City Lights

One of my co-workers turned 40 (the horror!) the other day, so today we all took her to City Lights of China for lunch. My feelings about this place have gone up and down over and over for years, and I have to say that today's experience fit that pattern.

We came in and were seated at a large table at the back, the hostess was very attentive and made sure everyone was comfortable and situated, and happily accommodated our slightly-larger-than-reservation party. Lovely.

Server Number 1 came almost immediately and asked if we wanted tea, which of course we did. Out came two pots of pale, aromatic, smooth Jasmine tea at just the right temperature.

Server Number 2, who had brought the tea, asked if we were ready to order. We were and did. The food came out soon thereafter (carried by Servers 3, 4, and 1), but two of our party had to wait an extra few minutes after the rest got their meals. One of my pet peeves.

I had the Szechwan Beef. The beef was tender and nicely cooked, but the sauce was a tad too sweet, and though marked as "very spicy" on the menu, it was not. Tasty, but nothing special.

The Birthday Girl and The Vegetarian ordered MaPo Tofu, which I always avoid ordering because it's one of my favorite dishes and so often not good. The sauce was again a bit sweet, and while much spicier than my beef it still did not merit the "very spicy" label. The tofu was also mushy. Oh well.

Another of our number got the Kung-Pao Chicken, which would have been the prize winner of the meal but for a pair of glass shards found within. The hostess was duly distressed by this, and happily replaced the dish (and did not charge for it either). The chicken was tasty, not very spicy but with enough hot peppers around to make it as hot as you might like it, and not greasy or sloppy.

The final dish at our table was sweet and sour chicken. More on the sweet than sour side, and of a color far too reminiscent of traffic cones, this was a yummy plate of near-total inauthenticity (maraschino cherries and all), greasy and sweet. Not High Cuisine, but utterly what its owner wanted when she ordered it.

Our check came immediately when requested, accompanied by lovely fresh oranges and fortune cookies full of nonsensical semi-complimentary bits of advice. Mine was "You have a keen sense of humor and love a good time," which is true enough.

All in all, it was a tasty lunch, but bits were disappointing enough that I'd just as soon go somewhere less fancy, with lower expectations. I also have no idea why we had so many different servers...it could have gotten confusing had we been less distracted with our own birthday-ish activities.

City Lights of China | http://www.citylightsofchina.com/