| rev:text
| - As one reviewer put it, finding a good Chinese restaurant in the West Valley is no mean feat ... and that may be why the reviews for this restaurant are, overall, extraordinarily good. I'm trying not to be jaded and I'm trying to remember that we're rating restaurants based on what's HERE and not what I've had throughout my travels. However, while the food here does seem to be good, I'm not "wowed" by it.
To be fair, we did not have an entree: after working out, we came in for some Hot n Sour soup and the Pu Pu Platter and figured, if we're still hungry after that, we can order more. The Hot n Sour soup was far from being watery and was quite tasty, but, again, I just wasn't floored by it. When they bring the soup to you, it doesn't look like it's much, because the bowl they bring it in looks deceptively small. The soup is ladled out into small, art-deco-like bowls (more on the decorating later) and you'll get about 4 servings out of it. My other half found the soup spicy; I did, too; but only because I added chili paste to it even before I tasted it (I know from experience, that no matter what a server tells me, it's NEVER spicy enough for me). The Pu Pu platter was generous in its portion size, though the egg rolls are a little too greasy and filled only with cabbage (not a problem for me) and the meat on the skewer rather tough (again, I didn't have a problem with that, but they might consider serving a knife with it). Those two items with a diet Coke for me came to $18+ including tax ... very much a good deal considering portions and taste.
Now, the decor: unlike many of the restaurants in the Valley -- and especially in strip malls, which this place is part of -- with their fluorescent lighting and tacky flaky ceiling tiles having about as much character as a Tea Party candidate promising not to disrupt proceedings on the floor of the House, this restaurant's owners made obvious efforts to decorate this place. The restaurant is immaculately clean to the point of sterile; decorations are somewhat eclectic, but in good taste and well-coordinated. So what possible complaint could I have? (Apparently, you haven't been reading my reviews, if you're seriously asking).
As tasteful and classy as the decorating in this place is, I don't find it necessarily appetite-inducing (though it doesn't ruin your appetite either): the scheme is mainly grey and black, so that your first thought might be "intimate and quiet". The basic art deco design of the room and this intimate color scheme almost makes me feel like I'm in a classy gay bar in NYC, where you'd see older gentlemen and, maybe, their younger companions. The only things missing were, in the following order ...
a) a piano
b) candles on the tables
c) a pencil-thin waiter, slightly effeminate, in white shirt and black tie, checking on your meal
Now, bear in mind, I don't say this with the intention of dissing this place or trying to sound negative. At nighttime, it's an almost elegant and appealing atmosphere; but having come from New York and having dined in many such intimate restaurants, while I always felt cozy in them, I always felt like I had to watch my manners more than enjoy my meal.
That said, the wait staff is attentive without making you feel like you've sat there too long; the portions are generous; the prices are reasonable; the place is "I-wish-my-house-was-this-clean" sterile and considering the location and the price-level, you could easily bring a first date to this place and not feel like the cheap bastard you obviously are for not spending more money to impress your date (Don't worry ... you can always buy him or her an expensive present and tell them you preferred to spend the money on their gift rather than an overpriced meal).
So, yes ... I would say that, for the West Valley, this is a Chinese Restaurant a cut above almost all the rest and the atmosphere alone and outstanding service is worth the effort to come here. Alas, though, it's that service and atmosphere that makes this place stand out; not the food.
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