ABC Chinese Restaurant

About a week or so ago, on my drive home from work, I noticed that I new restaurant had opened up in my neck of the wood. This place is called ABC Chinese Restaurant and is now inhabiting the place where a Qwiznos use to be at 3500 S 3280 W. Last night our house plus Chris and Cheri decided to grab some grub before going to see Scott Pilgrim vs The World (awesome movie. If you haven't seen it, SEE IT!). This place happened to be our poor victim. It was empty when all eight of us poured in. The slightly surprised but very courteous Asian hostess behind the counter wrestles together 4 tables for us and promptly brought us our drinks. The menu had one side of standard entrees and the other had Lunch Combos and Dinner Combos. We asked how big the dinner combos were and she said they came on a nine inch plate but most people couldn't finish all the food. Naturally we all saw this as a slight challenge and ordered the dinner combos. Right away we noticed the standard meals of Chow Mein and Low Mein, Sweet and Sour Pork and Wonton Soup. However, a strange new dish called Strawberry Chicken caught all of our eye. Jake and Kurtis were the ones willing to order it. I on the other hand wanted something spicy (like I do) and went with the Beef in Garlic Sauce. Originally the Strawberry Chicken wasn't offered as a Combo but our gracious hostess said that she was willing to do them in a dinner combo for us. While waiting for our food I don't think anyone's drink got below half empty. She was like a soda hawk. Swooping by about every ten minutes for tasty refills. With our combos came soup, fried rice, and an egg roll. The soup was a traditional Egg Drop Soup in a blow the size of what you would see your KFC Coleslaw in. Normally I would gripe about the small portion but that immediately went away when I saw the plates of food that she was bringing out of the kitchen. The was one of those moments where you look at the plate and just can't help but to say "OMG FOOD!". The hostess was true to her word, these were nine inch plates. What she failed to mention is that they are piles about five inches high with food. One side, fresh fried rice with ham. Other side, mountain'o'entree. Carefully nestled in the top is the eggroll, but hark! Whats this? He brought his three friends of tasty fried wontons to go with the sweet and sour sauce that she had placed on our tables after we finished the soups.
Of course we started what we normally do with our group, started passing around bites, letting everyone try at taste. I tried Jake's Strawberry Chicken (as seen in image). It was a bit odd but still good. With sweet and sour sauces its normally a generic sweet flavor and a generic red sour flavor. This was similar only make with strawberries and poured over some battered chicken. Interesting, but in a good way. I was thrilled with my Beef with Garlic (as seen in second picture). Big flat chunks of beef surrounded by bamboo shots and diagonally cut celery. Not to mention the green bell peppers. Want to know how we could tell this was made fresh? The fact that the bell peppers still had that fresh snap to them. Not that sogginess that you get around the edges after its been thawed. And the garlic! You can see the minced garlic in the sauce that covers each delectable bit like crack. Here's an interesting fact: I hate celery. Hate the texture and hate the taste. But covered in this amazing beef sauce and garlic, I couldn't stop eating it.
Chris and I marveled at the similar fact with his Twice Cooked Pork. You could actually taste the fresh ginger in the sauce. We were amused by the fact that the ladle for John's Wonton soup was a 4oz measuring cup. He carefully kept track of his meal and at the end, concluded that it was roughly 8oz to much soup for him to finish. There was actually enough food for him that he had to loosen his belt. Now John is the kind of kid who seems like food goes right through him. He could eat a whole pizza and not blink. But apparently this stuck, and actually filled his void that he calls a stomach. I was impressed. And still, all through out our shenanigans, such as John and Richard drawing in the Sweet and Sour Sauce, our hostess was there with a smile making sure we were all taken care of. She had perfect timing too. Not to often to get annoying, but not so rarely that we were left wondering when our drinks would refill themselves. At the end when we had slowed down and several belts had been loosened, she came over and one by one, boxed our food for us in that professional manner where your food doesn't get all mashed together, but is just as carefully arranged as it had arrived to us. Of course at the end of the meal came the traditional fortune cookie and the laughs that accompany them. I think mine won (even though it lied).

When I got home from work today I started to snarf down the leftovers. They're just as tasty today as they were last night. In fact, today, some of those annoying celery bits had soaked up the wonderful beef sauce and was filled with it. Again, I hate celery, but this was good.

Currently they are having a Grand Opening sale which is %10 off. That with the fact that Jake fix 2 of their wobbly tables, for 2 dinner combos and drinks, we paid $21.50. I'm guessing without the sale going on and without Jake's handyman OCD, it probably would have been about $25 or so (The Dinner Combos ran about $8.25-$9.75 each and could comfortably feed 2 people). At the end of our meal we were given %50 off dinner and lunch coupons as a promo that they are running through the start of October. Over all, I say if your craving Chines and your thinking something like Panda, I say screw panda! Go here instead. You'll pay a fraction more for twice the food and it will be the freshest you've ever had. Good food from people who are more then likely from China.

5 Yums for food.
4 Cookies for cost.
4 Wontons for atmosphere.

Over all= 4.5