It was on another occasion of an all day photoshoot in New Haven that a coworker and I decided to visit Chao Restaurant & Wine Bar. Because these monthly shoots offered a great chance to try new lunch spots, we hadn’t yet taken our lunch meal to Chao, a mere 300 feet from the office door.
Both of us had eaten there before and already knew well of its delicious and authentic Chinese food. The restaurant enjoys a good reputation for noodle and rice dishes, along with a cool, intimate vibe in the darker lower level. We decided to dine in the better-lit upstairs for lunch.
Chao also bills itself as a wine bar and had a choice selection of wines and spirits on display. I don’t know much about wine, but I am reassured by my companions that the selection is good.
As tends to happen on these busy days, the timing of our meal was a little off. We arrive at Chao to quickly realize we only have enough time for a selection of appetizers and dim sum instead of a much anticipated multi-course meal. The dim sum for two ($12) and appetizers of braised pork belly ($7) and salad ($6) will have to do for now.
Pork belly is one of those things that turned into a menu gimmick, a quick go-to that can easily get diners excited but winds up being little more than a fatty piece of thick-cut bacon. Then there are the times the belly is a sensuous experience, deeply tender with just enough give to be nibbled before dissolving away in a blur of rich Chinese five spice, Shaoxing wine and a hint of ginger.
Next up was salad, which, since I am not a rabbit, I tend to bypass. The greens were decorated in a light and crisp citrus dressing, which was plenty tasty.
The dim sum for two arrived in a bamboo steamer, including tempura fried shrimp, steamed vegetable dumpling, shrimp shumai, spring roll, and fried wonton filled with cream cheese and spinach, accompanied by a trio of usual Chinese condiments: duck sauce, spicy mustard and seasoned soy sauce. Our Western palates shone through, making the fried wontons the standout of the selection.
Time was up for our half-meal, but with the pork belly in mind my brain and stomach were crying out for more. My companions agreed that while the dim sum items were all right, they weren’t emblematic of how good the rest of the menu could be.
Wrapping up work a few hours later, it was time to finish what was started. At this point late between meals the restaurant was empty. I grabbed a book of sushi off the windowsill that had caught my eye earlier and sat at a small table. The call for more pork and five spice needed heeding, so it was the pork chop over rice ($10).
Unable to read the Japanese kana, I flipped through the book of sushi and gazed longingly at photos of otoro and uni alongside portraits of the great chef Jiro Ono. Hearing sizzling from the kitchen over the quietly playing Asian trip hop, I recalled my last great fried Chinese pork chop. Nothing could dissuade me.
I chipped away at the meal — a bite of crispy succulent pork, scoop of rice, a nibble of soy marinated egg. Sucking morsels from the bone, I wondered when we would make the 300-foot walk again.
Chao Restaurant & Wine Bar, 77 Whitney Ave., in New Haven, is open daily for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and for dinner 4 to 10 p.m. Information: chaorestaurantct.com and 203-745-2551.
