好客棧 Red Hot Wok Palo Alto, CA

This "Guesthouse" branch is located in Palo Alto, CA. We have dined here many times. The variety of dishes is extensive, especially if you crave Chinese dishes with Taiwanese flavors. Every meal here has always been satisfying. There were (out-of-state) guests who praised this restaurant's Chinese cuisine as the best they've ever had. Perhaps this guest had just stepped off a plane and was famished. As the host who chose this restaurant, I felt quite proud.

Let me describe the dishes we ordered, and please refer to the food photos.

(1) Braised Pork Rice: This is a classic Taiwanese dish. We almost always order it whenever we come. Even compared to the national delicacies found in Taiwan, this restaurant’s Braised Pork Rice is equally aromatic. The pork has the perfect balance of fat and lean, and with the pickled mustard greens and braised egg, it’s quite filling. We ordered two servings this time for everyone to share, as there were still many other tasty dishes. However, this first dish (rice) was just too fragrant; I, who usually eat little starch, had to scoop up two (big) spoonfuls to taste, it was great with sides as well.

(2) Moonlight Shrimp Cake: This appetizer originates from Taiwanese Thai cuisine. The flavor is excellent; it’s good enjoyed on its own, but even better with the (sweet and sour) sauce for dipping.

(3) Hakka Stir-Fry: I love to order this dish as a benchmark for testing the quality of restaurants. Quality control, after all! (QA benchmark testing!) I also make this at home. It contains my favorite ingredients: pork, squid, celery, and tofu. The restaurant’s Hakka Stir-Fry exceeded my expectations.

(4) Salt and Pepper Squid: The Hakka Stir-Fry comes with a bit of squid. Ordering the Salt and Pepper Squid is purely for indulgence. It is fried to a crisp and the salt and pepper adds to the flavor.

(5) Sizzling Tofu: This is an excellent way to prepare tofu. The side dishes enhance the tofu's deliciousness, served hot on the iron plate. Eating it while it's warm is just right. The tofu was quickly finished. If you love tofu, you should order this dish.

(6) Shrimp Omelette: The only omelette dish is quite delicious. If you love eggs, you must choose this dish. The Shrimp Omelette falls under the "seafood" category. (The "Fish Fragrant Omelette" doesn’t contain fish and is not seafood. This restaurant doesn’t serve it, so no worries.)

(7) Eggplant with Chicken: This dish was ordered for the first time. Eggplant + chicken, a great combination.

(8) Stir-Fried Cabbage: After a feast of seafood and meat, let’s have a vegetable dish! I originally wanted to eat loofah, but it’s out of season and might be bitter. The restaurant suggested the plentiful cabbage instead. It turned out to be a good choice. Although it was simply stir-fried cabbage, it also included carrot slices, making it crisp and refreshing.

In summary, both hosts and guests enjoyed the meal, leaving us satisfied. (I, on the other hand, resolved to exercise more after this meal.) I highly recommend this restaurant; I will definitely return in the future to try the dishes I haven't yet tasted.