| rev:text
| - "This place is amazing. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best in the West Valley." Really? The best?
I admit that, when it comes to Chinese food, there isn't much in the West Valley. Then again, unless we're talking Mexican, there isn't much in the West Valley ... period. It's been that way since I came out here in 1993; it'll probably be that way after I die of food poisoning from one of these stellar places (and after one of the restaurant owners I've reviewed reads one of my contributions, the "food poisoning" may not be so accidental or coincidental).
First, I really like the nearly all-wood decor of the place. I know the "fashion" for those who aren't old and obsolete dinosaurs is plastic and glass. Whatever. I like wood. It gives a warm and cozy feeling and this place has it (the ceiling with twinkling stars ... ehhh ... it's okay).
We had the family dinner for two. The price ($23.95 + tax without drinks) is reasonable. The Hot n Sour soup was tasty: filled with peanut oil just like the Hot n Sour Soup I'm used to from back East. A little light on the meat and a bit too sweet for my tastes, but acceptable. The egg rolls had nearly no meat and were very crisp. Frankly, I LIKE all-vegetable and crispy egg rolls and the tighter the cabbage is packed in, the better. Cheese puff ... okay. Wasn't supposed to be a "crab puff", so they're not trying to deceive and it was tasty.
Now the main meal. This is where the place gets less "amazing". I had the Szechuan Chicken and am wondering if maybe they brought the wrong dish? I've never had a version of this dish, where the chicken was crispy coated and the sauce was sweet. My other half had the Kung Pao Chicken and it was, sadly, standard for second-rate Chinese restaurants: small cubes of celery, bamboo, zucchini ... and smaller cuts of, I think, chicken. Neither tasted bad; neither overwhelmed.
Service was fast ... one might say, "too fast": in a take-out situation, you WANT them falling over each other. At a sit down meal, you really don't want them bringing courses before you're done with the previous one. As I said to my fellow diner, "The only thing missing is them standing in a corner, watching expectingly and waiting to swoop down on us as we took our last bite."
So, in conclusion, while I agree that the pickings in Avondale/Goodyear are slim, this is no excuse to tolerate something one step above the food court in Target. If you really think this place is something to give 4 or 5 stars to, then I beg you to either get in your car and drive the 20 miles into Phoenix to find something more palatable or, if you don't have a car, drop me a line and we'll go out to dinner one day. I'll consider it a civic duty and a generous gift to your taste buds.
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