NHA Trang

Date: January 20, 2010
Time: Approx. 12:15pm
Location: Lincoln, NE

Restaurant: NHA Trang Vietnamese and Chinese Cuisine
Overall Rating: 2.5

Egg Roll: 1
Food Quality: 2.5
Price: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3

On January 20th we made another work group outing to NHA Trang on 11th and L Streets. At lunch time, this restaurant has a small buffet with not a wide selection, but all the typical favorites are included. Both steamed and fried rice were options. The Fried Rice was very dry and I don’t think it was because we were there at a bad time. It was prime lunch hour. The Cashew Chicken only had carrots and celery for vegetables. The flavor was average – not too much flavor, but also not enough. Disappointing. The Pork Egg Roll was dry, cold, small with a thin wrap, cabbage and a little pepper, which wasn’t too noticeable. Needless to say, it was not good at all. The Vegetable Egg Roll was about the same – small, thin wrap and not much flavor. I felt like it could use something else to give it some kick. At least it wasn’t dry!

The Crab Rangoon had a thick shell, was medium in size and was pretty much exactly what’d you expect. Nothing special. The Egg Drop Soup was very good! I’d say the best I’ve had so far in Lincoln. It had a salty flavor, carrots, peas and noodles, which I have never seen before in this soup. When I tried the Sesame Chicken the breading was soggy, not crunchy like it should be, like it had been sitting there a while. If you go for anything “sesame” at this restaurant, go for the Sesame Shrimp. I’ve never seen this dish before. It was awesome! The breading was crunchy and the sauce was delicious. The Vegetable Lo Mein had shreds of carrot, celery and onions. I love onions, but this had too many. The noodles were smaller than what I usually see. It had a light sauce that was good when it wasn’t masked by onion. When I came to the Twice Cooked Pork, I wasn’t sure at first if I’d like it, but this was the best thing I had on the buffet! The pork was tender and it had big zucchini, mushroom, and onion pieces. The sauce was packed with flavor! The Teriyaki Chicken on a stick had a savory flavor with plenty of sauce. Usually this item doesn’t come with any extra sauce, just teriyaki marinaded chicken. The chicken was slightly dry, but not choke-worthy. Ok…the Chicken in Special Sauce. When I picked this out, it looked like small chicken wings and thighs. Yum, right? However when I bit into the piece I picked up, it looked like I was eating the spine of the chicken, which almost made me gag. The sauce tasted like a spicy teriyaki, which was good, but I couldn’t eat it after seeing it. I’m gagging right now.

The background music was odd and too loud where we were sitting, but upbeat. The atmosphere had a casual Asian theme with Chinese light fixtures and pictures on the wall. In the back room where we were sitting, there were big round tables for large groups, which was nice because we were able to face people instead of looking down a long table. The restaurant was very clean from what I could tell.

The service was great! All people were very friendly. Plates were promptly removed and water refilled before asking. When I was up for my second trip, our waitress was refilling the rice and asked, with a big smile, if everything was good. She then said thank you when I complimented the food.

The price was right-on for the lesser selection and average food quality, $5.50 for the lunch buffet. From what I could tell it was all Chinese food on the buffet. I’d be interested in ordering off the menu and trying some of the Vietnamese cuisine. Perhaps that would raise their score a little!

Fortune: “A carrot a day, may keep cancer away.” A rather bleak end to our lunch after gorging myself with food and not eating one single carrot that day!

Great China Buffet

Date: January 8, 2010
Time: Approx. 11:45am
Location: Lincoln, NE
Restaurant: Great China Buffet
Overall Rating: 3

Egg Roll: 1

Food Quality: 3.5
Price: 3.5

Atmosphere: 3.5

Service: 3

For my first Chinese food adventure of the year, I went to lunch with co-workers at the Great China Buffet, across from Gateway Mall on O Street. Every once in a while we have to remind ourselves why it is not a good idea to eat at a buffet for lunch: Food Coma = Nap at Desk = Low Productivity. This was our first reminder of the year. I think I’ll be good until at least February.

