New Garden

A diamond in the rough, New Garden hides Asian culinary treasures behind its plain exterior. Located in the heart of the University Neighborhood, it offers affordable Chinese grub to hungry students. Its intimate, yet basic setting may be the opposite of the elaborate buildings of the ancient Chinese imperial dynasties. However, the dishes will indulge your taste buds with flavors that General Tso, statesman of the last imperial Qing Dynasty (for whom house specialty "General Tso's Chicken" is named), must have enjoyed.

When to Go: Open daily at 11 a.m., except for Sundays, when it opens at noon. Customers can dine in until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Deliveries stop at 10:40 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The bottom line: Eat lunch in, take out dinner. 

On Tea Tap: New Garden offers no alcohol, but has light beverages aplenty, including Arizona iced teas ($1). The bottom line: When in a Chinese restaurant, do like the Chinese; drink green tea.

Blue Plate Special: Between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., customers can order the lunch special for a fixed price of $5.55. Served with a choice of soup or egg roll, and steamed or fried rice, main dishes are based on pork, chicken, beef, shrimp or vegetables. You can add lo mein (wheat flour noodles) for $1. The specials menu features eight dishes, including fried chicken nuggets for $3.45 and fried shrimp for $5.55, with fries or Chinese doughnut biscuits on the side.  Also, if you’re planning a party, New Garden’s got you covered with chicken and seafood trays for about $22, serving five to six people. The bottom line: Once you've tasted these delicious dishes, not for all the tea in China will you want to order your rice somewhere else.

The Scene: This small Asian locale is infused with the appetizing aroma of Chinese food. At night, the New Garden is crowded with throngs of hungry students chattering away; it has the air of New York City's Chinatown eateries, flooded by tourists. The bottom line: What you smell is what you get; let the taste buds decide.

The Crew: The busy bees behind the counter are friendly and helpful. The bottom line: Quick and efficient service. 

The Crowd: Between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., streams of people enter the New Garden, place their orders and leave with freshly cooked dishes. About the same time, delivery orders start rolling in. The bottom line: Westcott go-to place to satisfy Chinese food cravings.

The Deets: All credit cards are accepted with a minimum of $8; free delivery for orders of minimum $10. There should be no problem parking in the restaurant’s spacious side-street parking lot. With dishes large enough for two to three people, the chef’s specialties menu features the house’s hot sauce; imbued General Tso’s Chicken for $9.55. Most of New Garden's dishes are under $10, including  vegetarian dishes and items on the special diet menu, featuring steamed vegetables, chicken and shrimp. The bottom line: New Garden caters to all dietary needs and won't dig a hole into your pocket.

Profile by Ana Barbu