Szechaun Spicy At Beijing Garden

I have written extensively about my visits to Wonton Gourmet near downtown Cleveland, Ohio. To date, they have some of the tastiest and most authentic Chinese food I've ever had in the entire northeast Ohio area. Their specialty, however, is Hong Kong style cuisine and as such, lacks some of the authentic flavors from other regional Chinese cuisines, specifically Szechuan cuisine. While they have added a few spicy and delicious items to their menu over time, for a true spicehead like myself, the last time I had true Szechuan food was during a trip to Chicago in 2007 at a restaurant called Lao Sze Chuan.

In a fortuitous twist, however, a restaurant named Beijing Garden located in Twinsburg, Ohio, had some spicy Szechuan dishes on their menu and it didn't take long before fellow blogger Nancy from Fun Playing With Food had set up a time and date for our decently-sized party to meet up and experience this food for ourselves. Beijing Garden was located at the end of a small number of stores at 7995 Darrow Road, Twinsburg, OH 44087 and can be reached at 330-425-9795. Parking was in the lot directly in front of the stores.

Here was a shot of the front of the restaurant:


Once inside, I was warmly greeted by Chef Shawn Chen and since I was the first to arrive, he invited me to sit in a chair in the lobby until the other five guests showed up. Several minutes later, all but one of the other guests arrived and we were shown to a circular table in the main dining room. Waiting for the final guest gave me time to photograph the menu:





While almost any Chinese restaurant has to cater to the American palate with dishes like General Tso's chicken and Wonton soup, by examining the menu closely, it was pretty easy to spot the more authentic Szechuan dishes, too. We started our meal out by ordering tea. Our server brought us two pots, one filled with jasmine and the other filled with green tea:


I opted to poor myself some of the green tea:


To begin our meal, we decided to order three of the appetizers: Dan Dan Noodles, Salt and Pepper Calamari, and the House Special Fried Dumpling. Since most authentic Chinese meals are eaten as the dishes come out of the kitchen, that was how we chose to eat our meal today, too. Of course, the large Lazy Susan at the center of the table helped making sharing very easy.

First out of the kitchen were the Dan Dan Noodles:


This was our first and certainly not our last taste of the fiery Szechuan peppercorns used to make this dish sing with flavor. Szechuan peppercorns are known for two qualities, ma and la. The dish not only has to have a spicy quality to it, but the peppercorn actually numbs your lips as well. Comprised of cooked noodles, chicken, scallions, sprouts, and peanuts, this was a very tasty way to start off our meal. The spicy and numbing quality of the peppercorns was present, but not overpowering. Had I not been sharing this with five others, I could've happily made an entire meal out of this dish.

The second appetizer to arrive was the Salt and Pepper Calamari:


The squid rings were lightly battered and fried and were toothsome without being chewy. The coating was a mixture of salt, black pepper, and as was first noted by my friend Diane, MSG. MSG is often used in Asian cuisine to develop a depth of savoriness but some, like Diane, are particularly sensitive to its presence in food and actually have physical reactions to consuming it. There are many who claim that MSG sensitivities are largely overblown, but I'm not about to start debating that point. I noticed the flavor as well, but it didn't bother me nearly as much since I don't have a sensitivity to it. While I'd prefer the dish without it, at the same time, I realized that Chef Chen was indeed giving us authentic dishes.

Our final appetizer was the House Special Fried Dumplings with a Soy-based Dipping Sauce:


These were expertly fried without a touch of greasiness to them. They were filled with ground pork and shrimp and the sweetness from the shrimp matched the saltiness from the dipping sauce well. I could have also ordered a plate of these for myself, too.

