Darae C.
Yelp
To hear my friend tell it, this used to be his after school stomping grounds when he was at Alderdice. I was excited to take a trip down memory lane because I hold his opinion in high regard. The only problem with this is that my friend graduated high school in the 90s, and this place doesn't look like it's been remodeled (and in some places, thoroughly cleaned) since the 80s.
We walked in and were greeted by a guy in jeans, a t-shirt, and a windbreaker who asked us if we wanted to sit down. Confused by the guy who didn't seem to be in any sort of uniform and didn't look at all like he worked in a Chinese restaurant, I cautiously said yes and he grabbed two menus and told us to choose anywhere.
Once sat, I visited the bathrooms that were another trip down memory lane. They were mostly clean, although it didn't look like it had been scrubbed in awhile. I washed my hands and moved on. The waitress bought over tea in a dirty teapot so I did not partake of it. She was friendly and the only server on the floor, but her timing took entirely too long. At one point she came back to our table smelling like cigarettes.
The food was good, save for the szechuan dumplings. They were glorified gyoza in chili oil/soy sauce. They don't taste of anything, and I wasn't a fan of the presentation. The steamed shrimp dumplings were excellent, smoky, and everything I want in dumplings.
My friend and I split a chirasa platter and chow fun noodles. Both are delicious, though the noodles were a tad too greasy. I've come to expect that from Chinese places, so it wasn't that big of a deal. The fish tasted good but some of it was very very cold, almost as if it juuuuust got done being thawed out. Odd.
I didn't like the service or the ambiance, so I doubt I'd eat in again. I may get takeout, but there are so many other good places that I wouldn't limit myself.
