Tasty China Takes Me Back

Chinese salad

Since I left Harbin, China in 1999, I have been desperately missing and pining over the amazing jiachang liangcai, which was a staple of the many meals my study abroad friends and I shared in this northern city. Consisting of a magical medley of cold vegetables, pork strips, tofu, cilantro and noodles spiced and sauced to perfection, this dish was by far the most memorable thing I consumed during my five months in China. The crunch of the vegetables, squishiness of the noodles, firm bite of the tofu and unmistakable zing of cilantro made for an addictive combination in every bite. That is why when I was casually glancing through a write-up of Marietta’s Tasty China one day, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the words “Chinese Salad.”

Described by the writer as a bit mysterious, I knew the concoction being served by this authentic Chinese restaurant had to at least be a distant cousin of my beloved dish. While not exact, the Chinese Salad at Tasty China was indeed close enough to jiachang liangcai to light me up like a Christmas tree when it arrived at our table. It was missing a few of the more gelatinous components featured in the original, and was a hell of a lot spicier than I recall, but all of the key flavors were there. After more than 10 years, jiachang liangcai has come home to mama! Thank you, Tasty China!

Steamed dumplings

The steamed dumplings we ordered were also eerily reminiscent of the baozi we would buy on the long walks to class in Harbin. While they were never my favorite thing to eat there (simply the most convenient since they were sold on the street), the Tasty China version was definitely decent and it was fun to taste these little guys again after so many years.

Other selections we tried at Tasty China included beef and cilantro in chili oil and kung pao scallops. The beef was paper thin and melted in my mouth while pelting my taste buds with the distinct and welcome taste of Chinese five spice powder. The scallops tasted like butter, a flavor that never disappoints (at least not when it comes to my palate).

Kung pao scallops

The servers at Tasty China are sweet, but a little scattered. The menu is colossal. And most importantly, everything on it is polka dotted with chili peppers and is fire engine hot! While the heat (somehow) did not scorch out the other flavors, my mouth was a raging inferno from the first to the last bite. You have been warned!

I will obviously be returning to Tasty China whenever I need my Harbin fix, but I am also looking forward to trying some of the other myriad delights offered by this inconspicuous suburban mecca of Chinese flavors.