There was news in the Monitor last week that keno revenue has come in below projections. That got me to thinking about the time I played the game at Chen Yang Li in Bow. Nothing was eaten during that trip, so I figured it was time to go there for the food.
I dropped in about 1 p.m. last Tuesday and was in the mood for something spicy, so I ordered Ginger Chicken with String Beans off the lunch specials menu. This came with a bowl of soup – I chose hot and sour – and rice – I went with vegetable fried rice.
The soup was served right away and it was steaming hot. This was a savory and spicy soup that had lots of sliced green onions that added some nice crunch. I was also pleasantly surprised to find several chunks of either pork or chicken in there (whatever meat it was, it was good), which really made for a pretty hearty soup. I’m not a big tofu fan, but I didn’t even mind it in this soup since it was so flavorful.
By the time I finished the soup, I realized that it really was a very spicy dish. It’s the type of heat that you certainly notice while you’re eating it, but it catches up to you even more once you’re done.
Soon enough the main dish was served, and it looked great. The green beans were glistening with a sweet and spicy sauce that had little flakes of spicy red pepper, and the chicken looked juicy and spicy.
I started with the green beans, and they were nice and crispy. The initial taste was a teriyaki-style sweet, with some slow-building heat that came on late. These would be very good as a snack on their own.
The chicken was every bit as tender and juicy as it looked – perhaps a tiny bit too tender, even. If there’s any complaint about the chicken, it’s the volume – the plate easily has a lot more veggies than meat, but I guess that’s a lunch special for you.
The sauce was really complex. It blended nicely with both the greens and the chicken, and the flavor combination of the sweet and the spicy was a great eating experience.
The ginger in this dish came in the form of thinly sliced batons sprinkled throughout the chicken and beneath the beans. Every couple forkfuls would have a string or two of crunchy, tangy, spicy ginger that really made everything pop. This was a surprising and enjoyable way to work ginger into an entrée.
As for the rice, it wasn’t much to get excited about. Having no meat or sauce, this was pretty plain. It was such a big bowl that it felt like a burden, but it’s not like anyone was forcing me to eat it.
Ultimately, I was so full from the big plate of chicken and green beans that I barely had room to tackle the rice.
For a lunch special that came in under 9 bucks, it’s hard to argue with the value. This is a tasty, hot, spicy, filling meal that will leave you fully satisfied. The lunch specials are available from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. daily. To see a menu or for more info, go to chenyangli-bow.com.
