Thai Spring Rolls – Wong Eats

Aroy Thai

With quite a few blogs on Thai cuisine on my site, it is hard to justify writing another one on this Southeast Asian cuisine. However, when I heard that there was a new restaurant not far from my neighborhood serving this Asian cuisine, I knew I had to check it out after getting over my initial surprise (“What? In Prince George’s county?”) Reading my previous blog on another Thai establishment (see blog), you sense my frustration that my county is not as “blessed” as the neighboring ones when it comes to international cuisine, especially Thai. Furthermore, it is located in the heart of College Park, MD (aka Party Town) which is known for mediocre cheap eats, drinking holes, and rambunctious fraternities – I graduated from there more than 20 years ago, so I know. With these thoughts in mind, I knew I had to check this new place out and see whether the positive online reviews (100% on one site) were written by reviewers in a sober state.

Located just off the main drag Route 1, Aroy is squeezed into a narrow building in a short block lined with metered parking on both sides of the street. The window is displayed with plastic rendition of their dishes that brings to mind Japanese sushi models popular in the 90’s. Walking into the narrow building, you notice that it is a small 7-table establishment with a counter separating the dining room from the kitchen. The bright orange walls and the long wood banquette makes the place welcoming and warm. Having a lifetime experience with this cuisine since I was a child, I recognized many dishes on the menu and I decided to check-out their offerings by ordering some standard dishes.

As part of their lunch menu, the main dishes come with Thai Spring Rolls or Tom Yum Chicken Soup. I must say I did not expect much from these appetizers since they were part of the lunch deal, but I was proven wrong. The spring rolls were crispy and nearly greaseless, light from the thin wrapper, and delicious from a filling made with bean thread noodle, fine cabbage, and a surprisingly flavorful ingredient, oaky shiitake mushrooms, which elevated these bites to another level beyond its pedestrian flavor. The soup was unexpected for me also. Instead of an insipid sip, it was flavor packed with aromatics like lemongrass, and balanced with enough chili heat, lime tartness, fish sauce saltiness, and sweet from a pinch of sugar. The bowl had a fair amount of mushrooms, tomatoes, and slivers of chicken breast to make it quite satisfying. A good start to the meal, indeed.

On a couple of occasions, I decided to try out their traditional salads. The first was Larb Gai. Pieces of minced chicken are paired with sweet onions, roasted chili powder, toasted rice powder, and moistened with lime juice, fish sauce, and a hint of sugar. This was a delicious spicy salad with the chili powder and rice powder adding a level of smokiness and heat to the sour, salty and sweet flavors of this warm bite. If it weren’t for a couple of sinewy pieces of chicken, this would have been flawless. The other salad was Som Tum, or Green Papaya Salad. Thin julienned strands of the young fruit are paired with carrot, tomato, and green beans, flavored by a sauce made of fish sauce, lime juice, and fresh chilies. What I enjoyed about the dish is the freshness of the ingredients and the balance of the bold flavors as well as the assertive spice heat – the kitchen is not holding back here. The whole peanuts in the dish added a rich nuttiness that balanced out some of the acidity in the dish. This was refreshing for me despite the fieriness of the chili heat – definitely, very close to Ped (Thai chili hot).

Another appetizer that is a good litmus test of a Thai kitchen is its rendition of Sate Chicken. This restaurant’s version was out of the ordinary and it definitely wowed me. Unlike many versions that I have eaten before, here the pieces of chicken were well marinated in turmeric and root aromatics like galangal making each moist piece full of flavor and aromatic, enough to stand by itself. The accompanying sauce was also revelatory. Most restaurants serve a bland version made with peanut butter but here, I tasted a version made with crushed peanuts, root aromatics, palm sugar as the sweetener, and tamarind juice as the sour element, an authentic sauce that I have tasted on the other side of the world. The toasted pieces of bread were the perfect vehicle to mop up the sauce to its last drop. The bowl of sweet pickles was probably a bit too fresh and they could have done with a longer pickling. But that was very minor compared to the main players of this opening dish. Yummm!

