Related News
Chicken wings taunt the palate with sizzling tastes
By Elise Fu |
March 8, 2009, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
LET me introduce you to "crazy" BBQ chicken wings which are covered by a super amount of delicately crushed, fiery red chili, so much so that you can barely recognize the wing. The dish is called biantai which roughly translates as "abnormal" in English but crazy is probably more accurate.
The meals are sold by the Cool Chicken Wings restaurant but the sensation of the biantai chicken wing is definitely not cool when you taste it. As its spices explode on your palate, the words that come to mind have nothing to do with cool, in fact hot and super spicy are more appropriate.
The first bite, which is actually a mouthful of chili, definitely gets your taste buds tingling strongly enough to put your mouth on fire and set the tear ducts flowing. If you have the courage to continue, the complete flavor of the dish, which is not only spicy, will not disappoint you.
The dish is pure Chinese-style chicken wing, so don't expect any palate calming sides such as blue cheese. The wings, which have been cured or pickled in a secret sauce that includes honey so they taste hot, are tender inside and crisp outside.
Cool Chicken Wings first opened in Beijing, becoming wildly popular for it's insanely hot roasted chicken wings and gained a reputation as the "hottest restaurant," not for its style but for the taste of its food. Reservations a week ahead are needed at any of its four restaurants in the capital otherwise you are likely to be stuck waiting in a queue in the street.
The restaurant expanded into Shanghai last year with its first branch on Zhongxing Road occupying three levels. Signature Chinese-style red lanterns hang outside so you can find it among other restaurants in Zhongxing Fortune Square, a new food complex.
The rich red walls inside are covered by yellow post-its filled with diners' congratulations and photos of those daring enough to sample the spiciest chicken wing dish.
Waiters are friendly and happy to answer any questions about the dishes and their levels of heat, an important service as no English menu is available.
For those who dare not contemplate the heat test of the biantai hottest wings, there are four other spice level options - shuang mian (with a large amount of fresh paprika on both sides of the chicken wing), dan mian (a large amount of fresh paprika on only one side), wei la (a light spicy flavor) and yuan wei (original flavor).
The biantai are great but just order minimally at first because they are too hot for most people who should safely start with dan mian or yuan wei to first sample the restaurant's unique treatment of chicken wings.
To take a break from the spice, try cold dishes such as the jiu xiang niang xue li (10 yuan), a cool, refreshing plate of pink tinged pear slices with a wine infused crunch, and the potato salad (12 yuan), a creamy potato affair that is the perfect spice neutralizer.
Barbequed meals other than chicken wings are offered. Don't miss the tan kao da xia (10 yuan), sweet and succulent barbecued prawn, in a range of alternatives that include meat and seafood.
The chefs are all from the Beijing headquarters to ensure the quality of ingredients delivers the restaurant's signature flavors. But there are some differences in taste compared to the Beijing outlets. The ingredients have been changed to make the wings spicier because one customer complained they weren't hot enough after he finished 20 chuans (wooden skewers) of biantai.
The Shanghai "improved" chicken wing is dipped in a mixed powder, including chili, pepper and other herbs and spices.
Though the chicken wing does taste spicier, there is something missing in comparison with the Beijing version. For myself, I really prefer the old biantai, but for newbies up to the challenge, go and taste!
Opening hours: 5:30pm-10:30pm (Monday); 11:30am-1:30pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm (Tuesday-Friday); 11:30am-10:30pm (Saturday-Sunday)
Address: Bldg 7, Zhongxing Fortune Square, 1233 Zhongxing Road (parking available)
Reservations: 6605-7769
The meals are sold by the Cool Chicken Wings restaurant but the sensation of the biantai chicken wing is definitely not cool when you taste it. As its spices explode on your palate, the words that come to mind have nothing to do with cool, in fact hot and super spicy are more appropriate.
The first bite, which is actually a mouthful of chili, definitely gets your taste buds tingling strongly enough to put your mouth on fire and set the tear ducts flowing. If you have the courage to continue, the complete flavor of the dish, which is not only spicy, will not disappoint you.
The dish is pure Chinese-style chicken wing, so don't expect any palate calming sides such as blue cheese. The wings, which have been cured or pickled in a secret sauce that includes honey so they taste hot, are tender inside and crisp outside.
Cool Chicken Wings first opened in Beijing, becoming wildly popular for it's insanely hot roasted chicken wings and gained a reputation as the "hottest restaurant," not for its style but for the taste of its food. Reservations a week ahead are needed at any of its four restaurants in the capital otherwise you are likely to be stuck waiting in a queue in the street.
The restaurant expanded into Shanghai last year with its first branch on Zhongxing Road occupying three levels. Signature Chinese-style red lanterns hang outside so you can find it among other restaurants in Zhongxing Fortune Square, a new food complex.
The rich red walls inside are covered by yellow post-its filled with diners' congratulations and photos of those daring enough to sample the spiciest chicken wing dish.
Waiters are friendly and happy to answer any questions about the dishes and their levels of heat, an important service as no English menu is available.
For those who dare not contemplate the heat test of the biantai hottest wings, there are four other spice level options - shuang mian (with a large amount of fresh paprika on both sides of the chicken wing), dan mian (a large amount of fresh paprika on only one side), wei la (a light spicy flavor) and yuan wei (original flavor).
The biantai are great but just order minimally at first because they are too hot for most people who should safely start with dan mian or yuan wei to first sample the restaurant's unique treatment of chicken wings.
To take a break from the spice, try cold dishes such as the jiu xiang niang xue li (10 yuan), a cool, refreshing plate of pink tinged pear slices with a wine infused crunch, and the potato salad (12 yuan), a creamy potato affair that is the perfect spice neutralizer.
Barbequed meals other than chicken wings are offered. Don't miss the tan kao da xia (10 yuan), sweet and succulent barbecued prawn, in a range of alternatives that include meat and seafood.
The chefs are all from the Beijing headquarters to ensure the quality of ingredients delivers the restaurant's signature flavors. But there are some differences in taste compared to the Beijing outlets. The ingredients have been changed to make the wings spicier because one customer complained they weren't hot enough after he finished 20 chuans (wooden skewers) of biantai.
The Shanghai "improved" chicken wing is dipped in a mixed powder, including chili, pepper and other herbs and spices.
Though the chicken wing does taste spicier, there is something missing in comparison with the Beijing version. For myself, I really prefer the old biantai, but for newbies up to the challenge, go and taste!
Opening hours: 5:30pm-10:30pm (Monday); 11:30am-1:30pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm (Tuesday-Friday); 11:30am-10:30pm (Saturday-Sunday)
Address: Bldg 7, Zhongxing Fortune Square, 1233 Zhongxing Road (parking available)
Reservations: 6605-7769
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
