China Garden

 

China Garden

 

Located on the southwest side of Stephanie and Warm Springs in a shopping center that we drive passed almost every day. It has McDonalds, Food 4 Less, even Pet Grooming! Just about the middle of the shopping center, is where China Garden is located. Thinking stereotypical Asian Restaurant, we assumed it would be small, dirty, stinky, and cramped. Our assumptions got the best of us, and we went into this project thinking it would be our first "Bad Blog". As we walked into the restaurant we were schocked at just how large it actually was. On the right side seating area sat right in front of the register for ordering to go, and about 12-15 tables decently spaced lined to the back of the restaurant on the opposing wall. After being seated we were immediately struck by the overwhelming smell of bathroom. (Remember in School when you walked into the restrooms and you almost felt as if you had to hold your breath the entire time, thinking you'll make it a fast one but once you start peeing you realize you had to pee more than you initially thought and think you arent going to make it so you start breathing through your mouth... Yeah, kinda like that.).

We ordered our drinks, which consisted of a styrofoam cup and a soda fountain. Which is fine with me, that way we don't have to wait for someone to come back to the table and fill up my drink. We stared at the menu for a ridiculously long amount of time, it was a bit confusing with different daily specials and lunch specials, dinner specials, so we really had to look to find what we were going to order. After the painstaking deliberation, Allan ordered Crab Rangoons, and Pepper Steak Onion.  Nicky ordered Honey Walnut Shrimp, Vegetable Egg Foo Young, House Fried Rice and Fried Won Tons to start.

Once the appetizers came, we weren't expecting much; But the Crab Rangoons were cooked to perfection, extremely crispy fried won ton wrapper on the outside and warm melty cream cheese and imitation crab on the inside. Served with a red Sweet and Sour sauce. The Fried Won Tons were basic and delicious.  We had began to relax a little bit, because China Garden had successfully managed to duplicate our appetizers just as well as any other chinese restaurant and if our entrees were to be treated with the same care, then we would have absolutley nothing to worry about.

Egg Drop Soup $5.95

Pork Won Tons w/ Sweet & Sour Sauce $4.95

Crab Rangoons w/ Sweet & Sour Sauce $4.95
Our entrees very quickly follow. Honey Walnut Shrimp comes batter fried and drizzled with honey, and a creamy sweet and salty sauce that balanced the savory flavor from the shrimp. With candied walnuts scattered throughout, it helped to keep the dish crunchy as the batter began to soak up the sauces. The House Fried Rice with bits of pork, green onions, eggs, and peas. Egg Fu Yung for those who aren't familiar with it: a flat well-done omelet with your choice of vegetables, chicken, pork, or shrimp.  Nicky's Vegetable Egg Foo Young had onions, green onions, broccoli, and mushrooms.  It was cooked well and tasted absolutely delicious.  Some places make the Egg Foo Young in a patty and cooked like a very moist croquette (not how Egg Foo Young should be cooked in Nicky's opinion).

Honey Walnut Shrimp $10.95

Vegetable Egg Foo Young $7.95

House Fried Rice $7.25
The Pepper Steak Onion... When Allan ordered, he had misread it as "Peppered Steak and Onions". As great as that sounds, is not what was presented. It consisted of roughly chopped onions, thinly sliced steak, and green bell peppers. Just as it reads on the menu. "Pepper Steak Onion" Simply sauteed and tossed in a brown gravy. The vegetables were nicely cooked, with a slight cruch in the center, and tender on the outside. The meat was super thin, and seemed to be breaded on the outside to make it seem like it was more than it actually was. My opinion, best eaten all together. Onion, pepper and steak all in one bite. Both of our entrees were served with a plate of white rice on the side.

Pepper Steak Onion $8.25
For dessert we were given a large plate of "Malasadas". If you're from Hawai'i you are sure to know what these are. A fried dough rolled in sugar. However these were no Leonards! No bigger than tennis balls our malasadas tasted like buttery dinner rolls that had been deep fried, then coated in sugar. Fluffy, buttery and sweet, these were a perfect way to end our meal. And only at about $5 for 10 of the little balls of heaven, you better believe we've been back here a few times.

Malasada $4.25

All in all, China Garden is you're average Chinese Restaurant. Even though the first smell of bathroom may question your stay, the food is your quick fix for Chinese food.  The prices aren't too expensive, the portions are good, and the overall taste is good.  Heavy Chinese English accent or not, China Garden has excellent customer service eating in or for take out.  They may have a specialty that sets them apart from all the other Chinese places, but until we find out what that is, China Garden no greater, and no less than any other.

