first attracted me to this dish was the name - "Bean-Curd Dregs" brought to my mind the New Orleans staple of "debris" - which are bits of meat that tenderize by long slow cooking in gravy, and are then ladled over a meat sandwich - a wonderful American comfort food. I wondered if the Bean-Curd Dregs were a by-product of making tofu - or similar to the New Orleans idea of letting tofu simmer in broth for a long, slow cook so that it would change it's character and texture to the delicious. I had to find out! And my taste of the Kimchee in the banchan assured me that I'd like the Kimchee as a main player in the dish.

Chili Sauce

It was deja vu all over again - the same sauce we'd been served with our dumplings re-appeared as an accompaniment to my dish.

Another reason I'd selected this dish was that I had primed my taste buds for a soup on this bitterly cold, winter day. This bowl did not disappoint - it came to the table bubbling like a mad scientist's test tubes. As you can see, the "dregs" seem to be bits of tofu (or bean curd) that are crumb-sized and probably take on this texture from being cooked in vigorously boiling soup. The broth, though very tofu-y, was not at all like Japanese Miso. It was a gentle, creamy, perfect accompaniment to the mild bean curd dregs and savory chunks of pork, and the Kimchee spiced things up a little. The dish was accompanied by a bowl of sticky rice. I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to mix the rice in or not, so I put some in. I liked it. I did ask the server about it when she next visited the table, and she said the rice is normally eaten on the side. Oops.

Here, the soup is spiced up a lot - I added the whole ramekin of chili sauce (it wasn't that spicy a chili sauce) and a little soy sauce. This was comfort food supreme. Hot and steamy, porky and creamy, with a little spice and sesame, and crunch from the raw scallions - I'd eat this again any time. Both our server, and the cook, came out to ask how I liked it. I told them the truth - I loved it!

The portions are very generous at Ha Ahn - Tom and I reached maximum capacity, so we each boxed up almost half of our entrees, plus a bunch of banchan. I think our hosts were pleased - I hope so. I should mention that notwithstanding our server's well-intentioned concern with my entree choice, she came to our table prepared to recommend items that are popular with American diners, and service itself was excellent throughout the meal.

And now, the toughest part - at which restaurant to dine when visiting the Golden Plaza? I may have an answer - Superior Pho is closed on Mondays but open on Sundays, and Ha Ahn is closed Sundays but open on Mondays. A solution??? We'll have to see how that works out - but it delights me to have so much fun playing with two very different Asian cuisines in the same building!

Even More Fun Playing With Authentic Chinese Food at Wonton Gourmet

Ok, I admit it - I'm a Wonton Gourmet whore. I can't get enough of it!

So even though we'd just dined there Sunday 12/28, we could not resist an invitation to lunch there again on New Year's Day. There was a hitch though - the dining companion who issued the invitation has a NYD tradition of eating Chinese food - Americanized Chinese food. Thankfully, though, we didn't have to compromise much of anything to make everybody happy.

We started with soup. What could be more Western than the dish served to tourists throughout China:


Chicken With Corn Soup



I have to say - it had a unique pepper-iness - not from chile, but from the white pepper sprinkled on (and which could also be added from a shaker on the table). Bob would pronounce it his favorite dish of the day.


Turnip Cake. 'Nuff Said.


Three Flavor Shrimp Dumpling

This is normally served in soup, but one of our dining companions recommended that we have it this way. Three different types of house-made shrimp dumplings, served with gai lan (Chinese broccoli).



Unfortunately, I could taste chemical notes in the shrimp - a shame because the dumplings were otherwise delicious.


Roast Pork on Rice

I expected this dish to be the counterpart of this Roast Duck dish, which we'd enjoyed a while ago:



Indeed, I had noticed a plate of crispy-skinned pork on another diners' table when we lunched on the 28th. So, there was a momentary disappointment that the dish wasn't what I thought.



But one bite dispelled any disappointment - rich with Star Anise and fresh flavor, this pork was fabulous.



Trying to respect my companion's desire for traditional American Chinese flavors, I suggested Yangchow Fried Rice.


Yangchow (or Young Chow, as on the Wonton Menu) Fried Rice

Turns out my companions had never before enjoyed authentic Chinese Fried Rice, which never has soy sauce. The plate was cleaned!


Fried Pork Chop With Special Sauce

Another of our dining companions was craving this dish. It was similar to the Fried Pork Chop we'd had 12/28, but the sauce was a great addition to the dish.


Salted Fish, Diced Chicken, Eggplant Claypot

This dish was most certainly NOT Americanized! The salted fish infused the casserole with an intense fish flavor - while a bit, well, fishy for the Western palate, it was not a "bad" fishy taste - just intense. The other components of the dish were perfectly cooked; the eggplant was sublime!




Pea Shoot Sauteed With Garlic

Wonton Gourmet executes this dish flawlessly.

And so, the five of us were stuffed. Bob and I got to take the leftovers home.

The next morning, I got a skillet and some bacon drippings srceaming hot, and added about half of the leftovers. I shirred some eggs in and sprinkled on a dash of soy sauce and some Sichuan Pepper-Salt. Breakfast was served:


Leftovers Transformed into Fried Rice


Nancy's Fried Rice Topped With Home-Made Garden Tabasco Sauce!

The Tabasco was the perfect counterpoint to the fish flavor - and we got two breakfasts out of it.

I think I see another trip to Wonton Gourmet in my near future - how much more fun can we have there? Follow this blog and find out!