Shelly-Ann Thompson, Freelance Writer
Owners of Dragon Heights Restaurant, husband and wife, Lisa and Peter Wong.
Dragon Heights Restaurant Chinese Cuisine
22 Northside Drive, Northside Plaza, Liguanea, St. Andrew
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.; Sunday 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Dishes: Roast Pork Sow Bow and Chicken Sow Bow available daily; Sunday specials of roast duck, crispy pork, roast pork, barbecue spare ribs; dim sum every Sunday.
Lunch box specials Monday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for $220 and $250 with fried rice .
Telephone: 977-1282/977-9025
WITH FOUR chefs on board, two working simultaneously, the food at Dragon Heights should be savoury.
The restaurant, formerly Sam Fo Bar-B-Que which was located at Southdale Plaza in St. Andrew, relocated to Northside Plaza in Liguanea six months ago.
Dragon Heights spans two floors with the dining area located on the top level. Even before tasting their food, on entering one gets the instant feeling that dining will be wonderful. Just through the doorways, there is a cascading waterfall fish tank. It is colourful with splashes of pink, blue and grey. The sound of the rushing water takes one's thoughts away. The dining room is located on the second floor -- the ascent only helps to builds the appetite.
The decor is pink tablecloths and napkins; and lanterns in pink trimmed with shades of red and blue dangle from above. There is also another fish tank -- a bit smaller and lacking the waterfall - and a well-stocked bar.
The restaurant is owned and managed by Lisa and Peter Wong, who are Chinese residents of Jamaica. The Wongs are not fluent in English, but their daughter Lindo Wong, who speaks the language, is very involved in the running of the restaurant.
"So far the business has been wonderful. People are slowly finding out about us and they are coming in," Lindo Wong said.
The menu at Dragon Heights consists of about 39 different dishes including Spicy Curry Beef, Pepper Steak, Mallah Chicken, Chicken Wings in Black Bean Sauce, Stewed Pork Ham Choy, Fried Stewed Fish Fillet in Black Bean Sauce and Vegetable Chow Mein. The restaurant is also growing in popularity for its sow bow ( like a flour dumpling filled with pork or chicken).
"I just love their sow bow; it melts in my mouth," said one customer, Elaine Dreyer.
"I won't tell you if Dragon Heights' food is delicious instead I'll allow my co-workers who tasted their dishes to do so."
COMMENTS FROM THE GLEANER STAFF WHO SAMPLED THE FOOD:
The sow bow is great. I love how the pastry just melts in my mouth, and biting into it was like an adventure that climaxed when I finally got to the meat.
It doesn't taste as though they cook with too much salt, like other Chinese restaurants tend to do.
The roast chicken doesn't taste as if it was roasted, but broiled in gravy to make it taste so. I was not impressed.
The sow bow is like a patty but the pastry is kind of sweet. It is an acquired taste.
The Mallah chicken is very nice. I like the fact that it is spicy without being too overbearing.
The roast chicken is delicious.
The sweet and sour chicken was very tasty. It was sweet and succulent.
It's the first in a long time that I have had Chinese food that is not too salty.
The sow bow is not meaty enough, too much pastry.
Overall, the flavour of the food is nice.
The sweet and sour chicken is nice. It is not salty, and not too sweet. Some restaurants make it too sweet.
