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Golden Palace Restaurant
By Kelli J. Cook When it comes to eating out with your kids, I know mine are more the exception than the norm. They actually enjoy trying new foods and were anxious to make plans when I told them that this month we were reviewing Golden Palace, a Chinese restaurant quietly nestled in the strip mall between Kroger and Kmart on Tom Hill Sr., Blvd. You can’t help but feel a bit like royalty as you enter through the ornately detailed red doors marking its entrance. Alex was immediately intrigued by the large fish-filled aquarium near the entrance to the dining room; Ben’s gaze was directed to the couple discreetly snapping fresh green beans in the rear corner, next to the kitchen’s entrance. I was initially a bit apprehensive—we had arrived fairly early for dinner (5:30 p.m.) and were some of its first customers of the evening. I was afraid that our lively (i.e. sometimes rather loud) dinner conversation might not mesh with the gently playing oriental background music. But there was no need for Mom to worry! We were warmly greeted, seated, and had our water glasses filled within thirty seconds of our arrival. They have an extensive menu that provides nicely detailed descriptions of the items. There was a bit of a language barrier, but we followed our waiter’s suggestions and were very satisfied with our choices. We began our dinner with an appetizer plate ($8.95). It contains two of each of their appetizers (fried wonton, shrimp, egg rolls, spare ribs, pot stickers, crab rangoons, and chicken wings). This was a great sampler! I immediately thought that parents with less adventurous diners could order the chicken wing appetizer ($3.95) and be satisfied. While there is no official children’s menu (at least none was brought to the table), entrees are delivered in what I call "family style." Each person is provided an empty plate and the entrees are on platters placed in the center of the table. You are expected to share and sample each other’s choices. I ordered the chicken, beef, and shrimp teriyaki combination ($10.25), Ben had the beef with broccoli ($8.45), and Alex got the sesame chicken ($7.95). We had more food than we knew what to do with! (The leftovers were great for lunch the next day). Next time we may order just two entrees for the three of us. The food and service were wonderful—our beverages were kept filled and they were exceptionally friendly without being imposing. Alex did have to request chop-sticks (perhaps there aren’t too many users in Macon) and the waiter enjoyed watching him practice. While we were certainly "stuffed" after dinner, we felt we had to order dessert. The only choices on the menu are glazed apples and glazed bananas ($4.95). We wanted the apples but they only had the bananas so we tried them, but later wished we had declined. They took 15 minutes to prepare and none of us enjoyed them. When we were brought our check we discovered that they automatically bring you very small glazed bananas with it. These tasted much better than what we had ordered. Next time, the boys made me promise a trip to nearby Baskin Robbins! Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our authentic Chinese dining experience at Golden Palace and will be back soon—there’s nothing quite like receiving royal treatment! VITAL STATISTICS Cuisine: Authentic Chinese, dine in or take
out Address: 172 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd. |
