Recently we were invited to Wang’s North Park, an Asian fusion and Chinese restaurant.
From the outside, the restaurant seemed pretty ordinary. Once we stepped inside, I couldn’t believe how big the place is. It occupies a former JC Penney’s building and is a great space for large parties and banquets. I wish I had known about this place earlier, like when I was looking for a venue for my wedding rehearsal dinner.
Dumpling Sampler
We started with a dumpling sampler. They offer 5 different dumpling flavors and you can mix and match and make up a plate. We tried marinated pork, herbed edamame, rosemary-mint lamb and coconut shrimp. While I appreciated the nontraditional offerings, I found the dumplings to be just alright. None of the flavors really spoke to me and I found myself missing the traditional flavors.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I really like chicken lettuce wraps. It’s one of those American Chinese dishes that I actually make all the time. This one consisted of minced chicken breast, water chestnuts, Thai basil, with a plum vinaigrette. The tangy vinaigrette was a refreshing change to the usual hoisin sauce and the water chestnuts added a nice crunch.
Jalapeno Calamari
The lightly battered salt and pepper calamari were cooked with slices of jalapenos, adding quite a bit of heat to the tender calamari chunks. I would have preferred a little less heat, but Mr. K really enjoyed this.
Garlic Noodles
This was my favorite dish of the night and I really want to try making my own version at home. It’s not like the Vietnamese garlic butter noodles, but instead it made with sweet garlic sauce, dried chilis and chili flakes.
Banana Leaf Basa Fish
The presentation of this dish was so pretty, especially with the tropical medley of fruit and vegetables. Inside is a coconut curry sauce spread over the steamed basa fish, which is sitting on a bed of rice.
General Wang’s Chicken
This was Mr. K’s choice. I believe this is supposed to be their version of General Tso’s chicken. I actually found this to be the weakest of the night. The sweet and spicy sauce lacked something and the chicken cubes weren’t as crunchy and moist as they could have been.
Overall, we had an enjoyable experience here. While this isn’t somewhere that would make our regular rotation, I am happy to have dined here and would take friends visiting who want Chinese American or Asian American cuisine. I love the space and ambiance and the menu offers a large selection of food, so that everyone in your party should be able to find a dish they want to eat. They also have a pretty extensive cocktail list too.
Please note, as indicated above, we were invited to dine here and our meal was complimentary. As always, my opinions remain my own.
Wang’s North Park
3029 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
https://www.wangsnorthpark.com/
