Slay the Golden Dragon

Ma po tofu at Jung's Golden Dragon II.
Photo by renee b. photography.

Before banh mi started turning up on menus like mushrooms after an autumn rain, before the David Chang fueled ramen and steamed bun craze, and before food nerds were drooling over the Pok Pok phenomenon, an ambitious meal of Asian cuisine usually featured exotic dishes like egg rolls dipped in duck sauce, crab rangoon,  and Mongolian beef. But somewhere along the way, someone decided that Chinese food was too tired, too bastardized for the American palate, and so an entire nation's culinary cannon faded into obscurity like music videos on MTV.

But what most of us ignorant lambs failed to realize is that Chinese food is every bit as exciting as the new bowl of soup that you recently discovered at your favorite pho shop. In this month's issue of OffBeat Magazine, we review Jung's Golden Dragon II, a Chinese restaurant where one can either indulge in familiar fare like shrimp toast and mandarin chicken or explore the unknown in a bubbling hot pot of pig intestine. Both yield splendid results.

Jung’s Golden Dragon II - Birdie
3009 Magazine Street
(504) 891-8280
Open Daily 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.