New Ming Wah
New Ming Wah at 3415 Wrightsboro Road has been serving delicious Chinese food with a Cantonese lean since 1989. But if you haven’t dined there lately, you’re in for a big surprise.
Stepping into New Ming Wah will evoke a rush of things comfortably familiar – silk lanterns dangling above, the ornate dragon plus phoenix motif moon gate, the best almond chicken in town. But you will also note some big changes: you will no longer find a buffet, and the bar has expanded its seating capacity as well as its liquor selections. About 18 months ago, owner Mark Cheang felt these modifications necessary for updating the brand.
So let’s chat a little about this new bar, shall we? Wow! These drinks are good!
Stepping in as impromptu bartender, Mark allowed me to sample four of New Ming Wah’s featured cocktails.
🍹The Green Dragon is a crisp + refreshing Tanqueray-based cocktail that drinks like a mojito. Sweetened with agave and spruced-up with spanked mint + Thai basil, it has the perfect amount of sparkling effervescence to stave off Augusta’s summer heat.
🍹If you’ve ever had passion fruit, you know how delightfully sweet + fragrant it is. Now imagine that beautiful orange fruit as a syrup in the starring role in a cocktail. Enter stage left, The Phoenix. Habanero-infused Tito’s brings a nice layer of heat while the spritz of lime quells the sweetness of the fruit. Add to that a sugary rim and you’ve got a summer sipping showstopper.
🍹The Pink Wave is so pretty, you may toil over whether to drink it or wear it. It’s a blend of pineapple juice and Malibu rum, giving it a tropical nose. Add to that the citrus of Triple Sec + sour mix and a splash of grenadine for color and your mouth is on a one-way flight to a private island.
🍹Make a margarita, but make it elevated. That’s a philosophy Mark and I share. His Passion Fruit Margarita is similar to the tried and true tequila drink. This iteration, however, is intensified by passion fruit. It’s still the tart + tangy marg you know and love, but its color, texture and palate make it next level. And that flaky salt rim? Very lickable.
The cocktail game in Augusta just got stronger with New Ming Wah as a player. I look forward to hearing which of these drinks is your fave. And as always, don’t forget to tell them nakedepicurean sent you. 💋
NEW MING WAH
Location: 3415 Wrightsboro Rd, Augusta, GA 30909
Hours:
Monday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m to 9 p.m.
Ann Beth Strelec is known around town as the Naked Epicurean, sampling the finest cocktails known to Augustans. Find out about adult beverages at The Augusta Press on the first and third Friday or on Instagram @NakedEpicurean
