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| - There are a few times I wish I could give more than 5 stars, and this is one of them. I can't believe I waited so long to give Tott's a try. Just a little background on my experience with Chinese food. My mother was not a great cook and the only time we had anything even remotely resembling Chinese food was when she would crack open a can of that LaChoy Chow Mein. It. Was. Awful.
I had to wait until I was in college to get some good Chinese food and a friend took me to Yen Ching's in Waterloo, IA and set me up with sweet and sour chicken and mongolian beef. Ever since then I've had a serious love affair with mongolian beef, and I'll get sweet and sour chicken if a restaurant does it up with the peppers, onions, and pineapple. I've discovered over the years that very few places do that any more. Thanks to my fellow Yelpers and their pictures, I can see that Tott's does it correctly.
Right away I was greeted by the employees, and the dude who took my order was very friendly and helpful. I ordered my lunch to dine in, and then an order of pork lo mein to go, to take home for my husband.
The restaurant isn't very big, but it's organized well and very clean. My order of cheese puffs was so nice and light and the sweet & sour chicken was perfect. I loved that the owner came around and introduced himself and when I told him I like how they prepared my lunch he said, "Isn't that the way everyone does it?" Nope. Absolutely not.
The chicken was lightly breaded and fried and the flavors with the sweet & sour sauce and peppers, onions, and pineapple were delicious. It tasted like they use a good quality sweet & sour sauce too. Usually the sauces at most places are very syrupy and sugary, almost like someone did a Red Bull reduction, and I usually get heartburn after eating them. Not in this case. The sauce was nicely balanced and so far no heartburn.
With the cheese puffs, a fountain soda, the sweet & sour chicken, and the lo mein my total was $20.27 before tax & tip. Excellent experience all around. This is food and customer service as good as it gets for sure! Can't wait to go back!
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