Central Austin Edition | January 2022

DINING FEATURE

BY DARCY SPRAGUE

WHAT’S ON THEMENU? General Manager Rebecca Lee shares three of Wu Chow’s most popular dishes. 1 DRY FRIED LOCAL GREEN BEANS $14) 2 HONEY PECAN GULF PRAWNS $22) 3 SICHUAN DEEPFRIED CHICKEN $10)

A guest favorite is gulf prawns in lemon aioli, topped with honey-candied local pecans.

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Rebecca Lee, general manager of Wu Chow, stands in front of the mahjong wall she helped create.

Another crowd favorite is the crispy fried pieces of chicken thigh, tossed with Sichuan peppercorns and chilies.

One popular dish is local green beans ash fried then tossed with fermented mustard greens.

COURTESY REBECCA LEE

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Wu Chow Downtown restaurant focuses on authentic Chinese dishes S undays at Wu Chow means

is proud of the dishes the restaurant serves. “The concept of Wu Chow is to bring traditional, authentic cuisines to the Austin community and to show the intricacies of the farm-to- table food,” Lee said. The menu, from Executive Chef Ji Peng Chen, features eight styles of Chinese food, including Sichuan dishes. “The cuisine is more diverse and so much more than the fast-food version of Chinese food that many people are exposed to,” Lee said. Lee said Wu Chow is part of a wave of Austin restaurants that are devoted to authentic Asian cuisine, including noodle and dumpling restaurants throughout the city.

“You see that trend is growing. I see Austin embrace it more than ever, and it’s exciting to see,” Lee said. Beyond the food, the restaurant also has a house cocktail menu— many of which are served in large, colorful glasses shaped like sh, parrots or pineapples. Wu Chow is operated by Aus- tin-based Chameleon Companies, which owns Rosedale Kitchen and Bar and Swift’s Attic. In 2021, the owners and sta behind Wu Chow—located at IBC Bank Plaza, 500 W. Fifth St.— opened Little Wu. Little Wu, a Chinese dumplings and Lamian noodle bowl restau- rant, is in Fareground Austin at 111 Congress Ave., Austin.

Wu Chow serves family-style plates and features large indoor and outdoor spaces.

dim sum—a menu of 35 small plates, including dishes such as handmade soup dumplings and pineapple bao. “Dim sum is such a craft,” said Rebecca Lee, who has been the gen- eral manager of Wu Chow, an upscale restaurant focusing on authentic Chinese dishes, since 2015. “I think it is a real gift.” During the rest of the week, the downtown restaurant oers lunch, happy hour and dinner dishes intended to be shared family-style. Lee said customer favorites include Sichuan Deep-Fried Chicken, Honey Pecan Gulf Prawns and Dry Fried Local Green Beans. Lee, who is half Chinese, said she

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Wu Chow 500 W. Fifth St., Ste. 168, Austin 512-476-2469 www.wuchowaustin.com Hours: Mon. 5-10 p.m.; Tue.-Fri. 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., 5-10 p.m.; Sat. 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

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CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • JANUARY 2022