That Food Guy
Monday, October 17, 2016
China Lights - Eagle River, Alaska
It was a busy time for me then. There was work and the extracurricular activities such as dog mushing that kept me busy and it was a long while before I was in town, at the right time, to get some more fried rice takeout. It was, to put it plainly, terrible. The rice was almost crunchy. It wasn’t seasoned at all except for a splash of soy sauce and there was only a pittance of vegetables and chicken thrown in. Even steaming it a bit at home I was unable to revive it and, sadly, most of that order ended up in the compost pile. After that encounter I pretty much erased the mental note and never again considered the China Lights as an asset. Over the ensuing years I have driven past the China Lights many, many times but never had any inkling to try it again.
During this 2016 trip to Alaska I noticed some TV ads for
the China Lights. They mostly featured the Anchorage store, especially the
interior shots showing the buffet, but the ad did tell of the two locations,
Anchorage and Eagle River. That got me to thinking… (Sometimes that is a
dangerous thing to do.) So, if the China Lights has been there all this time
without going under they must be doing something right and not chasing away
customers like they did me. Also, if they have made enough profit to open or
take over another facility they must have a fairly large and satisfied customer
base. Perhaps, I thought, it was time to give China Lights another try.
I called good buddy Larry Tower and asked if he would like to go to lunch one day soon. On the appointed day we made the fifteen minute drive to China Lights. Apparently the buffet is popular and the hostess/waitress assumed we were there for the buffet and when she seated us she didn’t offer the menu as an option. I thought for a moment and then decided, “Why not?” We would try the buffet today and I could come back later for a “lunch special” take home meal rather than eat in. She took our beverage order and bade us to go and select from the buffet.
As I mentioned, the store is of modest size. It is well
decorated in the Asian theme with bas-relief paneling depicting Chinese scenes.
The ceiling is embossed tiles in a copper color. Various wall hangings and
objects d’art round out the décor. There are several booths along the front
window wall and the main dining area features tables and chair that can be
arranged as needed to accommodate different sized groups. There is no room for
free standing serving bars as you would normally find in a Chinese buffet. In
the addition of the buffet to the more traditional sit down and dine in and
take out there was little room for adding the serving bars. There is a salad
bar and steam table combination, serve from one side only and about 16 to 18 feet
long, against the back wall. That leaves little room for a large number of
selections one would normally associate with a Chinese buffet. As I remember
the selections (and memory can be spotty) the selections, with some of my
initial impressions, were as follows.
Soups – Egg flower and - one other: Egg flower soup good, didn’t try the other
What is the allure of the Chinese buffet? I would answer
that it a place where, for a relatively small amount of money, you can eat to
your fill with palatable food; a place to go get stuffed. To that end China
Lights does quite well. Its selections, although limited by space, fare well
compared to any of the other buffets I have tried in the past. I do have some
minor issues with some of the offerings but overall, as I mentioned, it is
quite good as Chinese buffets go.
On my first go through the buffet
line, I got a bowl of egg flower soup and a plate with tempura vegetables,
sweet and sour chicken, a pot sticker, spicy meatballs, sesame chicken, some
Mongolian chicken and my favorite, fried rice. The soup was good. There were a
lot of egg shreds and the broth had a good flavor as well as a nice mouth feel;
it wasn’t just a bowl of flavored water. The selection of the tempura
vegetables was limited to some onion rings and some small medallions I think
were squash. The items were battered and fried but the batter was very heavy
for tempura and detracted from what taste the vegetables had. The pot stickers
were a bit chewy and perhaps had been in the pan too long. The spicy meatballs
relied on the sauce for the spice and the texture was coarse, perhaps a lot of
filler, Not one of my favorite for the selection. The Mongolian chicken was one
of the better dishes they offered. It was flavorful with lots of chicken. The
sesame chicken was much like other buffet sesame chickens, an amber sauce and
toasted sesame seeds. It didn’t stand out, kind of bland, and I think the sauce
needed a bit more sesame oil to liven up the flavor. The sweet and sour chicken
here was what I have come to learn is called New York-style; breaded chicken
pieces and a red sweet and sour sauce on the side. I learned to like sweet and
sour chicken a long time ago on the West Coast. It was dish of breaded and
fried chicken pieces, stir fried Bell peppers, onion and sometimes thinly
sliced carrots and pineapple chunks all tossed with a red sauce with definite
sweet and sour overtones; a medley of many great flavors and textures. I
am a bit biased and it is difficult to be positive about a dish that is missing
most of its elements. The China Light’s version was heavily breaded chicken (I
suspect the breaded chicken is a bulk pre-made kitchen supply) and the sauce
was indeed red, sticky and sweet but lacked any definite sour component. It was
just like all the other buffet sweet and sour chicken just a shadow of the real
thing. The fried rice was good. It was a filler dish to be sure, an inexpensive
food to bulk out the meal. Even so, it had good flavor and there were some
little goodies in the mix to add to the taste and texture.
