"One of the classics has seen a prolonged slump, but word on the street (and the sign out front) is that they 've changed management. Some say they 're back to their old excellence; I had to see for myself (and for anyone who cares what I think). Scallion Pancake: Excellent. Near-elite to elite. Light but thick, with nice moist chewiness in addition to the crispy. Thicker-than-usual and darker-than-usual ginger sauce. BBQ Ribs: Well above average but neither fresh nor elite. Good glaze. Nice char. Meat moist in some spots, disappointingly dry in other spots. Most of the flavor came from the classic bright red glaze. Note: their signature Chinatown Ribs, which put them on the map decades ago, are no longer on the menu. Pork Fried Rice (on a combo plate): Above average. Not too light but not nearly dark enough to claim old school Chinese excellence. The pork nuggets were fresh, sizable, and moist. Solid though. Sweet and Sour Chicken (on a combo): Average. Not a good meat-to-batter ratio. Paler color than most. Red sauce mostly sweet. Five fingers, two pineapple chunks, zero cherries. Egg Roll: Average to slightly below. Slightly smaller than most. Dry inside and out. Grassy celery (and I like celery as well as cabbage, so not a stylistic issue). Keep it away from the pupu flame to prevent forest fires. Shrimp w/Lobster Sauce: Above average. Good consistency, but bland other than some very light black bean flavor. Slightly chalky. Not salty (don 't want a lot but want a little), not greasy (ditto), not sweet (don 't want any). Shrimp were average: very tender, no snap. Vegetable Lo Mein: Above average. Vegetables bright, fresh and perfectly cooked. Light but adequate sauce. Good clean flavor. Good mouthfeel. Yu Hsiang Beef: Looked great, great tenderness, much better than most Chinese restaurant beef, but had a very foul odor and flavor seemingly from a beef handling issue and not a Chinese ingredient issue, so we sent it back (both we and they were polite about it). This had great promise, so I 'd try it again (and if same odor I 'll chalk it up to an ingredient that 's supposed to be that way). Service: Excellent. Atmosphere: Minimalistic. They 've specialized in old school Chinese for years, but don 't have the old-time tiki decor similar to Tahiti in Dedham or Cathay Pacific in Quincy. Approach: While they still serve the old school appetizers and classics like egg foo yong and shrimp in lobster sauce, my gut tells me the best things here are the healthier entrees, such as the Yu Hsiang Beef and anything with green vegetables. I 'll probably check out more of those next time. Regarding the recent nosedive in quality but claims of a more recent resurgence, I say this: One man 's just because the pendulum hasn 't swung all the way back doesn 't mean it 's not swinging back is another man 's just because the pendulum is swinging back doesn 't mean it 's swung all the way back. Halfway back is a glass half full. Celebrate. Or not. It 's up to you. Me? I 'm probably going back for more evidence. They were too good and have too much promise to shrug the comeback off, even if it hasn 't fully proven itself yet."
