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Ask any of the locals, they’ll agree. Chengdu is a fixture that has drawn its loyal clientele from its former Farmington Avenue location to its new attractive digs on Park Road.
With its extensive menu fraught with clever surprises and Americanized–Chinese classics at reasonable prices, Chengdu offers a great Asian culinary experience with hefty portions that will satisfy every kind of diner.
Food: The meal starts with a complimentary bowl of wonton chips and hot tea. If the free starters won’t keep you satisfied, try the steamed vegetable or shrimp dumplings ($5.25 and $6.95 respectively). The orders are hefty, so eat with friends.
As for entrees, the menu offers everything you’d expect at a Chinese restaurant, as well as its share of dishes with an added twist. The chicken soong ($13.95) offers an amazing array of flavors and textures set in a lettuce leaf cup. The firecracker beef ($12.95) is shredded meat dipped in water chestnut flower mixed with vegetables, served with a somewhat overpowering garlic sauce. All entrees come with a bowl of white rice, but order a side of chicken lo mein or fried rice, which at $6.50 are given in sizable portions. Cap the meal off with the chocolate fortune cookies.
Insider Tip: If you’re looking for an even better deal, go for lunch Monday through Saturday before 3 p.m. when a large number of the chef’s specialties are offered at lower prices ($7.95-$9.95) and include a choice of wonton, hot and sour or egg drop soup.
Booze: The restaurant’s bar is relatively large and well-stocked, attracting an interesting mix of people.
Service: The wait staff was attentive responding to half–empty glasses of water and requests for hot sauce promptly. And though polite, there was little interest in any small talk. Most importantly, the food came fast.
Digs: The dining room is a pretty classy hodgepodge of various styles mixing brick arches, stone walls and wood-paneled ceilings with modern curves and ornaments. A flower–shaped light fixture offers a calming radiance that works nicely with the classical music in the background.
Vibe: This place is popular with all crowds. Still, while families, couples and groups seem to flock here on the weekends, there shouldn’t be a problem grabbing a table. Getting a parking spot is another story.
Chengdu Asian Bistro
179 Park Road, West Hartford
860-232-6455
Mon.-Thu., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun., noon-10 p.m.
Happy hour: Mon.-Fri., 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
