Catch The 1990
I -- ■ ■ — -
Robert Bateman
Canadian Wildlife Artist
FREE PUBLIC LECTURE
Friday, March 2 • 8 p.m.
Lied Center for Performing Arts
12th & R Streets, Lincoln
Interpreter for Hearing Impaired
The Nebraska Wildlife Federation welcomes inter
nationally acclaimed wildlife artist Robert Bateman
who returns to Nebraska to view the Sandhill Cranes.
Appearing with him at public events in Lincoln,
Grand Island, and Omaha will be a delegation from
Japan: representatives from the Yamashina Institute
for Ornithology, the Shizuoka Zoo, and the Utnaiko
Sanctuary Nature Center of Tomakomai City.
The weekend includes a dinner in Lincoln and
Omaha, plus a luncheon in Grand Island.
For reservations and more information contact
The Nebraska Wildlife Federation
410 S. 11th St., Lincoln, 69598 (402) 476-0581
“bToTTI
r— weekly
Big S.P.E.C.UA.L
Red
Sweaters
Good March 1 thru March 7. op#"MonFri 8 5 30 s*'9 5:30 Thur*1U 9pm
More than ever,
more than a Bookstore.
Wc Accept Major Credit Cards. 1300Q Street (402)476-0111
„_—J
Butch Ireland/ Daily Nebraskan
John Huang, co-owner of Hunan Restaurant Inc.
Hunan
Restaurant Inc.
The Hunan Restaurant Inc., 328
S. 10th St., has everything most
small cafes are known for — orange
vinyl booths, two-toned linoleum,
and a radio playing sappy FM love
songs. It also has, on every table, a
box of Kleenex, a pitcher of water
and a hot-pink menu featuring some
of the best Chinese food in Lincoln.
If swanky atmosphere is essen
tial for dining pleasure, it won’t be
found it at the Hunan. What will be
found is a widesclection of Hunan,
| Szechwan and Cantonese dishes
I prepared to order by owners John
and Linda Huang.
The couple, who have operated
the restaurant since 1982, previ
ously ran a similar establishment in
Mitchell, S.D. Huang learned his
trade in several different restau
rants in Taiwan. After 20 years there,
he decided to try his luck with
American diners. Huang taught
Linda to cook at the Mitchell loca
tion, and she now does a large part
of the kitchen work herselL
Huang estimates that the place
has between 50 and 70 regular
customers. They come in a nywhcrc
from one to three times weekly.
Mary McGinn, a bartender at a
downtown tavern, and Pete Pier
sol, kitchen manager at the Bistrp,
who were just finishing a late after
noon meal, said they have been
fans for years.
“It’s the best Chinese food in
town,” Piersol said. "It’s not Ameri
canized, not bland. Even the mild
dishes are full of flavor."
They eat there at least once a
week, McGinn said. Some of their
favorite dishes include the sliced
beef with broccoli in brown sauce,
the won tons in hot sesame sauce,
and the lo-mein.
“I always order more than I can
eat, so I can take some home,"
McGinn said. “The lo-mein is really
better after it sits a clay.”
There are, as the Kleenex and
water pitchers suggest, some truly
hot items on the menu. Huang
explained that they had to tone
down the original recipes after their
opening week, but they still pack a
wallop. The dishes listed under
“Hunan Hot Taste” surely will
impress the adventurous, the bold
or the masochistic.
On my most recent visit, I or
dered my current favorite, the baby
shrimp with nuts and hot pepper
sauce. As an appetizer, I chose the
won tons with hot sesame sauce.
One thing to know about ordering
dinner here — the courses come in
no particular order. Diners who are
the appeli/.cr-then-soup-then-en
tree-sort might feel a little dis
gruntled. The food will come when
it’s ready, and the unusual sequence
can give a refreshing sense of the
exotic.
The food was terrific, as usual.
Hunan cuisine features meat, fish
or poultry mixed with a variety of
vegetables. The entree I ordered
included carrots, onions, bok choy,
bell peppers and celery. Another
characteristic of Hunan cuisine is
the use of nuts. Peanuts are com
mon , and cashews often are added.
As for the fiery quality, that comes
from the ferocious little red pep
pers which arc stir-fried with the
other ingredients. The current stock
in the Huangs’ kitchen comes di
rectly from Szechwan region of
mainland China.
The sauce used to bring the vari
ous elements together is a slightly
sweet, very garlicky mixture. After
the initial assault on the taste buds
from thcchilies, the complex flavor
of this sauce is especially delicious.
It seems the fierceness of the pep
pers primes the mouth for the less
virulent, soothing quality of the
other spices.
For spicy veterans, there arc con
diments on each table that give
added "hot” dimension Try the
hot mustard sauce on any of the
appetizers. Don’t be put off by the
slightly noxious appearance of the
brownish-yellow stuff. It’s great on
won tons* and it will clear the si
nuses for the next several decades.
A relatively new addition to the
condiment selection, which also
features the more conventional soy
and Red Devil sauces, is a red chili
f;arlic relish from Vietnam. I put a
ittlc of this on my won tons, and I
thought my face might come off.
This was just fine by me, though.
What’sa I lunan meal without some
wa tery eyes a nd gasping for brea th?
As for the won tons with hot ses
ame sauce, which come filled with
a lightly seasoned pork mixture,
they’re steamed instead of fried.
These wonderful little dumplings
are similar to dim sum. Try dipping
them in a mixture of soy sauce and
chili relish, or so as not to be that
painful, add a little Trappey’s sauce
to the nutty sesame paste they’re
served with.
Of course, there are superb milder
dishes for the fainter of heart and
palate. The Huangs do a wonderful
job of preparing such well-known
selections as sweet and sour pork,
and sliced beef with scallions. There
are many different variations of
There are desserts (ice cream
and lichee nuts), but I’ve never
seen anybody order them. After
the more than generous dinner
portions, there really isn’t room.
No bar service is available, but the
hot tea is good. Order a soft drink,
and they’ll bring you an open bottle
with a glass of ice on the side. It’s
those little touches that endear the
Hunan Restaurant to its many devo
tees. They also appreciate the
consistently good food, reasonable
prices and unique, unpretentious
See Hunan on 1
