Food Review: Eastern Palace (Reynoldsburg, OH)

I've been a member of Restaurant.com for about two years, and have used it as a way to try new food places without plunking down the entire bill. It's a website where you would purchase gift certificates at discount prices to use at supporting restaurants, many of them non-chain, off-the-wall, and individually owned places. For me, it's usually a chance to explore a new food establishment and try dishes that I wouldn't otherwise order.

My curiosity and a gift certificate led Matt and me to Eastern Palace in Reynoldsburg for a casual dinner for two. It's an Asian restaurant with gourmet Chinese food and Japanese sushi. Despite its very plain appearance on the outside, its interior was very clean and comfortable and was even set up for private parties or receptions. We sat in a booth that had a great view of a big screen TV so we even got to watch sports highlights on ESPN while we ate.

We decided to get a full, three-course meal. For our appetizers, we ordered a lobster sushi roll and a combination platter for two that contained chicken egg rolls, chicken wings, crab rangoon, and beef sticks. I was impressed by the appetizer's its presentation; there was a small flaming pot in the middle of the plate. The lobster roll was served in a traditional arrangement. Everything was perfectly cooked, and the sushi was fresh and delectable.

For our main course, Matt got an orange chicken dish and I went for a Hong Kong-style crispy noodle plate. It was very obvious that the chefs were very sensitive to flavor. The sauce in the orange chicken was light, yet flavorful, and I could still taste chicken underneath the crispy fried exterior of the chicken pieces. The crispy noodles on my plate appeared (and tasted) made-to-order and were well complemented with a light sauce, shrimp, chicken, and an assortment of snow peas and other vegetables. To finish things off, we had delicious green tea ice cream.

I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for good Chinese cuisine and sushi. Not surprisingly, TripAdvisor.com even rates this restaurant in the top 25 in the Columbus area. For this website's reviews, click here.