The Snob spotted Hong Kong Island during a recent restaurant-scouting sweep. We were intrigued by its location, attached to a Cumberland Farms gas station and convenience store, and we had to find out more.So, we enlisted a dining companion and headed out to Hong Kong Island, a Manchester Street establishment, ready to take on anything.
When we arrived, we were pleased to see that Hong Kong Island was its own sovereign entity and not embedded within the Cumberland Farms store, as we had previously surmised. A step in the right direction.
The restaurant appeared to have been designed with takeout in mind; there were a paltry two tables inside for us to choose from. The decor was sparse, not much more than a counter, a table full of to-go containers and a television showing the finest in midday TNT programming.
We each selected a dish from that bastion of frugal Chinese dining, the luncheon combo special. There were a variety of options for entree, rice and side, giving us almost limitless choices. The Snob selected the egg foo young with pork fried rice and boneless spare ribs ($4.95). The Snob's companion went with sesame chicken, fried rice and an egg roll. We settled in and watched a solid seven minutes of Smallville until our food arrived.
Right off the bat, it was clear that Hong Kong Island was very generous regarding portion-to-price ratio. Each of our lunch specials nearly overflowed the styrofoam containers they were served in.
My companion's meal, the sesame chicken combo ($6.25), was exactly what we had hoped for – no more, no less. All the elements were there: the sweet, gooey sauce (what is it about that sauce that allows it to stay molten on the bottom layer even while the top cools to an edible temperature?), the crispy breading and the sesame garnish. Nothing jumped out as outstanding, but there was nothing unsatisfactory either.
The fried rice was equally standard. Unfortunately, the egg roll had a scary, coleslaw tang to it that left a sour aftertaste. The Snob isn't a big egg roll aficianonado as it is, but this particular one did little to sway that stance.
The egg foo young ($4.95) was more of the same; not exceptional but not offensive either. The egg patties were adequately fluffy, and contained a healthy portion of pork niblets and stir-fried vegetables, all coated in a savory gravy. A few of the boneless spare ribs bordered on stringy, but otherwise were another right-down-the-middle offering.
Those with a sophisticated Eastern pallette may not be impressed by Hong Kong Island, but diners looking for bang-for-your-buck, nuke-the-leftovers Chinese food should be satisfied. The Snob was able to squeeze dinner and the next day's lunch out of the luncheon special. In today's economy, that's got to count for something.
