So I think I will be eating here on Sunday (tomorrow!)

I have been here once, but none of us really knew what we were doing when it came to ordering...and we STILL had a good meal.

After sifting through this and other threads, I think that for myself and 4 friends (none of whom have been to Sun Wah) that the Peking Duck service might be the best way to go.

Do you agree this would be the best intro to Sun Wah?

Also, what are the go-to dishes that we should consider adding onto our meal? Seems like Hong Kong Pork, Citrus Chicken, Chinese Broccoli, and Garlic Fried ribs all have hugely positive feedback.

Any other suggestions? Tips? Is there a menu somewhere, where I can get a rough idea of price?

Gah....lots of questions...sorry!

Thanks!

The lotus root with homemade bacon, currently on the specials board, was fantastic at the LTH holiday party. If you're looking for a vegetable dish, that's certainly a great (and bacony) option. I was at Sun Wah yesterday and regretted not ordering it. You can spot a picture of that dish over at flickr.

Getting the bbq combo over rice (a steal at $4.50) is a great way to have everyone try a variety of the roast meats (ask to sub in HK pork for the duck maybe since you're ordering a whole duck).

-Dan

My perennial favorites are the hot and sour soup, the steamed dover sole fillet, the BBQ duck, Crispy Skin chicken, and the chinese broccoli in oyster sauce. While the peking duck is incredible, I feel that ordering just that makes for a slightly one dimensional meal.

RAB, my mom, and I enjoyed a wonderful Christmas meal at Sun Wah. It took a bit of time to order, but once we did, the food arrived hot and quickly. Laura reported that they're seating fewer parties to make sure that service doesn't suffer. They know service has been a problem and are working hard to improve it.

Beijing duck was as great as ever, with its wonderfully crispy skin. Duck soup, which is rarely a table favorite, was probably better than we've ever had it. The duck fried rice was salty good, but appeared to be a smaller portion than we'd previously had (not a problem, though - - we ordered plenty). Hot and sour soup was too bland, but was improved with several spoonfuls of their soy-pepper sauce. The gentleman handling barbecue behind the glass recommended the spareribs, as they'd just finished cooking - - and they were deliciously fatty, meaty, and piping hot. Chinese broccoli with homemade bacon was good, but I don't think I'd order it regularly. We also tried the clams in black bean sauce for the first time. While the clams were solid and we ate every one, this wasn't the best version of the dish that I've had.

We enjoyed Seedling hard cider with our dinner, a great pairing because the cider is only slightly sweet.

And, yes, with only three of us, we had plenty of leftovers. Nearly all of the duck soup went home with us, and was significantly improved by a bit of duck glace that RAB had made the week prior.

Ronna

To answer a couple of my own questions...

The Beijing/Peking Duck dinner now costs $32. It is a little too much food for three, if you order another dish. And I would say two extra dishes are needed to supply enough food for four.

We had pan fried noodles with BBQ Pork and Chinese Broccoli.

I liked how this version didn't really have a thick sauce like others. It allowed itself the great additions of chili oil and the brown/soy-ish sauce on the table.

A great meal all around. With tax and tip, the total was a little over $15/person for the three of us.

Fifille and I had another amazing meal tonight. Hot sour soup, peapod greens, and the mushroom medley with beef special. Everything was spot on as always. Mushroom dish was perfect for my taste; tender beef in oyster sauce with button mushrooms, straw mushrooms, shiitakes, and enoki mushrooms. A generous portion and just what I was looking for.

Two notes: we tried to order the garlic fried ribs but due to a language problem we received a plate of fried chicken wings with a heavy note of fish sauce. We declined them.

Also, I would highly recommend making reservations from now on at least on the weekends. We got there around 8 and had a 20 minute wait for a table. Totally worth it but something to know in advance.