Needless to say, with this being a buffet I stuffed a lot of variety into the visit and if you are looking for variety, this is the place to go! They have Chinese and American food, including a salad bar and sushi! I’ll start from the beginning. Don’t waste your time on the Spicy Chicken, unless you don’t like spice at all. The name is deceiving and it needed more flavor. The Vegetable Lo Mien is always a good safety dish, an American favorite. It’s hard to mess this one up and I’d say theirs was right on par. The General Tao’s Chicken was excellent! Just the right amount of breading and flavor, not too spicy (and I'm a spice wuss). The Egg Drop Soup had green onions. It was about average, nothing surprising. The Pork Egg Roll was very disappointing. It tasted so processed that I couldn’t even cover the taste all that much with soy sauce. Since we’re going that direction, the Cashew Chicken was heartbreaking too. It had no flavor and only carrots and celery as vegetables. My two favorite dishes were real downers. Last item on the first round, the Pepper Shrimp was mild, yet interesting. It was lightly breaded with just a hint of pepper. Very nice.

Round two showed a bit more promise. The Spring Roll was the saving grace for the “roll” family. It had a thin wrap filled with cabbage. Small but delicious. The Crab Rangoon was awesome with a light outer shell and plenty of flavorful stuffing. It was almost small enough to be bite sized, which is not common in American Chinese restaurants (or any American restaurant). The Sesame Chicken was just as to be expected. Sweet and tasty! Lastly, the Sushi. I tried four different pieces. I swear one was stuffed with just shredded cheese and sour cream. How much more American can you get than that! None were un-edible, but none had that much flavor either. Tasted like I was just dipping sticky rice in soy sauce.

For the lunch buffet, the price was $7, including tax and a refillable drink. Not bad considering how much variety they have and the fact that you can eat as much as you want. With it being a buffet, the service is hard to judge. They were prompt in clearing our plates and that’s about all we had for service. The atmosphere is pleasant - soft music in the background, plenty of light from large windows, an ample amount of Chinese décor, and from what I could tell it was very clean. A good choice if you’re looking to overstuff at lunch in a hurry!

Fortune: “Your love light shines on another”.

Zhang's

Date: December 12, 2009

Time: Approx. 12:00pm

Location: Lincoln, NE

Restaurant: Zhang's

Overall Rating: 4

Egg Roll: 5
Food Quality: 4.5
Price: 5
Atmosphere: 2.5
Service: 3
Overall: 4

I’ve been meaning to write about Zhang’s for quite some time now. I first discovered this place in mid-summer and have been back several times since. I’m eating it right now and trying to save half for dinner tonight, but I can’t seem to put my fork down. I have the “just one more bite” syndrome. The lunch special portion size is just the right amount to eat for two meals and still feel full after each (or feel overly stuffed after one meal, which I have also done). :)

Let’s start with the Egg Roll. From what I can tell, it is stuffed with cabbage, green onions and chicken, yet it has a hint of sweetness. I’d really like to find out where this sweet taste comes from because it is surprising and wonderful! I haven’t found an egg roll like this since I ate at the Dillon’s grocery store Chinese food counter in Independence, Kansas back in high school. I know….you didn’t expect me to say grocery store Chinese food, but believe it. I’m going to go so far as to say this is the best egg roll I’ve had in Lincoln so far! No soy sauce or sweet & sour sauce needed! An egg roll that’s simple in ingredients, but packed with flavor. Wish I could have one everyday! Is Santa Claus reading this?

Okay, I need to move on from the egg roll. The Cashew Chicken had just the right sized chunks of celery, carrots, zucchini, onion and green onion. The chicken seemed like it was just lightly dipped in flour and pan fried to perfection with a slight crunch. This dish had just the right amount of sauce and was packed with flavor (sweet, salty and tangy)! Needless to say, I loved this cashew chicken and that is why it’s my new favorite.

The atmosphere is lacking a bit with one picture of Chinese symbols and a large photo of a sail boat. That being said, it is more of a take-out place and seems like they have built their reputation around that aspect instead of stellar ambiance. The facilities are very clean and they do have a flat screen TV to watch while you’re waiting. The service is fine enough. Not bad, not great. The food definitely makes up for it.

