THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 30, 1997 TAG: 9701280113
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: ON THE TOWN
TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW
SOURCE: Sam Martinette
LENGTH: 85 lines
Kin's Wok Restaurant in the 21st Street Pavilion Shopping Center has grown.
The popular ``New York-style Chinese'' eatery, opened in 1993 by Audrey Ling an her brother, Ren Wu, has been a consistent favorite with both food critics and the public alike. It took Norfolk's Best Award in 1995 and '96 in the annual contest, sponsored by The Virginian-Pilot.
But while the food has always been excellent, the restaurant was small. It had only a handful of tables for those dining in or waiting for take-out orders.
Now it has basically doubled its size, adding a dozen or so feet of counter space for pickup and another half-dozen or more tables, increasing the seating capacity to 48. The former kids clothier next door has been converted to a dining area, with a large neon Chinese character that Ling says signifies growth and prosperity.
A small partition with glass bricks and seats on each side separates the original dining area from the counter where take-out and dine-in customers still place their orders. Ling says there are no plans to go full service.
``We do not plan full service because that means we must employ more people, and prices for food go up,'' she explained. ``This way we respond to customer requests for more seats at lunch and dinnertime, and prices stay where they are.''
Kin's Wok carries unusual dishes not offered elsewhere, such as Singapore-style Mai Fun - thin rice noodles done in a rich, spicy curry, with minced vegetables, pork and shrimp ($5.50).
The menu offers about 200 items, including standards such as roast pork or chicken lo mein ($3.50 a pint, $6.50 a quart); shrimp or beef fried rice ($3.75/$7); and chicken with broccoli, black bean sauce, snow peas, or bean sprouts ($4.50/$7.75). There also is roast pork with mushrooms or shredded pork with string beans ($4.50 a pint, $7.57 a quart); spicy curried beef with onions ($4.50/$8.25); shrimp with lobster sauce ($5/$8.50); or scallops with string beans ($5.50/$9.50).
Vegetable dishes include spicy mixed vegetables in a garlic sauce ($6.25), or a sauteed spicy cabbage dish ($5.75). The Chinese omelet known as egg foo young, served with rice and brown gravy, is offered in a variety of preparations: with roast pork or chicken ($5.50), shrimp or beef ($5.50), or lobster ($7). Moo Shu, a preparation of shredded cabbage, egg, mushrooms and bamboo shoots in a rich brown sauce, is served with pancakes and plum sauce, and is available with chicken or pork ($6.50), beef or shrimp ($7), or vegetarian-style ($5.75).
Chef's specialties include deep-fried shrimp with Chinese vegetables (chow har kew, $9.25); the ``four seasons'' of jumbo shrimp, chicken, beef and roast pork in a brown sauce with vegetables ($8.50); and chunks of boneless deep-fried duck and roast pork sauteed with mixed vegetables (wor shu duck, $9.25). Other specialties are hot and spicy shredded beef ($8.75); pork or chicken ($7.75); or shrimp and scallops with a spicy garlic sauce ($9.75).
Kin's Wok also offers a health-food section of low-calorie steamed dishes prepared with no salt, oil or corn starch, served with a wonderfully light garlic sauce. They include steamed, mixed vegetables with shrimp ($5.25/$8.25), with scallop, shrimp and chicken ($6.25/$9.75), and steamed, mixed vegetables alone ($4.25/$6.25).
Kin's Wok in Ghent also delivers to downtown, Colonial Place and Ghent, and as far north as the Larchmont/ODU area, with a $10 minimum. The family has a second location, Kin's Wok II, at Ward's Corner.
Prices for wine by the bottle are cut in half for on-premise consumption every Monday and Wednesday evening at Elliot's, 1421 Colley Ave.. You can find excellent bargains on such wines as Moct-Chandon White Star, Sonoma Currer Russian River Chardonnay, Murphy-Goode Fume Blanc, Kunde Reserve Cabernet, Rosemont Shiaraz, Ponzi Pinot Noir and many others.
Elliot Juren said that the wine discount is not allowed with any other discounts or coupons, but that the offer isn't restricted to any certain hours.
Mark your calendar for the annual ``Taste of Hampton Roads,'' set for April 2, at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE
Audrey Ling and brother Ren Wu have extended the pickup counter and
doubled the seating at Kin's Wok in Ghent.
Graphic
AT A GLANCE
What: Kin's Wok.
Where: 222-H W. 21st St. in Ghent. Call 623-2933 or 623-8025.
Prices: $3.50 to $9.50, dine in, take out or delivered.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.