November 7, 2006
Mad About Mumbo
If anyone asked us about D.C.’s signature dish, of course we’d say wings with mumbo sauce. If they asked where to get it, we’d send them to Howard China.
This teeny carryout is a favorite of Howard students, and it was a friend from Howard who introduced us to it when we visited him as undergrads. He walked us across Georgia Avenue at two in the morning and ordered us the same thing we order to this day: “Three-piece with mumbo sauce please – and sauce on the fries.” Getting full for $3 was a college student’s dream.
Not much has changed at Howard China since then. We suspect the same shrink-wrapped bottles of Mystic have been displayed behind the glass since 1995. Borf has been there. So has Nore, who crossed out Borf’s name when he tagged the peeling, wood-paneled trashcan. There are a couple of cruddy booths, but we’d never be able to eat in peace with the door propped open and the constant commotion. Plus, come nightfall, this place emits some kind of reverse bat signal that summons the sketchiest of characters.
But we don’t need ambience as long as the mumbo sauce is exactly the way we remember – and it is. The makeup of mumbo has always been a well guarded secret. It’s not straight-up sweet-and-sour sauce, as a rival Georgia Avenue carryout seems to think. (Frauds!) It’s also different than barbecue sauce poured over fried wings, a là Harold’s of Chicago, though legend has it mumbo originated in the Windy City. There’s no official governing committee to certify it, but we think true mumbo should be both sweet and savory with a hint of zest. It should be sticky, not watery, and fall squarely between barbecue and sweet-and-sour on the sauce spectrum.
Today, as always, our chicken was fried to order. A rubber band corralled the wings threatening to burst from the Styrofoam. We checked that our crinkle-cut fries were sufficiently doused in sticky, marmalade-hued sauce and dug right in. (Mumboed fries don’t stay crisp for long.) Then it was on to the lightly battered wings. After the first one, we found ourselves torn between licking the sauce off our fingers and pushing on to the next wing. We choose the fingers. Wing number two would have to wait its turn.
Strangely, we’ve never ordered Howard China’s Chinese food. But the woks are always busy -- we like to watch the cooks through the glass -- so perhaps it’s decent. Or maybe the term “decent” is relative if you’re a starving college student. As for our mumbo search, we’ve tried Yum’s and other places, but every time we stray from Howard China, we just end up disappointed.
Howard China
2827 Georgia Ave NW
(202) 332-9461
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I always thought it was more of a gelatinous ketchup looking stuff with a little sweet n' sour tang, at least at the chinese american takeouts with bulletproof glass that I frequent. I've also seen it spelled "mumble sauce" at finer establishments.
General Tso's chicken is also uniquely Washington, DC.... just try fidning it anywhere else in the nation - or in the world, for that matter.
While it's not necessarily, ahem, authentic or Chinese, General Tso's (spelled variously) has been available in pretty much every chinese restaurant at which I've ever eaten, up and down the east coast, at least.
I'll have to try Howard China.
BC Said
"General Tso's chicken is also uniquely Washington, DC.... just try fidning it anywhere else in the nation - or in the world, for that matter."
I beg to differ. I found General Tso's at a small Chinese joint in Madrid near Arguelles Metro stop. And I think it's pretty absurd to say that General Tso's is a uniquely DC thing. I think you're forgetting that a four hour's drive up the interstate is one of the culinary capitals of the world. With the exception of a soggy half smoke, please, tell me what can't be found in NY?!!!
Besides...the best grub in the Shaw/U Street Area is at the Teriyaki sub shop near DC9. That place is the spot. Order the Spicy Chicken Teriyaki.
re: General Tso's--I've even had it in midwestern US university dining halls! It's definitely not a DC-only thing.
Dude are you kidding? Get out of your bubble. I haven't found a Chinese restaurant in the country that doesn't have it on the menu.
K said:
"Besides...the best grub in the Shaw/U Street Area is at the Teriyaki sub shop near DC9. That place is the spot. Order the Spicy Chicken Teriyaki."
DAN THE MAN'S Teriyaki and Subs! The teriyaki actually is that good, but stay away from the Yaki Soba. Huge portion, but the vegetables they put in it are all pre-fab and kinda gross.
"Or maybe the term “decent” is relative if you’re a starving college student"
Maybe, but there's not exactly a lot of eating choices aside from Howard China and Cluck U in that area, unless one wants to go down the hill toward U.
The good gereral's chicken can also be found in SF- pretty much anywhere USA, actually.
There's also a Five Guys practically right next to the Cluck U in the Howard U neighborhood.
Wow all of you missed that one by a mile.
I do believe BC was using a rhetorical device called "sarcasm" to make the argument that wings are hardly a 'signature dish'.
Thank you Politburo. sheesh, people.
As an upstate NY chauvinist, I find the wings at Stetson's surprisingly credible, FYI.
Politburo said, "I do believe BC was using a rhetorical device called "sarcasm" to make the argument that wings are hardly a 'signature dish'."
I believe he's also making the argument that wings with mumbo sauce is no different than General Tso's chicken. (Insert own opinions here). To each his own.
Regardless, mumbo sauce is definitely a D.C. thing, and I'm not really sure what else besides half-smokes might qualify as our "signature."
I assume that you really mean a Western New York chauvinist. Upstate New York could mean CNY or even Albany (or anywhere above the Upper East Side if you're from Manhattan) and nobody should be getting chauvinistic over Albany wings.
Go Sabres.
NY Times was drooling last week over the first Ethiopian joint in lower Manhatten. We have enough places that we can even bitch about the good ones. No love for Ethiopian as DC cuisine? Not unique to DC, but no General Tso either.
"...I'm not really sure what else besides half-smokes might qualify as our "signature.""
The places that sell mumbo sauce are interesting on their own; They're usually not owned by the same people but they all have the same characteristics almost to the point of being a franchise- they always sell "Chinese American Food" which is always decribed as "Chicken - Subs - Chinese Food" on the glass window, they always have bulletproof glass, almost always have an Americanized nickname (Danny's, Sammy's, etc...), the video games are broken, and the food always sucks. Except the potato teasers.
I seem to remember a DCist article not too far back that spoke about half smokes and "big fish sandwiches" (from somewhere on H) being District-bred delicacies.
General Tso's chicken is in fact everywhere, albeit not under the same name. In Boston it's alsmost universally listed on the menu as General Gau's Chicken. It's like the Asian version of the sub/hero/hoagie/grinder/po'boy debate.
FaFu: 5 Guys is down the hill (toward U) from Cluck U. It's in the HU shopping center.
DC has the largest ethiopian population outside of ethiopia- i think its valid to say that good ethiopian restaurants are a dc thing...
If BC was using sarcasm, (s)he needs to make it a little more obvious. I was one of the thousands that 'missed' it, although I'm not sure there was anything to miss.
Dammit - now I want mumbo wings. Too bad about tha whole live-in-Atlanta bit. How well do you think they'd FedEx???
I miss my Mumbo Sauce, got some last year when my boyfriend went home, but now you cant bring liquids through airport security, that sucks!! The chinese resturants here are so hush hush about it, or they really dont know what it is, or could just be a language barrier.
You are crazy to think General Tso's chicken is unique to DC. I had General Tso's chicken while visiting Hawaii, Guam, and Japan. Yes, they have General Tso's chicken in Japan.
Leo's has the best Mumbo Sauce in the DC area. I live in the VA suburbs and never heard of Mumbo Sauce until I was introduced to Leo's. Leo's is located 7 N Street, SW. But call ahead 202 554-5367.