China Lights
12110
Business Blvd #2
Eagle River,
Alaska 88577
(907)
694-8080
The China Lights Restaurant in Eagle River is a small to medium-sized
facility located in a strip mall. This particular restaurant has been there
since 1980. A sister establishment, located in Anchorage, has been extant since
2010. I have not visited the Anchorage facility so everything herein pertains
to the Eagle River store.
I have a mixed history with China Lights that goes back a
long time. I first became aware of the Eagle River China Lights when I moved
into the area about 1995. A fan of Chinese food, I was quick to spot it and
mentally mark it for later. Sometime later I had that urge for some fried rice,
one of my favorite foods, and went to China Lights for takeout. It was excellent! I really loved it; very
flavorful with a great seasoning combination I wished I could emulate. I was
very happy to have some tasty Chinese food close at hand.It was a busy time for me then. There was work and the extracurricular activities such as dog mushing that kept me busy and it was a long while before I was in town, at the right time, to get some more fried rice takeout. It was, to put it plainly, terrible. The rice was almost crunchy. It wasn’t seasoned at all except for a splash of soy sauce and there was only a pittance of vegetables and chicken thrown in. Even steaming it a bit at home I was unable to revive it and, sadly, most of that order ended up in the compost pile. After that encounter I pretty much erased the mental note and never again considered the China Lights as an asset. Over the ensuing years I have driven past the China Lights many, many times but never had any inkling to try it again.
During this 2016 trip to Alaska I noticed some TV ads for
the China Lights. They mostly featured the Anchorage store, especially the
interior shots showing the buffet, but the ad did tell of the two locations,
Anchorage and Eagle River. That got me to thinking… (Sometimes that is a
dangerous thing to do.) So, if the China Lights has been there all this time
without going under they must be doing something right and not chasing away
customers like they did me. Also, if they have made enough profit to open or
take over another facility they must have a fairly large and satisfied customer
base. Perhaps, I thought, it was time to give China Lights another try.I called good buddy Larry Tower and asked if he would like to go to lunch one day soon. On the appointed day we made the fifteen minute drive to China Lights. Apparently the buffet is popular and the hostess/waitress assumed we were there for the buffet and when she seated us she didn’t offer the menu as an option. I thought for a moment and then decided, “Why not?” We would try the buffet today and I could come back later for a “lunch special” take home meal rather than eat in. She took our beverage order and bade us to go and select from the buffet.
As I mentioned, the store is of modest size. It is well
decorated in the Asian theme with bas-relief paneling depicting Chinese scenes.
The ceiling is embossed tiles in a copper color. Various wall hangings and
objects d’art round out the décor. There are several booths along the front
window wall and the main dining area features tables and chair that can be
arranged as needed to accommodate different sized groups. There is no room for
free standing serving bars as you would normally find in a Chinese buffet. In
the addition of the buffet to the more traditional sit down and dine in and
take out there was little room for adding the serving bars. There is a salad
bar and steam table combination, serve from one side only and about 16 to 18 feet
long, against the back wall. That leaves little room for a large number of
selections one would normally associate with a Chinese buffet. As I remember
the selections (and memory can be spotty) the selections, with some of my
initial impressions, were as follows.Soups – Egg flower and - one other: Egg flower soup good, didn’t try the other
Almond Chicken
– Lots of chicken, pretty good but a bit confused flavor wise
Sesame
Chicken – A mainstream sesame chicken but a bit weak in the sauce
Mongolian
Chicken – A good amount of chicken with pretty good flavor, interesting
Spicy
Meatballs - a bit over cooked, kind of bland
Vegetable Lo
Mein – more noodles than vegetables
Pot Stickers
– not exceptional, need the sauce
Fried Rice –
for a filler dish, not too bad with good flavor and fresh looking vegetables
but not as good as my sampling many years ago
Spring Rolls
– little prepackaged rolls a bit chewy/crunchy
Tempura
Vegetables – onion rings and medallions of squash, I believe.