Zhang’s is my new go-to for Chinese food at lunch and if you happen to work West of 27th street and South of Highway 2, I’d highly recommend it for you as well. Although, you might want to call ahead to place your order. Every time I’ve been there, it has been steady with business at lunch time, so the wait could be more than you’d like for a lunch break. However believe me when I say, the wait is worth it for this delicious, fresh cooked Chinese food!

Fortune: "A financial investment will yield returns beyond your hopes." Let's hope so!

Windchimes

Date: August 13, 2009
Time: Approx. 12:00pm
Location: Lincoln, NE

Restaurant: Windchimes

Overall Rating: 3.5

Egg Roll: 3
Food Quality: 4

Atmosphere: 3.5

Price: 3

Service: 4

As a birthday gift from my co-workers we went to Windchimes Chinese restaurant for lunch. (Thank you all so much!)

The Cashew Chicken was excellent (even when eaten cold for dinner that night)! The vegetables were big and fresh. There were mushrooms in it, which is not common in this dish (loved it!). The sauce was a bit darker than I’m used to seeing and had more flavor than usual. They used whole cashews, which is always favorable to my taste buds. The portion sizes are very generous as well.

From what I could tell from my fellow diners’ plates, all the dishes were served with white rice. And all the dishes came with a bonus chicken wing or leg, which I thought was strange at first, but LOVED in the end. The chicken had a crispy outer layer with a very light teriyaki sauce. Delicious! I could even stretch to say that it was the best teriyaki chicken wing I have ever had! Substitute some buffalo sauce and I could very well say the same for the best buffalo wing I’ve ever had. I even asked Andrea if I could have hers (she’s a vegetarian and gladly permitted). All the dishes had a couple pieces of fruit as well. Nice touch, but when eating Chinese food, fruit is the last thing I personally want to consume. The Egg Roll had a light wrap with chicken and cabbage. It was the first time I’ve ever tasted pepper in an egg roll. I embraced the change, but in the last bites had to use some soy sauce. By the way, the soy sauce came in these cute miniature pitchers that have “soy sauce” written on them. It was a very nice touch and I have to look up where I can buy one! The Hot and Sour soup was great. All the right flavors and substance for this soup. The Crab Rangoon had plenty of flavor and were just the right size.

The prices were decent. You won’t break the bank, but they are a little higher than some other places in town. However, the restaurant is very clean, the wait staff was friendly and prompt, and the atmosphere was light. There was an abundance of sun shining in the windows and the Chinese décor was plentiful. I would say it is a little more “upscale” than the average Lincoln restaurant. This would be a great place to take clients or your sweetheart on a date. They had a tempting display of wine at the entrance and a large gong that we desperately wanted to hit. I would not doubt that someone has done it in the past. Visit their website for more information about the food, location, and even Chinese-Tibetan culture! http://www.your-windchimes.com/

Fortune: "You will soon be honored by someone you respect."

Imperial Palace

Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Time: Approx. 11:45 a.m.

Location: Lincoln, NE

Restaurant: Imperial Palace

Overall Rating: 4

Egg Roll: 3.5

Food Quality: 4

Price: 4

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 3.5

Last Wednesday, Andrea had the splendid idea to go to Imperial Palace for lunch. I, of course, accetped. Immediately when you step into this place it has a great ambiance. There are Chinese artifacts all over and the detail from the chairs to the ceiling surrounds you with Chinese culture. This would be a great date restaurant or just a fun night out with the family. The lighting is dim. Feels a bit like stepping out of a dungeon when exiting, but that all adds to the uniqueness.

We started off with Egg Drop Soup. It wasn't the best I've ever tried. After a couple slurps, I had to add some soy sauce. However, I rarely find an egg drop soup where I don't have to add soy sauce. The soup also had corn, carrots and peas. For a main entree, I chose the Cashew Chicken lunch combo with Sweet & Sour Pork. Note, the lunch combos come with choice of soup but no side item. The Cashew Chicken was excellent! I'm salivating thinking about it right now. It has a garlicy flavor to it, which was unlike any cashew chicken dish I've ever tasted. The change was delightful. All the vegetables were the same as usual in this dish (celery and carrots) and the chicken was what you'd expect. The Sweet & Sour Pork was average with thick breading and a very sweet, thick sauce. The pork pieces, although small (plus), had occasional hard pieces that I had to spit out (minus). That's as far as I'll go with that description. The Egg Rolls were vegetable only, and from my inspection it looked like they were only stuffed with cabbage. The outer crust was light and flaky, but there was no real flavor to it. I had to add some sweet & sour sauce to the last few bites. I would guess this may be more what a "traditional" Chinese egg roll would taste like, since this restaurant is more on the authentic side (I've heard). I did like that it was not massive and not too filling, so I could try more of everything else on my plate. The Crab Rangoons were smaller than I'm used to seeing, but that's not necessarily bad. The breading was light and crispy, even around the filling part. Very nice! Andrea tried the Vegetable Tofu dish. She said it was "nothing special". The tofu was a little softer than she prefers. So, if you like a softer consistency tofu, go for it.

