See you at Sal Tang's Tonight!
Carroll Gardens gets a new Cantonese spot from Wilson Tang and Swoony's Sal Lamboglia and Giovanna Cucolo.
I’m very excited about the location of my apartment lately - I’m in Carroll Gardens, a few blocks from Swoony’s, a stone’s throw from Cafe Spaghetti, and now mere feet from Sal Tang’s, which opens today. If my landlord finds out about this culinary trifecta I’m afraid he’ll raise my rent. (Don’t tell him!)
Sal Tang’s is the third restaurant from chef Sal Lamboglia and managing partner Giovanna Cucolo, their first with restaurateur Wilson Tang, partner Vivian Chen, and chef Doron Wong. The restaurant replaces Vekslers, which was a fine little spot, but this promises to be something more exciting for sure, and it’s a nice way to spotlight for Wilson’s favorite Cantonese American dishes in a neighborhood starved for that region’s fare. (Untable has certainly upped our Thai game though.)
A big focus of the menu is Wilson’s signature dim sum, hits from his first baby, Nom Wah. As you may recall, Wilson helped revive his family’s historic Nom Wah Tea Parlor in Chinatown, and quickly became the city’s dim sum sweetheart. That relationship ended in what Grub Street described as a “blood feud” — but Tang still remains involved in the Nom Wah’s beyond the Doyers Street original, and he has begun consulting. He and chef Doron Wong also collaborated with John McDonald to open the fantastic Cha Cha Tang.
At Sal Tang’s his menu is an ode to classic Chinese American style fare, inspired by the restaurants that Tang and Lamboglia grew up on (both grew up in NYC), like Chinatown’s Wo Hop and Peking Duck House. There is a vast selection of dim sum: Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, Pork Soup Dumplings, and Chicken Cabbage Dumplings, alongside Crab Rangoon, Egg Rolls with Plum Sauce, and crispy fat Fried Wontons.
The are larger plates and flawless takeout favorites elevated to a different level – Black Pepper Beef & Broccoli, Crispy Orange Beef, Double Cooked Pork Belly, General Tso’s Chicken, Silken Shrimp, Golden Fried Rice, Lo Mein and Pearl Noodles.
The restaurant is at 521 Hicks Street, a corner spot that’s been stylishly restored with fire engine red awnings, a nice touch that brightens up that dusty stretch of the BQE. Sal brought in his go-to designer Matt Maddy to bring a classic old school Chinese American dining room to life in Brooklyn. The space has green and black vinyl floors, antique flower pots, burnished golden walls, a 10-seat bar wallpapered with flowers, serving a lychee martini a spritz, lots of bubbles, light wines and canned soda. Artwork from Tang’s previous Chinese restaurants hangs on the walls, creating a cozy lively space for big Cantonese dinners served seven days a week.
Of course you can expect more than just great design and delicious food here; there is that level of warmth and welcome that makes a Sal and Giovanna place so special. No matter that there are lines of folks waiting for a table; the welcome is warm and big – please have a drink, let us give you a call as soon as we can find a table, and a sweet recognition of a return guest that comes with true neighborhood restaurants—places that live for their community and create one too. Gather your people and get there.
Sal Tang’s is located at 521 Hicks Street. Book on Resy.
Yaaay so excited!!