Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Lunch #62: King's Barbecue House

King's Barbecue House Today's MSG150 target was King's Barbecue House, a meat-in-window joint on 6th Avenue just north of Shanghai Garden and Yummy House Bakery. We skipped Yummy House Bakery since it didn't seem to offer much in the way of lunch food. Michael chided us for the decision and again said we would have to rename the blog to MSG149. We compromised and bought some desserts to have after lunch. Rob and Wayne bailed out again for the lack of meatless options.

Immediately next door to King's is the Green Village which has been closed for months. There is a sign in the window saying they will be back soon. Since they apparently won't be back before our next lunch, our next stop is Fort St. George. This will be the LAST restaurant in the DLZ!!!

King's Barbecue House, Seattle
Address: 518 6th Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: BBQ
Average rating: 2.8 chopsticks
Lunch date: 7/22/2008 @ 12:10:00
Time taken to be seated: N/A minutes
Time to take order: 0 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 2 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 4 minutes
Chopstix quality: Plastic Fork
Do they use MSG?: Didn't Ask
Where is the owner/chef from?: Canton
Number of tables: 0
Number of occupied tables: 0
Number of business lunch tables: 0
Number of "local" tables: 0
Healthcode Score: 0
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon
King's Barbecue House

Luncher: Geary

Roast Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch BoxLunch: Roast Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch Box - $6.30
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Geary's Review

King's Barbecue House is the most focused of the meat-in-window joints in the DLZ. You can either buy meat by the pound or a Lunch Box with white rice and your choice of meat. That's it. No noodles. No fried rice. Just meat and rice. I chose a combination of duck and roast pork. (I always start with duck.) The couple running the place were friendly and efficient. She took orders and scooped rice while he chopped the meat.

There are no tables for eating in at King's Barbecue House, so we took our styrofoam lunch boxes across the street to the Uwajimaya Food Court to eat. The duck was good, but not as tender and flavorful as Asia BBQ or even what's available in the UFC. The roast pork was tender and delicious. In the end, though, meat on rice is pretty much an average meal unless my socks are knocked off. Socks still on, 3 chopsticks.

Luncher: Emmett

BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch BoxLunch: BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch Box - $6.30
Rating: 2 Chopsticks

Emmett's Review

Sixty-one down, two to go. King reminded us that we're in the home stretch. We can literally see Fort St. George from where we stand. Our quest is nearing completion.

King's got a couple of nice people working the area behind the counter. There's not too much going on in this place - there's a little table where real estate agents, PETA activists, and Northwest Asian Weekly delivery people can drop their reading materials. Not a chair to be seen. The window's got a nice glistening set of chops dangling there, a nice sight. The guy in front of me placed his order, and check this: you can pick which piece you want. "Naw gimme that pork with the fuzz on it -- yeah that piece." Nice! I wasn't as picky, asked for a combo of duck and pork. The man chopped it up, ladled a big soup spoonful of brown sauce onto it. Off I went to the food court.

The meat just wasn't all that, though it wasn't bad. The pork couldn't compare to Ocean City II, the duck wasn't much better than Asia BBQ. Merely average. I would have liked some veggies to go with my rice and meat, but straight up you get meat and rice.

Like Samurai, I'm docking points for making me take my food and go to the food court or something. I'm not one of those slow food peeps, but dangit I want at least a place I can set my meat down before eating it.

Next.

Luncher: Adam

BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch BoxLunch: BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch Box - $6.30
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Adam's Review

There aren't any actual seats in King's, so we ordered the food to-go, and headed over to the Uwajimaya Food Court.

This is Meat in Window distilled down to its essence: when you order their "lunch box," you get a styrofoam to-go container full of white rice with whatever meat you ordered (in my case, pork and duck). That's it. No vegetables. No chow mein. Just meat and rice.

Unfortunately, for my first serious foray into the world of meats since my aforementioned medical affliction... the food left me wanting. Neither the duck or the pork were anything special. I didn't feel like the pork was overly salty... but I don't think it had much flavor. The duck was on par with other BBQ Duck we've had, but didn't taste quite fresh.

Nothing special. If you're looking for run of the mill Chinese BBQ, this place'll do.

Luncher: Ben the Intern

BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch BoxLunch: BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch Box - $6.30
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Ben the Intern's Review

So, I'm not sure how to rate this bbq joint. I liked the food, the sauce was tasty and the meat -- duck and beef -- was of good quality. It was a bit of a letdown as we weren't able to sit down and eat, instead finding refuge in the local Asian food-mart. 3/5 for the food, don't go there for a lunch experience, but it's worth it for an on-the-go meal.

