THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 11, 1994 TAG: 9412080063
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: CHAIN REACTION
SOURCE: BROWN CARPENTER
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
A CHAIN OF Chinese restaurants from General Mills puts the company in competition with the countless Oriental eateries offering inexpensive, authentically exotic fare all over the United States.
General Mills also owns the successful Olive Garden Italian eateries.
Italian food, from pizza to spaghetti, is deeply ingrained in American cuisine, however. After all, many so-called Italian dishes originated in the United States.
But Chinese?
We fondly envision little holes-in-the-wall, the hiss of hot woks in the kitchen and lots of bamboo. The food is brought sizzling to the table - or packed in cardboard boxes to take home.
A spokesman at General Mills' headquarters in Orlando, Fla., said 44 China Coasts have opened in the United States, including two in Chesapeake, and more are on the way.
Four of us, plus an infant, decided to give the concept a try one recent Sunday evening at the Chesapeake Square Mall location.
The restaurant is large, well-lighted and divided into sections to lend a bit of intimacy. Service was prompt. A baby-seat holder was quickly brought to hold the 2-month-old.
The Coast has an extensive appetizer list, but all meals include a preliminary ``Jing Jing Platter,'' made up of an egg roll, bread, crispy noodles and dipping vegetables plus duck sauce and hot (very hot) mustard.
The egg rolls, an overrated concoction even in the best Chinese restaurants, were average. The China Coast bread, a steamed roll that didn't seem very Chinese to us, was interesting when slathered with the restaurant's amaretto-flavored spread.
Some a la carte appetizers, seem a long way from the Middle Kingdom. Shrimp Rangoon is shrimp mixed with cream cheese. Laughing Buns consists of beef medallions in a steamed bun.
We ordered two soups: wonton and hot-and-sour (each $1.49) and gave them fair marks. The spicy hot dishes may be ordered to taste. The hot-and-sour soup needed a little more fire.
Our entrees were Orange Beef ($8.99); Sea, Wind and Fire (shrimp, scallops and chicken combo, $11.99); Prawns in Szechuan Garlic Sauce ($10.99), and General Tso's Chicken ($7.99).
The Orange Beef was overly sweet and overly chunky. The prawns were cooked in a basic plum sauce with some very strong onions, not the more traditional scallions.
The General's Chicken was reasonably good, consisting of battered chicken and bell peppers in a gingery red sauce. The spicy Sea, Wind and Fire also passed muster.
The ambience is antiseptic chain-restaurant. There's no hint of the exotic Far East, no odd little touches that add personality.
Even desserts are all-American, despite names like Great Wall of Chocolate and Double Happiness Cheesecake. However, the cheesecake ($3.59) was rich and tasty.
Children's dishes, including a hot dog and five Chinese-style meals, are all under $4 and include a Jing Jing Platter.
The China Coast serves adequate fare at reasonable prices. But the connoisseur of Chinese cuisine is unlikely to discover any double happiness here.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ROY BAHLS
The China Coast in Chesapeake is large, well-lighted and divided
into sections.
Graphic
CHAIN REACTION
China Coast: 4108 Portsmouth Blvd., Chesapeake (at Chesapeake
Square Mall), 488-7334 (takeout orders, 488-7547).
Hours: from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.
to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Prices: Entrees from $5.99 to $11.99, including steamed rice, egg
roll, bread, crispy noodles and vegetables.
Reservations: Accepted for Sundays through Thursdays.
Smoking: On weekdays, two of 11 sections are reserved for
smokers; on Friday and Saturday, four sections are set aside.
Owned By: General Mills Restaurants, Orlando, Fla., which has 44
nationally. Two are in Hampton Roads, including a unit at
Greenbrier Mall, Chesapeake.
by CNB