SONG wants you to know its ‘Chinese tapas’ are as authentic as it gets

Xingyu Huang and Sally Zhu’s latest restaurant is an intriguing culinary tour through China, with a dash of adventure and spice.

SONG on Lasalle Road in West Hartford opened in mid-August and features what its owners call “Chinese tapas” — a casual, affordable menu of small plates, dumplings, wontons, noodle dishes, fried rice and various soups, pulling from cultural and culinary influences across different regions of China. (The concept differs from dim sum, says manager Sophie Fu, which is often served from wheeled carts and usually highlights milder Cantonese flavors.)

The married couple also owns and operates the Shu restaurants in West Hartford’s Shield Street Plaza and in Fairfield on Post Road, with traditional Szechuan cuisine. Two years ago, they opened HAN in Hartford, offering an interactive hot-pot experience where guests cook their own meats, seafood and vegetables in a bubbling pot of soup base.

Through a translator, Huang explains that guests have responded well to SONG’s style of eating, as the small portions allow tables to order and try many dishes. The decision to come to a high-traffic area like West Hartford center, he says, was a “very wise choice,” as they’re able to expose their authentic Chinese flavors to a wide audience.

SONG’s interior decor is modern and polished, with wooden tabletops, hanging lanterns and other traditional Asian accents and pieces that Zhu collected during trips to China.

FEATURED/NOTEWORTHY DISHES: The menu offers dishes in several categories, with all items priced at $3 to $14. Dishes with heat, like those bearing the tingling peppercorn-influenced Szechuan spice, are designated in red font.

Among the most popular “cold dishes” are Mala bamboo shoots, slicked in spicy oil; edamame with pickled vegetables, flat tofu with pickled chili and braised beef in soy sauce. Warm small plates include a variety of housemade dumplings and wontons, like seven-flavor and Chengdu wontons and steamed and pan-fried pork dumplings, and a dish of soft bean curd with ground beef. Guests also love SONG’s scallion pancake, with crisp dough wrapped around thin slices of beef.

Steamed pork buns served in a bamboo steaming basket are constructed soup dumpling-style, releasing rich, warm broth once their dough skins are punctured. During a demonstration, Fu suggested placing the dumpling in a small bowl first to catch the broth.

Noodle dishes include Sichuan-style noodles with ground pork, classic fiery dan dan noodles and sweet potato noodles with braised pork intestines. As winter approaches, SONG’s soups will battle the chill, with varieties featuring chicken with pickled vegetables, seafood, braised beef and fried meat ball. Soups are large enough to share, and servers will bring extra bowls to help diners portion.

Yangzhou fried rice, with chicken, shrimp and sausage, is a best-seller, along with a rice cake dish with shredded pork and vegetables. SONG also offers lo mein in chicken, beef and vegetable preparations.

SONG offers beer and wine, and also allows customers to BYOB with a $10 corkage fee.

LOCATION AND HOURS: SONG is at 74 LaSalle Road in West Hartford. It’s open Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. 860-595-3099, songwesthartford.com.

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