China Palace: Delicious, surprising and appreciated

Teaching oneself how not to take things for granted is a hard path to choose. The love of people, the reliability of businesses, and even the weather for the day; it is far too easy to take these things for granted. Sometimes, I just need to stop, recenter, try to see things in my life with new eyes and appreciate them. That is the trick, the appreciating. And to let those we appreciate know it.

So this is my letter of appreciation to a place I have taken for granted. I have probably driven past China Palace at 2123 Broadway in Cape a hundred times, maybe a thousand times. I've never stopped to try it. I've always been on the go, in a hurry. I would be vaguely curious about how it might cook differently, but not enough to stop. I figured the restaurant would always be there, and someday I would have the time for a stop. In other words, I took China Palace for granted.

So when I was looking for a place to write about online, I stumbled upon China Palace's website to check out the menu. I was startled to be greeted by the phrase "Welcome to Cape Giraudoux's First Chinese Restaurant." I had no idea that China Palace is the place that gave Southeast Missourians their first taste of food from the Orient. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to make time to stop in. So I did.

Upon entering, I was instantly charmed. Red lanterns hung from the walls, and the window shades were all printed with copies of traditional Chinese paintings. The place was bright and colorful, and smelled wonderful. We were off to a good start.

I placed my order at the register and paid before sitting down. The woman who took my order was a breath of fresh air, cheerful and smiling, and so patient with me as I looked over the entire menu. I ate there, but I also ordered a to-go meal to take home.

China Palace's Happy Family, a little bit of everything and as much flavor as there is color.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

There, I tried the sweet and sour pork, because I was having a weak moment, and because I wanted to try the sweet and sour sauce. I also got an egg roll and some crab rangoons, because why not? The sweet and sour pork had none of that greasy texture that you get with deep fried breading sometimes. It was crispy and crunchy outside, and the pork inside was tender and tasty. The white rice was cooked perfectly, of course, and the sweet and sour sauce was pale, not overly sweet and blessedly not runny. I'm not fond of a thin sweet and sour sauce. The rangoons were delicious, but nothing surprising there, and I took a casual bite of the egg roll expecting more of the same.

But as I chewed, I knew that I got an odd look on my face. It was a good thing that I had come at a slow time of day, between lunch and dinner, and there were very few people in the restaurant with me. The wrapper on the egg roll was perfect, golden brown, crispy on the outside with that chewy layer inside. But oh, the inside, that was different! Now, don't get me wrong. All of the normal ingredients were there, all the normal proteins (I think it was pork), and all of the normal vegetables. The way everything was spiced was different, though. There was just more flavor, and a different spice, than an average egg roll. It was richer, more complex and had a slight yellow tint. I was too afraid to ask what the secret ingredient was, but it was amazing.

At home for supper, we cracked open the Chicken Mushrooms and the Happy Family meals. The Chicken Mushrooms was not very bright, containing just chicken, fresh mushrooms, and some young pea pods, but it was my favorite. The sauce on this dish was meaty, savory and tasted amazing soaked into the rice. If you like mushrooms, this one's for you. Happy Family contained chicken, beef, and shrimp, and was lighter than the mushroom dish. It was also bright and beautiful to look at with all of the vegetables. We feasted like kings and are happily looking forward to our leftovers, because the portions are huge.

In 2021, the next generation took over China Palace, and it will continue to serve fresh, authentic Chinese food for years to come. I promise not to take that for granted anymore.