Bites Nearby: Evergreen Chinese Restaurant

Chinese food is one of those things that's hit-or-miss for me. It's not like pizza; pizza has two categories: great and good, but I've never met someone who found pizza they just couldn't have a second slice of. I have, however, come across plenty of Chinese restaurants that I swore I would never visit again, no matter how hungry I was. Sometimes it's just too greasy, too 'eh' for my taste. But it looks like I've finally found a local spot that lives up to my expectations, and plenty of other people's, too.

I visited after a friend tipped me off to it, claiming it would be the best Chinese I would find in the Lehigh Valley. I'm happy to report that, if it's not the best, it's certainly earned its spot in the top three.

Evergreen is mostly in the business of take-out, there's a small area for anyone looking to dine in-house, but with patrons constantly coming in to pick up their little white cartons, it can get pretty chilly in there. Their menu is exactly what you'd expect from any Chinese restaurant--fried rice, spring rolls, beef, chicken and pork dishes. I usually stick to basics and order fried rice and a chicken dish, but the Beef and Broccoli come highly recommended, so I opted to try it out, although I'm usually not a big beef fan.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The meat was tender and warm, even after a ride home plagued by two fender benders (not me!) and a string of red lights. The sauce was tangy and sweet, and went well with the broccoli, which was very fresh. My side of fried rice was also delicious, and I didn't add as much soy sauce as I usually do because I was afraid of drowning out the flavor. (If you're wondering how rice could possibly have that much flavor, try Evergreen's fried rice.)

Although I only sampled one dish from Evergreen, I can say with confidence it was one of the best Chinese restaurants I've visited in awhile.