Chinese Banquet – Wong Eats

Panda Gourmet

For some time, I had been reading and hearing about a Chinese restaurant in a most improbable place, inside a Days Inn motel on the busy gateway of the New York Ave. and Bladensburg Rd. intersection. I had passed by it a number of times on my way to town, but I was quick to dismiss it due to its name (akin to a Chinese fast-food chain) and its suspect location. But my Thai-Chinese doctor assured me, as well some online reviews, that it was the real deal serving authentic Mainland Chinese dishes that I shouldn’t overlook. So, after getting over my reluctance and convincing my usual Friday-dinner group, we stepped into Panda Gourmet‘s doors to savor its offerings.

Coming from the Maryland suburbs was not as tough getting there unlike the convoluted U-turn one has to maneuver from the direction of downtown DC (by the Moonie’s Washington Times). Parking was not an issue there since it is located within a hotel which was a huge relief for this reviewer who is weary from parking battles that DC has lately become known for. Looking at its rather confounding menu, typical of many Chinese restaurants, I managed to pick a few dishes that were based on some reviewers’ recommendations.

The first appetizer was Xian Sandwich with Pork, which was destined for my roomie who couldn’t make it to dinner. When I got home, he was graceful enough to allow me to take a few bites of it. I quickly fell in love with this meat package. The bun was an interesting combination of a semi-hard crust with a rather spongy dough under it, coupling the shredded pork stuffing that reminded me of a long-smoked chopped barbecue. The meat mixture was extremely savory with the right amount of saltiness and a hint of cumin rubbed on the exterior. If weren’t for tasting it after my meal, I would have begged for more of this wonderful small bite. The other was Lamb Skewers that came with many online recommendations. The 4 skewers landed with rather generous chunks of meat attached to them. One bite revealed fairly tender meat that was not overcooked and they lacked the gaminess usually associated with that meat. The seasoning of crushed chili peppers and whole cumin seeds elevated these bites to something that was both savory and enticing, delicious enough for the dinner party to do a reprise of this dish close to the end of the meal.

The establishment is known for Szechuan and Xian dishes of which I focused my eyes on from the menu. Ma Po Tofu with Beef was an order used as a litmus test of this cuisine. The fiery red dish arrived with nuggets of tofu studded in between with bits of minced beef hidden among the whole mix. One mouthful was a bit overwhelming at first. It was quite salty from the heavy use of bean sauce, and spicy from the chili oil and Szechuan peppercorn powder, evidenced by their presence on the white tofu. The silken tofu provided some relief from the salt and spice, as well as the white rice that should be mixed with the main course, hence its over seasoning. The minced beef was lost in the mix partially due its small pieces and the lack of its amount. I was hoping for some textural contrast like green peas that I had savored in versions from other establishments. Despite the above flaws, I appreciated the dish after picking through the pieces, and I was yearning for more spice heat as well as the numbing effect of the Szechuan peppercorn. Not bad.

A spicy dish recommended by online reviewers was Chicken in Spicy Garlic Sauce. The dish was brimming with pieces of chicken breast, snow peas, celery, broccoli, mushroom, wood fungus, and bamboo shoot. The first taste of the dish raised my eyebrows due to the sauce that was an interesting combination of chili oil and garlic, tasting sour from vinegar and sweet from sugar. The sauce flavor was quite prominent and the sweet-sour element nearly overwhelmed the nuances of the mild chicken meat and the crunchy but perfectly cooked vegetables. But then, I was reminded of the nature of Szechuan cuisine that is bold in flavors, which this dish is up the alley, including the pool of red spicy oil which my parents complained about Mainland Chinese cooking during their travels.

To appease a fellow dining companion, we ordered a couple of non-spicy dishes, in addition to balancing out the whole meal without bludgeoning our palates with spice. The first was a newly added dish on the menu – Shanghai Bok Choy and Winter Mushrooms. The dish arrived with halved bright-green baby bok choy accompanied by a pool of whole Chinese mushrooms covered with a dark sauce. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and I was appreciating their fresh quality. But it was the mushrooms that stole my attention with the woodsy notes and slippery consistency, an indication of them reconstituted and cooked properly to give a luxurious mouthfeel. The sauce had hints of oyster sauce that is a classic match in Chinese cuisine. As a respite from the chili heat, this was a perfect vegetarian dish.