Collectively we also decided to do a soup course before the entrees. When the chef told us about another house specialty soup that mostly appealed to his Chinese customers, we immediately perked up and expressed our desire to try it. After a few more minutes, this arrived at our table:

This was a steamed shrimp and tofu soup with bok choi and cooked noodles in a light soup broth. Our server also brought out six soup spoons as well as individual bowls for each guest. As soup was ladled into each bowl, it was passed around so that everyone except one of the guests had one (she ordered an individual serving of their Hot and Sour soup instead). To my taste, everything harmonized well in the bowl. The noodles were soft without being mushy, the bok choi still had a bit of crunch to it, the shrimp were cooked without being rubbery and the tofu was still silken without disintegrating. This was a nice transition from appetizer to entree.

For our last course of the evening, we decided to order four different entrees and share them among us. First to arrive at the table was Ma La Chicken:


Studded with green peppers, onions, and zucchini, the dish had been loaded with more of the Szechuan peppercorns and then "dry" fried in the wok. This meant that there wasn't a sauce, per se. While the Dan Dan Noodles did have a touch of spicy and numbing quality to it, the Ma La Chicken really delivered in that department. Three or four bites in and I was happily "feeling the burn."

The second entree to arrive at our table was a long-time favorite of mine, Ma Po Tofu (or Dofu):


We had asked Chef Chen to serve it in the more authentic way with a bit of ground pork (most Chinese restaurants list it on their vegetarian menu) and he definitely delivered. Adorned with even more of the Szechuan Peppercorns, this dish picked up where the Ma La Chicken left off. The tofu was creamy, the pork a bit chewy (not in a bad way), and the tasty sauce was a wonderful topper to the bowl of steamed rice I had portioned for myself. Was this the best tasting Ma Po Tofu I've ever had? No, but it was darned close.

Our third entree was the Ziran Lamb:


Containing a combination of sliced lamb, onions, scallions, and the principle ingredient that defines this dish as Ziran Lamb instead of just a straight-up stir-fried lamb dish, cumin. LOTS of cumin. Normally the use of this much cumin would be off-putting, but Chef Chen managed to combine sweet, spicy, savory, and earthy in such a way that this dish was absolutely delicious. For those gentle readers out there who might by put off by the gaminess of lamb, I can assure you that the flavor was mild and tasted more like beef than lamb.

The final entree in our amazing culinary journey today was straight off the vegetarian menu and was a combination of Potato, Eggplant, and Green Pepper:


This was a simple, yet effective dish. After all of the complex flavors of the other entrees we had tonight, this one offered straight-forward flavors that helped to mitigate some of the spiciness that had consumed most of our mouths. What surprised me the most about this dish were the potatoes. To an American palate, the potatoes would've tasted a bit undercooked due to the ever-so-slight crispness of it. However, after trying a bite or two myself, while I could understand this perception, the potato also didn't taste "raw." The chef had walked a very fine line between under and overcooked and done a marvelous job.

As a special treat, Chef Chen surprised the entire table with a plate of Fried Bananas to end our rather large meal:


The bananas had been dredged in granulated sugar after being fried and had been served up with a sweet red swirl on the plate. This was the perfect way to get a little something sweet at the end without feeling like you had to go overboard. While the obligatory fortune cookies were still brought with the check, I opted to have a second piece of banana rather than my cookie.

With tax and tip for all of the food we had eaten tonight, the total came to an amazing $16.20 per person. Clearly it helped to share a meal with five others, but given how utterly full each of us was and the amount of leftovers we got to divvy up between us, this was one heck of a bargain and definitely on par with the value at Wonton Gourmet. Today's meal at Beijing Garden had been a true standout and I was elated by the knowledge that I now have a place to go when I want to experience the true burn of Szechuan Peppercorns. I highly recommend you give Chef Chen's restaurant a try whether you want some of the more typical Americanized Chinese food or need to take the plunge and go for something a little more authentic.

