Restaurant Review: Wing Wah Restaurant

Restaurant: Wing Wah Restaurant
Address: 678 Lancaster Ave. Berwyn, PA 19312
Rating: ★★★★ out of 5 stars
Style: Eat-In / Take-Out / Parties
Food: Classic Chinese, BYOB
Atmosphere: Comfortable & Casual
Parking: Lot
Service: Friendly & Attentive
Price Range: $5 - $20, Average
Unique Feature: Wing Wah begins its dinner service with a pot of tea for sipping and crunchy Asian noodles and pickled cabbage for dipping. 

All too often Chinese food is enjoyed within the comforts of home. I sometimes forget how great eating Chinese food in a Chinese restaurant can be. It’s one of those things I remember from being a child. Everything we ordered seemed more exciting and there was a kind of pomp and circumstance that you definitely missed out on when opening up takeout containers at the kitchen table.

It’s these kinds of memories that Wing Wah evoked on my recent visit. My friend and I went for dinner this past Labor Day Monday. They were open, which was a plus, but empty absolutely empty in comparison to the bustling trattoria next door.

I was a little bit nervous, to say the least. But the welcoming smile of our server was a comfort. She handed us our menu, poured our water and was gone. A moment later, she returned, bearing all the Chinese restaurant gifts of childhood memories past.

She set down a pot of piping hot tea, a bowl of crispy Asian noodles, pickled cabbage and a dipping sauce. As a kid, the tea was bitter, but on this occasion, I was able to appreciate how delicious it was. The crispy fried noodles were also a childhood favorite, but like the tea, pickled cabbage was newly appreciated territory, and I loved every duck sauce coated dip.

We snacked and sipped, while deciding on what to order. I chose a bowl of wonton soup, an egg roll, and a chef specialty, the chili shrimp. My friend ordered a side of beef sticks and the beef with snow peas, a combination dinner that came with pork fried rice, an eggroll and a bowl of wonton soup.

Our soup arrived just moments later. It was steaming hot and delicious. Scallions and shreds of pork floated around in the hot broth. The wonton wrapper was thick, and the dumpling meat perfectly tasty.

Next out were the eggrolls and beef sticks. My eggroll was great. It was fried to a crunchy perfection and stuffed full of pork with just a bit of cabbage. The beef sticks, there were two, were delicious. They were thick, meaty and had a great flavor, without having to be doused in any kind of sauce.

We talked, and ate, sipping our tea, and reading our Chinese zodiac; yet another fond childhood memory. At this point, the restaurant began to fill up: a family of six, and a few tables of two and three. I smiled, feeling as though this place deserved to have a full dining room. 

Our dinners arrived. The beef and snow peas my friend had ordered was really great. The snow peas and carrots were fresh and crisp, the beef was tender and not stringy or tough at all, and the sauce in which it was coated had a really nice spice. The fried rice was mixed with fresh egg and cubes of pork. And the serving size was very generous.

My chili shrimp looked delightful. A mound of battered crustaceans, tossed in a chili sauce with grilled onion and surrounded by broccoli crowns. Though the batter was a bit on the mushy side, it was in all honestly, just was I was looking for.

The shrimp were fresh, the chili sauce was a spicier rendition of the sweet and sour sauce to which I’m accustomed, the broccoli and rice were perfectly cooked and there were even little carrot carvings decorating the plate.

We wrapped what we couldn’t finish and were given a dish of fresh orange slices, along with the fortune cookies and the check. A grand total of $33.

Dinner was wonderful, the service was great and the place itself has a charm that makes you feel awfully comfortable. They’ve obviously been there a while and I hope they continue on for a while more. Thanks to Wing Wah for a great dinner and a wonderful experience.

Website: