Rose E.
Yelp
I've had lunch here a few times in the distant past...and I recall thinking the foods were good, but didn't like the vibe for some reason. Since then, I almost forgot about this place (for more than a decade...Ouch?)!
Fast forward to the present...and a friend raved about the foods here, so I decided to give it another shot.
I arrived for a late lunch (almost 2 pm?)...and surprisingly, there were still a good amount of people, which is a good sign.
Even more than a decade later, the place still looked about the same. In some ways, better than how I remembered it?
I'm usually not a fan of Chinese lunch specials...but I loved how their lunch menu is so customized, with lots of choices (type of meats, type of sauces, etc.etc.)! I ordered from the Lunch Special - Crispy Fried Chicken w/ General Sauce, with Fried Rice and Egg Roll. I also ordered Hot 'n Sour Soup. BTW, I couldn't believe how cheap things were...possibly the cheapest menu I've seen in a LONG time! It's basically as cheap as, if not cheaper than a take-out place. This place isn't a posh restaurant, but not a basic take-out joint either.
Despite its take-out pricing, the foods were NOT Take-Out quality. In fact, I was near shocked at the quality of this 10-99 Lunch Special! The General Sauce was DEE-Lish...and I loved how their "Crispy Fried" is just lightly battered...not super-thick. I loved the mushrooms and water chestnuts in the dish too...plenty of mushroom, but there was only 1 piece of water chestnut! Maybe I arrived too late, and the ingredient ran out?? Also, I thought the Hot 'n Sour Soup was very well made, with good mix of ingredients, but they were a bit bland...so much so that I had to add salt and pepper. Still, I liked the generous amount of bamboo shoots and tofu in the soup. Overall, the foods were really good!
As expected from a Chinese restaurant, service was fast and attentive.
Although I was a tad disappointed with the soup, and the lack of water chestnuts in my dish, I did love the flavor of the Crispy Fried Chicken (General Sauce). Surprisingly delicious...in the most authentic way. Although not altogether a perfect dining experience, I thought they deserved 5 stars in terms of overall value. I mean...seriously, 10-99 for a full quality dish, including Fried Rice and Egg Roll?!? I've paid more at McDonalds!!!
So glad I returned to this place. Think I'll be returning soon!