It took me months between meals at Eat Xpress, but I won’t let that happen again.
The downtown Chinese restaurant follows the model in which you select entrees that accompany your base of rice (lo mein is not an option). You can order one ($7.99), two ($11.99) or three ($13.59) entrees, and you also get soup.
I like that Eat Xpress offers entrees like tomato and eggs, stir-fried cabbage, and fish filet in hot oil instead of the stereotypical General Tso’s chicken or Mongolian beef found elsewhere. Here’s what I tried:
- The fried chicken with chili pepper comes with both green peppers as well as red chili peppers that added some kick. The chicken was juicy and had the right amount of breading.
- The red-braised pork belly was very tender and sat in a tasty broth. It also came with a delicious braised egg.
- The braised beef in tomato had more red onion, carrots and green peppers than tomatoes. I liked the tomatoes but felt the other veggies didn’t anything to the dish. That’s because the braised beef was so good on its own.
- The garlic pork ribs are lightly breaded, which added another layer of taste and texture. It’s also a bit spicy from being tossed with red chili peppers.
- The soup was hearty, though it could have used some salt. It was a cross between miso and egg drop soup.
Outside of those combo plates, Eat Xpress offers other selections. For appetizers, under the “Pastry” section,” the Three Delight dumplings ($11.99 for 10) were okay. They were a little heavy on the chives and probably could have used more shrimp to complement the pork. I’m not sure what the three “delights” were, though.
Among the House Specials, the braised duck wings ($4.99) caught my eye. This dish comes with two wings and two legs, which I thought was a steal. They are served cold but are still outstanding. For reference, it’s the same flavor as the braised pork belly and the braised egg.
Other items include braised squid ($6.99) and braised beef shanks ($6.99).
Eat Xpress is open for lunch and dinner every day.
