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Attorney General William Tong may be the top legal officer in the state, but he’s also a foodie with a culinary background.
Tong, the state’s first Asian American elected to statewide office, attended schools in West Hartford. But while not in the classroom, he was often inside his parents’ Chinese restaurant helping in the back kitchen.
“I grew up in a Chinese restaurant,” Tong said. “My parents started with a small takeout joint in Hartford called the Town Sun Kitchen and then they owned the Sam Pan restaurant. So I grew up working side by side with my parents and learned to cook there. I could probably still in a pinch if I had to cook most things on a standard Chinese menu. It’s a big part of who I am and how I grew up.”
Tong, who credits his parents’ hard work ethic for his own successes, said that the restaurant industry is tough since hours can be long and profits slim.
“I greatly appreciate how hard it is for people who work and run restaurants. I mean it’s a tough business and that’s a huge understatement. That’s why I so appreciate what they do for all of us. It’s such an essential service. Where would we be without restaurants and grocery stores?” Tong said.
Tong is the 25th attorney general to serve Connecticut since the office was established in 1897. When he first took office in 2019 he became the first Chinese American attorney general nationwide.
Since being elected, he has posted about his culinary adventures through “Tong’s Tastings,” in which he shares meals at various restaurants across the state on his social media. The idea, he said, is to sample some great food on the road while spotlighting local businesses.
“As a constitutional officer, I’m all over the state, and I get pretty hungry,” Tong said. “I love finding the local gem. Like what’s the place that not everyone knows about, but that’s the spot to be? I want to know about that place.”
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, observed in May, celebrates the stories and culture of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, including food. Tong said there is no better way to celebrate than by visiting local AAPI restaurants to support local businesses, learn about the culture through food, and enjoy a good meal.
The Courant asked Tong for some recommendations to try in celebration of the culture and heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Tong’s Top Picks
This Stamford-based restaurant serves authentic Chinese cuisine from renowned Chef Peter Chang. Chang and his family arrived in the United States in 2001, and was chef at Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. cooking for then-Vice President Hu Jintao. One morning in 2003, just days before they were set to return to China, the Chang family left the embassy with plans to settle in the United States, according to his biography.
After years on the run from immigration officials, he worked in several restaurants, until opening his first Peter Chang’s China Grill in Charlottesville. Other restaurant locations have followed in Richmond, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Arlington, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach and Rockville, Maryland. The Stamford location opened in 2018, according to its website.
“They are very authentic Chinese restaurants, mostly northern cuisine,” Tong said. “You’ll get a smattering of things like soup dumplings from Shanghai or a peking duck from Beijing. This is our go to place at home right now. Very delicious food.”
With three locations in West Hartford, Fairfield and a SHU Express in Avon, Shu Restaurant specializes in Szechuan cuisine which is a style of Chinese cooking that is spicy, highly fragrant with citrus oils and peppery to induce flavor. Some seasonal offerings include spicy flavored jelly noodle dressed with scallions, ginger, garlic, celery and cilantro and sweet and sour pork ribs.
“My go-to place in the Hartford area, it’s right next to the A Dong supermarket, which is a really popular Asian market,” Tong said. “It’s got really good authentic cuisine. Definitely a must-try if in the area.”
Golden Palace & Oriental Bar and Grill
Both family-owned restaurants located in Montville near Mohegan Sun specialize in Dim sum or small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants. Among the more popular offerings include shrimp dumplings and house-roasted duck.
“At both of these places you get a very authentic dim sum on the weekend for brunch and they both have great atmospheres as well,” Tong said. “They are great places to go visit if you’re in the eastern part of the state.”
This New Haven-based restaurant specializes in authentic Japanese sushi. Shaped by the restaurant scene of New York City, Chef Sunny Cheng leads the kitchen in Otaru, according to the website. Cheng has over 20 years of experience as a sushi chef and worked in distinguished sushi restaurants in NYC such as Morimoto, Nobu, and O Ya.
“It’s an unassuming place, but they have an amazing tasting menu,” Tong said. “It’s some of the best sushi you can get in the area.”
Specializing in a variety of Asian cuisine, Mama Chow is located in Southport near the Long Island Sound. The menu consists of authentic Asian “hawker” fare. A hawker center is an open-air complex in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong housing many stalls that sell a variety of inexpensive food. Mama Chow’s offers a variety of Asian favorites from noodle soups to small plates with origins in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and China, according to the website.
“Mama Chow is simply amazing. What was a revelation to me is how they cook their edamame. You sometimes get edamame at a sushi restaurant as an appetizer. It’s often just steamed edamame soybeans. But what Mama Chow does is stir fry the edamame with garlic and black bean sauce. It’s super savory and tasty. I highly recommend their edamame.”
Tong said some of his other favorites include Panda Garden in Stamford, Korean-inspired Ginger’s Seoul Bar & Grill in Stamford, authentic Vietnamese Pho Boston in West Hartford and Hashi Sushi in New Caanan.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com