The prices were reasonable for such sizeable portions and tasty food. The lunch specials range around $6. The two egg rolls were $2.75 and half an order (4) of crab rangoon was $2. The service was prompt and the food came out super fast. You can definitely tell the owners of this restaurant have been around for a while and know what they are doing when it comes to running a reputable restaurant. Just after I got back from this lunch, I received an email from a friend. This friend said she works with a doctor from China and he recommended this place BUT to order off of the "Chinese menu". Apparently, there is a special menu for Chinese people or anyone else who cares to look at it. It comes in Chinese or English. I'm very curious and will be going back soon....to be continued.

Fortune: "Time makes you wise. Ask advice from someone older than you."

Jacky Chen (not Chan) III

Date: Saturday, June 20, 2009
Time: 1:30pm
Location: Newton, KS
Restaurant: Jacky Chen III
Overall Rating: 1.5

Egg Roll: 1
Food Quality: 1.5
Price: 3
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 2

As I said in my “Mission & Background” entry, I will when I can, venture out of Lincoln, Nebraska to taste some Chinese cuisine around the country and give you my fairest rating. This past weekend I took a jaunt down to Newton, KS to visit my mother. We went out to eat (as we nearly always do) at Jacky Chen’s Chinese food buffet. We arrived at about 1:30pm and to our dismay nothing on the buffet was fresh. I was trying to make excuses for them about it being later in the lunch time frame, but as my mother put it “that doesn’t matter.” And I couldn’t agree more!

I went straight for the Chicken Egg Roll and Vegetable Spring Roll. Both were very dry, which seemed to be the theme of this dining experience. DRY! I couldn’t even finish the egg roll (a very rare occurrence). Next I tried the Crab Rangoon, not bad if you like a lot of cream cheese and not so much crab. They didn’t have Cashew Chicken and I couldn’t really find anything close to equivalent. So, I tried the Spicy Chicken. It was the best item I found on the buffet. Just enough spice, not overpowering, and the chicken was a good consistency. General Tso’s Chicken was just ok. Tried a Crab Stuffed Mushroom. It would have been good fresh. The Garlic Mushrooms needed more garlic flavor. The Teriyaki Chicken on a stick was so dry I could hardly get it off the stick. Last, I tried the Japanese Chicken, which was nothing spectacular. I’d stick to perfecting their Chinese food before they venture to Japan.

I can say they had a good variety of food. This place is kid friendly with many other options besides Chinese food. I tried a Cheese Stick and Fried Okra. Like a broken record, they would have been good FRESH. They had sushi too. I tried the California Roll (just about the only sushi I will try off a buffet). You can never be too safe with raw fish. It was average. Not exceptional, but not bad. The price for this buffet was $6. That was the silver lining – I didn’t break the bank to eat bad food!

So, if any of you happen to be in Newton, KS sometime in your life and your heart is craving a little Chinese flavor, I recommend going to Jacky Chen’s Chinese buffet only if you can get there as soon as it opens. If you can’t be at the door as it unlocks, I’d order off the menu, or better yet, drive about 20 miles East to Wichita and take your chance at another Chinese food establishment.

Fortune: “An interesting musical opportunity is in your near future.”

Turns out that musical opportunity was closer than I thought. For the first time in nearly six years I have a car with a CD player! For my trip down to Kansas I found all my old CDs from high school and literally sang until my throat was on fire. Forgot how good it feels to hear old songs I love, reminisce about high school friends, and even play a little air guitar all in the privacy of my little bubble on wheels. Give it a try sometime!