My birthday was a few weeks ago. Since I was still a bit bummed about missing the LTH holiday party at Sun Wah, I decided to have my birthday there and get my own pig. So, I set up a reservation for 35 people and a whole pig. I decided to leave the rest of the food up to my guests. We had 3 tables, so each table did their own thing. (Some favorites were the lotus root with pork belly mentioned upthread and a deliciously sweet/sour/funky squid with pickled vegetables.) It went wonderfully. They had the pig hanging up in the front window so we could check it out before they started cutting it up. Even with 35 people (including some kids) we ended up with a ton of leftover pig, which Sun Wah thoughtfully packed up into 1 lb boxes, so everyone got pig party favors. I also got the head, feet and a few other (upper leg?) bones to take home. Everyone had nothing but positive comments for the food and service. To top it all off, the whole thing came out to under $20 a person. I can't think of anywhere you could get a better deal.

I tossed two of the feet into a pot of beans for a deliciously porky dinner. There were some charred/black bits on the feet that I scraped off first. In retrospect, I think I'd leave the char next time.

The head and other two feet I turned into stock, then pulled the meat off for another use. I was pleasantly surprised at how much flavor the meat still had, even after being simmered for a few hours. The stock itself had a slight (not unpleasant) organ-y flavor reminiscent of liver dumpling soup. Some of the stock and meat went into pig and dumplings. The rest of the meat turned into a pig head waldorf salad (with mayo, mustard, apples, raisins and walnuts) for a few lunches. And I still have two quarts of pig head stock in my fridge. It's the meal that keeps on giving.

Here are a few pics. (Sorry, I didn't get any of the subsequent meals I made from the head and feet.)

Eli,

Thanks for the report.

Sun Wah roasts all pigs with their head-on. You can often buy a roasted head there for less then $5. My mind's eye loves the visual of pig Waldorf salad.

Congratulations on your birthday!

Regards,

Happy birthday, Eli. Thanks, for the great, informative post (and the entertaining pics).

=R=

I enjoyed a quiet late lunch at Sun Wah today with a friend; when not overrun, the new space is easy to admire, and conversation and service work just right. Singapore noodles and pork and duck over rice were as good as ever. The two particularly noteworthy items were the hot and sour soup and the side of Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. The soup, which I don't remember being a remarkable standout at the old location, was rich, brothy, and perfectly seasoned, tasting basically like a liquid version of the best scents of the kitchen with a healthy shake of vinegar added.

The broccoli, which I remember being quite mild, was outrageously funky; the oyster sauce tasted like melted bleu cheese and old shrimp, and was so overwhelmingly powerful that a table next to us had to hold their noses when it was being delivered, and then laughed with us when we made eye contact and revealed our own surprise at its strength. We politely ate a piece each and then decided it would be best sent to a sealed takeout container for the moment. While I can't say I relished it, I certainly admire that they're not toning anything down, and for sheer flavor per $4, the normally meek broccoli may be worth checking out in this manifestation, anomaly for the day or not.

Washed down with a Goose Island Spicy Ginger Brew ($1.50, great choice by the staff!), this was a memorable, affordable, and hearty meal. I look forward to others in the new space. Reading above posts, I agree that clearer descriptions on the menu would help us locate some LTH group dining favorite more easily (what exactly is "pork with vegetables," for example? which are the fried garlic ribs? where is the pork belly hidden?), but just ordering what's there now may lead to some potentially useful adventures anyway.

Before a glorious dinner last night, I hadn't been to Sun Wah since the LTH Holiday party back in December. So, it had obviously been far too long between visits. We brought some friends who'd never been before and the Chengs and crew impressed them mightily. We arrived at about 7. The place was full but there was only a short line of 1 or 2 parties. We were seated promptly.

I'd pre-ordered a few items, including the Beijing Duck service and we augmented with several other dishes. In addition to the duck, which completely blew our friends away, we had Garlic Fried Ribs, Mike's Chicken, BBQ Chicken Thighs, Crispy Chow Fun with BBQ Pork & Chinese Broccoli, Roast Duck over Rice (since there were 6 of us, we needed more duck), Soft Shell Crab Appetizer and Water Spinach. Each dish was fantastic, so much so, that I can't even say which I liked the best. It was just one of those nights when it was all clicking magnificently. It didn't hurt matters one bit that service was really good last night. In spite of the Saturday night throng, plates were cleared promptly, waters were refilled without asking and dishes were cruising out the kitchen at a suprisingly rapid clip.

