Wang’s North Park

Wang’s North Park has been around since 2011 and serves up Asian fusion fare. The only time I sampled their food was during a Taste of North Park event a few years back. That was only one item but on this night we had a wide range of dishes to fill our tummies.

Immediately as you enter the doors you kind of forget where you are. They have a huge space and converted it into a restaurant from an old JC Penny department store. There is a bar, couches, tables, and booth seating throughout. Since it is so large you don’t feel cramped or like anyone is up in your business. I’m all for comfortable, spacious dining.

Michael and I love dumplings so naturally we had to try Wang’s House Made Dumplings. There are a variety of flavors to choose from. We went with rosemary-mint laced grass fed lamb and lemongrass coconut shrimp. The wrappers were a little chewy or gummy for our taste. The shrimp was soft with the lemongrass and coconut coming through. The lamb had a strong lamb flavor with hints of rosemary. I would have liked a little more rosemary and a tiny bit more seasoning.

Michael instantly gravitated towards the Jalapeno Calamari. Both of us were a little surprised it wasn’t fried and that it came out cubed, almost like tofu. And it maybe could have passed as tofu if it weren’t for the chewier texture. The spicy and sourness powered its way onto your palette, increasing with each bite. The crunchy bits really gave it a nice texture to bite into.

The Kickin Chicken Wings are made with their Korean bbq sauce and is accompanied with a wasabi blue cheese sauce. I stayed away from the sauce and ate the wings without it. While they were a tad bit dry, they too packed a punch and had a heat that lasted a minute or two. I rather enjoy my chicken wings and these didn’t disappoint.

We were on a roll with spicy dishes coming our way so why stop there? Next up: Drunken Noodles with chicken. The flavors here were nice, but the ratio of noodle to everything else for me was off. I prefer my noodle dishes to be heavy on noodles and have everything else be complementary additions. Here there was almost a fifty/ fifty ratio of noodles to everything else. I just couldn’t get enough noodles in one bite to satisfy my yearning for more.

My favorite dish of the evening had to be the Wok Charred Beef. We took it a notch down on the spicy meter on this one and the beef was cooked nice and tender. Coupled with the moist mushrooms, it was a pleasure to sink into. 

To help wash all the spice away we ended with a bowl of green tea ice cream and the Emperors Chocolate Delight. The ice cream had a nice sweetness, but also a good amount of smooth, green tea flavor. Light and airy, it hit the spot at just the right time. The Emperors Chocolate Delight certainly was the heavier of the desserts. The chocolate mousse had a thickness and richness to it that may have been better received had I not just consumed all of the previous dishes before it. Not that it was bad, just not the right time I guess. Still, we enjoyed our time in discovering what has become a North Park staple over the years.

Wang’s North Park
3029 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
www.wangsnorthpark.com

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