Noodle dishes seem to be calling my name every time I visit a Thai restaurant and I had to sample their offerings. A friend’s order of Pad See Euw was his lunch on one occasion. The wide pieces of rice noodles were slightly bouncy fresh and adequately sauced without being drowned by it, tasting savory from Thai soy and quite sweet that made each bite irresistible. The crunchy broccoli, moist chicken slices, and wispy clouds of egg added the necessary tasty elements to the dish, which made this version pleasurable for my friend. My order of Pad Kee Mao, or Drunken Noodle, was totally up my alley. The wide noodles were fresh and not oily, adequately covered by a savory sauce (which remains a secret enigma to me to this day), mixed with slightly crunchy sweet peppers and onion strips, fragrant fresh purple basil, biting fresh bird chilies, moist meat, and pieces of sweet tomato. This was an damn good version of my favorite Thai noodle dish, and it hit the right spots for me.

Very few fried rice dishes impress me these days but my friend’s order here was something else. The fresh tasting rice was cooked with bits of slightly crunchy carrot bits, sweet white onions, juicy tomato, topped with perfectly cooked shrimp, pungent green onions, bits of scrambled eggs, and served with fresh cucumber slices. But what ties these disparate elements together is the flavoring added to the mixture, made from Thai soy sauce, containing a je-ne-sai-quoi added to regular soy, and a hint of fish sauce. Despite being engrossed in my delicious noodle dish I couldn’t help but spoon from his rice place and enjoy the flavor profile of this dish. When it is done right, this dish sings in the mouth, and it did in this case.

No meal in a Thai restaurant would be complete without ordering a curry dish, or a couple of them. On one visit, I ordered the Green Curry. My bowl arrived with lean pork, Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots, sweet peppers, and purple basil. Being a curry dish, the main player is the curry sauce, and this version was outstanding for me. It had a slight peppery quality with a vegetal green chili fragrance, made more aromatic with root herbs and the basil. But the cooking of the curry paste with fresh tasting coconut milk resulted in a well amalgamated mixture that stands out from other versions. It was slightly sweet which points to the Thai sensibility for this seasoning as integral to the authentic palate. Another visit’s order of the Red Curry was equally superb with the same ingredients as the above dish with exception of the curry paste. The sauce was a bit more fiery with the use of red chilies in the paste with a darker leaf aroma from the use of Kaffir lime leaf – the evidence of a soften leaf points to adequate cooking to render all its flavor into the sauce. I was again impressed by the skillful cooking that gave the curry a magical quality that I have not experienced often with this dish.

Although the sweet offerings here are sparse, I had to give them a try since they were some of my favorites. The Fried Bananas came as mini spring rolls stuffed with pieces of banana, and topped with some honey and toasted sesame seeds. The dough was fried crispy and nearly greaseless, encasing a filling of soft sweet banana, made even sweeter by the honey and fragrant from the sesame seeds. An order of Mango and Sticky Rice was a special on another visit. After getting a confirmation from the cook that the mangoes were prime and sweet, I received a plate with pieces in such heavenly state. The side of sticky glutinous rice topped with coconut cream was an equal partner to the ripe fruit. It had enough saltiness to match the sweet fruit and rich from some quality coconut crème made nutty from a topping of fried mung beans, an addition that wavers from the usual sesame seeds. What impressed me the most of this dish was the rice, which was perfectly cooked and matched in seasoning and creaminess. I know how tricky it is to cook this grain well, and that is why most restaurants can’t get it right. However, this is the best rendition (yes!) of this dessert I have ever tasted, and its delicious ghost aftertaste still haunts my taste buds.

Something good is going on here, especially in that small kitchen: woodsy shiitake mushrooms in perfectly wrapped spring rolls, well-seasoned Tom Yum soup, fiery and smoky chicken salad, spicy and nutty papaya salad, the well-marinated Sate chicken and irresistible sauce, perfectly seasoned noodles with barely a trace of oil, savory fried rice that puts all others to shame, curries with an aromatic sauce perfectly balanced with quality coconut milk and paired with fragrant jasmine rice, the best sticky rice ever tasted along with sweet ripe mangoes, and sweet soft bananas encased in sticky crispy dough. Looking at the photos that I took, you see an undivided attention given to each dish even in the simple garnishes on the plate. In Korean, this is called “hand flavor” which is indescribable but only can be felt or tasted. Well, this place sure has it, and when I am this inspired, I want to get a glimpse of Mrs. Chef in the kitchen. One day I hope to personally thank her for such skillful cooking. This place is most definitely Aroy! (Tasty!)

