Chi's on a Rainy Afternoon

                        It has occurred to me that I should include an article about a local establishment and give my review or praise in some sort of way.  Here it goes.

                        Yesterday, I decided I wanted spicy wonton soup.   As it hasn’t been necessarily cold, it has been rainy.  I wanted the feel of the warm broth and the unique taste of Szechwan peppercorns on my lips.  One of my new favorite culinary treasures in the city right now is Chi’s Dim Sum and Bistro’s Traditional Menu.  So much Chinese food in the west is watered down Americanized gloop that adds sugar and corn starch to every dish contributing to the US obesity epidemic.  The Asian fusion restaurants such as Southern Gourmasian and Kemuri are delicious and make quality dishes, but it’s rare to find traditional Chinese food prepared in the traditional way.  Don’t get me wrong, I have a soft spot for General Tso’s Chicken, but it’s more of the spicy and sweet that I like and, in recent years, I need to look for healthier alternatives.

           

                        After work, my fiancé and I decided to have a light dinner then go for a drive in the rain.  As we were already going out for an errand, we decided to go somewhere that had the rarest of qualities: somewhat healthy and cheap.  Usually, a trip to Chi’s for the two of us costs less than $30 and offers a delicious and filling meal without weighing us down.  On this occasion, I had looked out of the window of our car and start salivating over the taste memory of the spicy Szechwan wontons as the raindrops rolled down the pane of glass.  It was all I could think about at that moment.

                        Once we were seated, I immediately placed my order.  The wontons, while not necessarily a soup, is served with a broth.  They are filled with a pork mixture and the sauce is a classic chili oil found on many traditional Chinese tables.  When it arrived, that first spoon full was perfect.  The warm broth filling my stomach and the rain outside getting louder.  From where our booth was, we were able to see out over West Little Rock.  The spiciness of the dish warmed my mouth and insides which left me with a very content feeling.  In addition, we also ordered the jade shrimp dumplings from the dim sum menu.  The wrappers were light and the shrimp were cooked to perfection.  The steam I had seen coming from my food now filled me will such satisfaction I relaxed into my seat and watched as cars splashed through large puddles that were forming as they made their way home. 

                        That really hit the spot.