Another fellow dinner wanted to take some reign on ordering the dishes, and he chose Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables since he is fond of that seafood and is always trying to add more vegetables to the mix. The shrimp was accompanied by the usual Chinese mix of vegetables: broccoli, celery, carrots, baby corn, snow pea, bamboo shoot, and water chestnut. It was a colorful and multi-textural mix despite the rather pedestrian brown sauce that coated the dish. Even with the ingredients cooked just right, there really was not much to write home about, or in this, in this blog. Meh, just not bad.

Panda Gourmet is not for everyone, especially those who are not familiar with Chinese cuisine from the Mainland. Sometimes, one has to apply some degree of cultural relativism when approaching certain ethnic cuisine, or in this case, gastronomic relativism, and with this angle, I evaluated what I ordered at this eatery. The pork sandwich and lamb skewers were the perfect appetizers, even for the fussy or critical eater. The Ma Po Tofu, Bok Choy and Mushroom, and the Spicy Garlic Chicken scored high in my books with their authentic approach despite the nearly overwhelming sauces and slightly oiliness, which come with the culinary territory. Looking at their daunting menu, I realize that there are most veritable dishes to explore, offering some “funky” dishes with frog, tendon, tripe, and many dishes served on the Mainland. This is a joint worth venturing into, and you may discover dishes not found in your usual carry-out, some to your liking, and some rather challenging.

Chinese Banquet 2

Food

As the continuation on a series on Chinese Meal and Banquets (see last two blogs), I will be writing about a Chinese Banquet that my parents and their family were invited to by a good friend of my father while we were back in Kuala Lumpur for my parents’ Golden Anniversary. Since I missed partaking in these kinds of dinners and such quality of cooking is frequently amiss outside of Asia, I did not pass up on this opportunity when inquiries were made about who wanted to join this meal gathering. Since my Australian nephew, mentioned in the last blog, was in attendance, it was an opportunity for me to reinforce what he had learned about the sequence of dishes in a Chinese Banquet.

1) Appetizer: Three Seasons. Unlike my parents’ banquet, here we have a slightly abbreviated version of the usually served Four Season dish. On this occasion, we were served Shrimp and Melon with Wasabi Sauce (a Japanese influence here), Panko-breaded Scallops with Sweet and Sour Sauce (again more Japanese influence), and Chicken and Chinese Mushroom in Steamed Bun Cup. Here we see the chef’s creative streak in infusing some Japanese ingredients and technique, and updating the traditional steamed bun by making it into a cup. This is a study of contrasts in flavors, ingredients, and textures, as most banquet first-courses showcase in their platters.

2) Soup: Lobster and Birds Nest Soup. As I mentioned in the last blog, usually Shark Fin Soup is served in banquets, but they have fallen out of favor with the current generation. As an alternative, here we were served this luscious soup made with rich lobster meat and expensive birds nest that has the same texture as shark fin. Again, the addition of Chinese black vinegar and Chinese mustard adds more taste interest to this thick soup.

3) Protein 1: Roast Duck and Chilled Pigs Feet. Savory crispy skinned duck was paired with thin slices of deboned and poached pig feet. Again, we see a study of contrast of flavors, textures, and in this case, temperatures. I must say that the pigs feet tasted better than it sounds and I enjoyed its slightly gelatinous quality.

4) Protein 2: Tuna with Green beans and Crispy Tofu Skin. Pieces of tuna have been broiled with a thin sticky coating most likely made with some Miso paste judging by the color and taste. The crispy tofu skin was a good foil against the moist fish, along with the sweet al dente young green beans.

5) Vegetable/Tofu dish: Broccoli, Chinese Mushroom, and Abalone on Tofu. When this dish arrived, we marveled at its presentation as well as the amount of baby abalone, a pricey mollusk rarely served in banquets. These pieces of seafood have the texture of squid but exude a richer seafood flavor, and this rendition was perfectly cooked sitting on pieces of silky tofu stuffed with a flavorful shrimp meat paste – this was heavenly. The pieces of broccoli and Chinese mushrooms were equally well-cooked; however, they took a distant secondary role to the marvelous seafood.

6) Rice/Noodle dish: Fried Rice. At this stage of a banquet, either starch is served. In the hierarchy of grains, rice takes the lower rung. Hence, this dish is a “throwaway” dish, meaning that the diner needs to fill-up with this grain before the last course. This version was well prepared but was not memorable since it was a completely mild dish. Some chefs have “exotified” this humble dish by adding dried baby white bait fish and other non-Chinese seasoning.

