| 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. |
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Dim sum at Hong Kong Cafe
May 20th, 2012Papa Bear’s BBQ
May 13th, 2012| Although I usually write about new restaurants, I wanted to give a shout-out to the oft-overlooked Papa Bear’s BBQ, which resides in a small strip mall on Cottage Grove Road. Madisonians tend to think of places like Smoky Jon’s when asked about barbecue joints, and that’s a shame because they’re missing a gem in Papa Bear’s.
It starts with the ribs. I ordered the full slab ($19 for the meal), which is served with the individual ribs pre-cut. The meat is extremely tender and there’s just the right amount of Papa Bear’s homemade BBQ sauce to enhance the flavor. In my opinion, that sauce is better than anything found at Smoky Jon’s, Fat Jack’s, Famous Dave’s or Brickhouse BBQ. I also loved the corned beef brisket ($7.25 for small; $10 for large). The thin-sliced corned beef (misspelled as “corn beef” on the menu) works well outside its usual home inside two slices of rye bread, though I was tempted to stuff some inside the biscuit. The flavorful pork shoulder ($6.95 for small; $9 for large) was sliced instead of shredded and again served on its own. There was just the right amount of fat on each slice, though that may be a turn-off to some people. I combined bites with the creamy cole slaw, which I also enjoyed. All meals are served with a biscuit and two sides. My only disappointment was the hot links ($5.25 in a sandwich), not because they weren’t tasty but because they weren’t really that spicy hot. Other items on the menu include smoked chicken ($8.25), oven-fried chicken ($8.25) and the Papa Bear Burger ($5). Papa Bear’s BBQ is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. While there is space inside to dine-in, I would recommend calling ahead and carrying out.
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I like processed foods
May 6th, 2012Food processing is just one of those parts of our society that I know about but don’t think about. Really, do I want to know that beaver anal glands (castoreum) is in my vanilla ice cream?
No, all I care about is that because of processed foods, I have more choice and convenience. Think of frozen or canned vegetables. Of course their fresh counterparts taste better, but I don’t have time to go grocery shopping every day, and I also appreciate being able to buy any vegetable year-round instead of in-season only.
The Huffington Post had a story earlier this year titled “Top 10 Reasons to Avoid Processed Foods” but doesn’t make a compelling argument. For example, I’m glad meat is tested for stray wires (#6). And guess what? Processed foods actually can reduce food allergens (#2).
If you’re so against processed foods, just think about what you would eat for breakfast: Cereal? Nope. Toast? Nope. Bacon? Nope. Coffee? Nope. I could go on and on.
So bring on those additives and preservatives! And if I keep damaging my brain cells for learning and memory (#4), then I’ll … um … what were we talking about again?
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