BRAISED BEEF PANCAKE ROLL.
Scallion pancake roll, chilled beef, hoisin sauce.
PHOTO: Christopher Hodson.

I’ve got to guess and hypothesize that every single culture and region around the world, even in the most remote corners of it all have a dish, or something they eat that is centered around two things, beef and onions. It’s a classic pairing that will always stand the test of time. The French have their soup, the Italians have ‘alla Genovese,’ Latin America has Bistec Encebollado, Australians have minced meat pies, and Americans have burgers, just to name a few without having to think too hard. With these two ingredients as the base, the possibilities are basically limitless in what you can create.

In West Hartford on Lasalle Road Song Restaurant, a sister restaurant to Shu just a short drive away, has just such a dish on their menu that is centered around these two ingredients. The ‘Braised Beef Pancake Roll’ is one of my must have plates whenever I eat here. It begins with a light and flaky scallion cake which even eaten alone is a favorite of mine. If you’ve never had one, you must try. ADONG Supermarket has packages of them in the freezer section and they are super easy to re-heat and eat at home. I always have a package or two in my freezer as a go-to snack that I usually dip into hummus with some chili-crisp on top.

Perhaps my favorite part about this dish, aside from its flavors obviously, is its presentation and the way it’s meant to be eaten. Once the scallion cake is warm, a sweet hoisin sauce is delicately applied before adding thinly sliced chilled beef and then everything gets rolled up tightly. It’s sliced into rolls and served on a plate resembling that of a sushi roll. I jokingly like to call it the ‘carnivore roll’ whenever it gets dropped off at my table. While the scallion cake is warm and flaky, the beef inside is served chilled, a welcoming contrast on the palate. The hoisin sauce is the finishing accompaniment that brings it all together for a truly sublime bite. If you find yourself walking past this place, stop in and order this along with the soup dumplings and Chengdu dumplings. I hope you’ll thank me later.