Restaurant Review: China King

Restaurant:

Address: 125 N. Narberth Ave., Narberth, PA 19072

Rating: (out of 5 stars): ★★★
Style: Take out Chinese restaurant
Food: Classic Chinese-American as well as some Thai and American offerings
Atmosphere: Minimal ambiance but it’s clean and well lit inside
Parking: Metered street parking
Service: Friendly and efficient
Price Range: Inexpensive
Unique Feature: This place has numerous vegetarian options and lunch specials.

While I have seen dozens upon dozens of films at the , I had never set foot in . My brothers and I ordered some chicken wings from there a few years back but I knew very little about the rest of the menu. I set out to fix this situation and arrived with a friend in tow.

The menu at China King is quite extensive. There are all the usual suspects including fried rice, lo mein, General Tso’s chicken, egg rolls and moo shu pork. What is unusual though is the availability of French fries, chicken rings, pad thai and a whole “diet health food” section.

We ordered hot and sour soup, egg drop soup, shrimp lo mein, General Tso’s chicken and the steamed chicken and broccoli plate with brown rice. The soups were fair. The hot and sour soup did not have the fiery kick at the end nor the sour acidic notes that are indicative of a better made version. The soup did appear to be prepared with fresh vegetables which was a huge plus. The flavor was muted but there were hints of soy sauce. The egg drop soup was not my favorite. The broth was underseasoned but the ribbons of cooked egg were silky and not overcooked.

The shrimp lo mein was surprisingly good. The thick and savory noodles were bursting with soy and oyster sauce flavor. The shrimp though small were sweet and tender. While there was a dearth of actual vegetables, I was quite pleased with the satisfying noodle dish. I imagine that this would taste even better the next day after the noodles had a chance to bathe in the sauce overnight.

The General Tso’s chicken was quite sweet and a touch soggy. In an ideal world, General Tso’s chicken is delightfully crunchy on the outside and full of succulent meat on the inside. The sauce is a balance of sweet and spicy and glazes the chicken and steamed broccoli. At China King, the chicken morsels are fried but the batter quickly becomes soggy. The sauce was sugary sweet and though I saw a dried chili pepper, I couldn’t taste any sort of heat in the sauce. There was a generous amount of broccoli which was steamed nicely. The dish was not bad but it was too sweet for my tastes.

The steamed chicken and broccoli was a dieter’s dream. My friend could not stop raving about how much she loved the tender pieces of white breast meat, the abundance of steamed broccoli and the soy based sauce that came on the side (it tasted like soy sauce and a touch of vinegar thickened with cornstarch). With a side of brown rice, this high protein, whole grain meal is ideal for anyone looking to eat more healthfully.

The service at China King is friendly, quick and efficient. Our food was prepared in less than 10 minutes. For about 30 dollars we had enough food to comfortably feed three to four people. I didn’t know much about China King before but now I know where I can turn to for some decent Chinese food when I’m in the area. It’s not earth-shatteringly good but you can’t beat the price and it truly does offer something for everyone.

Click here for the website.