Marty R.
Yelp
Sorry for the length of this review.
They say curiosity killed the cat. I have been following the back and forth about Chef Lee's and decided I had to check it out for myself, figuring how bad can it be? The answer, to be brief, is not that bad.
I have had a test for Chinese restaurants which has held tried and true for more decades than a gentleman will admit in polite company. (I consider myself a Chinese food snob, having grown up in New Jersey and often cut school to ride the bus into Manhattan to eat lunch in Chinatown.) I have never had a bad meal in a restaurant where the broth in the wonton soup is really good. If they pay attention to something so mundane it is a good sign. (The converse is not always true, because I have had good meals in restaurants with mediocre broth, but that is for another review.)
I confess I came prepared to be disappointed, so I was very pleasantly surprised when the wonton soup was the best I had tasted in quite some time. The broth was flavorful and complex, the wontons, both the wrapper and the filling, were fresh and tasty, and even the vegetables were crispy and fresh. Plus, while I was eating my soup, the bartender was polishing wine glasses for another table and eyeballed it like five times before he was content. Nice attention to detail.
I ordered the General Tso's Chicken because it is probably the most ubiquitous dish on American Chinese menus so I figured it was a safe bet. (Yes, there really was a General Tso. There is both a book and a documentary film about this dish. For reals.) But as you might be able to see in the photo, what came was some very dried out chicken with the sauce just poured on top, missing about of the dish, rather than being cooked in the sauce after frying. The sauce was so sweet it could have been a dessert topping.
No wanting to base my decision on just one dish, I ordered something from the far opposite of the spectrum for take out, "Shredded Beef with Dry Sauce" and the hot and sour soup. (See photo and desciption.). This was quite tasty and I would order it again! However, they forgot my soup. (Since I live in Lumpkin I did not go back for it.) I am eating the leftovers for breakfast.
The staff were all very friendly and welcoming. The server I had noticed that she brought me the wrong rice before I did. And the other diners seemed to like their food. They also had some appetizers I am curious to try like various pickled vegetables which I haven't seen outside of NY or SF.
If I had to sum it up I would have to say I am just bewildered. It feels like the restaurant is like a toddler learning how to walk. I would give them a solid A for effort, but the food was too mixed to evaluate.
But the portico!!! Who could resist such chintz?