Reddit may often be dismissed as a wretched hive of scum and villainy, but there's some useful information to be found here and there. For instance, when someone in r/anchorage poses the question of where to find the best General Tso's chicken in town, I tune in. Among several recommendations in the comments, one enlightened Redditor recommended Peking Wok, a spot familiar to anyone who's lived in the Sand Lake/Bayshore area for some time.Â
It's been a while since I've last stopped by — at least not since that whole strip mall's façade received a makeover. Besides, in a world full of epicurean riches, Chinese takeout tends to fall pretty low on the priority list. But this comment thread happened to strike a chord. So, I decided to go along with this random stranger's advice. After all, when has anybody on the Internet ever been wrong about anything before?Â
With equal parts trepidation and determination, I set out to enjoy some saucy, MSG-laden goodness via takeout order one fine afternoon.
As I stepped into the restaurant and sat waiting for my order, I looked around and admired how little had changed from my last mental snapshot of the place. The red and green color palette is decidedly oriental (for the lack of a better, less outdated term), and the vintage kitsch factor is through the roof — in a good way, of course. While the dining area could afford to use a little TLC, that didn't stop a few parties from trickling in. I suppose it's hard not to appreciate the two oversized koi fish in a tank along the entryway, and the sentimentality in seeing a couple dozen photos of the owner's pet poodle behind the counter is too precious for me to handle.Â
I was left with little choice but to size up Peking Wok's General Tso's chicken, which I was thrilled to see packed to the brim in its own separate container. Much to my enjoyment, this rendition delivered with a rich, syrupy glaze reminiscent of a thickened sweet chili sauce without going overboard on gloppiness.
The chicken was heavily battered, and while it had lost some of its texture under the bracing sauce, the meat was tender, and most importantly, the sauce wasn't cloyingly sweet. In fact, it had just the right amount to make me return for more, while the side of white rice served as a nice palate cleanser.
The additional combo dinner I had settled on — A-14, to be exact — gave me a chance to sample some more Chinese American classics: Mongolian beef and sweet and sour shrimp. I've been craving the former for ages now, so I appreciated that Peking Wok managed to satisfy my long-awaited expectations. The thin cuts of beef were thoroughly marinated before being dusted in cornstarch and seared on a red-hot wok. Hearing the clanging wok in the back kitchen only heightened my excitement. The deep depths of soy-based umami were contrasted by a heap of sweet, caramelized onions, while the flash-fried rice noodles, with their styrofoam-like consistency, added an interesting layer to this textural jungle.
To this day, I still don't know what goes into the alarming red sweet and sour sauce found in your average Chinese restaurant. But at least here, it made for a bright accompaniment to some crisp, lightly battered shrimp. What impressed me the most was that the butterflied shrimp stayed crisp a few hours later when I returned for seconds. When paired with decently sized chunks of fresh onion and green bell pepper, this dish went above and beyond in living up to its name.
One menu item that caught my interest was the spicy seafood noodle soup — or jjamppong, for those in the know. This dish is one of few recognized as part of a Korean/Chinese hybrid cuisine available in a handful of Chinese restaurants around town — seemingly due to the prevalent Korean ownership of said businesses. Having enjoyed this dish many times over the years, I felt less than optimistic this would hit the mark.
Turns out, it was actually pretty good — no, really good! The broth was mild, yet potent from the heat of Korean chili powder with a hint of oceanic brininess. There was a robust vegetal quality to it—no doubt due to the sliced onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and carrots that were invited to the party. That's not to mention the surprising amount of seafood they packed into a small to-go container: mussels, shrimp, squid, and scallops — all were cooked to tender perfection.
To top it all off, even the noodles seemed to have a homemade quality, or at least this was hinted at based on their uneven appearance. I didn't think Peking Wok had it in them to produce such a high-quality jjamppong but consider me impressed.
The rest of my bounty was rounded out by textbook depictions of the familiar — pork fried rice, egg flower soup, and a savory, fully-loaded egg roll. From top to bottom, this meal replicated a sense of comfort I felt back in my high school/college days with exact precision. This was a nostalgia I hadn't felt in quite some time. Of course, that could just mean I ought to indulge in takeout Chinese more often, but I'm starting to understand why Peking Wok has been in the business for as long as I can remember. It's heartwarming to know that in an ever-changing world, some things are just as you had left them.
But of course, the real lesson is that there may be more value to lurking on Reddit than I first thought. Just don't expect to see me sporting a neckbeard or fedora anytime soon.
Peking Wok is located at 4000 W Dimond Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99502. They are open Monday - Saturday from 11am - 10:30pm, and Sunday from 12pm - 10:30pm.Â
