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| - I've often used the word Chinamerican to help describe food being made at some Chinese restaurants. This type Americanized Chinese cookery usually includes the same suspects like sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, lo mein and can be found pretty much anywhere except Old Town Scottsdale.
Now the owners of Geisha A Go Go and Stingray Sushi have opened another Asian concept capturing the essence of Chinamerican, Jimmy Woo's. While cool and modern inside, they somehow managed to pay homage to the type of Chinese restaurants I knew when I was a kid. There are no white and pink table cloths here but the half moon shaped black leather booths, dim lighting and old school Chinese menu evokes a 70's mod vibe. Be sure to check out the enormous abacus, it'll be the largest you'll ever see. Outdoors, Woo's has a fantastic patio that faces Scottsdale Road which is great for people watching.
Woo's offers a daily happy hour that starts at 3pm, which gets you drink discounts and a well priced small plates menu. Offerings such as plump and juicy Pan Fried Pork Dumplings ($4) and a plate full of fork tender, lightly fried Salt and Pepper Calamari ($5.25) are stand outs. If you pair these with a carafe of hot Sake ($4), happy hour could be a meal in of itself.
Looking over you'll notice that it's all about the classics and these classics are done pretty well, starting with Hot and Sour Soup ($5.95). Yes this is on every single Chinese menu around town but Woo's version adds tofu, mushrooms, egg, bamboo and chicken making for a hearty robust soup. Be sure to ask for some chili paste, the nose clearing effect is like tasty medicine.
After one bite of the Chinese Chicken Salad ($8.95), you couldn't help but notice that while well dressed in a peanut ginger dressing, it lacked any sort of flavor punch. Made with napa cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, snap peas and scallions then topped with fried noodles and almonds, the ingredients were vibrant and fresh. Hopefully they reconfigure their dressing since the added brightness from citrus juice or vinegar can be key to taking ho-hum to wow.
Slightly crispy, tender, sweet and sour tossed with bits of chili and citrus peel, the Orange Beef ($13.95) was decent. For me this is what Asian style cooking is all about, appealing to many of my senses without any one being overwhelmed. However on another visit this dish was so overly sweetened and gloopy that it was pretty much inedible. Different chef?
I thought it was funny the veggie only, Eggplant with Tofu and Mushroom ($15) dish was one of the most expensive on the menu. Don't get me wrong, this dish was tasty with its slightly sweet sauce and well cooked vegetables it's just priced oddly high. I found it funny that many of the shrimp and scallop dishes are priced less than this one. Go figure.
Jimmy Woo's may woo you with its sophisticated yet fun atmosphere, but for me it was the friendly service and their ability to make Chinese hip and cool. I only wish the food was as hip and cool.
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