(Editor’s note: It’s good that I’m not a restaurant critic. While writing about our local restaurants lately, and describing their menu items, I find that I’m constantly hungry, even if I’ve just eaten.)
One evening on Christmas Day, my family tried to walk past Cathay Palisades on Antioch but the sidewalk was packed and people were waiting for a table inside. The occasion? Great Chinese food and one of the only restaurants open in town.
Now Cathay Palisades, which has been at this location since 1989, is open for takeout (and alcohol to-go) during the “Safer at Home” mandate.
Start with an appetizer such as the pan-fried dumplings (6 for $10.50) or the mu shu pork ($10.50) or maybe the cream-cheese wontons (6 for $8), which one of my kids seemed to inhale before anyone else could touch the plate.
Then it’s on to the salads and soups. Former Pacific Palisades Honorary Mayor Jake Steinfeld heartily recommended the Chinese Chicken Salad ($12), when we met him dining there. There are several yummy soups, including the hot and sour, the sizzling rice and the wonton.
The house specials include the orange chicken ($18.50), the beef with two kinds of mushrooms ($21) and the sweet and pungent shrimp ($20).
Ku Pao Chicken ($15.50) and Black Bean Sauce with Chicken can be made with shrimp ($19.50) and if you have a split family (some are vegetarians), Cathay offers 16 selections to choose from, such as mushrooms and snow peas with tofu ($14.25).
The food is cooked in a modern Mandarin fashion, but most of the items can be prepared spicy, so please make your request. Some of their dishes can also be prepared without adding sugar or sauce during the cooking process.
(Visit: Cathaypalisades.com or call 310-459-9628.)
