New China — Restaurant in Highland Village

I've loved Asian cuisine--especially Chinese food--all my life. Most Americanized Chinese cuisine available in this area seems to taste the same these days, so finding something that impresses and satisfies me is rare. I came to New China hoping I'd succeed Suffice it to say that "New China" is an appropriate name... as long as the "N" is removed. "Ew China." Not kidding.

The place doesn't take pride in its business. No music plays inside, and my partner and I noticed that cleanliness wasn't exactly a priority. The floor, restroom, and even the nozzles on the drink machine weren't clean. But a fellow patron we talked to while in line to place our order said that several menu items were "to die for,' so we decided to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt.

I have no idea why my fellow diner raved about New China's fare--our dishes were positively disgusting. We ordered the egg drop wonton soup, steamed dumplings, vegetable spring rolls, General Tso's Chicken, and roast pork lo mein. Nothing--I repeat, NOTHING--was well-prepared. The soup was overly salty and almost congealed, and the dumplings--both the steamed ones and those in the soup--were doughy, undercooked, and underseasoned. The spring rolls were obviously frozen, with inexcusably mushy vegetables and soggy wrappers.

The lo mein had practically nothing in it except the noodles and sliced pork. In my experience, carrots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and the like are added to the main ingredient. The pork, meanwhile, tasted gamey--a classic sign that it wasn't fresh and had been reheated. The General Tso's was just about as bad, with next to no unique flavor, and the breading tasted suspiciously "off." Freezer burn, now that we think about it. Meanwhile, the fried rice we ordered with the chicken had absolutely nothing in it--no egg, carrot, peas, etc.

A few bites into our meal, my partner and I were so disappointed that we decided to ask for a refund and have dinner elsewhere. The man behind the counter gave us our money back immediately, with no apology, no emotion... almost as if.he knew the food was bad but he was resigned to the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. It seemed like it was a daily occurrence.

"EW CHINA," indeed. Stay away at all costs. ...

I've eaten here several times and each time my experience reinforces my overall opinion: well above average and worth a visit.

What impresses me most are the consistently have fresh ingredients, cooked to perfection. No mushy vegetables, no overcooked meat! The vegetables are crisp and the meat is moist and tender. Like most Chinese eateries, New China has a large and varied menu, of which I'd usually be suspicious. It's difficult to maintain quality, when you have to prepare such a wide variety of dishes - but they consistently get it right at New China.

On my last visit (late January) I had "Mandarin Delight" which is a trio of Shrimp, Chicken and Pork, with vegetables, all in a delicious garlic sauce. The meats were ample and cooked just right. I usually expect a selection of what passes for vegetables (plural) in most restaurants, but I was pleasantly surprised to find: Onion, Bok Choi, Snow Pea, Bamboo Shoot, Water Chestnut, Green Pepper, Carrot and fresh - yes fresh - Button Mushrooms. All for about $10 bucks.

The food is the star at New China, as it should be, with the utilitarian decor almost an afterthought. I'd estimate that 80% of their business is take away, so if you're dining in, you can be assured it'll be quiet.

So GO....whether dining in or to take away, I'm confident you won't be...

Teriyaki chicken was good, Sesame chicken acceptable. Hot and sour soup was gelatinous and bordering on sweet. House special noodles were anything but special, gummy and bland, they ended up in the garbage after two bites. I ordered pork egg rolls but I'm pretty sure I got veggie, at least I think that's what they were, they also ended up in the bin. The "boneless ribs" I'm pretty sure were a cheap cut of meat cut into chunks and sprinkled with some sauce, so tough they were almost inedible. Now, I agree, they do give you a mountain of food. So if quantity is your main criteria, I'm sure this place rocks. But I don't put "value" in food that no one wants to eat. Our area doesn't have great options for Chinese food, but the other 5 we've tried are all far superior to this place. This was our first experience with New China and it will...