June 8, 2013 – We did not know what to expect when we headed over to Dragon Village which is in the old China Hut space off of Webster Street. We were surprised and delighted by our experience. The restaurant is small and they do a big take-out business. There is a long table down the middle for bigger parties and family style sharing. We were lucky enough to be there on a night when the restaurant’s “unpaid mascot” Kenny G was hosting the evening. Kenny G has been coming to Dragon Village since it opened five years ago. On nights when his wife is not cooking at home he spends the evening at Dragon Village welcoming guests, assisting the servers, and providing tastings of fine Rosenblum wines (where he works at his day job). A whole section of the menu is devoted to “Kenny G’s Recommendations” so we had to try some.
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| Kenny G - The Dragon Village Mascot |
We had:
§ Kenny G’s Mo Po Style Tofu – Kenny G shared a dish that was not on the menu. Greta says, “I think it is absolutely amazing. It was super scrumptious. Silky smooth. It felt like a pillow.”
§ Kenny G’s Signature Dish - [Chicken white meat stir fried string beans and tofu in Kenny G’s special black bean sauce.] Vera says, “It is so, so, so, so, so, so, so good!”
§ Dried Braised String Beans – Greta is a vegetarian this week, so we wanted to get some dishes without meat. Our server helped us select this dish and came back to make sure that we knew that there were also string beans in the Kenny G special. She was very nice and helpful and made sure that we did not order anything that would be too spicy. Fred says, “These were some of the best braised string beans that I have had.”
§ Watermelon Juice – We ordered one glass, but our server gave us some extra. The taste was perfect not too sweet. Not too sour.
§ Hot and Sour Soup – We had a huge family-sized portion and it was really good, just the right amount of heat.
Compost Report – We noticed that Dragon Village has a green cart around back, but it did not appear to be in use. We gave Kenny G a “Miss Alameda Says Compost” brochure and told him about the free program for Alameda restaurants. He said that he was sure that the managers would be interested and he would talk to them about it. We will ask Miss Alameda to follow up with Kenny G, since all local food celebrities should work together to help our Alameda restaurants.
Greta says, “This is one of my favorite restaurants. Everybody is so nice here and they actually care about your meal and whether you enjoy it.” The restaurant has a nice family vibe. People share food, share wine and have fun. Portions are large, prices are reasonable, and food is delicious. And if you come on a night when Kenny G is there, you will have a really memorable experience.
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