The King is back with tasty Northern Chinese cuisine
By Matthew Gray
Advertiser Restaurant Critic
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| King Tsin owner and chef Joseph Wang checks on his customers on a recent night in his McCully restaurant on Beretania.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser King Tsin 2140 S. Beretania St. Open daily: lunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner, 5-9:30 p.m. 946-3273
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The restaurant is still run by husband and wife Joseph and Lisa Wang. Joseph, the chef, hasn't lost his touch, and Lisa is still the friendly and chatty one who greets you at the door.
Order everything in sight. I did. Be prepared for lip-smacking Northern Chinese cuisine.
The Wangs offer more than a dozen appetizers. Potstickers ($5.25) were nicely browned and flavorful, but you can also try vegetarian steamed dumplings ($5.25, filled with spinach and garlic), lettuce wraps ($8.95, with choice of pork, beef or chicken) or green-onion pancakes ($1.75 each). These Chinese "latkes" are steaming hot, crisp and chewy-good.
There is something about the way Chinese chefs work with beef. They can turn a fair piece of meat into a beefy dream by marinating (egg white, cornstarch, soy, touch of vinegar) and cooking techniques (flash-fried in oil, drained, then stir-fried in a wok with nuclear-level heat) that may seem simple but turn out a truly astounding finished product.
At King Tsin, there are 15 beef choices, all $6.95. Beef in black bean sauce was so doggone good: fork-tender morsels bathed in a delicate, slightly salty-sweet combo that only fermented black beans can offer. The crisp-tender onion wedges go well with the beef, providing a welcome crunch. When no one was looking, I grabbed the serving spoon and slurped up the excess sauce.
When the spicy eggplant arrived ($6.95 with or without pork), I began to rant on about why the long skinny eggplants are more desirable than the big round ones — unless you're preparing Italian specialties, that is. This was a great dish, the aroma wafting about in a teasing manner. The flesh of the eggplant was almost creamy, but with a pleasing golden brown exterior. The skin, purple-black and shiny, was both supple and chewy, and the flavors, spicy/salty/slightly sweet, combined for a hat trick of yumminess. The spicy string beans and shredded pork ($6.95) also was excellent.
Also available are nine chicken dishes, most at $6.50. The garlic chicken spoke to me. The garlic-to-chicken ratio was good, but there can never be enough garlic for me; my tombstone may read, "Coulda been more garlic." But for most reasonable people, I believe this will satisfy your need for a garlic fix.
Another fine dish is the spicy dry-fried chicken ($6.95): boneless chunks spiced just right with red pepper, soy, garlic, a touch of sugar, and salt and pepper.
Perhaps my favorite dish here is spicy garlic prawns ($12.95), much different from anywhere else in town. These large shrimp burst when you bite into them. Sauteed with the shrimp are chunks of fresh apple, a perfectly crisp and sweet addition to this creation. Be sure to order this.
One more dish to complete the meal: It's a custom of mine to finish a Chinese meal with something green for long life, good health and abundance. They do about 30 vegetarian dishes at King Tsin, including garlic ong choy, choi sum and broccoli (each $5.95). The veggie choices range in price from $5.95 to $8.95.
Dessert is a must. Try the glazed banana ($4.95) that is finished at your table. Brought out from the kitchen are large golden nuggets of banana, coated in a syrupy glaze. They are plunged into a bowl of ice water for a few seconds, allowing the coating to solidify into a thin and crisp candy shell. The banana inside is hot, sweet and luscious. They can also do this with apple, quite deliciously, if you wish.
Being here is almost like experiencing a Chinese "Cheers," a place where they know your name and remember what dishes you like. It's comfortable and casual eating with affordable prices and a lot of choices. King Tsin really cooks!
Reach Matthew Gray at mgray@honoluluadvertiser.com.
