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| - Confession: I am most likely to seek out Chinese food when I'm sick, or feel sickness coming on. So today was the perfect day to try a new place.
I was the only customer at 3:45 pm, and was warmly welcomed. I ordered at the counter, but decided to eat in. I used the restroom (basic but clean, with really nice smelling hand soap) and my food was ready when I came out, moments later. I was invited/instructed to take a seat at a table in the raised front window area, which was perfect.
I first noticed that the hot and sour soup (my cure-all) was served in a real Pyrex/glass bowl, not plastic. Yes!!! It was piping hot and full of very silky strips of tofu, homemade? Not a lot of mushrooms, and light on the vinegar flavor, but full of egg shreds, julienned carrots and plenty of heat from spices. They don't have shrimp or pork egg rolls, only chicken or plain veggie. I got one order of each and they were done perfectly, not greasy, with a nice crunch. I would describe the flavors of everything as comfort food. Nothing too original or interesting, but very enjoyable and soothing. I preferred the veggie roll to the chicken, just my personal preference. The next table's food smelled heavenly when it arrived, I'll get a meal next time I come.
It was plenty warm enough inside on a gray cold day, with a dimly pleasant lighting level and nondescript instrumental background music at a comfortable volume. The interior is basic diner, with a few Chinese items thrown in so you know where you are. A huge red statue of Buddha at the entry is a fun touch. Random, but I really liked the front door. It's clearly original to this historic Atwood building, antique with the patina of age and so many thousands of hands opening it over the years...
The waitress checked in unobtrusively to see if everything was OK at the right time, and it was. My dishes were removed promptly and politely as I finished with them.
Six bucks and change before tip, and I left full, warmed, and feeling better. Can't ask for much more.
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