Over the years Chinese food has become one of the few kings of fast food take-out. Every day people swarm into Chinese takeout places all over the New York City area and then rush home to eat great food, while enjoying the privacy of their own home. But what about the person who likes to eat their food within the cozy confines of a restaurant?
Chef Wong’s, located at 2172 86th-street in Brooklyn, brings all the great taste of classic Chinese takeout and puts it into a modern restaurant setting with bigger portions, great service and a taste that will far exceed anyone’s expectation of what Chinese food is supposed to taste like. Chef Wong’s menu features plenty of options for calorie counters and a great list of appetizers, gourmet specialties and sea food platters. Its huge menu combined with good service make Chef Wong’s a great place to eat a quick lunch or bring the family without breaking your wallet, as a dinner for two with appetizers and dessert will run about $30.00.
Despite good service and a comfortable setting, the thing that makes Chef Wong’s such a great place to eat is easily the taste of its food. Appetizers sing in a tasteful delight that is not found in any fast food Chinese take out place or restaurant in New York City.
The appetizer menu is huge and offers something for everyone.
The pan fried wontons, and boneless spare ribs have to be the best tasting appetizers on the menu. In most cases, it is possible to leave with a full stomach while just noshing on a few selections from the appetizer menu as all of them at Chef Wong’s are sized for sharing.
In most Chinese restaurants, fried wontons are cooked the same way one would cook French fries, as they are left in frying oil until they’re rock hard. At Chef Wong’s fried wontons are sautéed in a rich soy sauce and then cooked on a frying pan until they are a soft brownish color. The end result is a great tasting wonton that is just crispy enough to be considered a fried wonton and soft enough to melt in your mouth upon impact.
The boneless spare ribs, while not overly spicy have a great flavor to them that can only be described as semi-BBQ/semi-Chinese. Imagine if you will spare ribs without any bone or fat, which are then coated in a rich BBQ sauce and are then finally glazed with a small amount of duck sauce. It’s cooking like this that really separates Chef Wong’s from the million other Chinese restaurants and take-out places in Brooklyn.
The same thing that makes the appetizers so great at Chef Wong’s makes the entrees even better. The sesame chicken is drenched in a creamy sauce with just the right amount of sesame seeds. The pork fried rice is cooked under a low flame to prevent dryness and is covered with juicy pieces of pork, steamed Brussels sprouts and small pieces of seasoned egg.
All entrees come with a rice and soup of your choosing and considering the size of most entrees, it’s best to bring home a doggie bag. Every meal from Chef Wong’s is completed with either a cup of pineapple slices that offsets the taste of any meal perfectly, or a scoop of delicious creamy ice cream that is made on the premises that has a fortune cookie on top of it. The personal touch that is behind every meal at Chef Wong’s sets it apart from its competition.
The service in Chef Wong’s is excellent as well. Waiters/Waitresses are casual and are glad to offer suggestions if you tell them what your preferences are. Rarely if ever will you ever have to ask for a refill of your drink; the waiters at Chef Wong’s are that good at what they do. The premises are clean and offer a nice setting with comfortable seating.
Overall, Chef Wong’s is one of the best Chinese Restaurants in New York City with the best prices. Its casual setting combined with its great tasting food make this one restaurant worth a visit even if you’re not a fan of Chinese food.
Chef Wong’s is a truly delightful dining experience that is in the heart of Brooklyn. It is the unique type of restaurant that you only are familiar with in the movies, as it features a quiet setting that is often filled with repeat customers dining on the succulent cuisines. The egg rolls, the barbecued spare ribs and beef on-a-stick are the perfect way to start your experience. Then come the entrees, which allow the mouth to start watering in delight. Whether you are having the orange beef, shrimp with lobster sauce or anything else offered on the menu, It is safe to say you will leave the place full and completely satisfied.
It also provides the perfect setting for a group of friends or family to peacefully catch-up, as it is extremely comfortable.
-Anthony Benedetto
What happened to “Chef Wong’s” restaurant? It has been closed for months. Will it reopen, or is it relocating? Please let me know. Thank you. Maria Pabon