Great China (Berkeley, CA)

SATURDAY - FEBRUARY 19, 2011


Great China
2115 Kittredge Street
Berkeley, California 94704
(510)843-7996

www.greatchinaberkeley.com




WHAT WE ORDERED:



SEAFOOD & PORK DUMPLINGS (15 @ $6.95) - These were succulent, very juicy perfect bite-sized dumplings! Every bite was an absolute pleasure and I guess for the 1.5 hour wait to get into the restaurant, it should have been that good. If you like a good dumpling, get these! =)

CHUNG KING CRISPY CHICKEN ($9.95) - This looked like a forest when it arrived on our table. Ha! There was cilantro, julienned ginger and scallions all over it! The chicken was very tender, however, very juicy and just a pleasure to eat. The ends tended to be a little bit EXTRA crispy if you know what I mean, but I don't think that detracted too much from the dish itself. The sauce at the bottom (soy sauce based) wasn't overpowering and surprisingly not overly salty. An excellent dish!

CHINESE STRING BEANS ($8.95) - These string beens were sauteed to perfection! I loved them! They were sauteed with a little bit of pork and this pickled vegetable (that I recognize but don't know the name of, so i'm sorry I can't help! ha!) They weren't the best of the best I've ever had but they were very tasty and an excellent dish. They were just a little bit greasier than I prefer but outstanding overall! Go with it! =)

WALNUT PRAWNS ($14.95) - Deep fried prawns glazed with sweet creamy sauce. This was the highlight of our dinner! These prawns were big, not those skimpy little things you get, the walnuts were toasted to perfection and the batter on the prawns was nice and light. The glaze didn't weigh down the batter and the sweet cream at the bottom was a nice touch to the entire dish, it lightened the sweetness of the glaze and made the entire dish a party in your mouth! I would highly recommend this dish to anyone who passes through this restaurant. A 10!

THE REVIEW:

The wait for this restaurant is nearly unbearable. If you want to get in without waiting a ridiculous amount of time, either get there early (before 7PM) or later (after 9PM). The decor in the restaurant is nothing to write home about but I assume that they are definitely more about the food than the decor, which is the way I felt about the food. The chinese food here is really authentic and by the number of chinese people walking out and waiting to get in, it's pretty safe to say that if the natives are coming, it's probably pretty authentic, or it's a good bet for good chinese food. LOL! The menu is extensive, so if I were you, I would go on their website and get an idea of what you want before you get there. Otherwise, you might be sitting there for awhile. The staff is pretty nice and the food comes out in a timely manner. If you're in the area and have a taste for authentic chinese, I would definitely venture a visit here! =)