| rev:text
| - Two years ago, I walked past a new restaurant having its grand opening. I waffled around going in and, feeling strongly the Student's Budget, I head home to make myself a meal. I got my chance yesterday.
Neighbor Wang is distinguished by its cozy environment, inviting atmosphere and staff, and beautiful decor. The menu was straight forward, filled with basics, which was disappointing. When my order came, however, I was pleased with the simple details that made each dish memorable.
I ordered four appetizers to share: (1) a shredded potato cold dish, (2) pork belly, (3) fried chicken wings, and (4) a standard green onion pancake.
(1) a common dish in China, every region does it differently. This variation had excellent texture, being cooked to the right bite and give which gave the potato more of a crisp vegetable texture than the starchy preparation we are used to in North American cuisine. Although dried chillies were used, the spiciness was surprisingly bright and built momentum, becoming spicier with every bite! Nice.
(2) fatty pork belly cooked, then chilled, then thinly sliced and topped with raw garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and other spices in excellent proportion. Each bite was simple and delicious. Couldn't be better.
(3) I've always felt that Chinese restaurants serve up great fried chicken. Basic, unadulterated chicken with incredible depth of chicken flavor. Do they soak it in chicken broth or oil before cooking?! Not sure how it's done, but great nonetheless. Great crunch/crisp with each bite. They could improve on this by adding some spices, but it's fine the way it is. The fries it came on were mediocre, but easily forgiven. The size of the wings are also decent.
(4) Easily the saddest part of the meal. The dough has been over kneaded, giving it a flat, dense texture. Also feels like it was fried too long and there's barely any green onion! Not the billowy, chewy, and oniony fried perfection you would hope for. It came on a dish that was supposed to resemble a bamboo weave, which would have been nice for keeping the fried foods crispy and wick away the moisture. Too bad it was just a plastic plate with an imprinted design.
Side notes:
- noticed by the menu that their prices have recently increased.
- I am curious how they will do their spin on the noodle dishes. However, I wish they had less traditional offerings. Something to showcase their ability.
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