rev:text
| - Guys-- this isn't really a sushi place. It's a super tasty Hunan Chinese restaurant. I meandered in despite the poor yelp reviews because it seemed like many of them were 1-star 1 review haters perhaps hired by the competition across the street. I'm really glad I did.
My first impression was that this was a legit authentic Chinese restaurant. The four other full tables were all speaking mandarin and eating awesome looking spicy Chinese food. After spending a year in western china I'm always on the lookout for good Chinese places and have so far been disappointed by state street options. (Zen Zen taste, Mini Hot Pot, and Double Ten were all better choices than the fare found closer to campus.) When presented with the menu my suspicions were confirmed-- 1/4 Japanese including sushi, 1/4 American Chinese, and 50% Hunanese.
Feeling intimidated by Hunan food? Any of the twice cooked pork dishes are probably good. I enjoyed mine with green beans. It was also one of the more affordable things on the menu at $13. Another safe bet if you don't fear spicy food are the dry pots. Finally, the sour stir fried potato is one of my favorite things from China that hasn't quite caught on with Americans yet. It's crunch and salty and sour in all the best ways possible. If you are feeling adventurous, the whole fish the people at the next table were eating looked pretty good, though I can't vouch for it personally.
As with most Chinese restaurants "entree" that has starch, protein, and vegetable isn't really a central concept. So come with friends and choose some meats, fishes, and vegetables so you end up a balanced meal.
One notable downside is that the menu is a little pricey, though the dishes are big.
Long story short-- I'll be coming back and you should give this place a try. Just skip the sushi and order from the part of the menu that represents food from the culture that the chefs and servers are part of.
|