This review has been replaced by an updated version here.
A few things first: even though Wong’s is a huge banquet hall type of place, it packs with customers. On weekends there can be an hour wait. Asians tend to like eating late, so get there early if possible. You can also go for lunch and will usually be seated immediately. Since you can order off the incredibly cheap lunch menu, plus the dim sum carts and the dinner menu, lunch is a great time to go.
Lunch specials can be a great deal. They are Americanized in nature, but far beyond the usual fare. For $6.00 you get a really good egg-drop soup, not the fake, flat stuff you are probably used to. This is followed by a huge plate with a selection of items. Start with the egg roll. The crisp layers crackle when you bite into them, not the sodden oily thing one expects in Portland. Light little crab puffs follow that actually taste like crab! The accompanying plum sauce has great depth of flavors. A huge mound of fried rice is as good as it looks, moist and packed with flavor. The Northern China Mongolian beef was the best I’ve had in ages; layers upon layers of flavor, a depth I never thought I’d find in Portland Chinese. I would say the same about gong bao (kung pao) chicken from the western regions. These are not the unbalanced bombs you are used to, but subtle layers of flavor that dance across your palate. Keep in mind, this entire lunch was $6.00. Be prepared to stagger out the door and directly to the sofa for a long afternoon nap.
At this point in my life, I’ve had my fair share of dim sum in San Francisco and Vancouver BC. While not quite as good as the best places in BC, this is by far, the best I have in the Northwest. The variety is large, the carts actually have fresh dishes (I watched them refresh one cart just because the items had been on it too long), the staff is very knowledgeable and doesn’t hesitate to help you with your selections. It is fun peeking into all the tantalizing steamers as they pull off lid after lid, giving you a quick glance inside. If you ask about something that is not on their cart, the staff will send the right one to your table. Prices range from $2.00-$5.00. Everything I had was good, though you have to allow for varience in individual taste. I loved the shrimp dumplings in their light wrappings, and the vivid steamed pork buns.
The dinner menu is 20 pages long with lots of pictures of the different dishes. Reading it makes you feel like you have traveled to a new world. I’ve never seen such a good selection of soups, some of them hard to find in restaurants anywhere. Of course seafood is a big feature here and Wong’s delivers on its promise. The shark fin soup bursts with flavor. All the seafood soups are loaded with fish. Other more standard soups are available too. The salt-and-pepper calamari is perfectly cooked – crunchy and lightly seasoned with coarse salt and flakes of hot pepper. The gau choi gow is terrific with tender fresh shrimp, some of the best I’ve ever had. Entrees are wide-ranging. Chinese spareribs are a feast, the meat practically falling off the bone, which leaves you begging for more. The abalone is tender and silky, taking me back to diving for them when I was a kid. Here it is served several ways, but my favorite so far is thinly sliced with mushrooms. Firepots of stock are delivered steaming to your table, waiting to be plied to your liking with thinly sliced meats and crispy fresh vegetables. Under Chef Wong’s hands, even dishes like barbequed duck rise to new heights. Nothing oleaginous here, the skin is crisp and bursts with flavor. One thing to keep in mind, this is not Szechuan food. If you are expecting spicy, you may not find it here. Instead look for the more subtle layers of flavor that are the foundations of Cantonese food. Best of all, the prices are quite reasonable. Even most entrees are only around $16.00.
