From the outside, Paul Chen's Hong Kong Restaurant has a decidedly plain appearance. A large yellow sign evokes images of New York City's Chinatown of decades ago, and the weathered 25th Street facade isn't exactly 21st-century. Even upon entering the dimly-lit eating area, there is a feel to the place that doesn't merit any description other than "ordinary Chinese take-out."
On this weekend, a short buffet counter sits empty among 12 tables, a painting of koi fish and a bamboo carving painting hang from the walls, and paper lanterns dangle from the ceiling. Sitting down, the silverware is mismatched and the tacky plastic flowers are drooping.
But don't let the lack of modern lighting and outdated decorations deter you; The food more than makes up for the lack of ambiance, and the free delivery to Hopkins seals the deal.
Chen's menu, written in both Chinese and English, offers typical Chinese-American dishes as well as dishes that are only found in the most authentic Chinese restaurants. Notably, Chen's offers Peking duck, steamed whole fish with ginger and Mapo tofu.
Additionally, they have entire menu sections devoted to lobster, scallop, lamb and sizzling platter dishes. Choosing an entrée from a 200-dish menu was somewhat overwhelming, however.
Chen's offers the traditional staples I've come to expect from a typical Chinese take-out restaurant in the middle of a metropolis: General Tsao's, wonton soup, pork-fried rice and all their brethren. There are also some crazier, wild-card items that catch the eye, like honey-fried bananas.
For diners with dietary restrictions, the vegetarian menu is relatively large, and includes false-meat and vegetable meals, appetizers and soups. The vegetables I ordered - sautéed broccoli, carrots and snap peas - were crisp and fresh. The seafood was also top-notch. Both the scallops and the jumbo shrimp were of Inner Harbor quality and tasted very fresh.
The Mapo tofu, however, came in a very thick, bland sauce. Paul Chen's adjusts spiciness to your taste, so if you order there, specify exactly how you want your food prepared.
One particular dish worth noting is the eggplant in garlic sauce. Ask for it to be roasted, not fried. It is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The sesame chicken and shrimp lo mein, two classics of Chinese-American cuisine, were very well received by my fellow diners.
The meal comes with enough rice to go around, and overall the portions for most meals are very sizable. The sauces in all the dishes were typical for Chinese take-out, but seemed to taste lighter, less greasy and more flavorful, possibly because the restaurant cooks with 100 percent vegetable oil.
Thankfully, prices were about average. A small typical entree is anywhere from $5 for a simple Chow Mein to $7 for seafood dishes. For the more authentic dishes, prices start creeping up to the $15 mark.
So, if you eventually navigate through the long list of entrees and dodge the Mapo tofu and the more Americanized dishes, you can look forward to an overall pleasant experience ordering at Paul Chen's Hong Kong Restaurant.
