Last Minute Lunch - Shui Wah Noon Friday 5/9

LTHer Sazerac hasn't been very active on the board since he moved to Pittsburgh, but he'll be in town briefly Friday, including a stop for lunch at Shui Wah.

Obviously, anyone who wants to join us is welcome.

Shui Wah
2162-A S. Archer
Chicago
(312) 225-8811

I'm a possible - I will update either late tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. Thanks for the invite.

Oy - apologies on the lack of an update. I've been stuck in the Meeting of the Damned. I look forward to the report and wish Sazerac very well.

It was great to see the sleep-deprived Sazarac family (having driven here overnight from Pittsburgh), as well as crrush, at lunch today.

I'd never been to Shui Wah before, but I was impressed.

Frankly, for dim sum, I prefer the bread and circuses of places with carts wheeled around the room, but the order-off-the-menu dim sum at Shui Wah was very tasty.

Speaking of which, the menu:


We put ourselves in Sarazac's deft hands, and he ordered well.

First up was the Minced Pork Dumpling.

They weren't as perfectly bland as they may look. The innards had nicely-spiced pork, but with a lot of hollow space, too. The crust was interesting, too - crunchy on the outside, somewhat glutenous on the inside.


I don't ever recall having crepes at a Chinese restaurant before, but the BBQ Pork Crepe, maybe a bit on the bland side, but interesting nonetheless.


The Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf reminded me favorably of similar preparations I had when I was in Beijing.

The innards (with pork inside):


Shrimp Dumplings were beautifully formed, mild, and significantly enhanced by the Siracha on the table. (Crrush got to one before I could get my camera going.)


The Fried Squid in Pepper reminded me of good French Fries, if potatoes swam in the ocean.


The Chicken Feet were prepared differently than I'd had before - before, they'd been steamed and simply served cold. These were served warm in a sauce.


Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean were very small, bony ribs, with a bit of meat to gnaw off.


Finally, Sazarac was kind enough to bring a Hefeweizen from a small Pittsburgh microbrewery, East End. It was the single serving [i.e. half gallon] size.


Thanks to Sazarac and his wife for pulling this together, and for introducing us to his 19 month old daughter Maya, who stole the show.