Luncher: Michael

BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch BoxLunch: BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck Lunch Box - $6.30
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Michael's Review

Meat. Rice. Meat and Rice. Tasty Tasty Meat and Rice.

btw: the bakery next door had some darn good fruit custard tart things. Very tasty.

King's Barbecue House Photos

King's Barbecue House
King's Barbecue House

The King & Queen
The King & Queen

Chopping Block
Chopping Block

Lunch Box preparation
Lunch Box preparation

Lunch Box with Duck & BBQ Pork
Lunch Box with Duck & BBQ Pork

Lunch Box with Duck & Roast Pork
Lunch Box with Duck & Roast Pork

Yummy House Bakery
Yummy House Bakery

Yummy House Bakery treats
Yummy House Bakery treats

Green Village
Green Village

Sign on Green Village's door
Sign on Green Village's door

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Lunch #61: Duk Li Dim Sum

Duk Li Dim Sum The MSG150 crew got a late start today but still left the office eight lunchers strong. Our target today was a backtrack to the newly opened Dim Sum restaurant that now occupies the space abandoned by Sandie's. Duk Li Dim Sum has done a make-over of the spot complete with bright new awning, huge window menus, and updated interior layout. Rob bailed at the door citing a lack of veggie options and Wayne joined him for moral, meat-hating support. The rest of us entered and grabbed a large table just inside the opened door.

Duk Li Dim Sum, Seattle
Address: 664 S Weller St, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Dim Sum
Average rating: 3.3 chopsticks
Lunch date: 7/17/2008 @ 12:50:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 0 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 5 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 40 minutes
Chopstix quality: Cheap Plastic
Do they use MSG?: No
Where is the owner/chef from?: Canton
Number of tables: 8
Number of occupied tables: 7 (87%)
Number of business lunch tables: 1 (14%)
Number of "local" tables: 5 (71%)
Healthcode Score: N/A
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon
Duk Li Dim Sum

Family Style Dishes

  • Steamed Shrimp Dumpling - $2.00
  • Steamed Pork Dumpling - $2.00
  • 2 x Steamed Shui Mai - $2.00 ($4.00)
  • Steamed Spareribs - $2.00
  • Steamed Chicken Feet - $2.00
  • Bake Green Onion Bun - $0.60
  • Bake BBQ Pork Bun - $0.60
  • Crispy Beef Pie - $1.00
  • Deep Fried Dumpling - $0.60
  • Shrimp Rice Roll - $2.25
  • Beef Rice Roll - $2.25
  • Cilantro Rice Roll - $2.25
  • 6 x Egg Custard Tarts - $0.60 ($3.60)
  • Malaysia Cake - $1.80
  • 3 x Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf - $2.00 ($6.00)

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Family Style - $6.50
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Adam's Review

Oh wow... I thought we were done with Dim Sum. We hadn't been to dim sum in a while, so I was kind of looking forward to this place. My vegetarianism is out for the day, and dim sum is in.

I love the way that Dim Sum works here. You write down your order on a sheet, turn it in to the server, and a few minutes later food starts arriving at the table. There aren't pushy servers practically throwing food on your table. This is a laid-back, no-stress version of dim sum. I would actually think this would make a great 2nd or 3rd dim sum experience, because you get to learn more about what you're ordering before it's shoved upon you.

The food was delicious and pretty fresh (some of the other people got some shu mai that was a little too fresh). This place had some great dessert options... more than at other places.

I like this place, and I like how it operates. Hit it up.

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Family Style - $6.50
Rating: 2 Chopsticks

Emmett's Review

Okay, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. This place is small, awkward, and strange. The table we were seated at was literally blocking the front door. Needless to say, there's not enough room for the dim sum carts to make it to the table. No matter, we're brave, we can roll with it.

Geary took charge and ordered a bunch of stuff. We got a smattering of things, including some starchy, savory bread things that we're certain we didn't order. The Cilantro Rice Rolls were tasty, as were the spare ribs. Everything else was unremarkable. I was halfway done with a Shu Mai when Geary pointed out that the inside was completely raw. Having had food poisoning multiple times, I contemplated going supermodel for a moment. Fortunately the food stayed down and the next day I was healthy.

On that note, I just can't see myself coming back here. Go to Jade Garden.

