NICK MEYER
the door. In addition to the standard Chinese dishes, the restaurant features a “Mongolian Barbeque” style grill where you can select ingredients and sauces to be stir-fried before your hungry eyes. Vegetarian friendly. Lunch entrée: $6, dinner: $9.
Jade Garden 3620 Gateway Dr., Eau Claire • 833-
9868 • A large Chinese buffet featuring row after row of popular appetizers. Expect all your favorite Asian dishes to make an appearance, along with a few pleasant surprises. Private party room, vegetarian friendly. Entrée: $7-$9.
Jimmy Woo’s Pagoda Asian Restaurant & Lounge 1700 Hastings Way, Eau Claire • 832-6431
• www.woospagoda.com • Practically an Eau Claire landmark, Woo’s Pagoda has overlooked Hastings Way for over fifty years. The restaurant has a very loungey feel to it, and it’s a great place for dinner and conversation. Try the chef’s signature dish, Lor’s Amber Chicken, with one of the bar’s many specialty drinks. Live music on the weekends, outdoor seating, private party area, catering services, vegetarian friendly. Lunch entrée: $8, dinner: $10.
Jumbo House 2633 Birch St., Eau Claire • 835-9188
The curds at Dooley’s Pub in Eau Claire pack a burst of gooey flavor – cubed. Besides fried cheese, Dooley’s offers a specialty menu of classic Irish fare ... and Guinness. day’s is a national chain known for their big menu and special Jack Daniels steaks, chicken, and burgers. The upbeat and friendly atmosphere is also home to a number of salads, pastas, sandwiches, appetizers and more. Relatively vegetarian friendly, open late (until 1am Mon.-Sat. and midnight Sun.), call ahead seating. Entrée: $9-$18.
Vally’s Restaurant 1117 Pumphouse Rd., Timber
Terrace Golf Course, Chippewa Falls • 726-1199 • www.vallysrestaurant.com • With local art adorning the walls, Vally’s dining room overlooks the gorgeous
Falls • 726-9886 • A plentiful buffet of classic Chinese food guaranteed to send you home full. Try the House Fried Chicken, the coconut shrimp, and other tasty seafood offerings. Private party room, vegetarian friendly. Lunch entrée: $6, dinner: $7.50, $8.50 weekends.
Egg Roll-Plus 1611 Bellinger St., Eau Claire • 832-
6125 • The menu at Egg Roll-Plus hops from Thai to Vietnamese to Laotian to Chinese cuisine, all in the span a few modest pages. The special stir-fries and
Practically an Eau Claire landmark, Woo’s Pagoda has overlooked Hastings Way for over fifty years. Jimmy Woo’s Pagoda, Eau Claire Chippewa River, creating a relaxing dining experience. Sample the homemade soup and try the signature Grilled Caribbean Chicken Salad with honey lime dressing. The Friday fish fry and the fresh ham patty burger are favorites. Open for breakfast all week, outdoor seating, private party room, catering services. Free wireless internet. Entrée: $5-$7.
ASIAN
Asian Café 2121 Eddy Lane, Eau Claire • 852-0552
• A calming, quiet place specializing in dishes from southeastern Asia, including Thailand and Laos, the Asian Café uses fresh ingredients to prepare dishes right when they are ordered. Try the Pad Thai and/or the egg rolls – stuffed with pork, veggies, and bean threads. Lunch buffet Tue. through Fri., catering services, vegetarian friendly. Lunch entrée: $6, dinner: $7-$9.
China Buffet 961 W. Clairemont Ave., Shopko Plaza,
Eau Claire • 552-1198 • A hot buffet offering Asian favorites like fried rice, spring rolls, barbequed chicken on a stick, and all the crab Rangoon you can swallow. Vegetarian friendly. Entrée: prices unavailable.
China Buffet 475 Chippewa Mall Dr., Chippewa
gargantuan bowls of rice-noodle soup are hot items, but the namesake egg rolls are worth to the trip alone – enjoy a few in the modest dinning area or take some home for the whole family. Vegetarian friendly. Entrée: $5-$7.
Fortune Cookie Chinese Restaurant 1702 Harding
Ave., Eau Claire • 833-0088 • A Chinese takeout and delivery joint offering a host of standards – everything from vegetable lo mein to deep-fried chicken wings. Vegetarian friendly. Entrée: $4-$7.
Fortune Cookie Chinese Restaurant 319 S. Broad-
way St., Menomonie • 235-3532 • A casual place for Chinese featuring a long lineup of the usual suspects – chow mein, sweet-n-sour pork, cashew chicken, fried rice, and so on. Popular items include the chicken broccoli and the aromatic chicken. Vegetarian friendly, open late. Entrée: $4-$6.
Golden Dragon 2709 N. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire
• 552-2790 • All of your Asian favorites available for dine-in, carry-out, or delivery. Vegetarian friendly. Entrée: prices unavailable. Entrée: $4-$6.
Great Wall Buffet 1431 S. Hastings Way, Eau Claire •
838-9666 • One of the Valley’s larger Chinese buffets, the Great Wall places a wall of food between you and “How can you tell?”
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• A Chinese buffet with a dedicated takeout counter, Jumbo House sets itself apart by offering seriously large portions. A single crab Rangoon could be used as a delicious, deep-fried beanbag chair. The menu features Szechwan, Hunan, and Cantonese cuisine, so you’ll have no trouble finding all your Asian favorites. Vegetarian friendly, open late. Entrée: $6-$9, lunch buffet: $6, dinner buffet: $8.
Kingdom Buffet 1502 E. 9th St., Menomonie • 233-
0465 • As the name implies, an empire’s worth of food awaits you at the Kingdom Buffet. Whether you like your Chinese cuisine steamed, stir-fried, or deep-fried, there’s something for everyone. Vegetarian friendly. Lunch buffet: $6, dinner: $8.
Kobe’s Japanese 4800 Golf Rd., Oakwood Mall, Eau Claire • 838-9888 • Located in Oakwood Mall’s Café Court, this Japanese grill serves up fresh veggies and meat – hot and fast. The chicken and shrimp dishes are a big crowd pleasers. Vegetarian friendly. Entrée: $4-$6.
Noodles & Company 4653 Keystone Crossing, Eau
Claire • 858-9000 • www.noodles.com • Quick and casual, Noodles offers a variety of dishes based on different kinds of, well, noodles. Crowd pleasers include the Japanese Pan Noodles, the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese, and the Penna Rosa pasta. Fun facts: Noodles serves beer and wine, and all menu items can be prepared vegetarian. Entrée: $7-$9.
Noodle Wrap 3021 Mall Dr., Eau Claire • 552-0525
• Noodle Wrap is an unassuming, quiet place for fresh Asian fare with an emphasis on Hmong dishes. Meals are prepared from scratch the minute they’re ordered. Stir-fries, soups, and other dishes can be had with veggies, chicken, or shrimp. Vegetarian friendly. Entrée: $8-$12.
Pad Thai 203 N. Barstow St., Eau Claire • 552-1715
• Take a seat in the tidy dining area and peruse Pad Thai’s menu of unique Asian fare. All items can be
ICON KEY = Alcohol, beer, or wine available. = Delivery available. Some restrictions may apply. = Able to accommodate larger groups of 9 or more. = Smoking allowed in part or all of the establishment. = Accepts reservations. Some restrictions may apply. = Winner: 2007 V1 Best of the Valley Reader Poll.
Volume One Eat Scene 2008