China Garden-more than just a buffet

by Chris Congeni
For The Post

Starting at 10:30 a.m., China Garden employees begin bringing out steaming Wonton soup and sizzling General Tso's chicken. China Garden, 21 South Court St., opens every day at 11 a.m.

China Garden's menu is written in both English and Chinese to enhance the dining experience. After sampling the Chinese buffet and a dish ordered through their take-out service, two different types of food arrived.

The chicken with broccoli menu item ordered through the takeout service truly was a taste of the Far East. The chicken was coated with a tangy soy sauce that enhanced each bite. This dish, like most other dishes served at this Athens hot spot, is served with fresh rice that lets out a cloud of steam when the takeout box is opened.

The average dinner costs more than $7.50. Though lunch dishes are more affordable, the dishes on the lunch menu do not reflect the same quality of the dinner dishes. More side dishes accompany dinner dishes to make the heightened price understandable. If quantity is a higher priority than quality of food, the buffet may be the better route to travel.

The China Garden lunch buffet costs $4.95, whereas the dinner buffet costs $6.95. Some of the foods offered on the buffet include chicken with curry sauce, roast pork egg rolls and Peking pan-fried noodles. Though the food on the China Garden buffet is authentic and 100 percent Chinese, the upkeep of the line of food leaves much to be desired.

The service by the employees, besides some very visual and strange habits, seems to be more than satisfactory. One never waits more than 15 seconds for a table. However, it seems the servers are too busy making sure one's water glass is filled instead of having warm food on the buffet for customers to enjoy.

In short, China Garden strives daily to have the most authentic food possible. Besides the occasional bite of lukewarm egg drop soup on the buffet, they achieve this goal. If you are looking to splurge on dinner one night this week, then pick up a takeout menu.

"New York steak with the chef's special sauce of mushrooms, water chestnuts, snow peas and bamboo shoots served on a hot sizzling plate," read the Chinese Garden menu. This description of dinner sounds nothing like the fast food or bagels that Athens' residents generally consume.

Rating - 7.5 out of 10