Larry Bly

Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.

Recent columns

• Beijing Chinese Restaurant: East meets Old Southwest
• SoRo is a go
• Hobos in Rehoboth
• Collins House Inn: Eating is half the fun of staying
• Bubblecake: Aren't you a sweet little cupcake?
• Column archive

• Recipe of the day

Old Southwest has long been home to one restaurant -- Wildflour Market & Bakery -- but now it can boast two, with the addition of a Chinese restaurant owned and operated by some folks who previously worked in the kitchen at Carlos Brazilian International Cuisine.

Beijing Chinese Restaurant on Elm Avenue opened several months ago and seems to be a popular lunch place, offering a nicely sized dining room, plus takeout. Some of my Old Southwest friends just love having Chinese so close by. Beijing is a good restaurant, but not a great one. Perhaps in time.

It's located at the end of a convenience store and once was the ill-fated and quickly forgotten Dilly's Deli, which lasted far less time than the sign.

The variety of the food offered on Beijing's buffet pleased me, with two soups (including a very spicy sweet-and-sour), pork fried rice, lo mein, Szechuan bean curd, noodles, Szechuan-style chicken, moo goo gai pan and the obligatory General Tso's chicken. I also enjoyed a very flavorful teriyaki chicken on skewers. There aren't many desserts: Two cakes (chocolate and vanilla).  Period.

For those who choose not to eat buffet-style, the kitchen is well prepared to present fresh hot items from the extensive menu: Fried rice in many varieties; lo mein dishes of pork, beef, shrimp, and chicken; egg foo young with rice and gravy; chow mein with crispy noodles (a winner); chicken dishes galore; sweet-and-sour combinations and pork and beef entrees with fresh vegetables.

The shrimp with broccoli was a standout, brimming with garlic. You may also order up a respectable Szechuan shrimp, Hunan-style shrimp, shrimp with peanuts or scallops with mixed vegetables.

The Szechuan string beans are exceptional, as are several listed chef specialties: orange-flavored chicken, sesame chicken, pineapple shrimp and the "happy family" (not to be confused with the Happy Goodman Family). Somehow these silly names have caught on and we can't seem to get away from them, but it's all a part of the Chinese restaurant dining experience, I suppose.

The service was very attentive, if not overly so, and the kitchen keeps the food fresh and hot. Drinks are filled continuously and even the owner came around to ensure that all was to our satisfaction.

A minor problem: Be aware of the red-hot tongs! The steam tables made them nearly too hot to handle on my visit. Also, be aware that parking is at a premium during lunch hours, as the lot is woefully small, and the restaurant shares it with convenience-store customers. I guess you can always park on a nearby side street.

By the way, this must be the only Chinese restaurant I've visited that, in addition to everything else, offers milkshakes. Honestly. Enjoy a freshly prepared vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or banana.

Beijing is definitely a draw, with affordable buffets, and an even more modest menu pricing.