| Every now and then when I’m in a big city with a Chinatown, I’ll look for a dim sum restaurant. I love seeing the cart of small plates wheeled around; all you have to do is point at what you want, and the server places it on your table immediately.
We don’t have that kind of service in Madison, but Hong Kong Cafe is a good substitute. On weekends when dim sum is served, you get a picture menu to aid you in your selection process. I’ve been here enough times that I have usually have my base items, followed by whatever I’m in the mood for. Those base items include the fried turnip cake, which is my absolute favorite. There are small pieces of pork inside to add to the flavor, though newbies may want to add soy sauce until you’re used to the taste. I usually also get the shu mai (big portions here) and the steamed pork buns (not homemade, but tasty nonetheless). Items I order on a rotational basis are the fried sticks (almost like a churro without the sugar), the congee (a soupy rice with either chicken, pork or beef), the dumplings (steamed or fried), the shrimp-stuffed tofu (good, though I don’t care much for the chopped water chestnuts) and the hot and sour soup. Other items include the won ton soup, shrimp dumplings, cold noodles and fried taro. Serving sizes are meant for 2-4, though with certain dishes, like the two-portion pork buns, you’ll have to order a second plate. Depending how hungry you are, five or so plates should feed two people. Dishes are brought out the moment they’re ready, and I like that feeling of knowing another plate is coming soon. |
  |
  |
Posts Tagged ‘downtown’
Dim sum at Hong Kong Cafe
Sunday, May 20th, 2012Wingstop
Saturday, March 3rd, 2012
Wingstop opened last fall in the spot previously occupied by the poorly managed Palis Mediterranean Cafe on Regent Street. The other Wingstop in Madison, located where Harold’s Chicken Shack is now, closed too quickly for me to ever visit it.
The menu is exactly what you’d expect: wings, boneless wings and chicken tenders. From the nine flavors of sauces, I tried the original hot, hickory smoked BBQ and garlic parmesan with my order of 35 wings ($21.99).
Overall, the wings are meatier than their counterparts at BW3s. The original hot sauce was tasty, even though it wasn’t the least bit spicy, and it went well with the bleu cheese sauce ($0.69). I also enjoyed the garlic parmesan sauce, which was very buttery in flavor.
Most places can’t do a good BBQ sauce, and Wingstop is no exception. This version was just average and
definitely didn’t have a “hickory smoked” flavor. Well, for my meal, two out of three ain’t bad.
I was surprised to see Wingstop sell beer, since the ALRC is pretty thrifty about giving permits to restaurants on campus. Here, domestic bottles and 16-oz taps are reasonably priced at $1.50, while imports are $2.
Wingstop is open every day for lunch, dinner and carryout. It’s also open until 2:30 a.m. on Friday and 3 a.m. on Saturday.
Tempest Oyster Bar
Saturday, November 12th, 2011
It was nice to see the space vacated by Restaurant Magnus filled with a seafood restaurant in Tempest Oyster Bar. For one, we obviously don’t have many of these types of restaurants in Madison, and two, I’m glad we didn’t add on to the already numerous Italian, pub or Mexican places we have around the Capitol Square.
My first visit was after 11 p.m. on a Monday night. I was surprised to see it was still open this late. However, owner Henry Doane was there, and he told me he wanted to establish a late-night presence like he did at another one of his restaurants, the Tornado Room.
That night I enjoyed a Batida ($8.50), made with cachaça, passionfruit, tamarind and sugar. I followed that cocktail with the Willapa oyster shooter ($4.50), which was basically an oyster in a Bloody Mary. I thought it was a bit too spicy and drowned out the oyster. Next time, I’ll try the Marsielle (with sparkling wine) and the Coquimbo (with cilantro vodka).
On a recent dinner visit, I went all-out. My starter was six west coast oysters and six east coast oysters ($2.50-$3 each). All were very fresh and perfectly shucked and cleaned, unlike some other places. I also sampled the Coho Salmon ($23), which was flaky and delicious, as well as the Fish & Chips ($14). Folks, I have to say that may be one of the best pieces of fried haddock I’ve ever had. I would pay $20+ to have an all-you-can-eat serving of that crispy and perfectly flavored fish.
My entree was the 1.5-pound live Maine lobster ($20/lb), my favorite seafood dish that I unfortunately only order on rare occasion due to price and availability. This lobster certainly did not disappoint. When you get it this fresh, you don’t need to dip it in butter. I felt like the character Madison from the movie “Splash” while devouring it (no, I didn’t bite through the shell).
From the dessert menu, I tried the Chocolate Bundt Cake ($8), which came with cherries and toffee. The latter was a nice an unexpected touch.
Tempest is open every day for dinner. You may be lucky to find a meter spot in front; otherwise, the parking ramp is adjacent to the building.
-
You are currently browsing the EatDrinkMadison.com blog archives.
