The restaurant business is probably the toughest business to get into and many wonderful restaurants are no longer with us.
Alan Wong’s opened in April 1995 and blended the various flavors of the ethnic groups living in Hawaii. Called Pacific Rim, Wong was quoted as saying, “Hawaii itself is called the melting pot of the Pacific, so it’s only natural for the food to reflect the multi-ethnic population.” Alan Wong’s closed during the COVID pandemic, on his 63rd birthday, in November 2020.
Here is a recipe that is typical of the dishes at Alan Wong’s:
Seared Ahi
with Asian Slaw
Serves 4
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1/2 cup matchstick-size stringed snow peas
1/2 cup matchstick-size strips peeled carrots
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sake or mirin
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Four 5 to 6 ounce ahi tuna steaks
3 tablespoons peanut oil
Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk soy sauce and the next 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve 4 tablespoons dressing in a small bowl. Toss vegetables with enough remaining dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Season tuna with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over high heat.
Add tuna; cook for 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer tuna to plates. Spoon 1 tablespoon reserved vinaigrette over each. Serve with slaw.
• • •
Jardiniere was opened in 1997 by San Francisco restaurateur and designer Pat Kuleto and executive chef Traci des Jardins, complete with an upstairs bandstand for live jazz. Unfortunately, after 21 years in business, Jardiniere served its final dinner service on April 27, 2019.
Here was one of chef Traci’s recipes:
Sea Scallops with Truffle Mashed
Potatoes
Serves 6 for a first course meal
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 stick unsalted butter
6 tablespoons whole milk
4 teaspoons white truffle oil
2 cups vegetable stock or broth
3 cups dry white wine
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
18 sea scallops
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Steam the potatoes in a large pot until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a colander; discard the water and remove the steamer rack. Return the potatoes to the pot. Add 1 stick of the unsalted butter and milk and mash well. Mix in 3 teaspoons of truffle oil, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring vegetable stock and white wine to boil in a heavy large saucepan. Boil until reduced to 2/3 cup, about 20 minutes. Whisk in 6 tablespoons of chilled butter. Boil until reduced again to 2/3 cup, whisking often, about 3 minutes. Mix in 1 teaspoon white truffle oil. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Cook scallops until just opaque, about 4 minutes.
Divide potatoes among 6 plates. Top with scallops and sauce.
• • •
The Mandarin in San Francisco was opened in 1986 by matriarch Cecilia Chiang, who sold her business in 1991. Two years later her son, Philip Chiang, created P.F. Chang restaurants.
Here is The Mandarin’s Hunan chicken recipe:
Hunan Chicken
Serves 4
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
1-1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Combine chicken, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch in a medium bowl, toss to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, 3 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons water, 1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoons sesame seed oil, and 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar.
Heat peanut oil in wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat until very hot. Add chicken mixture and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a medium bowl. Add green onions, chili sauce, garlic and ginger to the wok or skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken and soy sauce mixture, cook until chicken is cook through, about 2 minutes.
• • •
Haussners in Baltimore was opened by Bavarian master chef William Henry Haussner, who frequently cooked for Kaiser Wilhelm II. After 73 years, Haussners closed in 1999.
Wiener Schnitzel with Anchovies and Capers
Serves 6
12 anchovy filets, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup drained capers, chopped
Six 3 to 4 ounce veal cutlets
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3-1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 lemons, cut into wedges
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Mix anchovies and capers in a small bowl; set aside. Pound cutlets between sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Place the flour and breadcrumbs in separate dishes. Dip cutlets in flour, then eggs, then crumbs to coat.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cutlets to skillet, cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet; keep warm in the oven. Using paper towels, wipe the skillet clean, repeat with butter, olive oil and cutlets in 2 more batches.
Divide cutlets among plates.
Sprinkle with anchovy-caper mixture and serve with lemon wedges.
