Brighton Restaurant Guide

The undistinguished fare at this Chinese dining room just down the block from the Circle Cinemas adds little to the busy Cleveland Circle restaurant scene. The linoleum tablecloths and arid atmosphere do little to enliven the eating experience. Their scallion pancakes aren't homemade; they're greasy and lackluster. Szechuan spicy won tons are overcooked and starchy in a sesame sauce that desperately needs salt. The house special chicken isn't bad—battered and fried chicken fingers in a sweet brown sauce, studded with sesame seeds. Hunan crispy shrimp are also deep-fried and served in gloppy gravy, with fresh mushrooms, water chestnuts, red bell pepper and green pods. The dish looks better than it tastes, and the promised "spicy" sauce is curiously bland.