Not only had our friends never been to Sun Wah before, they'd also never had Beijing Duck. But apparently, they'd read up on Sun Wah before our dinner and had wisely identified this dish as a "must try." As soon as they got in the car, I was asked if I'd pre-ordered it. I just smiled and told them "of course, I've got you covered." Once we were finally digging into it, they were completely blown away -- and rightfully so. The skin was a deep mahogany, glistening and ultra-crispy. The meat was succulent, and juicy. The looks of joy on our friends' faces was great to see. And they didn't end even after we finished our duck. As other ducks were being served at the tables near ours, they gazed gleefully as Laura and Mr. Cheng carved away, smiles permanently affixed to their faces. They were so pleased and impressed, they kept on telling the Chengs how great it was. I was happy to have been a small part of their pleasure. It was also cool that years ago our friends lived about a half mile from Sun Wah but didn't know about it. They remarked on the irony of having moved out to the suburbs before learning about a place that is just blocks from where they used to live.

For me, it was not only great to have led them to this experience but to have finally gotten back to Sun Wah. Last night's meal was as good as any I've had there and I promised myself that going forward, it wouldn't be nearly as long between visits.

=R=

I find it interesting how prompt your service was considering that my experience seems to get worse with every visit. From in early march, waiting two hours for the duck after calling ahead and then being told when we got there they don't do phone preorders anymore... And then having our table cleared as we were pretty much still eating. To this Friday when we were seated at table 1, the one in the window, and basically completely forgotten about.

I will continue to go as the food is always amazing, but I need to remember to go before 6pm on some days. It's a shame because I have a growing collection of friends that basically refuse to eat there now. Considering it just looks like they need more FOH staff, these problems probably should have been worked out by now.

namram wrote:I find it interesting how prompt your service was considering that my experience seems to get worse with every visit. From in early march, waiting two hours for the duck after calling ahead and then being told when we got there they don't do phone preorders anymore... And then having our table cleared as we were pretty much still eating. To this Friday when we were seated at table 1, the one in the window, and basically completely forgotten about.

I will continue to go as the food is always amazing, but I need to remember to go before 6pm on some days. It's a shame because I have a growing collection of friends that basically refuse to eat there now. Considering it just looks like they need more FOH staff, these problems probably should have been worked out by now.

Service wasn't perfect. Pre-ordered Beijing Duck was served last, as we were told it would be (they were about 40 minutes behind on them) but it was very good for a busy Saturday and much improved over a couple of previous visits that took place right after the move.

=R=

I went at 8:40 on Wed night and even thought they were in the process of closing up, my food came out quickly and jsut as good as ever. I had hot sour soup, scallops with straw mushrooms and a small order of roast pork. Everything was amazing as always.

I have never seen BBQ Chicken Thighs on the menu, I must have these immediately!! Are these a special order thing?

Octarine wrote:I have never seen BBQ Chicken Thighs on the menu, I must have these immediately!! Are these a special order thing?

I guess so. I was part of a group that ordered them at a meal a few years back and have ordered them regularly ever since. I had no idea they weren't on the menu.

=R=

Not from last night but from a previous meal . . .


BBQ Chicken Thighs @ Sun Wah

=R=

namram wrote:I find it interesting how prompt your service was considering that my experience seems to get worse with every visit. From in early march, waiting two hours for the duck after calling ahead and then being told when we got there they don't do phone preorders anymore... .

How long in advance did you call? If it was same day, you might consider calling 24 hours in advance next time. We always do that, and have never been disappointed.

leek wrote:

namram wrote:I find it interesting how prompt your service was considering that my experience seems to get worse with every visit. From in early march, waiting two hours for the duck after calling ahead and then being told when we got there they don't do phone preorders anymore... .

How long in advance did you call? If it was same day, you might consider calling 24 hours in advance next time. We always do that, and have never been disappointed.

