Chinatown Munchies After Midnight

Snack Time

by Ptah Gabrie

It's hard to improve upon a fried ball of anything — unless, of course, you add bacon. Penang shreds its shrimp before wrapping it up in everyone's favorite meat. The delicious combo's then breaded and fried until golden brown. Six pieces are served on a hearty lettuce leaf accompanied by sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots and dipping mayo.

Cooks insert succulent pieces of duck into a jungle of bean sprouts, mushrooms and two kinds of cabbage. Everything's then tossed into a tasty spring roll skin and fried until crispy. The best part: Each roll is constructed fresh to order, and the meat used is the same as the roast duck off the menu.

Jade Harbor cuts tofu into eight bigger-than-bite-size rectangles or squares (we've seen both) and — you guessed it — fries them to a welcome crisp. They place a tiny ball of shrimp in a little cuplike hole on top before serving the snacks with mild soy sauce. The texture is similar to a mozzarella stick, without the deep-fried-cheese guilt.

Simply put, this Tiger is a California roll with a piece of eel draped over it. It's made with crab, avocado and cucumber, garnished with tasty eel sauce and served in four pieces. Each bad boy is jammed with a ton of flavor merged into one scrumptious package.

Though Ocean City is only open late on weekends, you should make time for this crispy twist on the classic spring roll. An assortment of veggies, including mushrooms, snow peas and carrots, gets shredded before convening in spring roll skin. Duck sauce or spicy mustard is the way to go with these.