Beef, broccoli & beyond
Brooklyn Wok Shop does Chinese food with flair, and cocktails, too
A new Williamsburg eatery is putting an elevated spin on takeout classics like General Tso’s chicken and beef and broccoli. Run by husband-and-wife duo Edric and Melissa Har, Brooklyn Wok Shop has updated Chinese — and Chinese-american — staples using high-end techniques and fresh ingredients.
The result: pliant egg noodles, generously stuffed wontons and melt-in-your-mouth roast pork, all made in-house.
“We play with how there are two menus at Chinese restaurants. We have the American side with the General Tso’s chicken and the more authentic stuff like wonton soup and beef short rib,” says Edric.
The idea came to the Hars, who moved to Williamsburg two years ago, when nothing in their new neighborhood satisfied latenight cravings for Chinese food.
“Edric and I used to live on Spring St., which was a few blocks from Chinatown, so we were spoiled,” says Melissa. “We tried a lot of the Asian restaurants here too and they’re good, but we wanted to open up a place where we wanted to eat every day.”
Edric, a chef whose résumé includes stints at Le Bernardin, Veritas and Cru, has little training in Chinese cooking — but plenty of fond memories about growing up in Chinatown.
“My mom was a great cook and my godparents, who also raised me, are Italian, so I would have Sunday gravy and cold cut sandwiches. I had these two great worlds and cultures,” he remembers. “While I’m not a Chinese chef per se, I still have those food memories. We all do.”
And making egg noodles, after all, isn’t too different from making pasta, says Edric, who was trained in French and Italian techniques.
Luckily, Melissa’s aunts and uncles have been running Chinese takeout joints in Orlando for years. Her dad is also a chef.
“My first job, at 14 years old, was working at a takeout restaurant,” says Melissa, who now runs front of house. “It’s come back full circle.”
The couple took a trip down South and Edric spent a week working with his in-laws in addition to doing research on his own.
Staying true to his culinary background, Edric continues to cook with classic French steel pans.
“If you give me a wok, I’m screwed, but give me six burners and an oven, I can basically do anything,” he laughs.
Brooklyn Wok Shop also sources ingredients from wellknown purveyors like Pino’s Prime Meats, a butcher shop located on Sullivan St.
“The reason I worked at a place was because the ingredients are great,” says Edric. “I feel like it always comes through in the flavor. It tastes more like you imagine it to be.”
“We want to elevate Chinese food so you’re not eating mystery meat and wondering where it came from,” adds Melissa. “A lot of people come in here and go, ‘Oh my God, I’m so glad your wontons are filled with meat.’”
The Hars are also having fun with the flavors of their childhood — Edric’s latest creation is the Sriracha-lada, an Asian spin on the Michelada.
Soon, Brooklyn Wok Shop will also debut a dim sum-inspired brunch menu and more cocktails, including a lychee white sangria.
“We don’t want to be too serious about food,” says Edric. “Is it authentic? Maybe not 100%. Is it good? It’s great.”
Brooklyn Wok Shop 182 N. 10th St., Williamsburg, (347) 889-7992.