it's here

good chinese food is generally a noticeable absentee among all the fabulous southeast asian restaurants (not to mention those from the rest of the world) gracing the great city of lowell. there are a actually couple of chinese joints in my neighborhood, but i went to each of them exactly once, and i'm not likely to bother again. serviceable, perhaps, in a pinch, but when each is a stone's throw from a plethora of noodle and larb joints that kick righteous asian ass, (yes, we mean you, viet-thai, phien's kitchen, et al.), you just don't feel the urge to put up with greasy fried rice and chicken fingers as an alternative to liven up your soy sauceable entree fetish.

so it is with great pleasure and expectations of happy returns that i commend to you the brand new china star restaurant on broadway just beyond (or before depending on from which way you're coming) the original market basket. the kitchen is open and immaculate, the menu interesting and varied, and the food makes you nod your head and know that, yes, there were definitely reasons why the english would be hesitant to sign away the deed to hong kong. they do cantonese and mandarin, and, naturally, for you pu pu platter enthusiasts in the audience, they even do polynesian, too.

today's special (posted in both english and, i'm guessing, some anglicized version of khmer, given all the phonetic punctuation over and under all the letters) was a pair of lobsters in ginger sauce with scallions for $14.95. i was sooooo tempted, but i think i'm going to leave that one for tomorrow. then, of course, there were whole crispy chickens for $20, and crispy ducks for $22, and peking versions for $36, and if you'd like to know exactly what it would be that you were getting yourself into, then have a look at the way they are right up front:

as a lowbrow sort of foodie, i always take my cue from the way a place does its house special fried rice, and there, as they say, we have our answer. light. fresh. decidedly *not* greasy. not just the usual kitchen sink ingredient suspects, either. (i believe i got some bok choy, chinese cabbage, and a few other goodies in there, and not a bland, boring bean sprout in sight). among the chef's specials are spicy salted (head on) fried jumbo shrimp, and a couple of extremely intruiguing pork chops--one "peking style", and the other "spicy, salted and dry fried". the room is seat-and-serve yourself, spotless and inviting--sit yerself right down and have at it.

OH!!! AND!!!

the roast pig belly is only $8.25 a pound, and, yes, you can get it just plain and to go.

MMMMMMMMMM