Howard Wang's

For many years, I've enjoyed Empress of China in Irving and as a former Howard Wang restaurant, I was excited Howard decided to open a new restaurant, Howard Wang's Uptown, closer to home.  I've already been back several times and I can generally say I'm very pleased with most of what I've tried.  

The atmosphere is probably a sheik casual - classy enough for a date but casual enough to come in shorts.   Among the dishes I've had, the clear standout has been the Berkshire Pork Belly - both the appetizer which is braised and served in a bun and akin to but very different from David Chang's pork bun, and the entree which is served Chengdu style, Chengdu being the capital of Sichuan in China, a region known for its spiciness.  Berkshire pork belly is unique and different from regular pork belly, coming from a rare breed of British pig (Berkshire Pigs) which are prized for their juiciness, flavor and tenderness.  

The menu walks a fine line between the old and the new, offering the usual Chinese American dishes like Kung Pao and General Tsao, while still honoring many wonderful traditional Chinese dishes like Peking Duck and Chinese Broccoli, and yet still also serving a smattering of the best of other cultures like Korean bul-go-gi,  Pad Thai, and Japanese Udon noodles.  Wang's also offers various satays or kabobs or yakitori (chicken) -grilled meat on a stick!  They have a wonderful happy hour from 3-7pm Monday through Friday, which gives you one complimentary appetizer/dim sum along with drink specials across the board.  

My only gripe would be their lunch specials, which start at $10... c'mon Howard, we are still in a recession of sorts!