7) Dessert: “Malay” Steamed Cake & Longan, White Fungus, and Sea Coconut in Syrup. This moist steamed sponge cake is perhaps a Chinese creation a la Malay with layers interspersed with a layer of caramel, giving the cake a sweet interest. The side of sweet chilled soup was not too sweet with bits of slightly firm sea coconut, slightly bouncy white fungus, and fleshy longan fruit.

This blog ends the series on Chinese Meals and Banquets. I hope this gives one an idea of how the dishes are ordered in such meals in a logical fashion. Furthermore, I hope that the series has inspired the reader to look forward to partake in such a gastronomic delight when the opportunity arises. I wish these opportunities presented themselves to me monthly, but alas, such is life for this epicurean!

Chinese Banquet 1

Cooking, Food

In my last blog, I wrote about my family coming together from disparate parts of the world to meet up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in order to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. I described the delicious dishes of first Chinese dinner that we ate on the first night together. This type of dinners was always a gastronomic highlight for me, of which I find such quality cooking missing from my experiences outside of Asia. To continue with this series, I will describe a couple of formal Chinese banquets that we were ingratiated with during our brief trip.

The first banquet took place in celebration of my parents’ Golden Anniversary. Many relatives and friends were invited to partake in such a joyous occasion, and since some were Muslim, the meal was completely halal (Muslim kosher), thus no pork was served at all. However, such dietary restriction is never in the way of good creative Chinese cooking as in their banquets. Since my nephew from Australia was sitting next to me, it was a good opportunity to explain to him the logical sequence of dishes in a banquet, very much like the order of the Chinese dinner in the last blog.

1) Appetizer: Four Seasons. In a formal banquet, the meal starts with this kind of opener, unlike a dinner. This platter holds such a name as it is a dish with four different elements that distinguish themselves in texture, flavor, and ingredient. On this day, we were served a cold spicy papaya salad, crispy soybean skin stuffed with a fragrant lemongrass filling, crispy spring rolls coated with a sweet sauce, and chicken cooked with Chinese mushrooms.

2) Soup: Shark Fin Soup. This soup is almost de rigueur in a big celebratory dinner, as was in this case. The thick soup comes with fine strands of shark fin that has been cooked until it is tender. Although it has not much in terms of flavor, a good stock gives it character and body. Furthermore, a customary splash of Chinese black vinegar and English mustard (a new local trend for me) gives it some more flavor interest – this soup is a favorite of my mother. Unfortunately, this dish has fallen out of favor for many due to its unsustainable ecological practices.

3) Protein 1: Steamed Pomfret Fish. Like the Chinese dinners, the fish is simply cooked, steamed as in this case, and paired with a light soy sauce. The diner is always looking for a fresh sweet quality from the flesh, not covered by too much or too heavy of a sauce. The fish that arrived on the table was really huge, more than enough to serve 10 guests per table.

4) Protein 2: Roasted Chicken. Since the meal was halal, poultry was the obvious alternative (never beef or lamb since many Chinese find their flavors too strong for their palate). Here the meat was well-seasoned and the skin made crisp in the oven, which can be dipped in a white pepper/salt combination for more seasoning. The clouds of Shrimp Crackers are equally tasty echoing the crispy nature of the dish.

5) Vegetable/Tofu Dish: Sautéed Lotus Roots with Sweet Peppers. This was a new dish for me. Slices of fresh lotus roots have been stir-fried with sweet peppers in a light sauce. I have had this root in mostly soup dishes, but I quite enjoyed its slight crunchy texture with equally crunchy sweet peppers.

6) Noodle/Rice Dish: Longevity Noodles. This dish is a must-order in such celebrations as my parents’ anniversary. Here the noodles are paired with roasted chicken, Chinese chives, bean sprouts, and Chinese mushrooms, brought together by a light sauce. It is imperative that server does not cut into the noodles to ensure the intention of wishing the celebrants longevity in their marriage and lives together.

7) Dessert: Longan in Syrup and Lotus Seed Pancakes. This is one of my favorite banquet desserts. Fresh longan fruit has been cooked in light syrup, paired with a hot pancake with filling made from mashed lotus seeds, a divergence from the traditional use of black bean paste. In the past, this pancake was served with a hot sweet peanut soup, which I enjoyed very much. However, this was equally satisfying for its light quality, especially after so many courses.

In the next blog, I will be writing about another Chinese banquet. I hope this posting is giving you an idea what a Chinese formal entails, and how much I miss such delicious delights being away from my childhood home.