Gai Pan With Gershwin in Vista : How, Not What, Sets Chinese Fare Apart

There’s been a great deal of contention among the many presidential candidates about just who is and who is not electable.

The party that loses this November may wish that it had nominated the Dragon and Phoenix ticket, which, thanks to a printer’s error, is described on the menu at Vista’s Peking Wok as “a electable lobster and chicken dish.”

Dragon and Phoenix is a pretty exceptional pairing (it deserves to be described as “delectable”), and certainly gets my vote as one of the outstanding Cantonese dishes at this multifaceted Chinese restaurant. However, the menu transcends Cantonese to get at the heart of what is hot in Chinese cookery, the sometimes-fiery dishes from Szechuan and Hunan provinces and, occasionally, from the far north of China.

‘Lady Be Good’

Peking Wok is not a new restaurant, but its name seems to surface regularly when talk turns to the question of where to find really good Chinese fare in San Diego County; there is a plethora of places, but few give any indication of a desire to excel. This attractive spot presents a thoughtfully written menu, executed by a kitchen that evidently is interested in turning in a good performance.

The atmosphere also is a touch more genteel than at the common run of places; the servers are polite, knowledgeable and helpful, and, wonder of wonders, a pianist holds forth nightly at the baby grand in the center of the dining room. Hearing lively renditions of such favorites as the Gershwin brothers’ “Lady Be Good” in a Chinese restaurant is not only a surprise but a delight.

A complaint, though, is that the height of the tables seems to have been chosen to accommodate professional basketball players. Those of us who attain a more nearly average measure may feel tempted to ask for telephone books or booster seats when reaching our chopsticks toward the distant plates of sliced duck in prawn sauce and moo goo gai pan .

The relatively lengthy appetizer list is less typical than it looks because of the superior preparation of the largely familiar tidbits. It begins somewhat tentatively with the dreaded “pu-pu platter” (a play-it-safe selection of egg rolls, won ton and such, designed for the unadventurous), but picks up steam rapidly with such offerings as chili dumplings and minced chicken in “gold cups.”

Chinese meat dumplings, unknown here just a few years ago, have become wildly popular thanks to their juicy succulence. The chili dumplings are a new--to us, in any case--variation on the theme. Resembling the soft won tons that usually appear in soups, these feature a nice, meaty stuffing and gain their character from the pleasingly hot mixture of chili oil, soy sauce and minced scallion tops with which they are liberally doused.

The minced chicken in gold cups--fried, fluted pastry shells--is one of those unique Chinese dishes that wraps a whole range of flavors and textures (sweet, pungent, salty, hot, soft and crisp) almost literally in a nutshell. These are relatively costly, at $2.25 each, but one per person suffices, and they do make a rather interesting opening statement.

Peking Wok also does a good job with rumaki, that old standby of dubious (and almost certainly American) origin that nonetheless is pleasing to those who like chicken livers. The version served here seems particularly plump and succulent, perhaps because the liver is slightly underdone.

The entree list runs to an impressive 129 entries, ranging from some unusual house specials to the crowd-pleasing “sizzling platters” that here are treated as the Chinese alternative to French flambes. Towers of flame reach toward the ceiling whenever the waiters dump bowls of meat and vegetables on superheated metal platters.

The specials include the elegant “edible basket,” a Cantonese extravaganza of stir-fried shrimp, chicken, beef, scallops and vegetables served in a deep-fried basket of delicate noodles. This is mild but attractive, and a rather fun way of taking in one’s ration of pasta.

Serious Stuff

The “lovers’ ” shrimp is rather more adventuresome, pairing a mild shrimp saute with crustaceans braised in a hot, pungent tomato sauce of great appeal. The dish named “rancher-fisherman” makes a coy reference to the surf ‘n’ turf of steakhouse fame, but, despite its joking name, it may be taken seriously because it combines a savory beef stir-fry with fish filets poached in an aromatic, Chinese-style wine sauce.

Any restaurant that includes Peking in its name obligates itself to offer Peking duck. This special preparation is available here without advance notice and is competent but nothing more. Peking Wok does offer the bird in half portions, a nice option that allows the table to indulge in other dishes; generally speaking, a whole fowl would constitute a complete meal for a party of two.

The offerings listed under the various headings--beef, chicken, etc.--by and large alternate between mild Cantonese dishes and the spicy-hot preparations that have become common around the county. As mentioned earlier, they are distinguished primarily by superior preparation, but a few also veer from the beaten path.

Soy Sauce Boldness

One simple but pleasing choice that is somewhat out of the ordinary is the sesame beef, a stir-fry of sesame-coated strips of meat finished with a sweet, rich gravy made pungent by the bold use of soy sauce; some might find the soy effect rather strong, although it is good.

The Szechuan-style lamb makes a truly wonderful change of pace. The classification “style” probably is an important distinction here because lamb is uncommon outside the northern reaches of China, and the intent may be to indicate a dish prepared in the manner typical of Szechuan, rather than something actually native to that steamy province. In any case, the succulent shreds of stir-fried meat team in a tangy sauce with large chunks of garlic and a variety of hotter-than-usual bell peppers. It is a fine dish.

The kitchen also takes the trouble to garnish the serving platters with vegetables carved and tinted to resemble flowers and abstract designs. These are intended only as a feast for the eyes, but they do much to show the restaurant’s intentions of offering its clientele something beyond the ordinary and average. Such simple gestures always inspire confidence.

PEKING WOK

1241 E. Vista Way, Vista

724-8078

Lunch and dinner daily

Credit cards accepted

Meat entrees average $6.50; seafood and specialties run from $8.50 to $13.95.