Page 14 - Boca Exposure - March '22

Page 14, Boca Exposure
Dining Out: There’s Not A Good

Chinese Restaurant Anywhere … Until Now!

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire these very meaty pork ribs resonated that memorable flavor noodles were drowned in a light beef broth and carried
Country Club. Hungry Al’s love I had experienced as a youth, and had me thinking about little to no taste.
for food started very young. an additional order to go! From The Dessert Tray: It seems that the Pagoda
Never satisfied with his Mom’s The table also went through two orders of the Pagoda didn’t want to stay totally traditional with the expected
dishes, he started to cook his Lettuce Wraps ($14). The fresh chilled Bibb lettuce made a scoops of vanilla, strawberry or pistachio ice cream.
way through her “Betty Crocker perfect outer wrap for the scoops of spiced ground chicken Rather than investing in a pastry chef, they opted to solicit
Cookbook.” During the years accented with a bit of cilantro, scallions and Shisho leaves. the help of a local ice cream store called Lilly’s Gourmet
to follow he spent many hours Next time (and there will be one), I’m going to go for Ice Cream in Delray.
working in restaurants, both as server and cook, attending those very inviting Duroc Pork Belly Bao Buns ($12/2 each). As it makes good business sense to minimize labor
cooking classes and traveling the world in an effort to expand Straight From The Kitchen: One thing we all probably cost, I’m not sure if this Carvel-type ice cream cake
his palette. As a professional writer, Hungry Al offers his partake in, when eating Chinese food, is the collective company will work to their advantage in the long run.
perspective on current food trends and guides you through experience of sharing. We decided to stay the course and But, if this is your preference of desserts, you have two
your local restaurant options. follow the great wall with an evening of passing the plate. choices of pies (Chai Latte, Black & White), or Two Fat
One of the winners of the night was the Pagoda’s Pepper Cookies Coconut Cake, or one Flourless Chocolate Cake.
Pagoda Kitchen Steak ($26). The steak was properly seasoned and tender Our table sampled the Black & White Ice Cream Pie ($10),
Delray Marketplace to the fork. The sauce was perfectly balanced and with an and it was good but not something we would rave about.
14917 Lyons Road #100 ample amount of Shishito peppers, onions and scallions. Check Please: I must make a confession here. I have
Delray Beach, FL 33446 There was a constant dueling of forks at this serving plate. in the past 10 years made it a practice not to review a new
(561) 229-1770 The Pagoda Chicken and Broccoli ($22) is most restaurant until they have worked out the kinks after a
similar to a General Tso preparation. This dish is a popular few months. The Pagoda Kitchen has been my very first
Food For Thought: It’s been over 10 years since I’ve American recipe and has a sweet and sour taste with a little exception. Maybe it was the desire to overcome my long
done a Chinese restaurant review. (I’ve been writing that heat from the chili. There were few complaints about this overdue wait for the news of the opening of a good Chinese
long?) And there’s a good reason for it. There’s simply dish, since all of us were familiar with it. restaurant, or the hours of watching the Beijing Olympics
a huge shortage of traditional Chinese eateries in this Another favorite was the Sweet & Spicy Hunan had me subconsciously thinking of Shrimp Lo Mein.
county, if not in south Florida. Prawns. These nice size crispy shrimp were joined by Regardless, this restaurant was a well-tuned operation
With all the New Yorkers who reside here, you might peppers, onions, ginger, cilantro and touch of chili for even during this “soft” opening. Thankfully, it wasn’t hard
assume this cuisine would hold supreme. But it is nearly the advertised heat. to come to a mutual consensus that our Hungry Squad
impossible to find a satisfying Chinese restaurant that Our least favorite came from the noodle side of the deemed this dynasty of Chinese cuisine to be awarded four
would spice up our taste buds more than P.F. Chang. menu. Coming in with the Peking Duck on the more golden pandas...and one fortune cookie for good luck.
Before I traveled to China, my only expectation for this expensive list of dishes is the Short Rib Lo Mein ($40).
ethnic food was my childhood experiences. Unfortunately, we should have read the description better
I can still remember my Dad taking the family to because this bowl was more like a pho than an expected
our small Hudson River town’s only Chinese restaurant. lo mein. The short ribs were tender and tasty, but the
The imagery is still fresh in my mind. Budget aluminum
tables and chairs, linoleum floor, typical Chinese dimmed • Air Condi�oning Service and Repair Are you breathing clean air?
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So, our review of this Delray newcomer was like 15
slamming the gong with excitement. I’m sure that Burt OFF DUCT CLEANING AIR QUALITY TEST
Rapoport, our local restaurateur, was chopstick picking SERVICES $300 VALUE
his brain for some time with this idea. The good news is,
I was happy to “wok” to this Pagoda for the closest taste Breathe Smart
of China since my days in Beijing.
First Impressions: Conveniently located to Burt & Smart technologies for indoor air comfort, health and energy efficiency.
Jacks (easy walk for Burt), this kitchen is occupying the
old space of Aperios in the now busy Delray Marketplace Licensed Florida State Certi ed Air Conditioning Contractor License #CAC1817554
on Lyons and Atlantic Avenue. The emperor did a great
job reconstructing this floor plan and decor into the feel
of an authentic Chinese establishment.
There is no limit to the addition of bright red and aqua
tones throughout the restaurant, or the supplement of large
round tables with a “Lazy Susan” centering each table for APRIL 1 - 17, 2022
traditional access to the array of small plate options.
There still is an ample amount of bar stools inside or
out for, hopefully, their “happy hour” choices in the future. A lyrical exploration of
Prime Your Taste Buds: What would a Chinese loneliness and longing,
restaurant be without great appetizers? Thankfully, the By Lynn Nottage
Pagoda Kitchen comes with its good share of traditional sweet dreams and bitter
small plate tastings. Our table of hungry eaters looked at truths, determination,
the menu and thought we were at a Chinese New Year
celebration. The ordering with our waiter was faster than and resiliency.
a Tesla showing off its acceleration.
First up was the Dim Sum Chicken Dumplings ($11/3
each), which weren’t our best starters. For me, these average
dumplings did not warrant the price and could be found at
any Asian restaurant.
As for the Sticky Rotisserie Spare Ribs ($15/4 each),
they were in a whole different league. The hoisin glaze on
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Third Quarter
March 25
201 Clematis Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401