My boyfriend and I have been searching, and searching, for years, for a decent Chinese Take-Away place. Of course it has to be way down in my mom's neighborhood, but we discovered it today and I count that as a win.
We ordered ALL THE FOOD. Not really, but I love Chinese food, and apparently so do my boyfriend and mom. So we had three appetizers and our entrees, and some soup. We had to go to the place to pick up a menu, order and then wait in our car outside (where I got the update on my sisters and their kids from my mom). The food was ready lickity-split, though all packed in the same bag so it was heavy AF. Had to ask for forks, and then didn't get enough but that's okay because they have DeathStar Mustard!!! We've been looking for a place that has Chinese mustard that doesn't taste like a rubber hose for like 9 years!!! It's not really called DeathStar Mustard, but when you see the packaging you'll understand. Never settle for less than Chinese mustard that comes from the Dark Side. And this coming from a Trekkie.
It was a gorgeous day, so we went to the nearby Hammerman Park and had a wonderful lunch by the water. We had:
SHRIMP TOAST: Delicious. Creamy inside, crispy on the outside. It's rare to find a place that knows how to make these without them being incredibly greasy or burnt. Four in an order. Get them.
CRAB RANGOON: Oh my Gawd. Little purses of Heaven. I have only ever had crab rangoon shaped like this at sushi restaurants, where they call them fortune bags or something cute like that. These were great - all the flavor you expect, in a crunchy little pouch. You get a separate container of sweet & sour dipping sauce for them (which I love for everything). Get these, too!!
FRIED DUMPLINGS: I'm not sure what these were stuffed with. I liked them, but Jeremy did not. My mom hogged all the dipping sauce, so I used the above mentioned sweet & sour sauce, and that worked for me.
EGG DROP SOUP: Jeremy downed a quart of this soup, without a spoon (there wasn't one included in our bag) in like five minutes, once it cooled. He clearly loved it. No one else tasted it because it was gone so quickly.
SINGAPORE CHOW MEI FUN: This is when I learned this restaurant isn't playing around, and totally seduced me because it was actually spicy. Time and time again, I go to a Chinese spot, ask for my entree to be spicy, and then have to add my own peppers when I get home cuz there's no spark. This is a curry heavy dish featuring thin noodles, shrimp, roast pork, and chicken. This is the best example of this dish I have ever eaten, but then again I am a bit of a pepperhead.
General Tso's Chicken (Tender chicken w. broccoli little spice & sweet golden sauce outside crispy inside soft): Very decent. My mom kept saying that it was spicy, and I definitely saw that the peppers were diced into the sauce. I liked it a lot, but hours later I'm still trying to work pieces of chicken out from between my teeth. That's a thing I have found out about myself as I age - some Chinese food doesn't agree with my teeth. Most of those dishes are chicken based. I order them anyway.
Szechuan Beef: This was the only entree that wasn't a slam dunk. It was a combo platter, so it was crammed in with some fried rice that wasn't worth a tinker's dam. Just say no to rice at that place. You don't need the carbs and their fried rice is not good. Beef with A LOT of vegetables including mushrooms, broccoli, lotus root, carrots, onions, green peppers, water chestnuts in a brown gravy that really couldn't save the dish. Say NO to this one.
MONGOLIAN TRIO: I can't find this online to copy and paste the description, but Jeremy LOVED it. Beef, chicken and shrimp in a brown gravy with some veg (onions, green peppers, slivers of carrots, and possibly scallions). He would order this one again. Not so much the Szechuan Beef.
BEST CHINESE we've had in like FOREVER. Would absolutely recommend. read more