The food here is edible, but watered-down for mass consumption. If you want the real thing, venture into the International District.

The food was edible. Don't go in thinking you're going to get chinese food: this is like "Chinese Food for Dummies" so that people completely unfamiliar with chinese food will have someplace to go where they can pretend they're being daring. For instance, my in-laws love this place. And don't let them talk you into a large serving of soup, just because two of you want the same soup. The soup comes in two sizes: small, and gallon-sized.

If you get there early enough, this can be a great choice before a movie. Get there at the normal hours, and this place can be quite a wait - but worth it. The service was crisp and friendly - it matched our schedule perfectly, giving us plenty of time to enjoy and relax but *never* pushing. The menu selection is wide enough for everyone but the "chow mein" crowd - interesting variations on traditional Chinese favorites but familiar enough to be reassuring. I will note that the chopsticks are plastic, so some of the "dumpling" style appetizers are pretty hard to grasp. The ambiance is a large room - nice decorations, but still a large room. The dishes were quite nice. Tasty and toothsome, smooth and well balanced. I don't plan to take the kids there, but the wife and I were quite pleased. Very nice.