Why: There is nothing particularly eye-catching about the exterior of the Peking Garden Chinese Restaurant, but once inside, it’s easy to settle in and stay for a while in the newly remodeled dining space. For the health-conscious diner, the menu now has healthy-choice and vegetarian categories from which to choose that include steamed vegetables. Szechwan Beef is popular among diners, as is the Princess Chicken.
Atmosphere: Most of the seating is in booths, with two oversized circular booths in the corners where large groups can snug up. A low ceiling adds to the coziness, and a few landscape and floral prints dot the walls.
What I tried: I decided on the Princess Chicken, and my dining companion chose the Sesame Chicken. We also sampled the Crab Puffs from the appetizers.
Before our entrees arrived, we were served Egg Flower Soup. The thick broth incorporated carrots, corn and egg. Although the soup was tasty, it was only warm, not hot.
The Crab Puff appetizer consisted of 10 crab puffs, a bargain at $5.50. The puffs came with a sweet dipping sauce that is made in house. The puffs were larger than most I’ve encountered, and the flour-based wrap used to make them was thicker than typical. Within the wrap, a fair-sized dollop of imitation crab, cream cheese and seasoning offered a flavorful start to our meal.
Our entrees — lunch-size portions generous enough to leave us with leftovers — arrived piping hot. Each contained a portion of fried rice and a crispy egg roll along with our meat choice.
The Princess Chicken and the Sesame Chicken pieces were coated and deep fried to a crispy gold, and covered in their respective sauces. The sauce on the Princess Chicken was spicy and sweet, and it had a touch of black pepper, which gave it a one-of-a-kind flavor that was very appetizing. The Sesame Chicken was a light sweet version of this classic dish. A sprinkling of sesame seeds topped it off.
The fried rice wasn’t oily, as is often the case with fried rice. Instead, it was somewhat sticky. A sensible amount of peas, carrots and egg were integrated in the traditional sidekick.
The crispy fried egg roll was standard size, and contained carrots and cabbage.
Highlights beyond what I tried: Combination dinners and family dinners are available, as well as all the traditional fare one expects. Tofu dish options are plentiful, and Japanese Teriyaki and Yakisoba are available.
Other observations: I found the staff to be helpful with menu selections. The service was attentive and friendly.
Cost: Menu items are all less than $12.50, with most in the $8 to $10 range. Lunch specials start at $5.50 and top out at $7.25.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Closed on Sunday.
Telephone: 360-699-1005.
Where: 2101 Main St., Vancouver.
Health score: Peking Garden received a score of 10 on June 9. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