Yes, I called about 30 hours ahead this time and always provide at least 24 hours lead time.

=R=

leek wrote:

namram wrote:I find it interesting how prompt your service was considering that my experience seems to get worse with every visit. From in early march, waiting two hours for the duck after calling ahead and then being told when we got there they don't do phone preorders anymore... .

How long in advance did you call? If it was same day, you might consider calling 24 hours in advance next time. We always do that, and have never been disappointed.

We called probably about 2 hours in advance, and I could understand if they need more lead time. But, on the phone they give me acknowledgment of ordering the duck, and then when I get there no order has been placed "In case (I) didn't actually show up." If it takes a couple hours after I order when I get there, then calling ahead a couple hours seems sensible. If I need to call that far in advance(for just duck), I'd just like to be told so.

Also, that has nothing to do with the service I had Friday, which was atrocious. We didn't order anything special or off menu either. Involved a long wait to order, and a long wait to get food while watching people that came in after us get served. Took us 30 minutes to get water after asking twice.

Is Sun Wah BYOB? I Do It Daily is planning a Mother's Day trip to the famed LTH Christmas party locale, and since I'm springing for the bill, I'm obviously looking to keep expenses down. Sincere apologies if this has already been covered in the 13 pages of thread.

I Do It Daily wrote:Is Sun Wah BYOB? I Do It Daily is planning a Mother's Day trip to the famed LTH Christmas party locale, and since I'm springing for the bill, I'm obviously looking to keep expenses down. Sincere apologies if this has already been covered in the 13 pages of thread.

BYO for wine and spirits but not for beer, several varieties of which they offer on their menu.

=R=

Although they have a really reasonably priced beer selection, you are free to bring in your own beer with a beer corkage (bottlecap?) fee of 1 dollar per bottle.

On my last visit I noticed that they now have a number of wines on offer. I didn't get any specifics, but I might call ahead before I brought my own wine.

deesher wrote:On my last visit I noticed that they now have a number of wines on offer. I didn't get any specifics, but I might call ahead before I brought my own wine.

We brought wine this past Saturday and there was no issue. Our guests paid the bill, so I'm not sure if corkage was charged. But I agree, it's always best to call first when it comes to these types of matters.

=R=

LTH,

Delicious as Pork belly with taro cake may be it is rich, heavy and not a wise choice for two people along with additional menu items.

Note to self: Never order Pork belly with taro cake with only two people at the table.

Pork belly with taro cake (Wall board special)

G Wiv file photo


Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:
Note to self: Never order Pork belly with taro cake with only two people at the table.

See, this is why you need LTH ordering power

Going to Sun Wah for the first time this Sunday!

Unfortunately, I'll be going with a picky young adult that eats tacos and pizza.

Any must haves? I am assuming fried rice is something she'd eat along with bbq - but what can i get a "small batch" of that I HAVE to eat?

I love the pan fried egg noodles (ordered extra crispy) with pork. Even a picky eater should enjoy this relatively simple dish. Sun Wah also makes a damn fine egg roll.

I'm sad to report that over the last couple of months, we feel like the Peking Duck service has gone down. Unless you catch the daughter who knows how to properly slice the duck, we have had rushed jobs where the duck is sliced too thick and has been served cold.

When they first started this at their new spot, everything came in courses--where as the last couple of times--everything is just thrown on the table--and it was not as good... I hope they take notice. I would love a hot picks list of other dishes....

We just ate here on Tuesday and I cannot comment on the duck as my partner is not a fan of duck in general and whole duck sounded a bit overwhelming for just me . in any case, we had the soft shell crab appetizer which was excellent. i was surprised, as i love soft shell crabs but do not usually enjoyed a fried preparation as i find it turns into a fried mess that lacks both the crab taste and texture. This soft shell crab was however fantastic! It had a "light" tempura batter that was just delicious. We also had pan fried rice noodles with shrimp, soy BBQ chicken and bok choy special. All were tasty but the real standout for me was the soft shell.