rev:text
| - Pros:
* Food was brought very quickly
* Food was wet but the backstroke was unnecessary
* Clean
* Smells good
* No television!
Cons:
Buddha's delight was the exact same, uninspired mixture of vegetables as our Cashew Chicken and Pepper Beef. Tons of giant pieces of green pepper and tons of giant pieces of onion. And tiny pieces of celery. And no mushrooms! What duh? Whatever happened to Chinese vegetables, like snow peas, bamboo shoots, or bok choy? Granted, the Cashew Chicken did indeed include water chestnuts but, as another reviewer mentioned, the chicken is PROCESSED. Gross. The pepper beef was in a typically banal, salty, dark brown sauce.
I used to seek out Chinese restaurants because they were the go-to place for "clean" food. But the menu here exemplifies how far such places have degraded. Of all the dozen or so chicken options, only one was not deep fried or breaded but actually stir fried. Same goes with the Beef section, just one such option.
Unimpressed. Now that they are past their bumpy start, I will take my business back across Carefree Highway to Tao Kitchen #2 or Shanghai in Anthem. Both are better quality. (By the way, Sesame Inn is the best Chinese in the Desert Foothills.)
Footnote: Just like plastic bags in grocery stores, I know it has now become commonplace for take-out to be handed over in styrofoam, clam shell boxes. Hong Kong Asian Cuisine is no exception. I spurn such boxes for many reasons:
1) The absence of traditional Chinese takeout boxes degrades the specialness of the Chinese experience.
2) Clamshells leak, a lot.
3) If you don't want leakage in your vehicle you must ask for a crinkly plastic bag. So then you have leakage in the bag and therefore on the back of your hands upon removal.
4) Styrofoam is not recyclable.
5) Despite my best efforts, sliding food out of the container onto a plate is always, always a messy experience.
6) The inside top of the box accumulates condensation which, inevitably, runs over my hands.
7) They communicate to me that the owners are concerned with cutting corners.
|