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Elena's Filipino Restaurant

At the corner of Desert Inn and Eastern Avenue, you'll find Elena's Filipino Restaurant.  This little hole in the wall restaurant is owned by the same people who own Elena's Filipino Restaurant in Waipahu, Hawaii.  Yes that's right, Hawaii.  We guess they're the second generation found it's way up to the "9th Island" and expanded the family business.  Here at Elena's you'll taste like you're back home in Hawaii...well at least that's the case for us.  Never the less, the food is tasty and will leave you with what people back home call a "Kanak Attack."

Open 10a-8p Monday-Saturday & 11a-6p Sunday

We came in around lunch time to eat.  It was a Tuesday, and I guess it was slow.  There were only two ladies at one of the restaurant's tables.  The entire restaurant has tables, no booths and can seat large parties with no problem.  The interior is orange and brown across the walls and has the occasional decorative butterfly which coincidentally matches the orange on the wall.  The restaurant plays local Hawaii music, usually Braddah IZ aka Israel Kamakawiwaole.

We walk up to the counter to order our food.  Allan selects the Lechon Special.  The Lechon Special is fried pork with diced tomatoes, onions, and green onions.  This is a pretty popular dish considering it has it's own picture sign on top the counter.  I go ahead and order the Lunch Special.  The Lunch Special starts off with Chicken Long Rice soup, then on the main plate of the Lunch Special you get Rice, Pancit, 2 Shanghai Rolls, and a choice of ONE of the following: Pork Adobo, Pork Gisantis, Chicken Adobo, or Dinuguan.  I chose the Pork Gisantis to go with my Lunch Special.  I also ordered the Pork Adobo Fried Rice on the side and Halo-Halo for dessert.

The Chicken Long Rice came first.  The noodles used in the Chicken Long Rice are Cellophane Noodles.  The chicken is boiled soft.  The noodles are cut small.  The ginger used are soft as well, but you may sometimes find yourself mistaking it for a piece of chicken.

Chicken Long Rice

The food arrives and we both are excited to jump in.  Allan's Lechon Special tastes amazing as always. If you decide to order this, it is a salty dish, but the rice served with it balances out the salty taste.  My Lunch Special looks promising.  The pork, peas and tomatoes in my Pork Gisantis is soft...just the way it should be.  The Pancit noodles are soft and are well seasoned.  The Pancit comes with diced vegetables which depend on the cook.  The Shanghai Rolls consist of Shitaki Mushrooms and diced vegetables.  The Pork Adobo Fried Rice arrives and is wrapped completely in a scrambled flat egg.  The fried rice and pork is soft...perfect.  Allan and I ate in almost complete silence...which means that the food was delicious.

Lunch Special $7.77

Lechon Special $9.95

Pork Adobo Fried Rice $7.95

The Halo-Halo dessert followed.  Halo-Halo has vanilla and ube ice cream, shredded ice, coconut shavings, evaporated milk, and mixed fruits.  This dessert varies depending on where you get it or by who is cooking it.  I had high expectations for the dessert, but was sadly let down.  The Halo-Halo lacked flavor.  I couldn't taste the coconut and the fruits had no flavor.  I only had vanilla ice cream and didn't have the purple ube ice cream.  What is ube?  It's purple yam.  But like I said earlier, the ice cream flavors vary depending on where you go and who is making it.  I saw ube in the picture, so I had my heart set on it.  So basically my Halo-Halo dessert tasted like milk with vanilla ice cream and mixed fruit.

Halo-Halo $4.99

Overall, Elena's isn't a disappointment like the Halo-Halo.  The dishes are well made and full of flavor.  If you have your cravings on Filipino food, Elena's will satisfy your cravings.  I don't know if it's Braddah IZ playing or the smell of fish oil but Elena's makes me feel like I'm back home in Hawaii.  If you're from Hawaii and you've been searching for a Filipino restaurant that tastes like home, Elena's is the place to be.  No matter it's always a KANAK ATTACK after you eat here.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10

Bachi Burger

The definition of "Burger" is: a hamburger.  At Bachi Burger, they take the ordinary All-American Hamburger and twist it with Asian accents.  This Asian fusion burger restaurant brings you a whole different side to burgers.  Being in America, there are numerous chains and restaurants that have perfected their version of a hamburger, however nothing like how Bachi Burger does it.  From their chic decor to their Asian fusion inspired menu, Bachi Burger will make you have a different outlook on "burgers." 

On the northeast corner of Windmill and Bermuda, you'll find Bachi Burger.  Parking can be tough since Bachi Burger is located in shopping center with a fitness center and various beauty spas.

When you walk in Bachi Burger, you walk into their seating area that has a couch, a shoji divider, and a plant.  This section is obviously used if they're busy and have guests waiting to be seated.  Luckily, this visit we were seated immediately.  It's about 2pm in the afternoon and it seems on this Tuesday, they were not busy.



