China Doll

Okay, now I know what I am about to say is sacrilege to most of my West Bank brethren, but I'm going to say it anyway: China Doll is not a very good restaurant.

That is not saying that China Doll doesn't have its good points: they make their own egg rolls, cook everything to order and their staff wear very Chinesey looking shirts, like you're in a 70s movie set in Beijing, but filmed in Hollywood.

Since China Doll is very close to where I work, it's a default place to eat when one doesn't really want to think about what to eat. And since I've been going there for years now, I've pretty much figured out what's good and what's terrible. (note: there's not that much in between) But it's perfect for the typical West Bank diner: Gargantuan servings of familiar, non-challenging food. I know, for instance, that if I am going to get in the place, I had better arrive well before noon. It's that popular.

So, the good news: General's chicken (pictured, badly). It's coated in this iridescent orangey sauce that both spicy and garlicky. I'm also pretty sure they have a contract with the Fukishima plant in Japan. I'm pretty sure it glows in the dark, and I'm also sure that's what makes it taste so good. The hot and sour soup is good, if not unexceptional. The Cho-Chos are tasty. Their fried rice is the best around.

Now the bad news: The rest of the menu is either bland, or downright terrible. The BBQ pork plate is insipid, bland, dry (think sandpaper), and is covered in a sauce that tastes like some kind of sweet mushy baby food. It's worse than terrible. It might be the worst dish in the entire state of Louisiana. Makes me long for a Lucky Dog or a plate of Dome nachos. Maybe a triangle tuna fish sandwich from Racetrack.

Yesterday, upon leaving at 12:30, I was greeted with the inevitable and the preposterous. There were eighteen people waiting in line for a table, with people literally outside the restaurant.

Only on the Wank.