Haps P.
Yelp
When all else fails in life, delicious Chinese food succeeds! And China Village definitely succeeds.
Went here again for about the fifth or sixth time now... It has been consistently delicious, a lovely space, friendly and charming staff... probably one of the best Chinese restaurants (yes, a bit Americanized) I've been to.... At the very least, it's undoubtedly the best in Sonoma County!
As with most Chinese restaurants, some dishes have more authentic roots than others, but ALL of it was super tasty. The broccoli beef and Mu Shu Pork (which the server very kindly prepared for us table-side) were both yum-o-liscious (inventing a new word again !-) and chock full of tender meat and veggies... And the sauces, from the tangy plum sauce to the gingery, garlicky umami-centric beef sauce really hit the spot.
Case in point! (which is a phrase that really doesn't fit here, but I wanted to say it cuz it makes me feel like I'm in a courtroom, arguing on behalf of a virtuous defendant)... I didn't even know I liked Egg Foo Young (which is, of course one of the more Americanized dishes) until I had it here. The eggy pancake is sizzled to perfection with the edges caramelized to a slightly crisped up, lacey texture. The sauce is distinct from the beef sauce, which is noteworthy because sometimes you go to a restaurant and all the sauces blend, or wind up tasting the same. This is not the case at CV! And one thing that stands out is how perfectly the vegetables are cooked, on all the dishes, not just the Egg Foo Young... they're cooked thoroughly, but still a bit crunchy at the core, and the amounts are on the generous side, without gouging on the prices side. We also had the walnut prawns, which were basically like a dessert...noticably, the batter on the shrimp was super crunchy and textured, even when covered in the sauce, and the shrimp within had a very fresh and clean "shrimpy" flavor... I've found often with Walnut Prawns the shrimp flavor is lost amidst a sweet gluey sauce and overly thick batter... not the case here. The shrimp flavor is crisp and present while the batter is not overbearing and the sauce is thin, not gloppy. It's a finicky dish so getting it right, which they do at CV, is noteworthy.
The four of us were definitely full at the end and left with enough food for a light lunch the next day. (FYI, one diner was under two, so she has a bit smaller tummy. It's a very cute tummy, but she definitely didn't pull her weight on the eating volume. I tried to push her, but she was being such a baby about it! Sigh.)
Yet another great experience at China Village!
Cheers,
The Loving Critic