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| - Pretty Westernized Chinese food, low prices and big portions are the order of the day at China Ocean. This very humble spot has the reputation for being the BEST Chinese in the neighborhood. My empirical research shows this neighborhood to be contain of the lowest densities of Chinese restaurants in the city. Hell, on a per capita basis it might be in North America!
Ambiance-wise, this place screams RUN-AWAY. Seriously, it looks as though someone built a nice small Canadian-Chinese restaurant in 1976, power sprayed it with bleach and left it in the sun to dry for 35 years. They do a brisk take out / delivery business and I am amazed whenever I actually see people occupying one or more of the 4 tables in the shop.
The food? Well that's just it...it ain't bad! For old-school terribly Westernized Chinese comfort food they make it the way we like it; fast, hot, and cheap. Golden Oldies like General Tso's chicken, Chop Suey, and Moo Goo Gai Pan represent pretty well here. The Shanghai Chicken noodles are surprisingly fresh tasting, and the Malaysian Chicken Fried rice sneaks a little sub-continental flava into the mix. Why do I mention only chicken? The beef here is overly tenderized for my taste, so I go for the chicken. They offer quite a lot of seafood, but to be honest I haven't gone there. There are some Thai dishes on the menu; Don't bother. Most of the noodle based items hit the spot pretty well on an empty stomach in winter. The lunch specials are generous and very well priced. They're served from 11-3 at the lower price and rather than take them off the table, they just add a buck after hours. Fairly done!
Trying to impress someone? Keep wallking. Need a quick, hot, cheap, tasty lunch or dinner for one? Munchies (I did say it was a throwback ; ) - You've found your spot in Bloordale.
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