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Family Style - $6.50
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Geary's Review

Duk Li is tiny in comparison to the other Dim Sum joints in the area. It only has eight tables and no carts. You are given a checklist paper menu like in some sushi restaurants. Many of the patrons order up Dim Sum to go from the counter at the back of the restaurant. If you are unfamiliar with Dim Sum it is a bit trickier to order from a menu than the usual cart pointing routine. Since this is our tenth Dim Sum restaurant we figured most of the items out.

We ordered a wide selection of our favorites and a couple of things we weren't quite sure about. Ben the Intern is new to Dim Sum, so we thew in some Chicken Feet to get him initiated. The Shrimp Dumplings and Shui Mai showed up first, followed quickly by Pork Spareribs, Chicken Feet and Pork Dumplings. The dumplings were all good, but the Chicken Feet really stood out. They had a rich, spicy flavor that I don't recall them having had at the other couple of places I have tried them. The Bake Green Onion Bun was also a winner. The bun was not just sweet -- it also had a pungent rice wine flavor that turned me from a bun skeptic to a bun lover. I <3 Bake Green Onion Bun. All of the Rice Rolls were excellent as was the Sticky Rice (which was not on the menu). We finished up our meal with Egg Custard Tarts and Malaysia (puffy) Cake. The tarts were large and fresh the cake was puffy.

Luncher: Michael

Lunch: Family Style - $6.50
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Michael's Review

This was a fun place for Dim Sum. It seemed less formal than any of the other places we've been to. It's smaller and they don't roll carts full of food to you. The whole experience seemed faster and easier than usual. Also the final bill was very cheap. And really isn't that what we are all looking for in a good lunch place?

Overall the food was good but maybe not great. About what you would expect from most of the local places. The egg tart was fresh and mostly warm, so bonus points there. The most interesting thing on the menu was the cake. I'm not sure what it was called, just that it was big and fluffy and full of holes. Reminded me a bit of a pound cake, but far less dense. I have no idea what it really was but I'd happily go back for more. Big fluffy cake. Fluffy Cake Big? Whatever. Is it lunch time yet?

Luncher: Joey

Lunch: Family Style - $6.50
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Joey's Review

I think the new owners of Duk Li paid some attention to the potential downfalls of Sandie’s going out of business. Sandie’s had absolutely no curb appeal. It was one of those restaurants that you and your friends easily skip over when you’re in Chinatown, or don’t even notice for that matter. Duk Li had a decent logo… well, I don’t really remember it much, but it caught my eye. Also, the first thing I noticed stepping into Duk Li was that they had left the door wide open. The door frame also seemed to be wider (A LOT wider), but it could’ve just been the illusion from being left open. The windows were clean and uncovered of tacky window treatments. This brought a lot of natural light in, and fresh air since the door was open. Our table was right in front of the front door, and I joked that it felt almost as if we were eating outside, which was a nice change from the dark and isolated dim sum restaurants we’re used to (Four Seas, China Gate, etc.).

The food itself was average. Their cha shu bao (bbq pork bun) was really good though. Small, but good. I could taste a lot of alcohol in it (cooking wine probably), which I liked… gave it more of a Hawaiian sweet bread flavor, I thought. The chicken feet were a lot more flavorful than other places (in a good way). The temperature of the food was warm. The tea was pretty strong. It was a good, satisfying dim sum experience overall. I’ll probably be coming back to take my friends.

Luncher: Ben the Intern

Lunch: Family Style - $6.50
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Ben the Intern's Review

I'd like to go on the record and say that I have never eaten at a Dim Sum joint before Duk Li, and I loved it. Digging right in, the table got what seemed to be one of everything, including chicken feet, which while very tasty were an interesting experience. With a good variety of flavors and spices, almost every bite I took I found entertaining. I'd recommend checking the food a bit before chowing down -- one of the dumpling dishes was a bit undercooked, though not outrageously as Emmett seemed to be doing fine after eating his. Make sure to try the bread-like desserts, each of them in the running for the next big thing to dunk in coffee. At the end of the meal I was very full and for the amount of food I ate so was my wallet. This is a very solid 3/5 chopsticks.