We were greeted immediately and given a table against the wall.  Inside Bachi Burger, the lobby is over looked by the bar where no one was sitting.  Bachi Burger has white walls with track lights that lit the entire restaurant.  Shoji dividers separate the entrance to the kitchen.  The walls are decorated with various paintings for sale.  Information of the paintings and the price are listed with the painting. 

After looking over the menu, we decided to try the Shrimp Chips and the Chili Fried Chicken for our appetizers.  The Chili Fried Chicken tasted good, however the chicken was dry.  Our server stated that the chicken was marinated, but it tasted like it was just fried, then thrown in a bowl of sauce and seasoning.  Even though the chicken was dry, the flavor was good and the Garlic Chili Aioli Sauce (which wasn't that spicy) that accompanied the chicken added even more flavor.  If the chicken was tender and not dry, it would be just shy of perfect.  The Shrimp Chips were no disappointment.  The chips were light, not oily.  The portion was very generous and the chips were a hit with us. 

Chili Fried Chicken $6

Shrimp Chips $3

We put a lot of thought into our selection of burgers.  Allan decided to go with the Black & Green Burger with Salt and Pepper Garlic Fries.  The Black & Green Burger consisted of Australian Grass Fed Wagyu Beef, Sauteed Mushrooms, Spinach, Bacon, Point Reyes Blue Cheese and Roasted Garlic.  The Black & Green Burger was seasoned very well, but the taste of the cheese was very overwhelming which over powered the other ingredients.  Allan removed some cheese off the burger and only then could taste the garnishes in the burger.  The texture in the Black & Green Burger seemed mushy and one-noted.  If the bacon were a bit crispier, it would off set the wilted spinach and mushroom texture.  The fries sounded delicious, but ended up being simple.  The salt, pepper and garlic were there on the fries, but had no extra taste that made it special.  The fries were served with Garlic Chili Aioli Sauce.

Nicky decided on the Kiki Burger with Regular Fries.  The Kiki Burger was made up of Angus Beef, sauteed Shitake Mushrooms, Enoki and Eryngi Mushrooms, Bacon, Sweet Onion Marmalade and Gruyere Cheese with Garlic Chili Aioli sauce. The Kiki Burger was very moist and cooked perfectly to medium.  The vegetables in this burger complimented the sauce used.  You could taste every single garnish used in the Kiki Burger making this burger very well balanced.  The Garlic Chili Aioli sauce (which was served on the side) enhanced this flavorful burger.  The fries were simple but the highlight was the Pineapple Ketchup.  This different taste was refreshing and subtle.

Kiki Burger $10

Regular Fries $3

Inside the Kiki Burger

Black & Green Burger $14 with Salt & Pepper Garlic Fries $4

Inside the Black & Green Burger

With no hesitation, dessert was a must. 

Nicky decided on the Fried Mochi with Green Tea Ice Cream.  The presentation of the Fired Mochi with Green Tea Ice Cream was very clean and neat.  The Fried Mochi sat on top of Azuki Beans.  The Fried Mochi had lost its flavor and was burnt.  The Azuki Beans put a little flavor into the Mochi, but the burnt charcoal on the Fried Mochi ruined it all.  The Green Tea Ice Cream was light, but had no significant burst of flavor which this plate lacked.  If the mochi wasn't burnt the dessert may have tasted better. We don't recommend you ordering this dessert.

Allan went with the Fried Donuts with Coffee Ice Cream.  Like the Fried Mochi dessert, the presentation was very clean and neat. The Coffee Ice Cream was light and had no punch of flavor.  The Fried Donuts looked promising, but were very dense and dry.  When you ate the donut it was so dry it could almost suck all of the moisture out of your mouth.  The cinnamon sugar around the donut was where all the flavor sat.  However, the flavors for this particular dessert worked well.  Cinnamon and Coffee are two opposites that compliment each other's flavor. 

Fried Donut with Coffee Ice Cream $6 (above) / Fried Mochi with Green Tea Ice Cream $6

Our overall visit was enjoyable.  The excitement of Bachi Burger is nearly overrated by it's modern decor and sophisticated food presentations.  This Asian fusion restaurant has great tasting food, but don't walk in expecting your traditional All-American burger.  Bachi Burgers have a chic and sophisticated look.  The flavors in the food are great depending on what you order, but if you have a favorite, stick with it.

Overall rating: 6 out of 10

Paymon's Medditeranean Cafe & Hookah Lounge

Paymon's is located on the Southwest corner of Maryland Parkway and Flamingo behind the Sinclair gas station. Easily accessed from the main road, with adequate parking in front of the restaurant, which is also shared with a few other shops located near by. 

