Chinese in the North End

In a neighborhood famous for its Italian cooking and families, this was surprising find that tickled me pink. I didn't have to leave the area for some decent Chinese and I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for delivery. China House is just across the road from Mike's Pastry and is definitely the hidden jewel of the area; I've certainly never noticed it before today.

The menu was posted outside, like many of the area's restaurants, so I took a good long look at it before deciding on a lunch special: beef and broccoli with an egg roll and pork fried rice, all for under $7. The wait wasn't very long as it was just before 2PM and the service was friendly. It appeared to be a small, possibly family, staff.

I took my food back to my apartment just down the block and set up to enjoy myself. The meal was still piping hot by the time I got home and nearly singed my tongue when I took my first delicious bite, but boy was it worth it. The beef was so tender it melted and the broccoli was crisp and smothered in sauce. The pork fried rice was impeccable, perfectly cooked, with decent sized pieces of meat.

I was a little disappointed with the egg roll however. Though the outside was perfectly crisp and tasty, the filling left something to be desired. It was lots of greens and not much else. It was also drab in flavor, but I added some liquidy duct sauce and that seemed to help. The flavors did come together nicely, just not the sort of egg roll I'm used to.

Overall this was a hidden gem in my opinion. Lots of menu variety and tasty options which weren't too expensive. And of course, I'm a sucker for those lunch specials. They also have a delivery options but it costs an additional $2. Otherwise, it's take-out only.