Two gilded lions decorate the entrance, and the exterior is painted red and green -- a color scheme that continues inside the building. The interior is simple, with a handful of Asian pictures and statues. Tables with faux marble tops are surrounded with burgundy-colored chairs with Oriental scenes carved in them. Utensils are wrapped in paper napkins, and Oriental music plays in the background.
The restaurant's main focal point is the buffet that draws a constant stream of customers. Our waiter arrived as soon as we were seated, took our drink orders and pointed us there.
He didn't even bother with showing us the menu, and we didn't mind. With great prices like $5.25 for lunch and $6.95 for dinner, the buffet is what keeps customers returning to China Kitchen.
We first selected from four kinds of soup and opted for the hot and sour. The thick spicy broth delighted us. Chunks of bean curd, red pepper flakes and mushroom strips floated in the soup. For added flavor and texture, drop some fried, crispy noodles into the bowl and dive in.
Choosing among the entrees was difficult, so we just decided to eat a little bit of everything. We started with the sesame chicken and General Tso's chicken and were impressed with both. The sesame dish was particularly tasty, with a crispy crust on soft chicken chunks covered in a sweet and spicy sauce and sesame seeds.
We also liked the General Tso's, despite its almost neon orange color. Similar to the sesame chicken, this dish is a little more tangy.
A sign on the buffet warns diners that the Hunan chicken is hot, and that it is, but definitely in a good way. The same flavorful chicken is mixed with baby corn, squash and other vegetables soaked in a savory, spicy sauce with a kick that lingers. You also shouldn't miss the teriyaki chicken served on a skewer and grilled to a crisp.
While the chicken dishes were good, China Kitchen excels at beef entrees. The black pepper beef was delicious -- thin strips of tender beef coated in a rich, peppery gravy. The same tender meat makes the broccoli beef a winning meal, along with firm, fresh broccoli stalks.
The buffet offers a lot more, including both lo mein and Singapore noodles, almond chicken, barbecue pork ribs and mushroom chicken. We also sampled the crab rangoon, wontons and egg rolls, and liked them all.
Don't miss a buffet table in the back that includes boiled shrimp and crab legs, salad makings and fresh fruit. There are several desserts from which to choose, including chocolate and vanilla pudding and various cakes. We ended our recent meal with German chocolate cake. While not a Chinese tradition, the cake still was satisfying.
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