| rev:text
| - Go for the food and the value, not for the ambiance...
I have been longing for a decent Chinese restaurant close to home. I had driven past New China Gate many times, but it just didn't look like much so I didn't give it much thought.
Yesterday, really craving Chinese, I finally took time to read reviews about New China Gate from 3 different sources. While there were lots of digs about other aspects of New China Gate, the reviews of the food were generally good. Thank goodness those reviewers were generally specific.
In particular, reviews of their Garlic Chicken intrigued me. My taste was for something not too heavy, and not breaded or fried - but with lots of flavor. The Garlic Chicken reviews made me get in my car and drive to New China Gate.
I arrived around 5:00 unsure what to expect, and concerned that they might be really busy. There were plenty of tables available, and I was invited to sit where I wanted by a very friendly woman who was working there. I sat at a table at the front, where I could face out the front window rather than staring at the other diners. She brought me a menu and water right away. I asked her for a few minutes to consider the menu.
Looking around, the place was pretty drab, dreary and loud. Lots of conversations, cell phone and in person, filled the air, with nothing to absorb all of the sound. Ambience was, as the reviews had warned me, not on the menu. There was nothing even pleasant about the setting other than the smell of good food. It was VERY "divey" in every imaginable way. I started to get a little nervous about my choice.
When my server returned, I asked what vegetables were cooked with the Garlic Chicken, she indicated zucchini, onions, garlic, mushrooms, green peppers, and water chestnuts.
I absolutely DETEST zucchini, and when I asked her if they could substitute broccoli for it, she quickly agreed that they would be very happy to do that. She was very careful to indicate "no zucchini" on the order in addition to requesting the broccoli. I can not tell you how much I appreciated that attention to detail. I didn't even want to see zucchini - I won't tell you the story that goes with that... but knowing I wouldn't have to look at or smell it made my server my favorite person on the planet for a few minutes.
I asked her if I could get my dish made with white meat. She explained that for quality reasons, they use nothing but white meat for the dish, which also made me very happy. Finally, I asked for hot tea to complete my order.
I sat back to read my book and wait. It wasn't long before my place setting, and a dish of steamed white rice arrived, and right behind it, a delightful smelling and generous dish of Garlic Chicken.
It was in a light, flavorful, aromatic sauce with ample amounts of thickly sliced chicken, broccoli, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic and lots of water chestnuts. Everything was perfectly done! The onions were in nice sized pieces and still had a nice, but not overpowering bite to them.. The broccoli, mushrooms and green peppers were still a little crisp, but cooked enough to have absorbed the flavors of the sauce. The water chestnuts brought a nice crunch but flavorful presence to the dish.
I spooned rice and garlic chicken onto my plate, added a touch of soy sauce, and lost myself in mouthful after mouthful of savory delight. (I am not exaggerating here - I was in Chinese food heaven.) I completely forgot about the setting, and the noise of other diners conversations and just ate for as long as I could.
I finally had to surrender to the fact that I was going to take the other half of my dinner home. perhaps for lunch the next day. I emerged from my haze of food enjoyment to realize that I never got my hot tea. I also realized that my server had never returned to check on me, or anything. Luckily, everything had been perfect, so no problems there. So, I waited, and waited. Eventually, my server reappeared with my check, and a take out container. I supposed I could have looked for her, but no big deal.
I was pleased to see that I wasn't charged for the tea that I never got. It would have been good with my food, but I was so pleased with the meal that I couldn't bring myself to even mention it. There was also no charge for the change from zucchini to broccoli, which many other places would have decided to profit from. The dish was actually a great value for the quality and quantity I received.
I left feeling satisfied with having just consumed an excellent Chinese meal. I'm glad I took to heart the reviews of the food, and didn't let the ambience throw me off the scent. This was an experience I will be repeating. I think I'll try their delivery as well.
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