By Ann Lemons
Photograph by Katherine Bish
Hot and sour soup is surely one of the first daring moves a reluctant diner makes in a Chinese restaurant. Seldom incendiary, it’s an exciting and easy-to-like step up from egg rolls or wonton soup.
Given the proliferation of fried rice emporiums, there must be close to a hundred spots dishing up hot and sour soup around town. We had visions of a gigantic factory somewhere in rural California turning out swimming pool-sized vats of it to be sold in bulk, the way frozen french fries are. Does it really differ from restaurant to restaurant or is it just our perceptions?
We visited four popular Chinese restaurants around town. If there’s a factory in California, none of our choices seems to be patronizing it. At four restaurants, we found four different soups.
Chinese Noodle Café
6138 Delmar
314-725-9889
Marked vegetarian on the menu, there was a distinct sweet note to this version, perhaps from onion and/or a bit of tomato, that provided a nice contrast to its heat. Lots of julienned things like bamboo shoots made for a dense soup.
Hunan Garden
11532 Page
314-432-7015
When it’s only a little warm, this soup is slightly sweet with a little smokiness. Brought up to a steaming hot serving temperature, the taste becomes far more complex, with a deep earthiness that hints of kitchen secrets with some kind of animal protein. Delicious, but not for the beginner.
Hunan Star
13239 Manchester
314-822-8750
Lots of vegetables and tofu in this one, including large slices of mushroom. A deep, dark brown, with the least pepper of any of the soups. Seemingly simple, yet satisfying when taken as a first course.
In Soo
8423 Olive
314-997-7473
Definitely the hottest of the lot, with items like baby spinach leaves and mushrooms. There’s definitely a hint of black pepper, as well as cayenne. A very complex, mouth-filling taste that’s made for big-flavor fans.
