Eastern Chinese Restaurant

On Sunday, February 14, 2016, my daughter and I had lunch at the Eastern Chinese Restaurant at 2160 South Pleasant Valley Road. It opened on January 28, and offers Hunan, Cantonese, and Szechuan Cuisine, along with Eat In and Takeout Service.

Hours are Monday-Thursday, 11:00 AM-10:00 PM; Friday & Saturday, 11:00 AM-10:30 PM; Sunday, 12:00 PM-10:00 PM. Credit cards are accepted for a minimum of $10.00.

Delivery for a minimum of $10.00 will be available after a part-time delivery person is hired. The phone number is (540) 535-7396, and on-line orders can also be accepted at www.easternchinesecuisine.com.

A 20% discount is offered until the end of February as part of its Grand Opening. A Hot Buffet Bar offering over 15 items from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM will be added for lunch sometime in April. Each item will be $1.00 per Scoop.

This location is in the Apple Blossom Corners Shopping Center. It is next door to Thai Winchester II, and near the now closed Radio Shack on South Pleasant Valley Road. The entrance has no vestibule and opens directly into the small dining area.

Seating is two booths for four along the right wall, plus benches for four along the left wall facing tables and chairs. A table for two is also along this wall.

The counter in the back of the room has no seating and is for service. The open kitchen is visible further in the back of the room. Four video screens on the wall behind the counter were sequentially displaying menu items, and there was no music system in operation.

The side walls are imitation brick, and the interior is well lighted. The Unisex restroom in the back is accessed by a hallway on the right.

The very extensive menu is a large, folded sheet with four columns on each side. Categories include House Specialties, Appetizers, Soup, Chow Mein, Fried Rice, Lo Mein, Chow Mein Fun or Chow Fun, Sweet & Sour, Egg Foo Young, and Vegetables.

Also, Chicken, Beef, Pork, Seafood, Mu Shu, Pan Fried Noodle, Chef’s Specialties, Healthy Selections (Steamed), Side Order, Lunch Special & Dinner Special. Most orders include White Rice. Party Menu Trays are also offered for catering. Beverages are not listed.

My daughter and I ordered hot tea. I was disappointed when we were served two foam cups of hot water with tea bags, instead of a teapot and china cups. The paper napkins provided were quite small, and not lap size.

We ordered the Shrimp Toast from the Appetizer menu. It came as four small pieces, with a bowl of red dipping sauce. We each ordered entrées from the Chef’s Specialties Menu. My daughter selected Coconut Shrimp.

I chose the Seafood Combination. This included shrimp, lobster meat, scallops, and crab meat, sautéed with broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, and baby corn, in a special white sauce. I also opted for brown rice.

My daughter was pleased with her serving of shrimp, but I considered the seasoning of my seafood dinner too bland. A small glass container on the table held an assortment of sauces in small, thin, plastic packages to be dispensed by tearing open one end.

I found this very troublesome, and spilled soy sauce over everything but the food the first time I tried it. I was more successful with the second package, but considered this a completely unsatisfactory arrangement.

The variety of items in the seafood dinner was otherwise acceptable, but I would have preferred that the platter had been warmed. As I had expected, I was able to eat only half of the food and asked for a box to take the remainder home. We also asked for a second box for both rice servings.

I am not yet ready to rate this eatery as a keeper; I’m down-rating it for the present because of the skimpy napkins, tea served in foam cups, and the unsatisfactory packaging of optional seasonings at the table.

Further, the lack of a vestibule at the door allowed a blast of cold air to enter every time it was opened and we both kept our outer wraps on during the whole meal. I’ll wait until April for my next visit, when weather won’t be a problem, and try out the dollar buffet.