Canton Westside — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

If you're craving a dose of addicting Chinese food, look no further than Canton West Sieeeeeeede! This little nugget is not just a restaurant; it's a culinary warehouse rave! It'll have your taste buds dancing like they just popped a hit o' pure molly!!

First, let's talk about the plentiful vegan options: You'll find an array of dishes that are clearly marked with two V's --yes, that's right, VV is for vegan! It's like a secret code you give the doorman on your way into that underground party. But this party concentrates on delivering plant-based come-ups!

One big recommendation if you are vegan: Order in person. I once called in an order, specified "vegan singapore noodles" with no egg… and guess what? It had gobs of egg in it. So unnecessary of an ingredient. Eeeeeeeeeeew 👉🏻🥚 🍳

And for those 1/2-steppers who merely dabble in vegetarianism, fear not! Just a single V marks those dishes, making it super easy to navigate the menu without needing a PhD in food hieroglyphics.

Now, onto the flavahs! The olfactory decadence here can not be overstated. From the crispy spring rolls to the savory Kung Pao Tofu, every bite will have you licking your little finger-tutting digits. Order your Kung Pao, with "Extra Pow" and your taste-buds will be burning up like the dance floor during a double-drop Tiësto track!

And let's not forget the Mapo Tofu -- this dish is extra spicy and comes loaded with gobs of Chinese peppercorns that will numb your mouth into a state of sub-lingual disassociation. It's like ketamine for your taste buds!

The staff are warm... like the center of cuddle-puddle. They're your culinary POI spinners, ready to dose you with MSG so good you'll leave the restaurant looking for the Zendo Psychedelic support tent

So, if you're twrk'n for some top-notch Chinese cuisine, make your way to Canton West Side. With such mouthwatering flavors you may find yourself rolling face.

Oh, and don't forget your sugary fortune cookie at the end. These little biscuits are like an asian kandi-flip.

Now go get your om nom nom noms...

Knowing this is a family offshoot of Sara's original Canton at the end of 41st Ave, I was tickled to learn of this new one on the Westside. I used to go to Sara's all the time, over 30 years now, and I love that joint! (And Sara too) But since moving across town, I don't get in there much anymore.

I have ordered twice from Canton Westside now, the same staples of chicken chow mein and pork fried rice, plus usually hot and sour soup, some cream cheese wontons and maybe some egg rolls that I always order takeout from any Chinese restaurant. You know, something can't be wrong.

Sad to say, it's not that good here. The noodles stick together a bit too much, the chicken sort of more unrecognizable than usual, but to their credit, loaded with twice as much broccoli as anywhere else. The fried rice was clumpy and dry, like I would expect the leftovers to be that next morning. The cream cheese wontons had that same quality, of being leftovers, with the ends really hard and chewy and the bellies too soft and moist. The hot and sour soup was decent, but I love that stuff, and it's hard to screw up. It wasn't nowhere near as good as Sara's though, and hey... Where were the green onions?

It's hard to live up to the standards set at the edge of...

My friend and I got the cream cheese wontons, Mongolian beef, and General Tso's chicken. Everything was cooked perfectly and the flavor was delightful. Usually with deep fried chicken at Chinese restaurants, it's hit or miss, but I think they did an excellent job. I would...