China Garden - Sunderland

I have been coming to this restaurant for Chinese takeout for a while now, ever since I read an article in the Sunderland Echo praising its cleanliness. My go-to order is always the chow mein with various meat fillings.

I visited this restaurant based on my father's recommendation, who claimed it was better than the last Chinese restaurant I visited in Sunderland. Despite the unimpressive exterior, the interior was pleasant and filled with regular customers who seemed to know each other. The menu was confusing to read, with dishes organized in a unique manner not typical of Chinese takeaways. I appreciated that this place did not automatically include egg fried rice with every dish, unlike my previous experience. However, the prices seemed higher than usual, even compared to London's expensive dining scene. While waiting for our food, a group of young adults ate their takeaway at the counter, which was a bit disruptive to other customers. They appeared to be friends with the cashier. The cashier apologized for the wait, although I did not find it excessively long. My beef with black bean sauce came with prawns, a nice touch, but the sauce was surprisingly spicy. The chicken fried rice was disappointing, as it was more like egg-fried rice with bland chicken strips on top. My brother also did not enjoy his lemon chicken dish. Overall, due to the rice mix-up and disappointing dishes, I would not choose to eat here again.