Duk Li Dim Sum Photos

Duk Li Dim Sum
Duk Li Dim Sum

Huge Window Menu
Huge Window Menu

Counter
Counter

Table near the door
Table near the door

Steamed Shrimp Dumpling
Steamed Shrimp Dumpling

Shui Mai
Shui Mai

Pork Dumplings, Chicken Feet, Spareribs
Pork Dumplings, Chicken Feet, Spareribs

Pork Bun & Green Onion Bun (partially eaten)
Pork Bun & Green Onion Bun (partially eaten)

Shrimp Rice Roll (partially eaten)
Shrimp Rice Roll (partially eaten)

Beef Rice Roll (mostly eaten)
Beef Rice Roll (mostly eaten)

Egg Custard Tart (nibbled)
Egg Custard Tart (nibbled)

Malaysia Cake
Malaysia Cake

Only $32.50!!!
Only $32.50!!!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Lunch #60: Shanghai Garden

Shanghai Garden Today the MSG150 route took us around the last corner. We continued on Weller, west from Tropics, and turned north on 6th to find the entrance of Shanghai Garden. We showed up with a large crowd of twelve today and were seated right away.

Shanghai Garden, Seattle
Address: 524 6th Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Chinese
Average rating: 3.7 chopsticks
Lunch date: 7/14/2008 @ 11:50:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 7 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 7 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 49 minutes
Chopstix quality: Nice Plastic
Do they use MSG?: No
Where is the owner/chef from?: Taiwan
Number of tables: 17
Number of occupied tables: 17 (100%)
Number of business lunch tables: 13 (76%)
Number of "local" tables: 2 (11%)
Healthcode Score: 0
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon
Shanghai Garden

Luncher: Emmett

Szechuan Beef in Hot Garlic Sauce (Lunch Special)Lunch: Szechuan Beef in Hot Garlic Sauce (Lunch Special) - $6.95
Fortune: You have an ambitious nature and may make a name for yourself.
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Emmett's Review

Back from vacation (where I ate Italian food for two weeks), I was ready for some serious MSG. What better place than Shanghai Garden? I've been to this place many a time before, and while I wouldn't count them amongst the healthiest of places to eat, their sauces are savory and delicious. They get crowded, so our party of 12 got there pre-noon to snag a massive table. And my friend Fitz, long a fan of MSG and soon to be married, finally joined in on the fun with his buddy Adam.

I went with lunch option #1, the Szechuan Beef in Hot Garlic Sauce. They put liberal amounts of sauce, water chestnuts, beef, with a smattering of veggies. The sauce was garlicky, spicy, monosodium glutamatey, and delicious. I was sweating after a couple of bites; that's how you know it's good.

I tried their noodles for the first time - both the Chow Mein and the Green Barley Shaved Noodles. They were incredible! Not overly sauced, light tasting, flavorful, with great texture. I believe they're hand made and they're out of this world. I'll definitely be back to order a full plate of these. The rest of the dishes were grubbin' - decent General Tso's, good hot/sour soup, Szechuan Pork.

Also noteworthy from previous visits is their beef with strawberries - very unique, sweet and savory at the same time, part main course, part dessert.

I try not to make this place a regular fixture in my diet, because my cardiologist would not approve. But once in a while - it's a nice treat.

Luncher: Adam

Barleygreen Hand Shaven Noodle with VegetablesLunch: Barleygreen Hand Shaven Noodle with Vegetables - $9.95
Fortune: There is a prospect of a thrilling time ahead for you.
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Adam's Review

It feels good to be out "on the hunt" again. With Emmett's trip to Italy behind him... he can get back to eating some good food.

Rob and I couldn't make up our minds on a single dish, so we decided to split a couple of vegetarian dishes (gotta keep the gout in check). I ordered the famous hand shaven BarleyGreen noodles with Vegetables, and Rob got the Szechuan Tofu. Lets start with the noodles: delicious. This is the only place where I've ever had a noodle like this... and it's truly exceptional. And apparently they're high in protein too. The Szechuan Tofu was delicious. The spicy, sweet, and salty flavors of the Szechuan sauce really "struck a chord" with me, and I found myself having a hard time not licking the plate clean.

Luckily the plate made it out unscathed. I feel like this restaurant has a really good reputation, and it's definitely well deserved.

Luncher: Geary

Szechuan Pork in Hot Garlic Sauce (Lunch Special)Lunch: Szechuan Pork in Hot Garlic Sauce (Lunch Special) - $6.95
Fortune: You have an ambitious nature and may make a name for yourself.
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Geary's Review

I resisted the urge to order one of the hand shaven noodles (you, however, shouldn't resist) and went with one of the lunch specials as per our prime directive. I chose the Szechuan Pork in Hot Garlic Sauce. The waiter returned almost immediately with a large soup bowl and ladled small bowls of Hot & Sour Soup for all of us with lunch specials. The H&SS was different than most I have had and I wasn't a huge fan. It was overly sour without much spice. The mushrooms were nice though.

