Although Charles Phan's oft-celebrated Slanted Door consistently makes citywide Best Of... lists, Mr. Bauer failed to find that same consistency at Phan's widely anticipated Wo Hing General Store, which opened in the original Slanted Door space back in October. Despite an "irresistible formula" of Chinese street food and well-paired cocktails, Bauer has decided the place quickly fell apart a few months in to its tenancy on Valencia Street, giving the latest addition to the Phan Empire a middling two stars.
On his first two visits, Bauer decided spending $100 of the Chronicle's money was easily justifiable with dishes like Winter Melon Soup ("nature's gelee") and Chinese broccoli ("a Chez Panisse moment"). The Shanghai dumplings, on the other hand, could have been better but Bauer thoroughly enjoyed "the gush of hot liquid trapped inside". Perhaps the most grave offense committed against Mr. Bauer's dining sensibilities by the "blissfully oblivious" waitstaff, was their decision to remove unfinished cocktails — that's worth removing at least two stars in our book.
For what it's worth, the Yelpers seem to agree on the restaurant's mediocrity, with the vast majority of the notoriously prickly users giving the place 3 out of 5 stars.