Sweet and
Sour Chicken – ahhh, yes! The New York-style is here too. Too bad…
Sweet and
Sour Sauce – It’s red.
French fries
– that one puzzles me – I didn’t try them but French fries in the limited space
available?
Assorted
fruits and Desserts -
On my first go through the buffet
line, I got a bowl of egg flower soup and a plate with tempura vegetables,
sweet and sour chicken, a pot sticker, spicy meatballs, sesame chicken, some
Mongolian chicken and my favorite, fried rice. The soup was good. There were a
lot of egg shreds and the broth had a good flavor as well as a nice mouth feel;
it wasn’t just a bowl of flavored water. The selection of the tempura
vegetables was limited to some onion rings and some small medallions I think
were squash. The items were battered and fried but the batter was very heavy
for tempura and detracted from what taste the vegetables had. The pot stickers
were a bit chewy and perhaps had been in the pan too long. The spicy meatballs
relied on the sauce for the spice and the texture was coarse, perhaps a lot of
filler, Not one of my favorite for the selection. The Mongolian chicken was one
of the better dishes they offered. It was flavorful with lots of chicken. The
sesame chicken was much like other buffet sesame chickens, an amber sauce and
toasted sesame seeds. It didn’t stand out, kind of bland, and I think the sauce
needed a bit more sesame oil to liven up the flavor. The sweet and sour chicken
here was what I have come to learn is called New York-style; breaded chicken
pieces and a red sweet and sour sauce on the side. I learned to like sweet and
sour chicken a long time ago on the West Coast. It was dish of breaded and
fried chicken pieces, stir fried Bell peppers, onion and sometimes thinly
sliced carrots and pineapple chunks all tossed with a red sauce with definite
sweet and sour overtones; a medley of many great flavors and textures. I
am a bit biased and it is difficult to be positive about a dish that is missing
most of its elements. The China Light’s version was heavily breaded chicken (I
suspect the breaded chicken is a bulk pre-made kitchen supply) and the sauce
was indeed red, sticky and sweet but lacked any definite sour component. It was
just like all the other buffet sweet and sour chicken just a shadow of the real
thing. The fried rice was good. It was a filler dish to be sure, an inexpensive
food to bulk out the meal. Even so, it had good flavor and there were some
little goodies in the mix to add to the taste and texture.
To date my favorite Chinese
restaurant in Alaska is the Imperial Palace. It is located in Anchorage which
is a 45-minute drive away from home. China Lights, on the other hand, located in
Eagle River, is barely a 10-minute drive away. I suspect that on my next trip
to Alaska I will try out China Lights and order from the menu for a sit-down
dinner. I remember once I had some great food from there. It would be very nice
to know that a good and trusted source was near to home. I will let you know
how well that turns out in a later blog post.
It should be noted that there is a
certificate proudly displayed on the entranceway wall of China Lights: Top
100 Chinese Restaurants: Exterior
100%, Service 100%, Food 97.06%Labels: Alaska, all you can eat, Asian, China, Chinese, Eagle River, egg flower soup, food, lights China Lights, Top 100 Chinese Restaurants
¶ 12:35 PM 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Double Musky – Birthday Dinner 2016
Cajun cooking, emphasizing steak & local seafood, in a roadhouse with Mardi Gras-style décor.
A Birthday Dinner Tradition
Mile .3 Crow Creek Road, Girdwood, AK 99587
The Double Musky is located in the Girdwood Valley, about an
hour’s drive south from Anchorage along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet.
There is a world-famous ski resort there with a lavish resort hotel. It is a
very busy place during the winter ski season. It is still a mecca for the
Alaska visitor even in the summer although the pace is a bit more relaxed
during the warmer weather. The beauty of the Alaska wilderness surrounds and
seven glaciers in the surrounding Chugach Mountains can be seen from various
vantage points in the valley
On this occasion we would also have the pleasure introducing
another person to the Double Musky. Larry’s most charming and lovely companion,
Wasana, would be joining us for a night out with the boys. We had much to tell
her, much about why and how we came to this place and what this night was all
about. It took a bit of time to coordinate all of our schedules but we finally
got it all together October the eleventh. It was an overcast day with a raw
feel to the air, about 30 degrees. The Alaska fall weather was definitely here.
