Meh
Thai Express (No Fortune Cookie)
Visited: 4/4/2013
Food: 3/5 – This was *way* too mild. I was excited because I have heard good things about this place, but I had to dump red pepper flake & sriracha to get it even close to spicy enough. I think you can order at different heat levels though, which I think would make it quite good.
Price: 2/5 – $5.95 for an medium sized portion. The real issue with the price is just that’s its very confusing as to what everything costs. The menu has prices on it, but then its has hand written changes all over such as “+50¢”. There’s a charge for using credit card and even after that I still don’t know how my food came out to what it did. It felt like the guy at the counter would just throw out whatever price he thought seemed right at that time. On Tuesday & Thursday there is free soup though, which is a nice addition.
2/5 – As mentioned above, the menu is very confusing and the overall experience is a little intimidating. Its a little tough to figure out how to order and what everything costs. The place is very small (but also very busy, which is usually a good sign) but we were only 1 table away from having to sit next to the bathroom down the hallway. Not the worst possible experience, but altogether a little off-putting.
Success will be yours at home and in business in the next month
Happy China – 3/20/2013
Food: 2.5/5 – This is a tough one, because the food was good, but not what I think of as “Springfield style”. The chicken was battered and fried as opposed to more “KFC style” breaded as I would have expected. It had good flavor, a little too sweet and not spicy enough but it just wasn’t what I was looking for. I had high hopes for it as its in a gas station and another review site said it was in the top 5 in Springfield, just not for me.
Price: 4/5 – $5 for a very good portion size and also an egg roll. It felt like a lot a very good portion for the price.
Experience: 1.5/5 – This will probably where they fell the most short. When I arrived there was one order ahead of me and while I was there a delivery order came in as well. I ended up waiting 20 minutes for my food, which seems like a very long time for only 2 other orders ahead of me.
Chinese Chef (No Fortune Cookie)
Date Visited: 3/2/2013
Food: 3.5/5 – Good overall flavor but could have been spicier. Chicken and rice were both good. I will return to ask for a spicier version.
Price: 4.5/5 – $5.29 for a good serving size. Thanks to Larry I also had a “Deal of the Day” so I was able to get dinner, a drink and some carb rangoon for my wife with my $10 coupon.
Experience: 5/5 This may be a little unfair, as my total actually came to $10.25 and my coupon was only for 10 bucks, but the guys said “don’t worry about it”. Good customer service.
You will find your solution
On February 1st, 2013 I visited Peking House (http://www.pekinghouse65804.com/). I grew up in that part of town, so I have driven by there many many times in my life but had never stopped in. I have heard good things about the place and was excited to finally try it.
Food: 2.5/5
The general chicken at Peking house had its strengths and weaknesses. It had the right amount and salt and sweetness but could have been a little spicier (I always review based on no special orders). So overall it had a pretty good flavor (if I go back sometime I’ll ask them to spice it up a little). On the day I was there it tasted to me like they needed to replace their fry oil. I am far from a culinary expert but if its bad enough that I can notice it, then its probably well past time to clean out the frier. Maybe just bad timing for them, but it did hurt their score because I can only review the food that is placed in front of me.
Price: 2/5
The general chicken was priced at $6.59 (before tax). For that you get general chicken & rice. To me that seemed a little pricey. At almost $7 is not shockingly expensive, but you are certainly not competing on price for that much, so you need to have a really good product…this was not *really* good. There was no option for a half order or lunch plate, which at lunch time would have been nice. For the record I did pay a little less than advertised price as I received a JHA discount.
Experience: 4/5
The staff was very helpful. Even though this was a standard order at the counter, we’ll bring it out to you Chinese place, they come out to check on you to make sure everything is good, make sure you don’t need a drink refill etc. At the end they came and took our plates away and brought out a fortune cookie. Not a huge deal but a nice touch.
Overall the Peking house was a good lunch. I’m not sure it one of the first places I will head back to for a “re-review” but I can see how some people have considered this place a favorite. I’ll keep it on the list and give it another “peek” sometime. 😉
Fortune: You will find your solution where you least expect it.
Lucky Numbers: 17 19 21 23 43 46
Happiness is a direction
This post is from a guest poster Marco B. Enjoy!
1/30/13
Restaurant: Golden Palace – Battlefield Rd and 65 – (417) 887-6005
Taste: 2 ½ Stars
The General Chicken from Golden Palace tasted ok.
The chicken was hot, cooked well, and didn’t seem too dry. There was the right amount of salt. However it wasn’t as sweet as I would have liked it. I feel like general chicken should have a sweet and salty taste. The spiciness was not existent. A good general chicken should have some kick and there just wasn’t any. The consistency of the sauce was right on. It wasn’t too soupy and it wasn’t too thick.
Price: 2 Stars
The General Chicken from Golden Palace was $6.45. With that price you get a side of rice. I had plenty of rice but the amount of chicken was lacking given the price.
Experience: 2 ½ Stars
My general food experience was average. The wait time was ok and the food was ok. The staff was courteous, the order taker was understandable, and I got what I ordered.
Fortune: Happiness is a direction, not a destination
Luck Numbers: 4 5 19 30 32 40
A Wise Man
Lucy’s Chinese Food – http://www.lucyschinesefood.com/
I visited Lucy’s on January 15th, 2013. I thought Lucy’s was a good choice for the first post on the blog, since Lucy’s in the past was my favorite General Chicken in town. However a few months back Lucy’s switched to all white meat. I am never willing to pay extra for all white meat and generally prefer to not have it if possible. That change is what inspired my quest to find a new place for General Chicken (and in turn this site).
I enjoyed the General Chicken at Lucy’s. It was not as spicy as I would like and I have issue with the already mentioned all white meat. Above is a picture of my meal, a half order of general chicken, which came to $5.37. You get rice both no other sides. Its not a real value, but probably an average price.
The service at Lucy’s is always good and the food comes out quickly. Overall it was an enjoyable experience and although I’m currently searching for a replacement, at this point its still the old standby.
Food: 3.5/5 stars
Price: 3/5
Experience: 4/5
Fortune: A wise man never speaks of himself.
The Search For Springfield's Best General Chicken 