The Place
Having been shuttered for almost one year, Alan Wong’s has finally become the flamboyant modern Hawaiian restaurant it was always supposed to be. Chef Alan Wong is recognized as one of the “masters” of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, a style of cooking developed by 12 chefs in the 1990s that fused local ingredients with a range of the islands' ethnic cooking traditions, eschewing imported ingredients and continental notions for something that was distinctive, fresh and relevant to the Hawaiian cultural landscape.
The Shanghai restaurant doesn't have the luxury of Hawaii's exceptionally choice ingredients at their immediate disposal, but nevertheless emphasizes luxe vacation vibes with a touch of ‘fine dining’ swank thrown in. Alan Wong's is also pricey, which has divided opinion on the place already. All we can say is that we've been three times and enjoyed each visit. With that said, it's possible to see why this place is problematic.
The Food
Hands down, the must-order dish is the gojuchang glazed shortribs with ginger prawns (RMB328), apparently President Obama's "favorite dish" on his annual visit to Alan Wong's Honolulu. The meat is fork tender and works superbly with the sweet and tart gojuchang.
Also very good is the butter poached lobster tail (RMB298). Over two occasions, this was expertly cooked without a hint of toughness. The supremely buttery green onion and spinach sauce is rich to the point that we'd consider it main course territory. Delicate little oyster mushrooms soak up the sauce and provide texture, whilst the itogaki (dried, shaved fish similar to bonito) adds smokiness. Throw on some of Alan's chili water, present on every table, to negate dat buttah.
Also excellent is the 'soup and sandwich' starter (RMB88), which on paper sounds bizarre at best, but in practice works brilliantly. In the martini glass are two velvety, chilled tomato soups.
Can we take a minute to observe that somebody managed to pour liquid into a yin-yang shape? On top of that is a Parmesan toast, and atop that a weeny grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with Hawaiian specialty Kalua pork and a touch of foie gras. It's ridiculous and we love it.
The last of the excellent dishes at Alan Wong's is the coconut ice cream dessert (RMB88), basically a coconut milk sorbet poured into a dark chocolate, dessicated coconut-crusted shell, surrounded by tropical fruit and a passionfruit sauce. It's another novelty but but a fun one.
Pokes also get a big look in on the menu, but somewhat confusingly, prices vary wildly from RMB88-298. The RMB88 Japanese hamachi with wasabi daikon oroshi and mustard cabbage tsukemono wasn't our favorite, being a little too oily and garlicky.
The kampachi poke with sambal emulsion and pumpkin seeds is also very pleasant (RMB168). The hot sambal sauce is contained within the core of the dish, covered by a cucumber slice for some reason. On top are crunchy rice balls.
Fish is an important part of Hawaii Regional Cuisine. As such it really ought to be the restaurant's forte, so it's a pity that some of them aren't living up to their potential.
The best out of the three we've tried was a very good marinated eel with foie gras and Icelandic black cod, served with opposing sambal and miso sauces.
For RMB198, it's a substantial dish that feels like a bargain compared to other items on the menu (we're looking at you, RMB480 seafood salad).
We weren't completely in love with the ginger-crusted Kagoshima red snapper (RMB298) with an unusual creamy yet dairy-free miso sauce, mushrooms and corn.
Same for the enormous steamed pink snapper (RMB328), which came with an odd but rather delicious shrimp, pork and waterchestnut hash on top. But why was tapioca invited to the party? Furthemore, the buttery sauce was a little too rich, and we couldn't taste the promised black truffle.
These missteps are not enough to write off the obvious successes on the Alan Wong menu. But to understand why opinion on Alan Wong is so divisive, we'd say it's down to the expensive, grandiose dishes that make up the upper echelon price range over RMB400. From multiple accounts, the 'Da Bag' entree (lobster, razor clams, abalone, kalua pig, spinach, andouille sausage cooked en papillote in a foil bag) is worthy of neither its 'signature' billing nor an RMB428 price tag.
Food verdict: 2.5/3
The Vibe
Alan Wong's is not a trendy KOL-friendly, Neri & Hu designed sort of place – fine by us. Interiors have a Sheraton-y hotel resort vibe (although it's officially partnered with the neighboring Portman Ritz Carlton Hotel) with traditional Hawaiian music on the stereo. We imagine a lot of the business comes from high rolling expense accounts, birthdays, anniversaries and such.
Service is also some of the best we've seen recently, and is bilingual, attentive, prompt and friendly throughout. In other words, worth the 15 percent service charge tacked onto your bill.
Vibe verdict: 1/1
Value for Money
Is Alan Wong's value for money? Yes and no. Most of the dishes use fresh, high quality ingredients in a fancy restaurant situated in the heart of the city. While a few of the pricier dishes do let the place down somewhat, ultimately Alan Wong's is a repeat-worthy experience for fomal dining when looking for something other than Italian or French.
Value for Money: 0.5/1
TOTAL VERDICT: 4/5
Price: RMB600-900 per person
Who's going: well-heeled locals, the occasional group of expats
Good for: special occasions, expense accounts, dates, seafood, Hawaiian food, private rooms
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