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| - My relentless quest for respectable Midwest Chinese food continues to Chang Jiang of Sun Prairie. Let me first say that I have searched many locations nearby, including the House of Mei, and that I have pretty high (but reasonable) standards when it comes to Asian food: Delicious food, fresh ingredients, adequate portion sizes, and (for a huge bonus) something that makes them stand out from the others. I should also note that the dish I judge all of them by is Vegetable Lo Mein (plain, I know, but it levels the playing field). So, I ordered take-out of the Lo Mein, lunch special (General Tso's Chicken) and hot and sour soup.
FOOD TASTE/QUALITY: The overall taste was okay; pretty good. Not bad, but nothing really stood out to me as tremendous. Some of the dishes were better than others. The General Tso's Chicken was a mix of predominantly dark meat, and the sauce was pretty standard. Some pieces were stuck together, making a clump of meat (not my favorite). The fried rice that came with the chicken was very good. Lo Mein was not bad. The egg noodles were cooked nicely (not overly cooked; firm), but it was a bid too runny for me (i.e, liquid at the bottom of the box). Soup was also pretty good. The vegetables seemed to me a mix of fresh and canned. Again, not my absolute favorite food taste/quality, but not at all bad for Sun Prairie.
PRESENTATION: Styrofoam boxes and plastic containers for the take-out (small box for the rice and Lo Mein). But, it was packaged well and tightly put together in a brown paper bag. Everything made it home nicely.
PORTION: This is where Chang Jiang shined. The lunch special was so much food, that I could not finish it in one sitting. It was allot of chicken -- perhaps 1 to 1.5 pounds. The Lo Mein comes in two sizes (small and large); the box was packed tightly and came with a nice amount. Overall, I was very impressed with the portions. You will not go away hungry!
PRICES: In short, very reasonable. All of their menu and prices are posted at changjiangsunprairie.com , so there are no surprises. As an example, the small Lo Mein was $3.55 (large would have been $6.25). General Tso's Combo plate was $7.55. Soup was $2.15. Considering the monstrous portions, the prices are a HUGE draw. They often have coupons online for an even sweeter deal.
DELIVERY/TAKE-OUT EXPERIENCE: This is a classic take-out place. Pretty small without any real places to dine-in; think small take-out window in a strip mall. I ordered online (before they opened for lunch), and they were Johnny-on-the-spot, having everything ready at the exact time I said I would be there. The person I paid was very nice, even honoring a coupon that I forgot at home. They seemed genuinely happy to have my business. That was impressive. Living in the Midwest, though, I would LOVE for them to take up delivery! But with online ordering and easy pick up, it was pretty good.
FINAL NOTES/IMPRESSIONS (3.5 to 4 stars): As I said, I am admittedly hard on Chinese food take-out/delivery, and want food that blows me away with quality and taste. Was Chang Jiang doing all of that? No, not completely. But, the food was good, the portions were fantastic, and the prices were awesome. In the Midwest, that's not too bad! For me, I will return and would not have a problem recommending it to others.
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