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Lisa Kampeter, Fearless Leader of the Dining Divas
The Dining Divas: Wang Gang in Edwardsville
Dining Divas Try Out Asian-Inspired
Restaurant in Edwardsville, Ill.
A couple months ago, a fellow Dining Diva and I were out in Edwardsville, and we forego our planned lunch at Bella Milano and their delicious Milano salad to try Wang Gang, an Asian restaurant in the same plaza. She was shocked that I agreed to it as I’m not the biggest fan of Chinese food. We were there during the holiday season, and I really loved the décor, and I was equally surprised that I liked the food too.
The Dining Divas don’t get to the Illinois side too often, so we decided to bring the group there last month. We were excited to have a Visiting Diva joining us again. In from South Carolina, the River Road Diva’s sister was happy to be with the group again as she had this time last year too. Already a beautiful lady inside and out, this time she came back 20 pounds lighter.
The “Whole 30” program paid off for her and her husband. She was an inspiration to a couple Dieting Divas. The Almost-40 Diva had just returned from a celebratory trip to Jamaica with her non-sand-and-sun-loving husband, but he came back a fan, at least of Jamaica. We’d never heard of “sand socks” until she shared a picture of him wearing them, and it was quite a treat to see.
Not sure why we started talking about collagen but it seems many of us are fans of the “hair, skin, and nails” products out there. And we talked about the collection of feminine hygiene products we made to support women at the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County. We plan to collect more next month.
It was entertaining when we talked about the name of the restaurant, Wang Gang. Or Wang Chung. Or Vera Wang. We were consistently inconsistent with the name all night. We’d had a little snow at the time, so it was appropriate to start the night off with the “Snow Day,” a cocktail consisting of salted caramel vodka, bourbon cream, crème de cocoa, and toasted marshmallow syrup. Delish! And it was half price so that made it better. The recipe has been saved for the future.
As usual, we tried several appetizers. The Chicken Satay with the peanut sauce was flavorful, but there wasn’t much to them. The Crispy Twice Baked Potato Wontons were good, even to the Picky Diva. Several of us enjoyed the hibachi-style pork Potstickers, but they were pan-fried and many prefer them steamed.
The Warm Rangoon Dip was too fishy for the one Diva who ordered it. As for our meals., the Shrimp Lo Mein and Pork Lo Mein were great choices for a couple Divas and safe choices if you’re not very adventurous when ordering Asian food. The Thai Spiced Peanut Stir Fry had good flavor with a little heat and some sweetness that comes from a coconut peanut sauce. A couple Divas really enjoyed it.
The Signature Poke Bowl was a wise choice for the Dieting Diva, and although delicious with lots of vegetables, she wished there was less rice and more of the really good stuff. The Moo Goo Gai Pan with Chicken was served with just a touch of sweetness which made it just right. And if you prefer a lighter dinner, the Asian Chopped Salad is a good choice.
Of course, we had to try dessert. Like the Polynesian Pineapple Bites with chunks of pineapple rolled in cinnamon and sugar and flash fried. And the Cookie Dough Spring Rolls, with cookie dough, a marshmallow filling, and ice cream.
Our Dining Divas outings are always enjoyable but several Divas commented how much fun this night was. We loved the atmosphere at the restaurant, and the food was good, but the company was really what made it amazing. More amazing than usual. Which makes us more grateful for this group. Now how do we top this?
