As I watched three generations of a Chinese-American family gathered around the large circular table at the Cafe Anh Hong, I thought to myself we have a lot to learn from other cultures. Patiently and politely they sampled the dim sum delicacies that emerged just a few at a time from the kitchen. They sipped their hot tea, the children their soft drinks, and savored more than wonderful food. It was a celebration of the time honored brunch tradition that has held Chinese families together for centuries.
In America, the average fast food meal, from start to finish, takes 7 minutes.A recent article in my "Cook's Illustrated" further reinforced my prejudice about the hurried pace we live while other cultures, especially Chinese, take the time to prepare and present their cuisine. In explicit detail, each delicate shape of these charming and flavorful dumplings (steamed, sauteed or fried), the sui mai, ruffled potstickers, pyramid, purse-shaped wontons, to name a few, is diagrammed. A far cry from throwing a hot dog in the microwave.
The different sauces, from hot and spicy ginger oil to chile dipping sauce and a soy ginger sauce, add to the dim sum experience. Different fillings from minced pork with scallions to chopped beef with onions to shrimp, along with barbecue spare ribs, lend a sense of mystery and enjoyment. It is easy to see how the literal meaning of dim sum, "from the heart' summons diners for a relaxing and intimate respite from the hectic pace of modern life.
During our recent visits to the Cafe Anh Hong we have sampled many of the dim sum specialties, especially pleased with the delicate shrimp and leek dumpling, as well as the different steamed and baked buns. The traditional har kow, beef ball, steamed fun kor, even the vegetable filled egg rolls are delicious.
For a dinner visit, we also ordered from the chef's suggestion menu, using our fingers (ala dim sum) for the stalks of Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. The roast duck, served atop marinated soy beans, was some of the best we had ever tried. A scallop sautee with lots of pea pods, water chestnuts, black mushrooms and other vegetables, surrounded with cubes of braised tofu was as colorful to admire as pleasing to the palate. Of the several steamed pot dishes, we tried and enjoyed the shrimp balls. Each of the specials are around $8 for a generous serving. A hot and sour soup was also especially flavorful.
Other specialties on the lengthy menu include seafood in bird's nest, lotus leaf wrapped shrimp, Chinese mushrooms with shrimp balls, egg plant with garlic sauce, sizzling seafood war-bar, shrimp with black bean sauce, orange-flavored beef, Szechuan style pork, lemon chicken, egg foo yung, moo shu pork, chow mein and lo mein, pan fried noodles and a formidable list of dim sum specialties, almost 40 items in all. Most entree prices range from $5 to $7; combination lunches cost around $4.
In 1979 when the Ho Ho Gourmet first opened, the way Salt Lakers defined and dined on Chinese cuisine changed for good. Now, two of the original partners, Yuk Tong Ng and Yee Foon Wong, are orchestrating the Cafe Anh Hong's menu and future directions. Yao Tang Wu, the dim sum chef, is from New York's Chinatown; Yao Tang's brother, Jian, is the Cantonese specialty chef; and Li Tang Wu, another brother, is in charge of the roast dishes as well as baker of the Chinese delicacies.
Salt Lakers trying to keep pace with the flurry of Chinese restaurant openings will find their dinner and lunch schedules crammed with plenty of choices. But often it is hard to play the game without a scorecard. The Cafe Anh Hong is one Chinese restaurant that has the players to guarantee a more than delightful dining experience.