A Little Bit Of Philly At Original Steaks And Hoagies?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If you want sandwich authenticity, more often than not you are going to have to track it down to its source. Want a great Chicago Italian Beef sandwich? Go to Chicago. Want an authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich? Travel to the City of Brotherly Love. Of course, with any hard and fast rule, there are certainly exceptions, such as when I discovered a transplanted New Jerseyite who owned and operated a cheesesteak shop in of all places, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania called Cosmo's Cheesesteaks, but he knew his product well and knew exactly how to replicate it away from its original location.

Many Ohioans think that if you slap some cooked sliced beef, melted cheese, peppers, onions, and mushrooms on a sub bun, that makes a good Philly cheesesteak sandwich. *Bzzt!* Wrong. Just like with all great sandwiches, every single ingredient is key, especially the roll on which the sandwich is served. And that, largely, has been the downfall of most northeast Ohio attempts to get this sandwich right. The roll must be sturdy enough to stand up to the juice from the cooked meat so that it doesn't "sog out" too easily and fall apart. Sorry, but your typical food service Orlando "hoagie" roll just isn't going to cut it.

When I read that a father and son pair had opened up an authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak and hoagie restaurant in Twinsburg called The Original Steaks & Hoagies, of course I was skeptical. Many have come and tried but none have succeeded. The fact that the duo came from Philadelphia where their family had successfully managed three national chain Laspada's Original Steaks & Hoagies sandwich shops did make them sound promising, but in order not to be too disappointed, I decided before I went that I didn't want to get my hopes up.

Since Twinsburg was more or less half-way between Cleveland and Akron, I decided to check them out for dinner on my way home from work. As I mentioned in my article on Cosmo's Cheesesteaks, I intended to walk into the restaurant and ask for the most basic of cheesesteaks, a Whiz wit. This would be a cheesesteak with Cheese Whiz and grilled onions. The only other non-Philadelphia restaurant where this phrase has successfully gotten me a sandwich and not strange looks was Cosmo's. If Original Steaks & Hoagies wanted to be labeled authentic, then the staff taking orders needed to be able to speak both Philadelphian and non-Philadelphian ordering lingo.

The Original Steaks & Hoagies sandwich shop was located at 10735 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg, OH 44087 and can be reached at 330-998-6586. For purposes of locating the shop, it was in the Twinsburg Plaza (in case that makes more sense than the address). There was plenty of parking in the lot surrounding the stores.

Having just opened, they haven't had time yet to invest in a proper storefront sign. Here was a shot of the front of the store:


After walking in, I noticed two things immediately. First, it was fairly empty for dinner time. That being said, it was nice to see that it wasn't cluttered with lots of Philadelphia tchotckes, trying to bring in a fake sense of authenticity. The second thing I noticed was the short, but sweet, menu hanging on the wall directly in front of me:


A young woman at the left end of the ordering counter welcomed me and asked if she could take my order. The conversation went something a little like this:

"What's the difference between the small and large sandwich?"
"The small is 7 inches and the large is 10 inches."
"Alright, then, I'll have a large Whiz wit, please."

Silence.

"A what?"
"A large Whiz wit, please."

More silence. She looked to an older gentleman who was working behind the counter to her left.

"Bill, what's a 'Whiz wit'?"

Bill looked up from what he was doing, smiled and walked over to us.

"This gentleman has clearly been to Philadelphia before. He wants a large cheesesteak with Cheese Whiz and grilled onions."
"Oh. Why didn't he just say that?"
"He did."

I liked Bill. It turned out that I had just met Bill Fromholzer, Sr. Bill, Jr., as it turned out, was running the grill behind the main wall. To accompany my sandwich I decided to give the Bay Fries a try as well. While I wasn't one hundred percent sure what Bay Fries were, I suspected that they might be French fries seasoned with Old Bay seasoning. My hunch was right.

After placing my order and paying for it at the opposite end of the counter, I grabbed my bottle of water and settled in to an open table that had a good view of the entire restaurant. I started snapping photographs of interesting signs and framed pictures on the walls.

