review by Chris Mohr |

Liberty has almost doubled its size over the past few years, and that can only mean new businesses and restaurants. However, we sometimes fail to realize the restaurants that have existed for quite some time. This month I went out and discovered three Chinese restaurants: one that I have been to many times before and two that I have never set foot in.

First Stop: Ming Dragon        $5.90 Lunch Buffet        10:10 Fortune Cookies

Ming Dragon has never let me down with their large and delicious variety of Chinese cuisine, and that is what drew me back for more. Located next to Rancho Grande, Ming Dragon once again greeted me with the smell of hot, fresh food on the buffet. I loaded up my plate with general tso chicken, sesame chicken, lo mein noodles, fried potatoes and, not to forget, the crab rangoons. If you manage to get to the restaurant right when the food is prepared, it will be absolutely amazing and cooked to perfection. It was my lucky day because that was exactly what happened. The restaurant also holds another surprise: a Mongolian grill has just been added in, which allows you to build your own stir fry and watch it come to life in front of your eyes. With a little peer pressure from one of my friends, I decided to try it. The grill offers a wide variety of different noodles, meats, sauces and toppings. I ordered chicken, lo mein, cucumbers and onions topped with Mongolian sauce. The sauce fit the dish perfectly, as it was not too thick and not too runny. It was a good thing I did not skip out on this. The experience at this restaurant was great and I will definitely go back for more. It was a good thing I did not skip out on this. The experience at this restaurant was great and I will definitely come back for more. Not too thick, but not too runny. It was a good thing I did not skip out on this. The experience at this restaurant was great and I will definitely come back for more.

Second Stop: Hunan Garden    $5.35 Meal            9:10 Fortune Cookies

Welcomed by the coziness of this restaurant, I felt as though I had stepped into someone’s home in China. The environment was inviting and I actually felt a part of the culture. Located directly across the street from Lamar’s Doughnuts, this restaurant took me back to China Town. We were greeted and quickly seated. With endless possibilities to order, I quickly set my mind to the orange chicken, which came with fried rice, a crab rangoon and an egg roll. The servings were generous and the meal did not fail to hit the spot. The chicken was cooked exactly to my liking; very tender. The sauce was just delicious, though a little spicy. Although I wished it was a buffet like Ming Dragon where I could try more on the menu, the restaurant ultimately was satisfying.

Third Stop: Kam Sheng        $4.75 Meal            7:10 Fortune Cookies

Greeted with the feeling of walking into a McDonald’s, I could already tell that Kam Sheng was going to be completely different from my other experiences. Located across from Pleasant Valley Baptist Church and the new Price Chopper, this restaurant offered feeling of awkwardness. I ordered off the menu located directly above the cashier, just like McDonald’s or any other fast food place. I ordered the general tso chicken, served with pork fried rice, hot and sour soup and a crab rangoon. The soup was served first. I took one bite and I was finished. The chicken was hard and crunchy and the fried rice had little flavor. The soda did not have the correct balance between carbonation and syrup. To make things worse, the light above our table kept flickering on and off. As soon as I was done eating I left thinking this would not be at the top of my list of recommendations.