Review

FOOD

Kung Fu Brothers Noodles and Dumplings is one of southeast Michigan’s best new restaurants.

TOM PERKINS

On the day of my first trip to ung u rothers umplings and oodles, I was reminded of the absurdity of the national food media. As I raved to friends about the hand pulled noodles, soup dumplings, and “Chinese burritos” that ung u rothers does in Westland, The New York Times published its list of “ 0 places in America we’re most e cited about right now,” which included reya, an upscale eatery in etroit’s ilwaukee unction neighborhood. o disrespect to reya it deserves the accolade, and I wrote a glowing review of it but the Times list was another reminder that the food world is geared toward the well connected. The chefs at ung u are dropping bombs, but national institutions like The New York Times and the ames eard oundation are unlikely to point their attention toward a nondescript strip mall in a place like Westland, ichigan.

It’s a bit of an in ustice because this is undoubtedly one of if not the best new restaurants in etroit. To be fair to the Times, ung u rothers opened uietly, and no one in the local food media beyond an Instagram influencer seemed to notice.

I’m also partial to Chinese noodles, which belong in the pantheon of the world’s food genres, and in metro etroit, there’s a bit of a dearth. Among the only other spots in town to get them is ung u’s owners’ other restaurant, ung u oodle ouse, in adison eights. Though it’s a bit of a sister restaurant situation, the menus are uite different, and my allegiance goes to ung u rothers, if I have to choose.

Perhaps the best bites were in the ei ing classic fried sauce noodle, built off a minced, fried pork bathed in a dark, sweet, viscous yellow bean paste with a deep umami component and plenty of ginger and garlic. ushrooms, bean sprouts, carrot, and cucumber are in the mi , but it’s the fresh, thin, long, springy wonton noodles that drive it home.

The hot pepper oil noodle is the spot to go if you want a bit more spice. It’s not hot in a “ ust bit into a habanero” way, but there’s plenty of chili in the chili oil, tons of garlic, and my mouth seemed to tingle ust a bit from ichuan peppercorns. It’s intense in its heat, but in the best kind of way, and the oil also offers hints of ginger and sesame. The menu said it came with wide, flat, hand ripped noodles, but ours arrived with what I believe to be lo mein, which was no problem. ung u does them right, and the dish is rounded out with long shreds of cucumber, carrot, bean sprout, and cabbage that provide cooling and crunchy components.

The “mild” in the ichuan mild spicy noodle soup could be open for debate as the definition of “hot” or “spicy” is, of course, sub ective, but this is, to my palette, an accurate description despite the glistening dots of deep red chili oil in the rich broth that suggest otherwise. ung u makes an eight hour beef and chicken bone broth, and it’s got plenty of depth. It’s filled with long, thin wonton noodles, peanuts, corn, bok choy, green onion, and crumbles of salty pork.

It’s hard to pass up a menu option like the “Chinese burrito” with a flaky pancake shell that’s slightly chewy while crisp on the e terior, and wrapped around thin sliced beef not unlike a lunchmeat with cucumber, carrot, and cilantro, almost giving it a banh mi uality. ut it’s also filled with sweet, dark sauce like hoisin and is clearly Chinese. A similar shell in the beef pancake holds bursts of broth with a fragrant, super flavorful beef patty that tastes like it was marinated with my best guess here soy, black vinegar, garlic, green onion, and Chinese spice. The noodle casing in the soup dumplings and pan fried dumplings are done to perfection.

The restaurant is small and simple with a handful of tables and fairly uick service, and offers a range of e cellent bubble teas. It was uiet, with ust a few other diners during each trip, but that’s likely going to change soon as word gets out.

New noodz

By Tom Perkins

Kung Fu Brothers Noodles and Dumplings

35624 Warren Rd., Westland 734-725-3177 kungfubrosdumplings.com

Wheelchair accessible