February 9, 2008
Wanchai Ferry Kung Pao Chicken Dinner Kit
A few months ago, I happened to notice some products on the shelf of my local supermarket, low on the shelf in the Chinese food section. It must have been the “sale” sign on them that caught my eye. They were Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kits, in Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Spicy Garlic Chicken, and Cashew Chicken varieties. I was looking for something new to try for dinner and the price was right, so I bought one of each. Since then, they have become a staple in our pantry. Of the four varieties, the best tasting is Kung Pao Chicken. All it takes is about 20 minutes, one pound of chicken breast, some oil, and some water. Using the ingredients included in the kit, you get a delicious dinner that will serve two to four people. Preparation is so easy that anyone should be able to do it. I don’t doubt that many people would say that the food is not “authentic” enough, and this is probably true. However, it’s far better than the last Chinese take-out I had. And, I get the satisfaction that I cooked dinner (even if did come from a box).
Phoood rating: 
I'll have to check that out...
Posted by: Jeremy Hobbs at February 13, 2008 12:37 PMHow much did this cost? Is the chicken fried before you put the sauce on it?
Posted by: Red Icculus at February 18, 2008 3:01 AMAll the varieties look good, but I'm used to rice cooker rice. Any hints on making good boil in the bag rice?
Posted by: Mollyc at February 23, 2008 7:22 PMmy local big lots currently has these in stock.
Posted by: beauty badass at March 11, 2008 2:38 PMI didn't think it was good enough for the price I paid.
It was good, but $4.49 for the box plus another $7.42 for the chicken?
Not worth it in my opinion.
I tried the Kung Pao chicken and the Orange Chicken and thought they were very tasty. I used the "Bakers and Chefs" canned chicken from Sam's Club to save money and it was still quite good.
FYI... Walmart sells the meal kits for only $3.88.
Not bad for a dinner kit, but for a little more effort you can have a really good version of Kung Pao Chicken using Fuschia Dunlop's recipe for 'Gong Bao Ji Ding'. The flavors are a wonderful balance of sweet, sour, hot and numbing. It's the best Kung Pao Chicken recipe I've found. If you're interested, there is also an audio segment of a reporter making the dish on NPR -- 'Savoring The Spice In Kung Pao Chicken' by Melissa Block. The recipe is found with the audio segment.
Probably the most effort will be in getting the ingredients, as a variety of the ingredients won't be available in your local supermarket, but are in an Asian market, and (in my experience) at a considerable savings.
Posted by: steveg at September 1, 2009 8:01 PMLorraine,
Where do you buy chicken? If you are paying that much for a pound...On sale I pay $1.28 for skinless boneless breasts..
Please keep your comments clean and relevant to the food! If your comment includes foul or obscene language, it will be deleted. Thanks!