The main courses started arriving only moments after the soup was served. Most of the non-veg folks chose to offer their lunches up to the lazy susan to be shared family style. I stated with my choice, Szechuan Pork in Hot Garlic Sauce. It was very sour and tangy, like the H&SS, but not so much hot. It was not a bit hit with me. Unfortunately we ended up with one Beef and one mixed Beef and Chicken version of the same thing. Luckily Ben shared up his hand shaven noodles, which were amazing, and Wayne shared up his Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce, which was the best of the lunch specials. Both the green and beige versions of the hand shaven noodles were excellent. They are thick and firm and were served with a light sauce that didn't overpower.

I have had some great dishes at Shanghai Garden, but none of them were form the lunch menu. I'm going to have to go with three chopstick for the lunch menu. However, you are not bound by rule #2. You can get a 4+ chopstick meal here by skipping up a page to the full entrees and being sure to include some hand shaven noodles.

Luncher: Wayne

Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce (Lunch Special)Lunch: Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce (Lunch Special) - $7.95
Fortune: You will receive a promotion soon.
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Wayne's Review

I love the ease with which Chinese restaurants in the International District can accommodate a large group. We showed up with an even dozen and were led straight to a large, round table already set with twelve chairs and a Lazy Susan in the middle.

The shrimp I chose was one of their 20 lunch specials. I didn’t care much for the soup that came with it, but my shrimp was great. It consisted of nice, big shrimp, neither over or under cooked, with veggies, mushrooms and a simple, tasty black bean sauce. Yum.

Luncher: Ben the Intern

General Tso's Chicken (Lunch Special)Lunch: General Tso's Chicken (Lunch Special) - $6.95
Fortune: You will have good luck and overcome many hardships
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Ben the Intern's Review

Shanghai Garden was excellent. I ordered the General Tso's chicken hoping for the best, and I was not disappointed. The chicken, all too often smothered in mushy fried stuff, was thinly coated with an excellent amount of crisp. The sauce was a tangy orange flavor and a bit lighter then what I typically associate with the dish. Overall a very satisfying experience; very tasty, 4/5 sticks.

Luncher: Michael

Szechuan Chicken and Beef in Hot Garlic Sauce (Lunch Special)Lunch: Szechuan Chicken and Beef in Hot Garlic Sauce (Lunch Special) - $7.95
Fortune: You will be unusually successful in business.
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Michael's Review

Shanghai Garden. It's the place you take your out of town friends when you want to show them Seattle's 'china town'.

Shanghai Garden. It's the place that everyone always says the same thing: "Dude, have you had the hand shaved barley green noodles?".

Shanghai Garden. Been there. Done that. Whatever. I thought the whole point of this MSG 150 thing was to find all the 'sekret' spots in the ID where you wouldn't normally eat. Cause you know, 'sekret' really means better when it comes to Chinese food. Right? Cause then you could say: "Dude, I was totally into this restaurant before it got all popular and sold out".

But here we are. And according to the rules we have to eat here. At the most boring place. The Chinese restaurant that every Uptight Seattlite and MSG-Junkie in the city knows about.

The problem is this: It's really good. Really freakin good. And those stupid hand shaved barley noodles that everyone always talks about? They are really tasty. You've got to try them.

For a really good lunch special it's hard to beat Shanghai Garden. It's crowded, and hot, and the specials are a bit more than some of the other places. But it's good. And you know you need some of those fancy green noodles.

Luncher: Joey

General Tso's Chicken (Lunch Special)Lunch: General Tso's Chicken (Lunch Special) - $6.95
Fortune: Your ideas will be needed to solve a problem.
Rating: 2 Chopsticks

Joey's Review

I don't remember the last time I ordered General Tso's, but I thought I'd give this one a shot. It was kind of like orange chicken at Panda Express, but I found the sauce to be overwhelmingly tangy. I'd prefer orange chicken over this stuff.

Luncher: Rob

Fried Bean Curd in Szechuan SauceLunch: Fried Bean Curd in Szechuan Sauce - $9.50
Fortune: Your love life will be happy and harmonious.
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Rob's Review

At long last, we finally made it to the Garden. Adam sat a little too close to me, but it all worked out for the best. He ordered the hand-shaved barleygreen noodles with vegetables and I the fried bean curd with Szechuan sauce -- two veggie dishes that we were able to share. The main drawback, however, was everybody calling us the "Tofu Twins." The hand-shaved noodles were noodly goodness, as the saying goes. Fresh, tasty, just the right amount of chewiness, and green. The tofu dish was fairly spicy, and I may have dolloped a bit too much hot sauce on the noodles -- Michael across the table could see the beads of sweat rolling down my forehead. Broccoli, snow peas, and green onions accompanied the fried tofu in the flavorful, spicy sauce. What more could one want? Oh yeah, my fortune. It's about time.

