Sang Kee Noodle

My son’s Char Shiu Mein

Happy New Year!

I’ve been very neglectful in my blogging this past year or two – perhaps a direct effect brought on by the fatigue of our ongoing COVID pandemic – so one of my resolutions for 2022 is to get back to it. So, here goes.

I was in Philadelphia recently. My son was competing at the US Junior Open Squash Tournament, which is apparently the largest international junior squash tournament in the world. It was held in several locations in Philadelphia but mainly in the triangle that is Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania, and the Arlen Specter Center (located on Drexel’s campus). Due to our schedule and lack of familiarity of the eateries in the area, we were limited to a Wawa, a local bagel spot (Spread Bagelry), a Shake Shack, The Coop (an American cuisine spot associated with The Study at University City Hotel), a Halal food truck, the concession at the Specter Center, and Sang Kee Noodle House.

Sang Kee is at 3549 Chestnut Street, in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel where we stayed, and it was a welcome convenience. Having grown up in Hong Kong, admittedly, I can be very picky when it comes to Chinese food. Having been introduced to and loving, at a young age, noisy noodle shops in Causeway Bay, busy dim sum restaurants, the legendary Yung Kee Restaurant in Central, and dai pai dong (open-air food stalls) all over Hong Kong, I entered Sang Kee hesitantly.

We ate there for dinner on our first night and for lunch before returning to New Jersey on our last day. On our first night, we arrived at the hotel just before 6pm and we had to check-in, park the car, and get to the Specter Center to get our wristbands, verify my son’s entry, and get my coaching credential. After a long day of work, a two-hour drive in darkening, misty conditions, all I wanted to do was get something to eat and crash in our hotel room. The food at Sang Kee did much to soothe the senses.

With a menu boasting mainland Chinese, Hong Kong style, Taiwanese and, even, Korean dishes, I wasn’t so sure, at first, on the authenticity of Sang Kee’s food and whether I’d enjoy it the way I enjoy Chinese-American takeout or the way I enjoy some of the restaurants in New York’s Chinatown. As we scanned our menus, however, and food was being delivered to other tables, I felt that we were in for a treat. I’m glad to say I was right.

My son ordered Char Shiu Mein, which came in a generous bowl of soup, slices of roasted pork, bok choy, and thin yellow noodles like the noodle shops of my youth. I tried it and it brought me right back to summer lunches with my parents in Hong Kong working as an office boy. My wife ordered a Taiwanese dish, Braised Pork Belly over rice. I tasted that, too. As a foodie, I had to. The pork was tender and melted in your mouth and it balanced sweet and salty, almost like a Chinese Asado. Or, did Filipino cuisine steal asado, or at least the basis for it, from the Chinese? For me, I ordered the Char Shiu Faan, roasted pork and over white rice. It also came with bok choy and was completely satisfying in taste and simplicity – meat over rice. The only that would have made both my son’s and my dishes perfect was a drizzle of oyster sauce over the char shiu; the way I had these dishes served to me growing up in Hong Kong. I also ordered a bowl on Wonton Soup, which was the best of the lot.  Its flavour was perfectly balanced with the freshness and delicateness of the shrimp and the subtlety of the soup base. The wonton was so good, in fact, that for our farewell lunch I ordered Wonton Mein. My wife ordered a congee that she enjoyed and my son had the Char Shiu Mein again. We added a plate of extra char shiu and Taiwanese Soup Dumplings to top things off. The only things that would’ve made our two meals there near perfect would have been Tofu Fa (sweet, silky tofu in a light syrup) or Hung Tau Saa (Red Bean Soup).  There was Tsingtao in their menu, though. It’s hard to find where I live in New Jersey and, as someone who doesn’t really drink beer much or any alcohol for that matter, I do enjoy a cold Tsingtao when I can get it. Unfortunately, on our arrival meal, I was already so exhausted I was afraid it might knock me on my butt the next day and we were driving after our departure meal and, remember, one should never drink and drive.

My Wonton Mein. In the back, you can see what’s left of our plate of char shiu.

In previous years, the various national squash championships were spread out in different locations. In 2020, the middle school championships were held at Yale University. The US Junior Open in 2019 was at Harvard and MIT. With the Specter Center, all the US Squash (NGB of Squash in the USA) championship events will be held there from now on. What does that mean? More trips to Philadelphia, more stays at The Sheraton, and more meals at Sang Kee Noodle.

Thanks for stopping by.