There's a Chinese restaurant a mile from my house.
La Bella China.
La Bella China.
I often drove by laughing because it looked a little trashy, but secretly hoping it would be awesome, because having a good Chinese restaurant close by is like winning a prize for a contest you didn't know you entered. If you didn't win, it's ok, because you didn't even know you were in the contest...but if you do win, it's friggin sweet and loads of unadulterated bliss follow...partially because of the sheer surprise of the situation.
Last week I decided to try La Bella China. When I try new Chinese places I have a little test that I always use, which is a little pricy, but is generally a good gauge for me. I order my favorite things and see how they stand up: chicken lo mein, beef and broccoli, egg rolls, and egg drop soup. If those are generally pretty decent, I'll be back!
So I ordered, waited 5 minutes, and received this spread:
Last week I decided to try La Bella China. When I try new Chinese places I have a little test that I always use, which is a little pricy, but is generally a good gauge for me. I order my favorite things and see how they stand up: chicken lo mein, beef and broccoli, egg rolls, and egg drop soup. If those are generally pretty decent, I'll be back!
So I ordered, waited 5 minutes, and received this spread:
Sorry it's a little dark- I had the shades drawn for a movie with the Chinese :)
Overall, I'd give this place a 4.5 out of 5! So good!
The Detailed Review:
The lo mein used udon noodles, which are better than the really skinny chow mein noodles that some places use, but second to my favorite which are the medium width ones (that I can't think of the name of). But it had great flavor and good veggies in it. The broccoli beef was a little soupier than I prefer, but again, awesome flavor, and they gave white rice to go with it so the soupiness made more sense. I like that they used the egg yokes in the soup (places often leave out more of the yokes, making the soup appear more whiteish-clear in color, and I think it tastes very bland), but I'm not a fan of corn in my egg drop. The egg rolls used rice paper, so they were smooth in texture instead of rough (which I like a little more), but they had a good flavor and came with homemade sweet and sour sauce :) And it all came very nicely packaged with no spill possibilities - extra awesome. The menu also had a variety of Mandarin and Cantonese dishes, which is exciting. So much more to try!
So next time you're near 12th and Drexel, check out La Bella China! Or come over and we'll order some, because they deliver! Oh happy day :)
Overall, I'd give this place a 4.5 out of 5! So good!
The Detailed Review:
The lo mein used udon noodles, which are better than the really skinny chow mein noodles that some places use, but second to my favorite which are the medium width ones (that I can't think of the name of). But it had great flavor and good veggies in it. The broccoli beef was a little soupier than I prefer, but again, awesome flavor, and they gave white rice to go with it so the soupiness made more sense. I like that they used the egg yokes in the soup (places often leave out more of the yokes, making the soup appear more whiteish-clear in color, and I think it tastes very bland), but I'm not a fan of corn in my egg drop. The egg rolls used rice paper, so they were smooth in texture instead of rough (which I like a little more), but they had a good flavor and came with homemade sweet and sour sauce :) And it all came very nicely packaged with no spill possibilities - extra awesome. The menu also had a variety of Mandarin and Cantonese dishes, which is exciting. So much more to try!
So next time you're near 12th and Drexel, check out La Bella China! Or come over and we'll order some, because they deliver! Oh happy day :)
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