Review #300 is dedicated to a very special dish - The Drunken Squab.
"Drunken" poultry is a famous Shanghainese delicacy that is often served as a cold appetizer. Drunken chicken is the most popular dish and is readily available even in the US, especially in areas like the SGV.
Drunken squab is a lot more difficult to find in the US. Heck... just any good and fresh (not frozen) squab is hard enough to find in the US.
Despite its name, this dish won't make you drunk, as the proper way of preparing it is to boil the wine first before using it as a marinade so that all the alcohol is evaporated, and the wine is properly reduced. Also, boiling the wine with some coarse sea salt and spices greatly enhances its flavor.
The drunken squab here at Wu Kong was the best one that I have ever had. Period.
The squab itself was fresh and the meat was flavorful. It was perfectly cooked so that the meat was tender. It was marinated perfectly so that the wine enhanced the natural flavor of the meat rather than overwhelming it. The wine was high quality premium stuff - very smooth and gentle to the palate -- and it was reduced properly to produce a rich flavor.
This is a squab lover's dream come true.
Before I forget... Everything else that we ordered were good.
XLB's - They had the largest juice pockets of any XLB's that I've ever had. Each one contained at least one to two large soup spoonfuls of juices. The best way to eat them is to wait for it to cool down a bit (so you won't burn your tongue) and eat it in one bite. If you must take more than one bite, eat it over a small bowl so you won't lose those yummy and precious juices.
Fried Dumplings - Also very very juicy. Be careful when you bite into it so that the juices don't squirt out.
Scallion Pancakes - They were quite unique and were shaped like a donut rather than the thin pancake style generally found in the US. They were absolutely yummy, pan-fried to golden brown on the outside, moist and slightly chewy inside. Amazing.
Cold Noodles - A great idea on a hot summer day! It was beautifully presented with 3 types of shredded meat on top and came with a nice setting of sauces, which included chili paste, a sweet soy sauce, peanut sauce, sesame oil, etc.
Shanghainese Chili Stir Fry - Sweet and mildly spicy hot, this could be served with noodles, steamed rice, steamed buns (man tow) or scallion pancakes. Absolutely yummy and authentically Shanghainese!
This place is quite expensive ($$$) but I assure you that it's worth every penny. If you decide to open up your wallet and spoil yourself with some of the best Shanghainese cuisine in the World, then this is the place.
A solid 5-star experience, even by Hong Kong's high standard of Asian cuisine. read more