Monday, September 27. China Town. I made a rare Monday appearance at the radio station, to take care of a few commercials that needed to be recorded before I leave town tomorrow. In a pinch, I can create a commercial from the road, but I'd rather not. It's bad enough that I'm doing three shows from Chicago. But taking the time off is more work than if I don't.
The weekend's overeating still has my appetite suppressed, but I needed something for dinner. Often as I pass within a block of it, I've not had dinner at the China Town Gourmet since its conversion from the old Dragon's Garden. Tonight, I remembered it, was in the mood, and gave it a try.
The place was completely empty at eight-thirty. Only a couple of people stopped in for take-outs. I saw a sushi bar just inside the door, but nothing was inside the countertop refrigerator, and the menu said nothing about sushi. Except for a grocery-store style soft-drink case and several cases of the drinks next to it, the restaurant looked a lot nicer than it did the last time I was here.
It was a long time ago--thirty-six years, to be exact--since Andy Tsai opened a restaurant here. His Dragon's Garden was a seminal restaurant, the first in New Orleans to serve Peking duck, hot and sour soup, Szechuan dishes, and everything else north of the Cantonese food that dominated New Orleans until that time. After Andy left for other pastures, the place went into a slow decline, both in terms of food and environment.
The current owners performed a handsome renovation of the place inside and out. They probably had to do a lot of it after the Katrina flood. The main dining room is particularly nice.
First course: hot and sour soup, served in a portion big enough for a meal on its own. Not only was it peppery (as all versions of this soup are) but it had a more pronounced sour taste than I remember registering before.
Then moo-shu chicken. (Pork is the classic moo-shu, but pork is a prime suspect in my recent flareups of gout--the last thing I need as I prepare to leave on a six-day trip.) Like the soup, it was generously served and tasted good. The sauce seemed to have a bit too much cornstarch. But at these prices it would be hard to complain. The young woman serving me was more hospitable than one would expect for a person with only one customer to serve.
I came home and wrote most of tomorrow's newsletter, to give myself time to pack and make sure everything was in order for the train trip. The restaurant reservations for Chicago remain in the air.
China Town Gourmet. Metairie: 3100 17th St. 504-834-9071.
