Hong Kong Sundays at the Alamo (2/2)

The noodle dish is a favorite, a Malaysian hot and sour soup with wheat ramen-style noodles and chicken, flavored with lemongrass, hot chiles, and coconut milk. It is tangy, has just the right amount of spice, and packs a flavor punch worthy of the best kung fu screen antics. The vegetarian options are very good, as well. They will keep the popular lettuce wraps, but use a tofu and red bell pepper stir-fry flavored with sweet soy sauce, instead of chicken. The crisp lettuce is a nice contrast to the warm stir-fry, and makes this a great item for the Alamo, easy to pick up and eat with the fingers without missing a blink of the action onscreen. Chef Liu will also offers a tofu sandwich, which is what every nature burger should hope to be. The patty is made of soft silk tofu mixed with Japanese ginger and Thai basil, then coated with panko bread crumbs and fried. It is served in a hamburger bun with lettuce and tomato, with a side of mayonnaise. The flavor kick offered by the Japanese ginger, the anise-like finish of the Thai basil and the crunchy coating of panko bread crumbs make it one unique and tasty burger. A meat entrée is a bowl of steamed rice topped with two finger-sized ribs in a sweetish Korean barbecue sauce, a spoonful of sesame-dressed lettuce and carrot slaw, and a thick slice of mildly pickled yellow daikon. Last but not least, there is dessert. The Drafthouse had been serving almond cookies for Hong Kong Sundays, but Chef Liu suggested that they try the Mochi ice cream, which is delivered to him weekly from the manufacturer in L.A. The ice cream is formed into bonbon shapes, frozen solid and wrapped in a thin, rice dough coating. The best description that comes to mind is that they resemble pastel-colored ice cream dumplings. The sensation of biting through the rice coating into the frozen ice cream was really different, but pleasant. Favorite flavors are coffee and green tea, but they are all good. The coolest thing is that they can be picked up individually from the plate and eaten as if they were a piece of candy, so they're perfect for the Alamo format. This is fun food at its best. To wash it all down, there are many beverage choices: hot Oolong or jasmine tea, iced Vietnamese coffee, TsingTao beer, and for the adventurous, the "rotating exotic beverage of the orient." This usually is, as the Leagues put it, "whatever catches our eye at the Asian supermarkets." So, be prepared for grass jelly, bird's nest, or white fungus drinks. Source: http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2003-08-01/food_feature.html Article by Claudia Alarcon 　 QUICK FACTS Alamo Draft House Downtown 409 Colorado St., Austin, TX 78701 Phone: 512/476-1320 www.drafthouse.com