Fresh is the key ingredient

By Amy Graves, Globe Staff, February 07, 2002

It can be hard to find good Chinese food outside of Chinatown. The inescapable sameness to the menus, the grease (at some places), the lack of atmosphere. But I'm reluctant to try really authentic places, the ones that serve a whole fish with the eye staring at you.

So when I run across a place that manages to avoid being too predictable or too exotic, one that serves fresh-tasting, carefully prepared Chinese, it's cause for celebration, and return visits. Maybe that's why Green Peapod seems to have so many regular patrons.

With drab white walls, window blinds blocking the view, and a no-smoking sign dominating the decor, this Thai and Chinese place in Watertown is about as nondescript as restaurants get.

No beer or wine is served. An easy listening station played somewhat loudly on the sound system overhead throughout all my visits. But a busy takeout trade was going on at the register - a hint that the only goal here is good food.

I'm almost embarrassed to order General Gao's chicken, and wonder if I might as well wear a sign that says ``I know nothing about real Chinese food.'' But the humiliation was worth it. The sauce was excellent; you could actually taste the ginger. The chicken morsels had the right crispness of the skin and tenderness within.

Ken and Yim Leung, who are from Hong Kong, opened Green Peapod two years ago after leaving jobs at a Chinese restaurant in New Hampshire. They called on a Thai chef they knew for help devising that side of the menu, but the best dishes here are Chinese.

Green Peapod uses fresh ground ginger for General Gao's chicken ($8.50), and it's a hot-selling item, Yim Leung says.

My friend praised the broth of his hot and sour soup ($1.59), a generous bowl. All the entrees are large enough for two people to share, if you can agree on what to order - the menu lists a staggering 225 items, not counting all the variations of curries and noodles.

The rest of us tucked into a big plate of boneless spareribs ($5.95), which were tangy and soft but not fatty or sticky. They didn't need any seasoning, but tasted even better dipped into duck sauce.

The dough was a little thick on our pan-fried Peking ravioli ($4.95), but the filling was spicy, and like the rest of our meal, the ravioli weren't the least bit oily. After six of those plus the spareribs, the entrees we were sharing arrived, and it was a struggle to feel hungry again. We managed.

Yu hsiang eggplant ($6.95) came with meaty chunks of eggplant and soft peppers and onions. Our chopsticks kept reaching for this spicy, savory combination.

We also tried hot basil noodles with chicken ($6.95), thin egg noodles stir-fried with vegetables and hot chili sauce and basil leaves. Everyone liked this dish but me; I expected more heat than it delivered.

On an earlier visit, my friend's sizzling three-delight noodle ($10.95) indeed arrived sizzling, with strips of beef, chicken, crispy green beans, broccoli, soft mushrooms, and thick, ropy noodles that stood up to the other ingredients.

On the Thai side, masaman curry with chicken ($7.95) seemed virtuous, the sauce without too much coconut milk, as some curries unfortunately tend, but a little thin. I liked the fresh-tasting green peppers, carrots, onion, and sweet potato it came with.

Crispy shrimp ($10.95) was served peeled and rolled in so much sesame that it was like a new shell on each piece. Leung says this dish is done from scratch with every order and takes a little extra time, but it's worth the wait. Florets of steamed broccoli surrounding the shrimp were plain; when I rolled one in some mustard sauce, my mouth almost caught fire.

The fire was quelled by a plate of fresh pineapple chunks, which arrived with our check (otherwise, there is no dessert). I can't think of a more virtuous, satisfying way to end a meal.