I did my home chores and a few local errands. In the afternoon I drove to
Anchorage’s Eastside to meet up with Larry and Wasana where we would carpool
for the hour drive to Girdwood. We didn’t want to leave too early because The
Double Musky is only open during dinner hours.
We arrived a few minutes before opening. There were already
several cars in the parking area. Our hectic schedules had delayed our birthday
get together for almost a month. The early cold weather had blighted the
usually verdant garden in front of the restaurant. On this occasion we would
miss the vibrancy of a floral garden. The building looked the same as always. The
doors were opened soon after and we were shown to a table by the window overlooking
the garden. We did look over the menu but at least Larry and I knew what we were
having.
Appetizer bread rolls are included. You have the option of salad
with dressing of choice. The entrée is served with your choice of baked potato
(with whatever fixings you choose) or vegetable of the day. All three of us
chose the salad. It was a mixture of lettuce and greens including spinach, some
shredded carrots and croutons. I chose 1000-Island for mine and a good grind of
fresh ground black pepper. Every one enjoyed their salads along with nicely buttered
pieces of the appetizer rolls.
The other Larry ordered the French pepper steak with the Burgundy
sauce on the side. His choice of a side was the baked potato with sour cream
and sliced onions. When ordering your steak, you select from the following menu
listed options: “Rare - cool red
center - Medium-rare - warm red center
Medium - hot pink center - Medium-well-well – Butterflied - takes time.” He ordered medium, grilled to a hot pink center. Usually Larry has a large chunk of the steak left over to take home. He was extra hungry this day and he happily finished off all of his French pepper steak and the baked potato, with lots of sour cream and sliced green onions, included. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal and was already thinking about the next time we would visit The Double Musky for our mutual birthday celebration.
The Double Musky Inn
In another reality Larry Tower and I would have been
brothers. As it is we share a common first name and share the birthday month,
September. Over the years we have developed a ritual, a tradition. We would splurge
a bit for our collective birthdays and go have a pepper steak dinner at the
famous Double Musky Restaurant in Girdwood, Alaska. See previous eating
adventure 2012 here.
It had been a long four years since we last were able to get together and share
a meal at the Double Musky. During this trip to Alaska, 2016, with joy we kept
the tradition alive.
The Double Musky is located in the Girdwood Valley, about an
hour’s drive south from Anchorage along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet.
There is a world-famous ski resort there with a lavish resort hotel. It is a
very busy place during the winter ski season. It is still a mecca for the
Alaska visitor even in the summer although the pace is a bit more relaxed
during the warmer weather. The beauty of the Alaska wilderness surrounds and
seven glaciers in the surrounding Chugach Mountains can be seen from various
vantage points in the valley
On this occasion we would also have the pleasure introducing
another person to the Double Musky. Larry’s most charming and lovely companion,
Wasana, would be joining us for a night out with the boys. We had much to tell
her, much about why and how we came to this place and what this night was all
about. It took a bit of time to coordinate all of our schedules but we finally
got it all together October the eleventh. It was an overcast day with a raw
feel to the air, about 30 degrees. The Alaska fall weather was definitely here.
I did my home chores and a few local errands. In the afternoon I drove to
Anchorage’s Eastside to meet up with Larry and Wasana where we would carpool
for the hour drive to Girdwood. We didn’t want to leave too early because The
Double Musky is only open during dinner hours. 
We arrived a few minutes before opening. There were already
several cars in the parking area. Our hectic schedules had delayed our birthday
get together for almost a month. The early cold weather had blighted the
usually verdant garden in front of the restaurant. On this occasion we would
miss the vibrancy of a floral garden. The building looked the same as always. The
doors were opened soon after and we were shown to a table by the window overlooking
the garden. We did look over the menu but at least Larry and I knew what we were
having.
French Pepper Steak
($41.00 “Best steak in America,” says
Jill Cordes of the Food Network. A 16-20
ounce New York steak crusted with cracked pepper and covered with a spicy
burgundy sauce.)
