China House

This is the kind of thing that gets me in trouble.  I was walking down the street to Smoothie King for lunch today, trying to be healthy and not be a complete glutton.  It just so happens that to walk from my office to Smoothie King means I pass by several downtown eating establishments, including China House.  I didn't eat anything for breakfast today and was in a meeting until 12:30, so when I stepped out onto Third Street and foolishly attempted to walk to Smoothie King, I was immediately surrounded by the aroma of a Chinese buffet.  The sweet and sour smells of all things cooked in a wok, fried golden brown, or mixed with mixed with sticky white rice filled the street and I was lured in like a large-mouthed bass going after the hooked bait in front of him.  My head was telling me to keep walking and be healthy, but empty stomach and salavating taste buds put on the brakes and I walked into the China House, got a plate, and hit the buffet hard and strong.  I came back to my table with a plate that looked like this:

Jay's Lunch, China House, Third Street, Baton Rouge

Ah yes, the classics.  Buried under the lo mein, eggroll, sweet and sour chicken and shrimp, sesame chicken, and chicken on a stick, were actually some vegetables in the form of beef with broccoli and stir-fried string beans.  It sure was satisfying and delicious, although I did have some lingering thoughts about how this can't possibly help any dieting ideas that I ponder every now and then.  But, when at the China House, do as the Chinese do... I went back to the buffet for round two.  It looked like this:

Jay's Lunch, Plate 2, China House

Yes, a much more conservative plate than the first, but still enough to satisfy my cravings and another taste of my favorite items from round one.  The sweet and sour chicken and shrimp were freshly fried and magnificently crunchy and juicy.  Combined with the classic red sweet and sour sauce, it is always a staple at any good Chinese buffet and China House did it right today.  I also got a second serving of sesame chicken... a decent version of the dish, although not really on par with other sesame chickens from around the city.  I added a couple snow crab rolls and a california roll mostly because I wanted to clear my sinuses with some wasabi.  They were alright, but certainly better can be found at any sushi restaurant.  The egg roll was plenty good enough on my first plate to get another one on the second plate.  That was certainly worth it because they had brought out a fresh batch and the second one was even better than the first!

Final take: not the best Chinese buffet in town, but if you are downtown, it is certainly worth stopping in.  The lunch buffet runs around $9 with a drink so it is definitely a good value for the amount of food! 

Fortune Cookie: "We must become the change we want to see" ... in bed!