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| - As many other reviewers have already mentioned, this restaurant is operated by the same owners who manage the Rainbow Garden on Neil Street. While the Neil Street location was fairly classy on the inside, this new venue is even more elegant and refined. The servers wear starched white dress shirts and the furniture is made of heavy, dark wood. I would definitely recommend it for serious business lunches during the day and romantic dates in the evening. There is also a bar area that is probably supposed to serve as a cocktail lounge (with a TV), but I'm having a hard time imagining people coming to this place just for drinks.
If you're looking for something fairly exotic or "authentic," this would likely not be your place. No baby squid or duck tongue on the menu. Instead, you'll find the standard Americanized fare: sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli, fried rice, and egg rolls. To compare the food to your average greasy take-out place is not a fair characterization, however. All of the dishes are cooked with what tastes like better-quality ingredients. Vegetables are cut and prepared artfully. The sauces are a bit more nuanced in their flavor. The skill in preparation and presentation is also reflected in their prices, as you can expect to pay around $8+ for most dishes (the upper range is around $15 for seafood).
For vegetarians, I would recommend the eggplant in garlic sauce. The sauce is slightly spicy, slightly sweet and delicious by itself with some steamed rice. The chicken and green beans is simple and tasty, the vegetables still slightly crisp. It's also covered in garlic--yum! All of the pork dishes are made with Chinese barbecue pork, which is a combination of sweet and smoky, and usually somewhat chewy.
Like the old location, the new Rainbow Garden offers lunch specials that are served until 2:30. I still argue that this is the best lunch special in town, with each meal costing around $6 to $8. The specials come with rice, soup, and an egg roll. As with dinner, the quality of the food is above average compared to takeout places. No slimy sauces and wilted vegetables.
To summarize, this restaurant is for people who love Chinese food for its salty, sweet, and sticky sauces, but also want to eat this food in a more refined setting.
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