The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Photograph by Skye Dunlap Scott Wang, son of chef Yung Wang, said his father will prepare any dish the way the customer likes it at the newly opened Four Seasons Restaurant. Get fired up with Four Seasons' flaming pao pao By Pam Marino The quest for culinary success propelled chef Yung Wang from China to South Korea, and finally to the United States. Once here, he and his family opened a Chinese restaurant in Sacramento that received positive attention, but recently they decided they would find even more success in Silicon Valley. Last month the Wang family opened the doors to the Four Seasons Restaurant on De Anza Boulevard, tucked in the rear of the Nob Hill shopping center. The restaurant serves Mandarin, Szechwan Peking cuisine, or Chinese-Korean dishes, and son Scott Wang said his father will prepare anything the way customers want it. The restaurant is striving to reach out to both an Asian and a non-Asian clientele. For instance, the Four Seasons has a wide variety of seafood, including sea cucumbers. "Koreans and Chinese people love them," he said. Non-Asian customers are less enthusiastic, but that's why the restaurant has so many choices. In fact, he said there are so many dishes his father can make, he couldn't fit them on one menu. Wang said the restaurant features many house specialties. "I strongly recommend that people order the hand-pulled noodles," he said. One favorite is chicken chow mein served with the fresh noodles made on the premises. Another dish he said he tells customers to try is an appetizer of shrimp dumplings. The family makes its own won ton-type wrappers, puts shrimp in them and cooks them in boiling water. Besides being delicious, they are "excellent for health" since no oil is used. Another dish on the list of appetizers is the "Flaming Pao Pao Platter" for two. The platter has an array of appetizers, with Peking beefsteak flaming in the center when it comes to the table. Still another chef Wang creation is the sweet and sour beef "house style," which uses a clear sweet and sour sauce he developed. One item that is gaining in popularity is the restaurant's own chicken salad. Wang said it is slightly different: The Four Seasons uses lettuce, chicken breast meat that has been slightly deep fried, crunchy noodles and a special sauce. Besides having sections for appetizers, soups, rice, noodles and a long list of meat, poultry, seafood and vegetarian entrees, the menu also has dessert and cold-plate sections. The cold plates feature marinated items like chicken, beef, pork and seafood. The restaurant has lunch specials every weekday, and like the dinner menu, there are a lot of choices, not just a few dishes. Prices start at $4.75 for vegetable dishes and go up to $6.95, with most meat dishes falling in the $5 range. The specials come with soup, salad, and fried or steamed rice. Dinner prices for entrees start at around $6.25 and go up, depending on the items. The Four Seasons Restaurant is at 1163 S. De Anza Boulevard, San Jose. The phone number is 255-1220. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays. [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 10, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.