New Chinese Restaurant is One of the Best
The China Temple opened around March 2009 on El Paseo. It is the newest establishment run by the well-known Ronald Lim and wife Susanna. On this afternoon I found the restaurant doing a nice business (about triple what the China Dynasty located behind it was doing.) The place is bright, clean, comfortable and well managed. There are numerous comfortable booths and tables; a nice atmosphere for lunch or dinner. I was immediately seated by Ronald Lim himself and a nice young waiter quickly took my order. The waiter quickly filled my water glass a second time and came by several times during the lunch. Diners have the option of the buffet or off-the-menu dining; I opted for the latter. I ordered the spring rolls and the Hunan chicken. The sign out front states that all the food is prepared fresh "from scratch" daily. It certainly appeared that way. The spring rolls were fried just right and were fairly large. They were not the tastiest I have had, but not bad. Ditto the sweet and sour sauce. Rate them a "B." The Hunan chicken had delicious fresh pieces of quality chicken mixed with a large quantity of fresh and crisp veggies...red and green peppers, onions, large mushrooms, carrots in a tasty brown sauce. I thought the sauce should have been thickened a little more (it was a little too watery)and needed more cornstarch, but it was quite good. Just the right amount of heat and a nice flavor. The dish was accompanied by a medium-sized bowl of fried rice containing a little carrot and green peas. All-in-all, the main course was very good...rate it a B+ or an A-. This restaurant has clearly established itself right out of the chute as one of the top, if not the best, Chinese restaurants in Las Cruces. The food is of a higher quality than most others and the atmosphere is very pleasant. Give it a try.    [31 Mar 2009 22:33:03]

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Recommended Dishes: Hunan Chicken was very good.

     ­Roberto, City of the Crosses