We love all kinds of cuisine. We will pretty much try anything in the hopes of finding something new and tasty. Milwaukee, as an upper Midwest city, at first blush would not lead anyone to think that there are real possibilities for delicious ethnic meals. While we have small ethnic groups dispersed throughout the metro area, we are lucky that a few of the people from these groups have decided to share their food culture with us. This series of posts are all about some of our favorite ethnic restaurants in town.
We start this series first with local Chinese restaurants. We have good friends who are Chinese who recommend their favorite restaurants to us, and some of these are their yummy recommendations.
If you’re in the mood for spicy Szechuan, the best in town is Sze Chuan Restaurant (11102 W. National Ave., West Allis, WI 53227; 414-885-0856). You will find the traditional spicy dishes here but what brings me back is the hot pot. For people unfamiliar with hot pot, it’s like fondue but you cook your raw food in a soup broth instead of hot oil or melted cheese. The key to the meal is the flavor of the broths – and they have nailed it with the two broths that they offer. There is a mild broth that I think is chicken based but is more complex yet lighter than just chicken broth. The broth that I’m addicted to is there second broth – the spicy, slightly medicinal broth that will take your breath away if you inhale it wrong. I know that does not sound appetizing or pleasing but you will know why I’m obsessed with it when you taste it. It will also call you back for more of its slightly painful tastiness. We will normally get the combination hot pot which provides both broths so that we can give our tastebuds a reprieve from the spiciness throughout the meal.
You can order the hot pot as an all-you-can eat option for $25 per person or a la carte. We normally order a la carte so that we can take the leftovers home. After you order, they bring out a portable stovetop to place on your table. Next comes the shallow pot with your boiling hot broth and small plates containing all of the raw ingredients that you ordered. There is a large variety of items to choose from. We normally get the fish, their homemade beef meatballs, tofu, Napa cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, enoki mushrooms, and glass noodles. I knew this place was hard-core ethnic Asian when I saw that they offered huyet as an option (you can look this up).
When this place first opened, it was filled with Chinese-speaking people. It has become so popular (probably due to the Yelp reviews), we are seeing more and more diversity – everyone waiting patiently for a table. While you’re waiting for a table, check out the only Chinese in-house bakery in town called Lucky Bakery & BBQ (11078 W. National Ave., West Allis, WI 53227; 414-329- 2688). It is located in the same strip mall. Through their swinging doors behind the counter, you can see the baked goods and barbecued meats being prepared. My favorite are the egg tarts, coconut mochi domes, cream filled yellow cake rolls and fresh rice crepe with shrimp or BBQ pork filling. They also have roast pork and roast duck. You have to come early for a good selection or leave sad and empty-handed. Before leaving this strip mall, poke your head into the Chinese grocery store next door. It has everything you’d need for an Asian recipe, including good quality fresh produce and fish still swimming in the tank. This is a heavily trafficked grocery store on the weekend so I can count on them having to restock their produce regularly.
If you are craving dim sum, try Fortune Chinese, which is within a few minutes of the strip mall (2945 S. 108th St., West Allis, WI 53227; 414-328-9890). This is where the large extended Asian families come together to eat. They have several large round tables that accommodate family feasts. I don’t know why they have two menus but definitely ask for the Chinese menu. For those in the know, they have steam pea tenders, which is not common in your regular everyday Chinese take-out restaurant. It’s like spinach but with a slightly medicinal flavor, which makes you feel like you’re eating exceptionally healthy as you gorge on more dim sum. They also serve salt and pepper shrimp, squid and fish, and the roast duck is tender and moist. Their stewed casseroles are also worth trying. If you like eggplant, try their spicy eggplant casserole with pork. I always order this dish to take home for leftovers.
If you’re north of downtown and have a craving for Chinese, try Asian Fusion (1609 E. North Ave., Suite C, Milwaukee, WI 53202; 414-273-6688). I don’t know why they call themselves fusion because this is solidly Chinese food. They have good Szechuan dishes. You will find lots of Asian foreign exchange students from UW-Milwaukee eating here.
If you’re south of downtown and you like dumplings, Momo Mee (101 E. Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee 53204; 414-316-9003) is definitely worth a stop. They are known for their xiao long bao, the Shanghai soup dumplings. Their version is delicious. We had recently stood in line for an hour for these dumplings at Din Tai Fung in Orange County, California, after seeing them featured in David Chang’s Netflix show, Ugly Delicious. Those dumplings were a disappointment. On a recent trip to Shanghai, I had to try the dumplings again. This time at the original Din Tai Fung. From my limited tastings of this dumpling, Momo Mee’s version is delicious, and without the long lines or long flight. We also recommend their salt and pepper shrimp dish.
If you’re in the Third Ward, just south of Milwaukee, Jing’s (207 E. Buffalo St., Milwaukee, WI 53202; 414-271-7788) serves Cantonese style Chinese food that relies on good fresh ingredients that speak for themselves and are not smothered in sauces. We love their small specials menu. Our favorites are the seafood tofu stew and Lion’s Head meatballs. Their hot and sour soup is a standout. The service at this small restaurant is fantastic.
If you’re west of the city, Meiji in Brookfield (2503 Plaza Ct, Waukesha, WI 53186; 262-717-9858), is a combination Chinese and Japanese restaurant. The restaurant is quite large, and the decor is clean and modern. The Chinese menu is extensive, with the usual dishes and also unusual dishes like Ma La Beef Tendon, which is cold marinated tendon, and Five-Flavor Beef Shank. The Japanese menu is also large, with exceptional sushi, and they have teppanyaki tables. This place is packed on the weekends so try to get a reservation.
There’s a tiny place in Pewaukee that is simply named Mr. Wok (2128 Silvernail Road, Pewaukee, WI 53072; 262-521-9780) that serves Chinese food and delicious Malaysian dishes. We tried it despite the name and were glad we did. There aren’t many decent ethnic restaurants in the western suburbs so we were pleased to find this place. Be warned that it is a very small, family-owned restaurant that gets bogged down with orders during peak dinner hours. Their Malaysian dishes are the standouts on the menu like Curry Laksa and Roti Chanai.
Finally, if you like the texture and bite of homemade noodles, our friends recommended Fusion Cafe (1427 S. 108th St., Milwaukee, WI 53214; 414-257-1199). Again, I have no idea why the owners use the term fusion in the name because this is definitely a Chinese restaurant. The reason you come to this restaurant is to order the Beef Stew Noodle Soup. If you crave spicy foods like I do, this will hit the spot. Be forewarned that the beef is chewy – that’s the way it’s supposed to be. After you slug through a bowl of this spicy soup, the heat sweats and cleared sinuses are so satisfying.
Enjoy!