Each Friday, this list will track five of the best things Heavy Table’s writers, editors, and photographers have recently bitten or sipped. Have a suggestion for the Hot Five? Email editor@heavytable.com.
The Hot Five is a weekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm.
Peking Duck (Three Tastes) at Peking Garden
The menu at St. Paul’s Peking Garden is a monstrous, dazzling, multi-faceted affair, but we were guided on our recent Green Line Checklist visit toward a clear highlight: the Peking duck. For $31, you can have a whole duck prepared one of three ways: served with pancakes, greens, and hoisin (think moo shu); served as a stir fry over white rice; or served as a simple soup with greens. But for a mere $5 extra, you don’t have to choose — you can have your duck all three ways. Can and should. It turns a single enjoyable dish into a veritable feast. Although duck can be prepared in ways that render it overly fatty and / or cloyingly sweet, all of Peking Garden’s preparations are light and elegant.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from an Instagram post by James Norton]
Zingiber Cream Ale by Summit
It’s a testament to the brewing talent at St. Paul’s Summit that the company is 22 beers deep into its Unchained series and it’s still dishing out noteworthy surprises. The newly released Zingiber Cream Ale is an ale / lager hybrid with a touch of Hawaiian ginger. It’s crisp and refreshing up front with a malty, ginger-kicked sweetness on the back of each gulp. As the heat index climbs toward 100, this is a beer that’ll refresh without getting dull; conversely, it’s busy enough to be interesting without tasting overwhelming or overloaded.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]
Kimchi Jigae from Gogi Bros. House
The kimchi jigae from Gogi Bros. arrives at the table boiling hot — literally — and packs a spice-based heat as well. Pork and melty tofu are abundant in a chili-laced broth finished off with onions and some cooling rice.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Amy Rea]
Kimchi Ramen at Spoon and Stable
We don’t dine out late nearly often enough, it seems. Spoon and Stable’s kimchi ramen with chashu pork, spring onion, toasted nori, and a soft poached egg — an after 10:30 p.m., bar-and-lounge-only treat — hinted at a whole magical world of late-night treats that needs exploration. We found this to be one of the best ramens we’ve tried in town. The broth in particular had an almost saucelike richness and depth that made everything swimming within it taste a little bit better.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #1 | Submitted from an Instagram post by James Norton]
Pink Robot Kombucha by Prohibition Kombucha
Pink Robot is a kombucha brewed by Prohibition and sold on tap at nearly 20 locations. It’s cool, light, and refreshing without a hint of vinegar or funk and with a subtle taste almost like a flavored bubbly water.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Brenda Johnson]
How many does the duck 3 ways feed?
Depends upon appetite, but I’d say it’s a light meal for 2-3 unto itself.