What a great secret this place is. Tucked away in McIntyre square you would never expect it to be a bastion of authentic Chinese dishes!
When you walk in the door, you're met with very typical Chinese Restaurant style decor. But then you notice that the whiteboard menu over the entry way counter is all in Chinese. You look around and the place is filled with Chinese. The auspices are good. There are two menus: one that is more focused at the American palate and one that is pretty much as authentic as you can get.
Having been to China, and having pined for the food since I left, I always order off the second menu.
My favorite appetizer is the tripe and tongue. It's tender and delicious and you can totally forget what you're eating.
Entree wise I have had their special fish in chili sauce which was serviced beautifully whole and was sublime. I have also had their Dragon Tongue Duck (not sure about that name....I couldn't really understand the gentleman's accent completely.) It was duck in a spicy sauce with vegetables and . I also have had and highly recommend their cumin flavored beef and lamb. Both are incredibly good.
The owner will come to your table if you order something out of the ordinary for Americans and make sure you know what you're getting. I just wish that he wouldn't act so surprised that Americans would be willing to venture outside of the strict General Tsos chicken arena. Still, who can blame him. Not many of us will. If you're one who wants to, go to the China Star and make sure they give you BOTH menus. It'll be a great experience!