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| - Ridiculously delicious!
I haven't had Chinese food this good in the valley for a very long time. I'd given up on the category in lieu of much tastier Thai options, but Golden Valley has put Chinese takeout back on my menu. I've eaten here twice now for lunch and each time I've been blown away. On my first trip I tried the Yu Shing beef, which was a risky option since I haven't really liked it at other restaurants but felt like something spicy and usually this dish includes eggplant (at least where I've tried it). This is the best version of this dish I have ever tasted. They don't use eggplant but I quickly got over it as the beef was perfect, not chewy and full of flavor. The sauce wasn't gummy and the vegetables were nice and crisp (one of the factors that has drawn me to Thai cuisine as I hate mushy vegetables). I also chose the egg drop soup and it was very good, perhaps not the best I've ever had but certainly near the top. Eggrolls are also one of my "Litmus Foods" that I use to judge the quality of a restaurant, and the eggroll that came with my lunch special was one of the better eggrolls I've had in awhile (I think Jack-in-the-Box eggrolls are among the best around if that gives you a baseline on my tastes). The eggrolls at Golden Valley have a good selection of vegetables with a slightly sweet flavor that I really enjoy.
On my second trip I ordered the Mongolian BBQ Beef lunch special on takeout. Takeout doesn't include the soup but that's pretty common among oriental restaurants that offer a lunch special so I won't dock them points for that. I ordered a tea to go and the to-go cup they gave me was a good 32oz size. The Mongolian Beef was so good it was ridiculous. I almost think my tongue was dreaming and reporting something unreal because that's how good this Mongolian Beef was. THE BEST Mongolian Beef I've ever had and that includes PF Chang's. The onions were crispy and the beef full of flavor.
All the lunch menus comes with pork fried rice which is pretty average but I appreciated it better than plain white rice. It was good enough to mix in with the meals and sauces. It's the kind of fried rice you'd get on a side though, so I won't judge it as their entree version.
Value is certainly the most surprising aspect of Golden Valley. Their lunch portions are huge. I usually skip the lunch menu because the portions are too small to do me justice but in this case they provide plenty of food for the money. If you sit down, order anything off the lunch menu that doesn't include seafood and a drink, the whole experience will set you back $7.75 (incl tax) plus tip. For that you get a cup of soup, an entree, fried rice and an eggroll. As an example of the portion size, when I ordered to go, the Mongolian Beef completely filled the entree section of the standard size styrofoam clamshell. Needless to say: I am full! All for about the same price as a large Double Quarter Pounder combo at McDonald's and with about ten times the flavor.
The atmosphere is comfortable. It's clean, modest, and the staff is friendly and attentive. I was really surprised given the location and outward appearance of the building. It's really hit or miss when you step into a strip-mall restaurant what you're going to get but this location is a testament to hole-in-the-wall dining. Simply a pleasure. I think I've found my go-to place for a quick lunch to go.
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