Adjusted Diet

I saw something last week that shows how people are trying to cope with the changing lifestyles that people want to lead.  It seems that everyone wants to be "healthy" and people are trying their best to be that way, they even have all the calories listed on the menu's at a lot of fast food places now. 

For me, I've never been able to jump onto that "healthy" bandwagon, I can eat some of the healthy food out there, but add some bacon strips to that instead of the bacon bits, then we can make it work.

Even the Chinese food places are getting into the healthy diets, I've seen some that have "special diet" menu's where everything is steamed, but this was a first for me, and I've been in many Chinese food places! 

Who can blame them??!  They are taking what they know and love to do ... and mixing it to make it "healthy" for those people who want to go that route.  Four wings with salad, not too bad and considering it's only $4.75, if you tried to get that in the city you'd get half a wing if you were lucky.

This sounds like you're getting more with the half fried chicken salad ... but in actually if you think about it, "more is less."  If you got the four piece chicken salad instead, there's more skin to eat than just eating the skin of the half chicken!

Of course I didn't get this, but I'm glad that they do present the option.  I mean, how could you not have rice with the fried chicken!?  It's just unconceivable!  Props to Jade Garden for TRYING to be healthy, or having the appearance of it.

Now I want some wings ...

+ mon

Salt 'N' Pepper Chicken Wings (sort of)

One of the things that I normally do when I go to places that serve things that are of the "Salt 'n' Pepper" type are ask them if they can make it with chicken wings instead of the often seen salt n pepper pork chops or squid.  The answer I've gotten time and time again is no.  I never understood that.  

It's not like they are marinating the pork or squid in something before they cook it ... or are they??? Hmmmm.  But I don't see what the issue is with them throwing some chicken wings into the wok and stir frying it with the salt n pepper as if it was the pork chop or squid???

Yesterday I had this garlic chicken from Nanking and saw on their menu that they had salt n pepper food too.  They also have these Drums of Heaven which are chicken wings marinated with herbs, chilies and garlic then wok fried.  

Nanking - Chinese and Thai
1643 Broadway (between 50st and 51th streets)
212-586-3100 www.nankingrestaurants.com

I went in there today with little expectations of getting that mix of the salt n pepper with the chicken wings, but just wanted to go to try this Drums of Heaven.  They had given me the lunch menu and I asked for the full menu instead ... OoooooOOO I know big shot huh!  I asked the manger (I think he was the manager?) if they would be able to mix the salt n pepper they used for the fish or squid with chicken wings instead.  He spent a few seconds staring at the ceiling and thinking if they could ... and he said yes they can!  I got so excited that I ordered some chicken satay too ... wish I didn't though it was too much food already and not that good.  

They serve the food pretty quickly and everything came out at once.  The manager told me that they had never mixed the chicken wings with the salt n pepper so he hopes they are good.  Well I tasted them and they are good, not as good as Royal Mandarin and not even in the same taste level, but they are good.  It was actually the Drums of Heaven with the salt n pepper mix on top, so it was double the taste which made it interesting and I liked it.  The chicken satay was alright but the peanut sauce they had with it didn't taste all that great.

One thing about this place that I did like was that it was a default of them having lemon in the water when they poured it out of the pitchers.  Another thing was that there were little cups of the sauce, one of chilli sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar with small peppers - yeah you know the last one made your eyes open a bit since Filipino's do like the suka (vinegar) with peppers!

I think I might have put too much of that vinegar + peppers on the salt n pepper chicken mix I ordered because it was a little spicey that my nose started to drip.  

Overall the place has a nice atmosphere, but the music is ... eh.  It didn't add to the feel of the thainess ... it made it like a weird club almost.  The food was good, and I liked the combination for me, I'll probably be asking for it again.  Their service was great too considering that they made what I specifically wanted.  

The total damage was $17+ ... the salt n pepper chicken mix I ordered was $6, the rice $4 and the chicken satay was $6.  Their lunch specials there are $10 ... so they are a little pricey, I think they might cater to tourists since they are in the theater district.

Good stuff and next time I'm just going to order my salt n pepper chicken mix, oh how I can't wait for the real thing!!!

Taste : 7.5 
Price : $$ out of $$$ 
Restaurant : 8 (good atmosphere, except for the music) 

+ mon