Review: This restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio makes fantastic food

Taiwanese braised pork over rice and chili chickenPhoto bythe author

CLEVELAND, OH - Wen's Kitchen is a restaurant that is fairly new to the city's Asiatown neighborhood. It opened for business last year at 3030 Superior Ave, the small plaza that also contains Ha Ahn and Superior Pho. Since opening, the restaurant has garnered a reputation for offering delicious and authentic Chinese cuisine, and several of my friends have given Wen's rave reviews.

The other week, I visited the restaurant for the first time, and I'm glad to say that Wen's Kitchen is more than deserving of the rave reviews.

Though the humble restaurant kind of gave hole-in-the-wall vibes, it was clean and had beautiful embossed menus that wouldn't be out of place at a fancier restaurant. For lunch, my friends and I ordered 4 dishes: chili chicken ($9.95), braised eggplant ($13.99), cumin lamb ($21.95), and Taiwanese braised pork rice ($11.99).

Each and every single thing was delicious.

The chili chicken was served at a cold temperature, though it packed a little heat spice-wise. The dish was surprisingly refreshing and not-so surprisingly tasty. The chicken was tender and served with fried peanuts that were also a delight to the taste-buds.

Braised eggplantPhoto bythe author

When the braised eggplant arrived, my eyes were wowed by the stunning shade of purple, and my mouth was amazed by how good it tasted. It was braised in a flavorful sauce that was great on our steamed rice and cooked to ooey gooey perfection. I don't vibe with the soft and gooey texture of okra, but for some reason, I very much vibe with the soft and gooey texture of eggplant.

Cumin lambPhoto bythe author

The cumin lamb was even better. Each piece of lamb was tender and juicy (no overcooked, dry lamb here!), and the dish came with vegetables like red peppers, green peppers, onions, and a plethora of dried chili peppers. I accidentally put one of the dried chili peppers in my mouth, and it was spicy. But the cumin lamb was delicious, and I would be more than happy to order it again (though I might tell them to go easy on the chili peppers).

Best of all, however, was the Taiwanese pork braised rice. Braised in a savory and flavorful sauce, the pork was wonderfully fatty and melted in my mouth. The dish also came with fluffy white rice (which was heavenly when soaked in the sauce), a soy sauce egg, and some bok choy.

By the end of our meal, my friends and I were happily full. In addition to excellent food, we received excellent, friendly service.

If you want to check out the restaurant for yourself, you can find it at 3030 Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114.