It was off the main road and into a deserted street. I could have heard a penny drop. But then in the far distance there's a yellow sign saying 'Boro' Bethnal Green and you will kind of assume or at least hoping that is the place. Thankfully it was but already we felt like we were entering a old Chinese folk tale horror film. The place itself was worn out, wall peeling, stage props lying around and in the midst of that was a blackboard saying 'Wong's Diner' pointing upstairs.
It was so weird and spooky it was kind of thrilling. The first floor had it's door open and revealed an empty stage with it's lights on- the terror was just building. But then we arrived to the pop up itself. It was more done up and organised but still had the whole spooky look with its odd furniture arrangements. There were one other group of customers and the rest of the place was deserted.
Service was kind of cold and lack a smile but somehow it fit in with the atmosphere. I did somehow feel it was appropriate for a lady to be dressed in a white cloth with her hair over her face to jump out though and a broken string instrument to be playing in the background. Maybe I'm being too imaginative here.
Sunday meant 2 for 1 on cocktails so we went for all four. I would stick to the Rush Hour 2 and Death by Plum and if you prefer less alcohol and something sweeter than Lychee Fu. Please avoid Forbidden Forest unless you like bitter Chinese herbal medicine. It is a very acquired taste. I suppose I like the ginger which was strongly present in the Rush Hour 2 and when well with the sweet apple citrus and whiskey. Not the best cocktails but for £3 it's not worth complaining.
With 2 for 1 across all meals using the Tastecard we nearly ordered the whole menu. Dishes were served in random order and as they came piping hot from the kitchen which was good.
We started with the turnip cake which were too mushy for my liking. They lacked concentration in flavour and were not grilled enough to be called crispy. It definitely needed more wok energy but that could be a problem if they're not got a strong enough gas cooker working in a bar kitchen. I didn't really taste the full effect of the bacon or the shrimps.
The wings were more successful and were probably the highlight of the evening for me. The marinate was amazing, a sweet and savoury sticky sauce, equally balanced in flavour that also went well with the slaw underneath. The flavours were also very apparent in the chicken itself which shows they had marinated for a long period of time and they got the cooking time perfect as the meat was tender and tasted fresh. They became very moorish and I could have easily had a portion of those to myself with a bowl of rice.
Pak Choi in garlic didn't taste garlicky but did it's job. They were also very fresh, cooked well but didn't make an expression.
Piggy ribs in Peanut Chilli Oil was also a failure dish. The ribs felt rushed and the end result were dry bland ribs that lacked flavour of the peanut chilli oil. Some parts of the ribs were tough unless it was around a layer of fat. If more cooking time went into this dish then the fermented black bean would have really lift this dish off when the ribs soaks in the flavour.
The tofu was probably the strongest of flavour and were many favourites in my group of friends. We enjoyed the slight pungent taste from the marinated bamboo which rubbed off onto the tofu which was soft and silky as expected. It was nicely contrasted with the cashews which would have been better if it was crunchier and makes me wonder if roasted peanuts would have been a better option. This dish should be accompanied by rice as on its own the flavour could be too strong.
Along with rice we also ordered Po Po's potato. These were nice and different to what we expect from potatoes chips, in a sweet and savoury glaze and nice sprinkles of sesame. A little more browning for a crispier edge would have done this dish a favour.
Sadly Beef Ho Fun was another let down dish that also lacked wok energy. It tasted like sloppy ho fun mixed with undercooked vegetables and beef stirred in. The dish was bland and flavourless. The only thing that was positive were the different textures and the tender beef.
It's such a shame that food just didn't meet the level of standards for us to return unless I was really craving for chicken wings in the Bethnal Green area. I really believe they have the right ingredients but not the right utensils and kitchen equipment to cook it in. I mean the flavours were great and the sauces and marinade tasted homemade but it's the cooking technique that just let it down as the flavours don't seem apparent on the meat or vegetables itself. It seems the better dishes were those that were stewed as less wok energy is required.
I am more intrigued to go to their street stall instead as maybe their cooking style and equipment is more appropriate for Chinese cooking. Sadly this just wasn't the case here. read more