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January 20, 2009
Hong Wah restaurant in Penfield honored for healthy menu
Sean Dobbin
Staff writer
For those who recently resolved to shed 10 pounds this year, Chinese food probably isn't very high on the list.
But if a craving for some sesame chicken hits, Hong Wah Restaurant wouldn't be a bad choice. The Penfield eatery was recently honored for having one of the 100 healthiest Chinese menus in the country by the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants Dining Guide.
Published by Chinese Restaurant News, the dining guide surveys thousands of Chinese restaurants and creates top 100 lists that range from best signature dish to best décor. Hong Wah Restaurant stood out in the healthiest menu category because of their special "Diet Menu," which features entrees that are steamed rather than fried.
The Hong Wah staff is also known for its willingness to take special orders, and for the health-conscious diner, the chefs are willing to take a few extra steps to prepare virtually any menu item in a lighter fashion.
"The cooks cook the vegetables in the oil, but what they can do after is rinse it with hot water," said Hong Wah's owner Vicky Shi. "That washes out a lot of the oil."
Healthy menu items also extend to the daily specials, which often include mango chicken or mango shrimp.
"It's just fresh mango with white meat chicken or shrimp and then we stir-fry in a lemon sauce, so it's very light," said Shi.
But the emphasis on healthy menu options hasn't meant that Hong Wah's only diners are fitness nuts. In fact, most of the customers talk about the good recipes and friendly service, rather than their own caloriecounting.
One of Hong Wah's regulars is Caroline Carreira of Penfield, who has been coming to Hong Wah with her family since the restaurant opened in July 2007. She jokes that maybe she's there a little bit too often.
"When we started coming in and they knew what we were going to order, we thought that was kind of a bad sign," said Carreira.
The restaurant's success is due in part to the retirement of Shi's uncle Kam Wong, who ran Kam Wah Chinese Restaurant on Five Mile Line Road for 26 years. When he sold his building, many of the customers migrated to Hong Wah.
With a near-immediate following and competitive pricing, Shi said the secret to keeping their loyal customers is their special sauces. Shi's husband, Kevin Zheng, who co-owns the business and created the menu, worked at a Chinese restaurant in Buffalo for 12 years, and combined his favorite sauces from his old workplace with Shi's aunt's family recipes.
"Everyone has sweet and sour chicken, but the sauce we make here is a lot thinner than the sauce my uncle had," said Shi. "Some of the customers want the old, thick one, but you have a lot more customers saying, 'I love the new sauce!'"
Shi and Zheng almost always work as hosts at the counter, while their staff of five cooks and servers take and prepare orders. They declined to share revenues but said they are still recouping their original investment in the business.
The couple said they would like to expand in the future and perhaps open a second location but admit that prospect is a good way down the line.
"As of now, we're just happy to see a lot of returning customers," said Shi.
SDOBBIN@DemocratandChronicle.com
Additional Facts
If you go
Hong Wah Restaurant
Where: 1802 Penfield Road, Penfield.
Hours: Monday through Thursday,11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.;Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.;
Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Information: (585) 385-2808.