The first one detailed the origin of the cheesesteak:


The second, the origin of the hoagie:


Not to be outdone, the back of the napkin holder gave a little history of The Original Steaks & Hoagies sandwich shop:


While I continued to look around the shop, I could hear the line cook in the back chopping the steaks with his hard, metal spatula. Within just a few minutes, my cheesesteak arrived in a bright red plastic basket:


What first popped into my head was, "Wow, that's big! How am I going to eat this whole thing? Plus fries?" But, as I took my first bite, I was rewarded with very juicy rib eye cooked perfectly, a layer of creamy, cheesy sauce, and every now and again, the sweetness from a nicely cooked onion. The roll, imported from the Amoroso Bakery in Philadelphia, while not exactly the same one I remember being used at some of the more famous cheesesteak joints like Pat's and Geno's, definitely did an excellent job of holding the sandwich together without getting sogged out. In fact, from first bite to last, it managed to hold together beautifully.

Shortly after my sandwich arrived, my fries followed:


Dusted lightly with salt and Old Bay seasoning, these were excellent. The fries on their own were crispy on the outside, not greasy, and soft and fluffy on the inside. This was exactly the style of French fry that I love. With the addition of the Old Bay seasoning, this really was an excellent accompaniment to my sandwich. I ate the first few sans ketchup, but being a ketchup fiend, at some point I did add a couple of squirts of the sanguine condiment. While it definitely added a bit of acidity and sweetness to the fries, I don't think it really helped propel the flavor very much. I would be just as happy eating them as they came from the kitchen.

My order of Bay Fries today was only $2 and with the sandwich that I received, I could've easily shared them with another diner. In fact, even with the smaller 7 inch sandwich, I probably could've shared them with another diner, too. The fries are also available naked as well as with Cheese Whiz, and all three combinations will run you the same $2. I should also note that the restaurant was using trans-fat free oil in their deep fat fryer. While certainly not as healthy as eating rice cakes and brown rice, at least they are doing something healthier for their customers than many other restaurants.

As I was finishing my sandwich and fries, Bill, Sr. again approached me at my table to see how I was making out. Here was part of our conversation:

"So how was it?" Bill, Sr. asked.
"Actually, quite good. And I am really digging the roll on which you are serving your sandwiches. It stood up from start to end and didn't fall apart," I replied.
"Yeah, the roll is as important as the meat and fillings. Just the other day I had a guy in here from Orlando and after describing the qualities that the roll has to have, he quickly agreed that the way they pack their rolls after baking them makes them too soft for what we need."
"Really?"
"I offered to help them perfect their packaging process so that the rolls don't continue to steam inside the packages (which makes them too soft) and I guess we'll have to see what happens from that."
"Well, I can tell you that I intend to return for the roast pork and Italian pork sandwiches. As good as a cheesesteak is, nothing beats a great pork sandwich."
"My son (Bill, Jr.) makes the pork. Unfortunately, it isn't available all the time. If you leave me a business card with a phone number, I'll give you a call and let you know when to stop by."

I thought about the fact that the only business card I had was for this blog and obviously giving him that would reveal who I was and why I was there. Then again, my first visit had definitely been anonymous up to this point and I had already paid for and eaten my food, so I decided to whip out a card, grabbed a pen, and wrote my phone number beneath my email address.

"Here you go," I said as I handed Bill the card and got up to collect my personal affects.

Not ten seconds later, Bill literally swiveled on his heels and said, "Wait. Are you a food writer?"
"Yes. Yes, I am. And I am definitely looking forward to coming back to try the Italian Pork."

And I am. I suggest if you want a true taste of Philly, gentle reader, make the trek to The Original Steaks & Hoagies sandwich shop and try out one of their sandwiches. Even with the simple menu, there really does seem to be something on it for everyone, assuming that they love sandwiches as much as I do. And whether you decide to order a 'Whiz wit' or a 'cheesesteak with Cheese Whiz and grilled onions,' they'll do their best to accommodate your every need.