With much more charm than many of the established restaurants that make up Boca Raton’s gourmet mile, proprietor Calvin Chi’s Pine Garden Chinese restaurant offers the best of all possible worlds: scrumptious cuisine, modest prices and an ambience that is as relaxing as it is pleasing, Add to this a staff that is always attentive and you have a combination that is hard to equal.
The exterior has been given a contemporary makeover with floor to ceiling glass panels. Step inside and the décor takes on a regal cast. Glossy wood paneled walls, colorful artifacts, a golden Buddha and a free standing fish tank add luster to the polished interior. Year round customers and the flocks of winter “ birds” can enjoy an ambience that is delightfully inviting and a staff that is there to make sure that customers get the most from the regular as well as the vegetarian menu.
Unquestionably the most imaginative menu in town, Pine Gardens’ spectacular vegetarian menu offers starters and mains bearing the same name as their meat and seafood counterparts. The seasoning, sauces and veggies used in each vegetarian offering echo perfectly the selections on the regular menu except for the main (beef/poultry/fish) ingredient. Vegetarian Duck ($12.95) comes in a variety of styles - the Crispy Orange Duck version is utterly sublime.
The regular menu provides an awesome trip though favorite bites. Crispy Spring Rolls ($1.75/each) entice the taste buds with a savory blend of crunchy veggies. Roast Pork Slices ($7.95) resonate with haunting overtones of ginger and garlic. Steamed Vegetable Dumplings ($6.95) are satiny packets filled with an opulent seasoned filling.
No one does Pineapple Fried Rice ($6.95-$16.95) like Pine Gardens- it has been a family favorite for over a decade and is an indispensable accompaniment whether we order Cantonese, Szechwan or Mandarin delicacies. Our first nibble of the breathtaking Double Yellow ($12.95) brought an adroit blend of pan fried noodles, tender cuts of beef, crisp vegetables and a rousing teriyaki brown sauce. Another signature dish, General Tso’s Chicken ($11.95),is a faultless masterpiece of crunchy battered cuts of filet doused with a sprightly brown sauce and paired with sprigs of steamed broccoli.
Multi course lunch specials are available at give-away prices, Dinner also offers multi course meals. Red and white wines are available by the glass (Pinot Grigio $5.25). Tsingtao is the featured imported beer, but there is also a selection of domestics.
Pine Garden has a website (www.pinegardenbocaraton.com) that provides on line ordering for either pick up or delivery. Stay informed about specials and events at no charge by joining the VIP Club. With so much to offer, you can understand why this restaurant has been named “Best of Boca” for 2014.
1668 North Federal Highway • (Tel) 561-395-7534 • Lunch and Dinner