We weren't exactly sure where to go, so we walked up the what we thought were the front doors; which were HUGE and rather intimidating. But before we even reached the doors we noticed a small sign that read "Please use front entrance." So we turned right, and about two doors down we found the front door to the restaurant.  When you enter the Cafe side of Paymon's you're immediately greeted by their host. The atmosphere is welcoming, and slightly romantic. Mainly due to the dim lighting, and the large oil paintings mounted within almost royally unique frames completely covering the walls. A fair amount of seating fills the restaurant. No booths though, just a bunch of little square tables that seat four comfortably. But they can be easily moved around to accommodate a large party.

Paymon's Menu categorized by Appetizers, Soups, Dips, Entrees, Greek Specialties, Middle Eastern Favorites, Indian Dishes, Pita Bread Sandwiches, Panini Sandwiches, Salads, Desserts, Specialty Coffees, Cordials, and Beverages.  They also have a menu strictly dedicated to Wines, Spirits, and Beers.

We started off our evening with Hummus, that we decided to have topped with a delicious fresh Basil Pesto and the Saganaki; Saganaki is a Greek cheese that they serve by the slice, and it comes on a sizzling skillet after it's broiled and flambeed with Bacardi and lemon juice. They used to flambe it table side, but it became too much of a fire hazard. Even without the table-side entertainment, we concluded that the Saganaki was definitely one of the best things we had ever eaten. Both the cheese and the hummus were served with warm Pita bread, which were super soft and complimented both appetizers beautifully.


Saganaki (Greek Cheese) & Hummus with Pesto

After washing down the appetizers with a delicious Passion Iced Tea, we consulted with our waitress Tammy who pointed out a few of their most popular entrees. We ended up with Chicken Tandoori, the Broiled Kabob Trio, and Moussaka. Moussaka is a Greek Specialty and was a layered casserole filled with onions, potatoes, ground Angus Beef, spices, and herbs.  The top of the Moussaka was Bechamel Sauce which tasted like a light custard with Mediterranean Vegetables and a smoked Eggplant with Pomegranate served on the side.  The tender chicken in the Chicken Tandoori was served with a white Indian Rice and a Mango Chutney Sauce.  This sauce unbelievably complemented the chicken's hint of spice.  The Kabob Trio came with very moist chicken, juicy ground beef, and tender lamb.  We had our trio served with Basmati Rice(prepared in chicken broth) and Anthens Fries (french fries that are heavily seasoned with herbs and spices). The entrees are very filling and will leave you with a very satisfied stomach.

Moussaka, Chicken Tandori, & Kabob Trio (top right)

Kabob Trio

Believe it our not, we ordered dessert.  Tammy talked us into the Rice Pudding, Tiramisu, and Baklava.  The Rice Pudding was topped with whipped cream and cinnamon powder.  The hint of Cinnamon complemented the Rice Pudding.  The Tiramisu was a surprise to us.  Fluffy and light.  No over powering Rum taste at all.  The Baklava is a Paymon original recipe.  A flakey Phyllo dough topping assorted nuts topped with honey and crushed pistachios.  We almost thought we were eating a home-made pie. For those of you watching your sugar intake, there are no added sugars to the Baklava. It is naturally sweetened with honey. Other than that, if you like cinnamon.. these desserts are definitely gonna be a hit!! Very generous with the cinnamon.

Rice Pudding, Baklava (top), & Tiramisu

Tammy offered us Arabic and Turkish Coffee. Nicky decided to try it since she is a Coffee-Guru. Her passion for tasting new coffee brought her curiosity to a new high.  The Arabic coffee was dark and acidy.  Dark and full-bodied for a strong taste.  It paired great with the Rice Pudding's Cinnamon.  The Turkish coffee
was well-balanced and less acidy.  The Turkish coffee tasted great with the cocoa in the Tiramisu.

Our expectations were met and exceeded by the friendly staff and incredible tasting Mediterranean food.  If you haven't tried Mediterranean food, Paymon's would be a great training wheel for you and may possibly set the standard for your pallet.  Paymon's is a great place to take the family, that special someone, or even a group of friends.  The cost peaks at $20.95 for one of the most expensive dish. 

Open 11am-1am everyday. 

Check Us Out!

Eat Las Vegas Blog Team

Allan Babas & Nicky Cayan

Eat Las Vegas will be visiting one random restaurant each week and sampling a few of eaches most popular menu items. Whether good, bad, or however ugly... Our readers will hear about every detail. And believe me, we aren't afraid to tell it like it is. The beauty of having a team of bloggers is you get multiple opinions all in one awesome blog!!!

Once we get everything up and running, you guys will be the first to know. You can expect an update real soon. SO BEWARE, we're out there!!!