New Portland Restaurant Warsugai Opens With Chinese American Classics | Eater Portland
"In the former Taqueria Nueve space on Southeast Washington Street, Koo and Hong Kong expat Alvin Wong opened Warsugai on January 31 as a nostalgic, eclectic tribute to the old-school Asian restaurants of his childhood. The menu mixes direct callbacks and Pacific Northwest touches: Noble House Pork Potstickers reference the John’s Landing dumplings Koo remembers as “the best handmade potstickers that I ever had,” Kampong Shrimp riffs on the Korean Chinese kkanpung saeu, sizzling black pepper beef short ribs sit alongside mai tais and banana daiquiris, and the char siu is made from a 48-hour brined pork coppa with a hoisin gloss made from chicken stock and finished with crushed hazelnuts. Other dishes include Oregon Dungeness crab rangoons with crème fraîche, chicken wontons scented with black truffle, multiple preparations of Ota tofu, and a war su gai built from Mary’s chicken with a batter between beer and tempura and a sauce made from overnight-simmered chicken stock, alliums, bay leaf, peppercorns and almond milk — a version Koo calls “super crispy, but really light.” The space itself channels a retro Hong Kong vibe with red neon and a relaxed atmosphere, and the menu will shift periodically." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