Asian Wings Cafe

Restaurants

I feel ignored, deprived, and somewhat a little disrespected. By this, I am expressing a common sentiment felt by the residents of my county, Prince George’s county, MD, a nearby suburb of Washington DC. As the richest county in the country where minorities make up the majority, PG (as we call it) has not seen as many businesses, investments, and high-paying jobs as in the neighboring Maryland and Virginia counties. In addition, another area that is glaringly lacking is the number of good ethnic restaurants that heavily dot the other suburbs. I always have to trek quite some distance to meet my Friday night dinner group in order to savor good ethnic cuisine in Washington DC, Northern Virginia, or other Maryland counties.

The one and only full-fledged Thai restaurant in PG county has been in operation for quite a few years. However, it is located even further away from me in the neighborhood of Fort Washington, Southern MD. So, when I came across another Thai restaurant that was closer to me (only 15 mins drive) a few weeks ago, I was thrilled and very eager to give it a couple of visits before writing this review. Stumbling across Asian Wings Cafe occurred only by happenstance. I was meeting an old friend of mine, a casualty of the current depressed economy, for brunch at IHOP in his neighborhood during the weekday. After the meal, I was walking back to my car and I noticed a sidewalk board with names of familiar Thai dishes written on it. I quickly stepped in the place, had a quick look at the display menu, and left with a take-out copy. I could not wait for the weekend to head back and check it out.

Sunday came around, and I chose to visit Asian Wings Cafe for lunch with a couple of friends. It is located in the middle of a rather nondescript strip mall just off the Beltway in New Carrolton. Across the street from it are sad-looking all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet joints. It is easy to pass by this cafe without noticing its presence at all, nor does a take-out cafe filled with only four tables brings about the sense of high expectation. With these thoughts running through my mind, I was not very sure what I was going to expect from this eatery.

The menu here is quite extensive, consisting of fried wings, ribs, noodle dishes, hot wok dishes, vegetarian plates, fries and coleslaw, and a good number of Thai dishes. With so much to choose from, I decided to narrow my choices to what the place touts itself for – Thai food, fried wings and ribs.

After a brief discussion with the owner, a young Thai lady who hails from Bangkok, I placed my order upon her recommendations. I started with the Thai Spring Rolls appetizer. It arrived at the table piping hot along with some complementary Garlic Fries, which the owner claims are very popular here. The spring rolls are sheets of thin crispy dough (thank God, not the thick nasty eggroll skin) covering a tasty stuffing of carrots, cabbage, and bean threadnoodle. These nearly greaseless batonettes, served with its usual accompanying sweet sauce, were as good as those I have tasted in larger Thai restaurants. The garlic fries had the similar skilful treatment in the hot oil, and they were covered with specks of chopped garlic and parsley, which elevated them beyond their usual guise. A good start indeed.

A bowl of Shrimp Tom Yum Soup came next. It was satisfactory but not quite as fragrant as I have had in other places, since it seemed to be missing the usual aromatics of lemongrass and lime leaves. The use of fish sauce was a bit too heavy, which the owner said could be easily adjusted in the kitchen. However, the soup had the right spice kick, sweet plump shrimp, and a handful of straw mushrooms, good enough for me to order it on any given winter’s day.

I decided to try the fried wings that the cafe is known for. These small chicken wings, not the Buffalo-sized ones, had a light coating of batter and were fried golden-brown. One bite into them immediately raised my eyebrows. The chicken was crispy on the exterior yet moist in the inside, well-seasoned throughout, and had only a hint of grease to the touch. My dining partner, who has travelled extensively to Thailand, was also amazed by these bites, and he exclaimed that these tasted like those he had eaten in Thailand. The 14 types of dipping sauces come in combinations of Honey, Garlic, Spicy, and Sweet and Sour. For me, these wings were good enough without the sauces, which is a testament of this good eat.

