Tastefully decorated, it's dateworthy as well as lunchworthy. They no longer have their buffet,…read morewhich was among the better ones in its day. Now back in the area, I've had two recent combos at lunchtime in a near-empty dining room.
-- Hot and Sour Soup (n lunch combos): Sufficiently hot from pepper and lightly sour, with still-slightly-crunchy vegetation including a few kinds of mushrooms. Tasty broth that tastes slightly meaty. The best part of both meals.
-- Sweet and Sour Chicken (on a lunch combo): Only slightly crispy and VERY slight amount of chicken within each piece. We often talk about chicken-to-batter ratio; this serving had the lowest I've ever had-- which I'd expect at a rough and tumble over-the-counter joint with pictures of the food on the walls, but not here. Thin, sweet sauce with a few cherries, stems intact. Aiight.
-- General Gao's Chicken (on a lunch combo): Orange nuggets, well coated with a mildly sweet sauce, no heat, and no contrast to the texture or sweet flavor. Not crisp. Smallish pieces, decent quantity, but not tender or juicy. Reminiscent of a frozen product if not one in actuality.
-- Pork Fried Rice (had with the Sweet and Sour): Midrange in color, lighter in flavor, closer to Rice-a-Roni, with onions, peas, and mini pork cubes.
-- White Rice (had with the Genera): Fresh, solid, no issues.
Service was minimalist on both recent visits. On one, the server was in the kitchen the whole time. On the other, the server walked away while I was in mid-sentence-- twice.
At $16 - $17 with no appetizer, a bit much for a lunch combo, which should have some value. I also don't see the quality I used to encounter here years ago. Although the Chinese joint across the street isn't much better, there are many dining options in the area, so I don't forsee a return.
Note: This isn't a referendum on authenticity or style. I like every Chinese style and every degree of authenticity as long as the food is good within that breed. This one isn't, but that's just me.
Dateworthy, yes. But please-- take her someplace else.