This was quite an impressive winner, considering Vonia nearly always consistently gives the…read moreAmericanized Chinese establishments no higher than a 2.5, usually less. Why? I have the opinion that each culture should be proud of its own cuisine; "Americanized" should not even be a thing. I understand business is business, and most patrons will want "toned down" dishes that are closer to what their eyes, minds, palates, and stomachs are familiar with, but I do not think this should be encouraged. Sure, sometimes you do not want to try something new; I confess, sometimes I also want the comfort that comes with, well, comfort food. Not every meal needs to be an adventure. For this, Panda Express is an excellent choice, they have it covered; even Pei Wei & P.F. Chang's. Other places, slightly more highly priced, do not need to be Americanized.
This place might be an exception! From the exterior advertisements to the inside coupons being offered exclusively for ordering online, it is obvious they want to be a business focused on delivery & takeout, not so much dining in experiences. This is further confirmed to see there are but 2 employees in the front of house that will have to cover any serving, waitering, in addition to cashiering for any orders to go. First win is that these two ladies were very welcoming, customer service was great, they were nice, made sure we good what we needed. Inside ambiance, clean, simple, maybe even sleek. Well lit, maybe plain but most everything you need seems to be on the tables already, including scattered menus- some you may need to take one from the front- but the soy sauce, salt, pepper, hot sauce, utensils, even plates are there! There are more than ten tables, absolutely you can dine in should you desire that.
Next win, quick service. Maybe 15 total minutes to produce our two dishes after we placed the order. We requested no onions, scallions in either, they remembered. (Based on the frequency that dining establishments somehow forget special requests, this is actually a significant win!) We did get takeout, they were generous with the condiments, and I took some time to feed my camera. They looked over but continued to be friendly through the end, when they graciously bid us a great night, even though I did my pictures, taking out the takeout, even though all I did was put it back in and leave.
Now the food. Yes, Americanized, but also so fresh and well executed, I do not mind nearly as much. Also, there are some elements that are genuine Chinese, at least leaning that way. Glad the woman who took my order understood my Mandarin! The Combination Lo Mein was flavorful, white meat chicken tender, shrimp, beefs, also tender and well sauced. Wish it had more vegetables than the minimal napa cabbage. The second dish, Beef Vegetable, with Fried Rice. Have to say, even the fried rice was flavorsome and noticeably better than the usual Chinese takeout. Still plain, but that is to be expected mostly. Near in the main entree was wading, not drowning in the brown sauce. Had larger portions for the napa cabbage, white mushroom, carrots, broccoli, bamboo, baby corn. Cooked well, satisfying. Portion sizes were fulfilling.
The Lo Mein noodles were not the thin egg noodles used for authentic chow mein, the fried rice was assuredly not the traditional Yangzhou Chinese fried rice. The dinner was 5 stars within the context of Americanized Chinese, but within a general dining experience, it was not the best of the best.
Have no issues with returning. Looking forward to it, in fact. Confidently recommended for a fast, flavorsome, friendly, fresh meal!