Every so often, my friends and I like to venture into Boston for some Chinese grub at Chau Chow City.
Last friday, we were in the area and made plans with friends for dinner. We started off with some drinks and a couple rounds of Scorpion bowls with the Bacardi 151 flaming in the center.
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| Chau Chow City Scorpion Bowl |
I't s a different experience depending on which group of friends we are with.
With our American friends, we dine on the Chinese-American staples that includes fried rice, lo mein, General Gau Chicken, chicken fingers and crispy sesame beef. A handful of them like calamari but that's the most "extreme" we would get. Actually, one time we did get a half duck but most of it was packed "to go" afterwards.
When I'm with the "Lowell" crowd, the late night dinner usually consists of soft shell crab, sizzling beef, fish maw soup, twin lobster with ginger and scallion, baby clams in black bean sauce, pea pod stems with garlic...
that's just to name a few. I usually can't remember the rest because it's usually have lots of drinking and clubbing, celebrating someone's birthday or bach party in Boston.
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Clam in black bean sauce
image via Yelp |
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Pea Pod Stems
image via Yelp |
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Sizzling Beef
Image via Yelp |
Both experiences are always great! I'm dining with great people and I'm eating delicious food! Most important.... everything is CHEAP!We ordered some crab rangoons and peking raviolis to start off our meal.
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| Chau Chow City Pan Fried Peking Ravioli |
After a pitcher of beer and sharing (2) scorpion bowls... the rest was a blur. I think we had fried calamari and mayo shrimp..
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Honey Walnut Shrimp
image via Yelp |
Of course we got the crispy sesame beef and general gau chicken. As always, it was delicious!
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| Chau Chow City Crispy Beef |
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| Chau Chow City General Tso Chicken |
We ordered sweet and sour chicken with the sauce on the side. That way, people who preferred the golden fried chicken could have it sans the sweet sauce and vegetables.
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| Chau Chow City Sweet and Sour Chicken (sauce on side) |
For starches, we got the house fried rice and House special pan fried noodles. The House pan fried noodles was overwhelming, next time, I'll just stick with the beef and Chinese broccoli version.
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Chau Chow City House Pan Fried Noodles
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| House Fried Rice |
Our total came to about $26.00 per person with taxes and tip that includes a drink, 2 apps, rice, noodles, calamari, general gau chicken, sweet and sour chicken, sesame beef and I think
mayo walnut shrimp
There were enough leftover for each of the guys to pack a box for another meal.
Service is always quick but always check your receipt. Everything is written in Chinese and hard to understand. They double charges us for a drink and even after they removed it, I still feel like they overcharged for the tax and gratuity on the extra scorpion bowl.
We love going there and we will definitely be back for more dim sum, Chinese American and traditional Chinese meals.
** Update- we went back in April 2015 and tried a new dish, the battered scallops (batter resembles chicken fingers) it was delicious!
Chau Chow City
Address: 83 Essex St, Boston, MA 02111
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