Page 6
April 2012
eat.
Eats from the East We sample local Chinese restaurants
Gazette illustration/JESSICA REESE
Sunny Garden BY MARY HANEY
mhaney.gazette@gmail.com
One spring break evening, I decided to dine at Sunny Garden, a small Chinese Restaurant tucked in a strip mall off of Auburn Folsom because it came recommended to me by local business owner Sovy Medved of Pullman Kitchen, who happened to be good friends with the owners of Sunny Garden. Upon entering the store, I noticed the typical Americanized Chinese decor. The restaurant was not very crowded but did have a fair number of customers, some of whom, based on their friendly conversations with the workers, appeared to be regulars. My party was relatively large, so we decided to order family style.
We started off with Hot and Sour Soup, before moving onto the main portion of the meal. It was tangy and delicious, though I did add a little extra spice to give it some extra kick. After our soup, we ordered entrees like Basil Chicken, Thai Spicy Beef, Sweet and Sour Pork, Cashew Prawns and my all-time favorite, House Special Egg Foo Young. After a short wait, the food was brought out plate after plate. It looked and smelled delicious and the taste did not disappoint. My brothers devoured most of the Sweet and Sour Pork and the Spicy Beef without thinking twice while my parents and I took little bits of everything and savored all of it. All of the dishes were very good and unlike many Chinese restaurants in our area, many of them were stirfried instead of deep-fried, adding to the unique flavors of each.
The best by far was the Egg Foo Young, something that is very hit or miss with most of our local Chinese Restaurants. The Egg Foo Young is a Chinese version of lasagna, scrambled eggs with pork, shrimp and green onion, topped with a gravy-like sauce. Sunny Garden’s entrees range in price from about $7.25 to $10.50 depending on the type of meat. The soup and rice dishes were all around $7. Our party of six left Sunny Garden very content with both the food and the bill. Bottom line, if you are out towards If I was ever in need of a delicious and inexpensive lunch or dinner in the Folsom area, Sunny Garden would be my first choice.
Panda Express BY MYLES SLATTERY
mslattery.gazette@gmail.com
Panda Express is a convenient way to enjoy Chinese cuisine at an affordable price. When you walk into Panda Express, you are hit with the wafting aroma of wok-tossed Chinese delicacies. This chain restaurant is Americanized to the max, with assembly line ordering and forks and knives instead of chopsticks. Although you can get chopsticks, I feel as though this is just a gimmick the company uses to give the appearance they are more ethnic than they truly are. Panda Express probably is not the best place to go if you are trying to lose a few pounds. The one exception is the restaurant’s most popular dish, orange chicken with a reasonable 420 calories per one serving. For an average restaurant aficionado like myself, a key factor in my overall enjoyment of an establishment is the quality of its soda machine. Panda Express has a standard soda fountain with your typical Pepsi-Cola beverages and free refills which allow you to load up on sugary drinks until you pass out from overdoses of high
fructose corn syrup. Overall, the entrees are delicious; they fill you up with sweet meaty goodness, and keep you feeling full and happy. The signature orange chicken is prepared to perfection and has a sweet, tangy flavor. The treasure shrimp that they serve is brilliantly breaded and lathered with saccharine; toothsome sauce drizzled over succulent prawns fresh out of the blue ocean. Although the entrees are great, Panda Express’ fried rice is dry and lacks an ample amount of meat products. The atmosphere of the restaurant wasn’t very exciting, with an ordinary seating arrangement and uncomfortable furnishing. As for the price, $6.35 plus tax for one side and two entrees is definitely affordable for most Granite Bay High School students. Overall, the total enjoyment I received from the restaurant was pretty high. I was quite happy about my visit to Panda Express and recommend everyone taste it for themselves.
Reviewer’s Grade: B+
Reviewer’s Grade: A
Tsing Tao BY MADI TOULOUKIAN
T
mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com
sing Tao is the perfect place for quality Chinese food at an affordable price. Upon my arrival at Tsing Tao, I was greeted by two friendly waiters and instantly seated in comfortable red booth near the back of the restaurant. At 1:00 in the afternoon on a weekday, the restaurant only held one other party, but as I walked by their table, they all seemed to be enjoying their meal. I took a seat, along with my two family members and a friend, and we were promptly offered water or tea. Although it seemed small, the lunch menu held all the classic Chinese dishes, from Lemon Chicken to Vegetable Chow Mein. The prices for the dishes were reasonable. It is possible to order a main dish, with rice and cream cheese wont-ton sides for $6.25. I struggled to find a main dish that fit in with my vegetarian diet, so I decided to ask my waiter if there was an eggplant dish on the menu. Although he originally said they did not, I was pleasantly surprised that he offered to make a special dish tailored to my tastes. Before our meal arrived, we were offered small bowls of beef soup, which also contained a soy-like broth, vegetables and tofu. I did not personally eat the soup, but my companions thought it was the perfect first course. At this time, I took the chance to look around the restaurant. It was decorated with colorful Chinese decorations and eclectic artwork. Despite the small space, it did not seem crowded or stuffy. The atmosphere was pleasant as hits from
the early nineties played in the background. Though they did not exactly suit the restaurant’s environment, they did bring back some funny memories. Our food arrived steaming, and I was thrilled to see that the eggplant dish looked flavorful and appealing. The steamed rice also complimented its flavors excellently. The Vegetable Chow Mein was nothing exciting or special, but was still equally satisfying. My carnivorous guests very much enjoyed both the beef and broccoli dish and the almond chicken dish. Our entire party reclined in the comfy booth after satisfying our cravings. We were even happier to receive the bill and learn the entire meal had cost a mere $30. Overall, Tsing Tao is a wonderful Chinese restaurant if you’re looking for an affordable way to placate your Chinese food craving in a cozy environment.
Reviewer’s Grade: A-
Gazette photo /SAMANTHA SPARGO
Tsing Tao is located near Gold’s Gym, Ace Hardware and Subway