Luncher: Ben

Hand Shaven Chow Mein Noodles with ChickenLunch: Hand Shaven Chow Mein Noodles with Chicken - $7.50
Fortune: You will exceed your expectations.
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Luncher: Jared

Crispy Beef with Orange Flavor (Lunch Special)Lunch: Crispy Beef with Orange Flavor (Lunch Special) - $7.95
Fortune: There is a prospect of a thrilling time ahead for you.
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

VIP Luncher: Fitz from NoFriday.com

Barleygreen Hand Shaven Noodles with ChickenLunch: Barleygreen Hand Shaven Noodles with Chicken - $9.95
Fortune: There will be true and sincere friendship between you both.
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Fitz's Review

I finally had the honor of joining my friend Emmett and the MSG 150 crew for lunch at Shanghai Garden- I actually had other lunch plans with my friend Adam from out of town, but when Emmett texted me shortly before I was about to meet Adam, I didn't want to miss out and decided to bring Adam along for the ride.

I've been to this restaurant quite a lot, as it's half a block from the office building I used to work at. We go often because the food is consistently good, reasonably authentic, fast, and well-priced. I hadn't been in a few months since I am not quite as close, so I was excited to go back.

We had a large group and I arrived a bit late, so I ordered my personal favorite from Shanghai Garden, the hand shaved barley noodles with chicken. The barley noodles are one of my favorite dishes and one of their specialties. They are similar in some ways to fettuccine, but a lot thicker. These noodles were made with barley, which gives them a green color and makes them a little healthier. That's nice, but I like it because it's delicious - I really like the extra substance and flavor that the barley gives the noodle.

The dish is served together, stir-fry style, with sauteed pieces of chicken breast, mixed vegetables, bits of scrambled egg, and a light oil and soy sauce. It's really tasty and unique - I haven't seen anything like it elsewhere. I also like that it doesn't sink in your stomach that way some over-fried (but tasty) dishes like General Tso's chicken sometimes can. The only thing I didn't like was that the scrambled egg wasn't broken up terribly well, and it felt a bit more like noodles with a side of scrambled eggs, rather than having the eggs fully mixed in. This was pretty minor though.

Shanghai Garden is an easy four chopsticks - I definitely plan on going back. For me, it falls a good bit short of the wow factor needed to earn five, but it's a place that I'm always happy to eat at.

VIP Luncher: Adam T from Canada

Hand Shaven Chow Mein Noodles with VegetablesLunch: Hand Shaven Chow Mein Noodles with Vegetables - $7.50
Fortune: Your place in the path of life is in the driver's seat.
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Adam T's Review

The handmade noodles are a rarity, and I appreciated their soft fresh texture. The sauce was fine, but by no means exceptional. The dish lacked any quantity of real hearty vegetables, such as broccoli, which is important to a vegetarian. Menu lacks vegetarian options. Atmosphere was classic mom-and-pop Chinese-immigrant style and often overcrowded.

Shanghai Garden Photos

Shanghai Garden
Shanghai Garden

The ladling of the H&SS
The ladling of the H&SS

Hand Shaven Chow Mein Noodles with Vegetables
Hand Shaven Chow Mein Noodles with Vegetables

Hand Shaven Chow Mein Noodles with Chicken
Hand Shaven Chow Mein Noodles with Chicken

Barleygreen Hand Shaven Noodle with Vegetables
Barleygreen Hand Shaven Noodle with Vegetables

Fried Bean Curd in Szechuan Sauce
Fried Bean Curd in Szechuan Sauce

General Tso's Chicken
General Tso's Chicken

Szechuan Pork in Hot Garlic Sauce
Szechuan Pork in Hot Garlic Sauce

Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce
Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce

Szechuan Beef in Hot Garlic Sauce
Szechuan Beef in Hot Garlic Sauce

Crispy Beef with Orange Flavor
Crispy Beef with Orange Flavor

Barleygreen Hand Shaven Noodles with Chicken
Barleygreen Hand Shaven Noodles with Chicken

Szechuan Beef & Chicken in Hot Garlic Sauce
Szechuan Beef & Chicken in Hot Garlic  Sauce