Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen, just a regular Chinese restaurant?

Comparing Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen to Red Orchid or other Chinese establishments in town is easy for me to do. I've read articles and reviews of people saying that Lee Lee's is nothing special. I could not disagree more.

Walking into the restaurant itself is enough to set it apart on looks alone. The decor is beautiful and the atmosphere lively. Once you have some of their dishes I don't know how someone could call it "more expensive Chinese American food". Lee Lee's is authentic and it is very apparent that they are utilizing high quality ingredients, which are skillfully crafted and were thoughtfully put together. Their drink menu is nothing to overlook, either.

I thoroughly enjoy Lee Lee's. Actually, that's probably an understatement. I seem to find myself eating it every Sunday. It has become quite the Sunday night ritual. Whether its eating in or taking out, I enjoy it every time. Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen opened early this year by way of Karalee Nielsen Fallert (remember Park Cafe?). She reconnected with an old friend, Chef Lily Lei and they came up with the concept together- thank goodness!

Again, it is in the neighborhood of Wagener Terrace which makes me happy. In addition, if you haven't noticed I love the Asian cuisine. It has the Chinese classics that everyone loves but they are always creating specials and actually just made some menu additions! I haven't had anything I didn't like here but there are definitely some stand-outs that I cannot stop ordering.

Check them out on Instagram for weekly specials and updates. Or don't because you'll want to go in all the time.


Favorite Starters

The Sichuan dumplings - these are my absolute favorite. They've got some kick and are steamed, not fried. The Sichuan sauce is to die for. I think these are perfect <3

Scallion pancakes, chicken lettuce wraps and the crab rangoons (made with real crab) are delicious as well....if you can stop ordering the Sichuan dumplings.


Favorite Entrees 
(listed in order)

Singapore Noodle

1. Singapore Noodle- rice noodles, pork, shrimp, and vegetables in a yellow curry sauce- its seriously perfect.


2. Hong Sho Ro- pork belly in a 5 spice sauce. A delicious specialty!

3. Salt and Pepper Chicken- I've never had anything like it. Its fried chicken - the breading is deliciously peppery- with onions and peppers. The seasoning is SO good.

Pan fried pork dumplings & Salt and pepper chicken

4. Mu Shu Pork- This is a past time favorite of mine. Whenever my family would order Chinese, this was always something we ordered. Lee Lee's does a great job with it (pork & vegetables with pancakes and hoisin sauce) but its what you expect. Nothing over the top, I just love this dish and it brings back memories.

Mu Shu Pork

The Bok Choy in a sesame garlic sauce is a favorite of the Veggies- a delicious side to any dish. I absolutely love bok choy and they do a great job of cooking it perfectly.







These are my absolute favorites. I have tried most of the menu and with choosing from this list, I can promise you won't be disappointed! Go check out Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen today. I think this restaurant has a lot to offer. Decide for yourself and let me know what you think!

The Park Cafe

The Park Cafe is a neighborhood cafe right across from Hampton Park that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch on the weekends. Prior to its opening,  Moe's Crosstown and Rutledge Cab Company were the only restaurants in the neighborhood. Once the concept behind the restaurant was released people in Wagener Terrace were really excited to welcome the cafe. Will and I bought a house in Wagener Terrace about 18 months ago so we definitely shared in the excitement. Now we would have three great places within walking distance! Karalee Nielsen Fallert has the reputation to promise and back the rumors that it was going to be a tasty spot. Once it opened we immediately headed over for breakfast. 

I got the shirred farm eggs dish with crab which I could describe as a creamy mixture of deliciousness (it is only offered for brunch now). 

Will got (and consistently still orders) the fried egg sandwich. Its a breakfast sandwich of a fried egg, cheddar cheese, spicy mayo, bacon and a healthy portion of avocado served on a brioche bun- comes with a half of a grapefruit, too. Its delicious and he is hooked.

We've been for breakfast many times now. One of my favorites is the avocado toast. They are not stingy with their avocados and I appreciate it! It has red pepper flakes, chives, olive oil and lemon juice drizzled on top. YUM!

For breakfast, I've also had the veggie mess (not pictured) which is scrambled eggs with vegetable curry, white cheddar cheese and avocado- fantastic! Brings me right back to Asia.  There are several different toasts I have on my eye to try in the future as well....if I can stop ordering the avacado toast.

For our first dinner experience, we were rather disappointed. (To note, neither of the items we had are on the menu any longer.) Everything was very bland. The experience at dinner left a bad taste in our mouth and we did not go back for awhile. 

There was an awesome article written in The City Paper that I came across where the author raved about their recent dinner experience and Chef John Amato. I knew I had to go back- and I am glad I did. 

We started with a salad special, which was sort of like a cobb salad with a green goddess dressing. It was fabulous. The vegetables were so fresh and the dressing was the perfect compliment to the flavors. Oh and it had pickled onions on it, which added a unique aspect and a ton of flavor. Nothing was overpowering the vegetables, which I believe should shine in a salad. Simple and delicious- which is what they do best.

For the main course, I ordered a special: Asian Pasta. It was delectable. The shrimp were a great size, perfectly cooked and there was a generous amount of them. The flavors were refreshing and there was the perfect amount of heat in the dish. It was similar to Pad Thai, but it was a pasta dish and I appreciated their version. 

Will ordered the marinated butchers steak with potatoes, rapini and bordelaise. This was a really hearty meal that is perfect for the cold weather. Delicious!

Close up!

Lastly, I had also heard about Park Cafe having a good happy hour. My friends, Ashley, Kathleen and I came on a week night and really enjoyed ourselves. It was so nice to sit on the porch, enjoy the weather, good food and great company. It's a great spot to just hang out for awhile as The Park Cafe has a laid back, inviting atmosphere. 

We ordered the roasted cauliflower, cheese n' crackers, field pea hummus, lettuce wraps and the pickle plate to share. Everything was delicious and I would order everything we had again. They have happy hour drink specials as well. The prices for happy hour are a steal!

After the many different times I have been to Park Cafe, I would definitely recommend it to you. We had one bad experience with the food but it was close to when they first opened up. A lot has changed since then. Its a great spot to hang out at with friends as well as enjoy a date night. They even have a "grab and go" section that you can pop in on and head over to Hampton Park with. 

My favorite time to go to Park Cafe is for breakfast and happy hour. Dinner was good, but it was a little on the pricier side. The only meal I have not had there is brunch, but I guarantee I will make a trip in the future to check it out- and so should you! I am so thankful Karalee opened up this neighborhood cafe. Will and I went this past Saturday morning and so many people were biking and walking from home to enjoy some good food. It makes me happy :)