Highlands Great Wall

Date: Friday, June 12, 2009

Time: Approx. 12:00pm

Location: Lincoln, NE

Restaurant: Highlands Great Wall

Overall Rating: 3.2

Egg Roll: 3

Food Quality: 4

Price: 4

Atmosphere: 2

Service: 3

I went to the Highlands Great Wall for lunch with Andrea last Friday. This is a fast food Chinese place. However, the food quality is WAY better than ordinary fast food. The Egg Roll was a little better than average. It had chicken in it and the cabbage pieces were small and well cooked, which I really like. The food was hot when it came out. You order at the counter and they bring it to you. The people were friendly. Felt a bit rushed when ordering (good thing I knew exactly what I wanted), but that's to be expected at noonish. The Cashew Chicken was really good! They used full cashews in just the right amount. The sauce was typical for that dish, sweet and salty together. The vegetables were cooked just right and the chicken was a typical chinese consistency. It was even great cold, which is how I ate the leftovers for dinner that night. Don't judge if you haven't tried it...I would eat any Chinese food cold! I tried a couple bites of Andrea's dish - Vegetables in a Garlic Sauce. It was excellent. I could tell they use fresh vegetables.

The portions were what you'd expect for an American restaurant, HUGE. I ordered a medium portion size and had more than enough for dinner that night too. Andrea had a large size and the rice had to be served on a separate plate. She gave me her leftovers (that's a good friend) and I can attest that it was great cold as well when I ate it for dinner Saturday night! This was been such a great Chinese Food week! The price was right on for the portion sizes. Each of our dishes were $7. Worth it when you can definitely get two meals out of it, or stuff yourself to the brim in one meal. So overall, the numbers average out to 3.2, but for simplicity sake I give it a 3. I would absolutely recommend this place if you are on the West side of town, in a rush but still want some excellent Chinese cuisine.

Fortune: "Products are merely physical expressions of ideas."

Jade Rivers

Date: June 10, 2009
Time: Approx. 12:30pm

Location: Lincoln, Nebraska

Restaurant: Jade Rivers
Overall Rating: 2.5 Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls: 1.5
Food Quality: 2.5
Price: 4.5
Atmosphere: 2.5

Service: 3.5

I went to the Jade Rivers Chinese Buffet yesterday for lunch. I wouldn’t go so far as to put “famous chinese buffet” in the title on the menu, as they did. They didn’t have Cashew Chicken, so I tried the Almond Chicken, which by the way, did not have any almonds. It was just OK. That word really kind of sums up the whole experience. They had pork and vegetable egg rolls. Both were very dry and I had to use soy sauce. Side note: If you have to use soy sauce on an egg roll, in my opinion, that is not good. The Crab Rangoon was the worst I’ve had. It was bone dry. No filling at all and they were very small. The Vegetable Lo Mein was average. A little dry and the noodles were thick. The Egg Drop Soup as so so as well. It had green onions in it and looked a little oily. The General Tao’s Chicken was what you’d expect for a buffet, along with the Orange Chicken. Generally, good hot or luke warm, but try to get it while it’s hot! The best item I ate was the Teriyaki Chicken. There was no breading, but the sauce stuck to it well, giving it a full flavor. The chicken pieces were a familiar consistency too. Always good to see in a Chinese restaurant. The last item I tried was the Indian Chicken. It needed a bit more flavor. I was expecting to taste that Indian flare, but might have been expecting too much for this place!

I’d like to come back and eat off the menu to give a fair rating of food right off the cooker. Overall for a buffet, I give it a 2.5 out of 5. The price was $5.99. So for that cost, the level of food was right on value. The service was good. All people were very friendly and prompt in removing plates. We were even asked if everything was good, which is unusual for buffet-style places. Restaurant was clean. Definitely felt like I was in an “American-Chinese” place. The Chinese ambiance was lacking a bit. If you’re looking for cheap Chinese food with fair quality and mass quantities, this is your place. http://www.jaderiversbuffet.com/

Fortune: “Share your insights with close friends for rewards this week.”
A perfect fortune for the first week of this blog. These are my insights, shared only with close friends…so far.