My order of wings came with a side order of Drunken Noodles. The Drunken Noodles were filled with strips of green and red peppers, chunks of chicken, and leaves of fresh aromatic Thai basil peeking through sheets of wide rice noodles. Signs of high heat wok searing were evident on the noodles which added to its flavor profile. The dish had the right heat-intensity (peht) and good amount of garlic, with the noodles well-coated with the salty and slightly sweet brown sauce without any evidence of oil pooling on the plate. This dish was as good as I have eaten in bigger establishments, and I was smiling after a few mouthfuls – I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My friend’s order of Pork Ribs with Honey Garlic sauce shared the plate (well, take-out box) with some Thai Fried Rice. The meat comes on bite-size rib bones covered in the sweet sauce. I must admit that I did not initially find the dish appealing. But upon hearing the complements from him, I tried a couple of pieces and I was slightly taken aback. The meat was flavorful and quite crispy, and the sweet sauce made the ribs quite irresistible. The fried rice, with pieces of egg, carrots, peas, and onions, is seasoned with Thai soy sauce, which with its slight fish sauce flavor sets it apart from the Chinese version. Normally, I would avoid any form of fried rice, especially from a take-out joint, but with this kitchen’s rendition, I could not stop digging my fork into my friend’s plate, which probably annoyed him slightly.

On my next visit, I wanted to discover more of their Thai standard fare. Pad Thai is offered by most Thai kitchens but they have become such common fare, to the point that some of their versions are so banal, sloppy in their treatment, and lackluster in flavor that they taste like the Thai version of bad fast food. So, when a plate of these famous noodles from Asian Wings Cafe landed on my table, I was eager to dig into it due to its high visual appeal. The dish arrived with the noodles cooked with slivers of roast pork, bits of scrambled eggs, large pieces of pungent green onions, topped with a mound of fresh crunchy beansprouts, and crowned with huge sweet shrimps that were just perfectly cooked and not rubbery at all. The noodles had the right amount of the sweet and sour sauce with pieces of sweet pickled turnip (usually missing in other restaurant versions) which added that crunchy sweet salty element that made the dish successful. The sides of crushed peanut and slice of lime on the plate allow the diner to control these extra textural and flavor elements. I must admit that this was one of the best plates of Pad Thai I have eaten in a long time, and I cannot wait to order it on the next visit.

Another dish on the menu that caught my eye was the Crispy Chicken Basil. Pieces of lightly battered chicken are cooked in a spicy garlicky brown sauce with sweet onions and peppers, topped with fragrant crispy Thai basil. The pieces of chicken were not overly battered and remained a bit crispy despite being coated by the wonderful tasty sauce. The fried basil leaves added more to the dish’s crispy element while bringing more fragrance to the dish. I thoroughly enjoyed this authentic-tasting dish along with a bowl of aromatic jasmine rice. The chili heat-level added to its irresistibility and scrumptiousness.

Throughout my meal I was eyeing an order of Chicken and Shrimp Lo Mein that my friend, mentioned earlier, was devouring with gusto. Initially, when he placed his order, I chuckled to myself and thought that this was typical farang (foreigner) fare that Americans would order in an Asian take-out joint. My aversion for this dish is a result of tasting many substandard versions that I have come across in many Chinese restaurants. Due to its visual appeal and the level of pleasure he seemed to have with the dish, I had to try a couple of mouthfuls of the Lo Mein – this version was an eye-opener. The noodles were quite fresh and still al dente, mixed in with tender pieces of chicken and shrimp, crispy and barely cooked broccoli, cabbage, snow peas, and carrots, straw mushrooms, covered in a light tasty sauce that was not thickened like others. I have not enjoyed Lo Mein as much as I did with this order, and it is definitely worth considering in future visits.

A complementary order of Fried Banana Dessert was delivered to my table after I finished my savory dishes. Pieces of sweet ripe banana are wrapped with thin spring roll pastry, greaseless from the kitchen’s usual skilful hot oil frying, and topped with honey and fragrant sesame seeds. These small sweet bites were just the perfect and quite a surprisingly good dessert to end the meal.

Asian Wings Cafe is not your run-of-the-mill neighborhood Asian take-out joint despite its unassuming outside appearance. Its strengths lie in the knowledgable kitchen that is capable of producing good authentic Thai dishes alongside its perfectly fried and tasty wings and ribs. The cafe just celebrated its second anniversary a couple of weeks ago, and it seems to have established itself firmly in the area judging by the friendly customers that I saw coming and going during my visits. I will be a regular customer due to its close proximity to my home and the delectable dishes that I have enjoyed there. Welcome to Prince George’s County, and I am sure that your wonderful food will be the real reason for a long stay in our neighborhood.