Say Yes to Quack
December 25, 2006 – 8:12 pm
I enjoyed one of my favorite meals at a favorite St. Louis restaurant the other night. Next time you’re in Missouri’s Gateway City, you’d do well to visit Wei Hong Bakery & BBQ (3175 South Grand Avenue, 314-773-8318) and order the roast duck on rice, a testament to the power of simplicity and freshness. From beneath its crisp skin, the succulent meat gives off the faintest suggestion of fragrant Five Spice, and the perfectly steamed rice is crowned with the leafy green punch of a slightly smoky stir-fried baby bok choi. It is a faultless trio.
Wei Hong is a real Cantonese restaurant and bakery, vastly superior to the hundreds of greasy woks in town that cater to the Midwestern love of over-seasoned glop-and-gravy. The menu boasts 167 dishes, so you may want to consider going with a large group and ordering family-style as the establishment’s loyal Chinese clientele frequently does. Ordering take-out from the BBQ case at the front is also advisable for adventurous diners or last-minute party planners. In addition to the splendid duck, there is roast pork, chicken, chicken feet and a few unrecognizable offal dishes available for purchase by weight at miraculously low prices. A full bakery case of traditional Chinese cookies, dumplings, noodles and pastries sweetens the deal. I couldn’t leave without a bag of lotus-flavored bean cakes.