Wasana read over the menu and had a lot of questions. You
can see the menu at the Double Musky
website. At long last she too knew
what she wanted to sample:
Crab Stuffed Halibut (Market Price, today $47.00 A delicious halibut steak, stuffed with
crab meat dressing which contains crab meat, mushrooms, shallots, chablis,
heavy cream, creole seasoning
and served with creole beurre blanc.)
and served with creole beurre blanc.)
Appetizer bread rolls are included. You have the option of salad
with dressing of choice. The entrée is served with your choice of baked potato
(with whatever fixings you choose) or vegetable of the day. All three of us
chose the salad. It was a mixture of lettuce and greens including spinach, some
shredded carrots and croutons. I chose 1000-Island for mine and a good grind of
fresh ground black pepper. Every one enjoyed their salads along with nicely buttered
pieces of the appetizer rolls.
Wasana’s selection, the crab stuffed halibut, was a large
halibut filet folded over the crab stuffing mixture and slathered with a thick delicious
lemon butter sauce and a sprig of parsley. Then accompanying baked potato had
ample sour cream and sliced scallions. It was a large portion but Wasana was up to
the task and there was little left to carry home in a takeout container. She
did enjoy her meal very much. The Creole seasoning was a bit different than she
is accustomed to but found it to be an enjoyable new encounter, one that she
would enjoy again in the future. Perhaps next year…
The other Larry ordered the French pepper steak with the Burgundy
sauce on the side. His choice of a side was the baked potato with sour cream
and sliced onions. When ordering your steak, you select from the following menu
listed options: “Rare - cool red
center - Medium-rare - warm red centerMedium - hot pink center - Medium-well-well – Butterflied - takes time.” He ordered medium, grilled to a hot pink center. Usually Larry has a large chunk of the steak left over to take home. He was extra hungry this day and he happily finished off all of his French pepper steak and the baked potato, with lots of sour cream and sliced green onions, included. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal and was already thinking about the next time we would visit The Double Musky for our mutual birthday celebration.
I ordered my French pepper steak medium as well, Burgundy
sauce over. My baked potato was with all the trimmings including the sour cream
and the sliced scallions. The steak, as is usual, cut easily with the knife and
was tender to chew. It meat was flavorful on its own, the Burgundy sauce delicious.
Some of the bites I took were plain, just a slight dash of salt. Some of the bites
were slathered in the sauce. I can’t really say which was better. I would have
been happy with that steak either way – I guess I just had the best of both
worlds that day. I finished my baked potato and would have eaten all of my
steak but I had a use for a bit of my pepper steak; more about that later.
At long last there was clink of forks being placed on the
plates for the last time. Everyone was sated, happy with full bellies, ready to
pay the bill and waddle home. That’s when our server arrived with a tray of
sample desserts. Larry and I had just eaten bread, a salad, a large baked
potato loaded with toppings and a one-pound steak with sauce. And now we were
being tempted with rich, luscious desserts! To coin a phrase, nothing succeeds
like excess. We decided to have dessert to finish off the meal. The other Larry
ordered a slice of banana cream pie. It was a nice large slice of pie, a tasty
pudding and banana filling, cream topping and toasted coconut; very tasty he
said.
It had been a big and filling meal. Wasana and I both
wanted something a bit lighter and we both chose the crème brûlée. The serving was a nice 4-ounce ramekin of velvety custard with a caramelized
crust. Very tasty, the sweetness was a nice counterpoint after the savory
meal. It all capped off the evening
nicely. I too look forward to the next visit with the other Larry to celebrate
our birthdays.
Oh, and that bit of steak I took home in a
doggie bag? Ah, yes – the next morning I fried up some potatoes, onion and the
meat cut into little pieces. In the end I added some peas and carrots to make a
big batch of Double Musky French pepper steak hash that would help top feed me
well over several breakfasts. Each of
those breakfasts brought back memories of a wonderful evening spent with Larry
and Wasana at The Double Musky Restaurant in Girdwood, Alaska.
Labels: Alaska, baked potato, banana cream pie, burgundy sauce, crème brûlée, Double Musky, French, Inn, pepper, salad, scallions, sour cream, steak
¶ 6:00 PM 0 Comments
