Restaurant Round-Up: Golden Gate 2, Bangkok 56 & Chili’s

I love Asian food, and the lack of a viable Asian lunch option in downtown Harrisburg is a source of constant annoyance. The Chinese place in Strawberry Square gets the job done, but I'm through with giving New 2nd Wok chances. This week in the Restaurant Round-Up, we cover two different types of Asian cuisine. Jason reports back after a trip to the new West Shore location of Vietnamese/Korean restaurant The Golden Gate and Evan gives us another opinion on one of my favorites, Korean joint Bangkok 56. Also, Jim writes about a trip to Chili's which isn't even vaguely Asian, but does serve southwestern Egg Rolls. As always, feedback, comments, you know the drill.

The Golden Gate 2
Name: Jason K.
When: Thursday, October 16
Been Before: No
Ordered: I ordered the Combo Pho, Egg Roll and Fresh Spring Roll. I also had an iced coffee.
The Food: The food was on par with other area restaurants that serve the same kind of food. The iced coffee was particularly good in my opinion. The spring rolls were well prepared, but I prefer a more complex taste. Perhaps they are playing it safe and trying to appeal to a market that does not have many Vietnamese restaurants.
The Ambiance: Out of all the Vietnamese/Korean restaurants in the area, this has the cleanest atmosphere. It is new, and in a strip mall. It doesn’t have a ton of ambiance, but it’s better than most Vietnamese or Chinese restaurants.
Company: My wife.
Did Others Like Their Meals: My wife was particularly satisfied with her pho, as well as the spring rolls. The egg rolls where very much the Chinese variety and not the typical, smaller and tastier Vietnamese type we were expecting.
Cost: Since we got drinks, appetizers and pho, the price was about $15 per person. The pho itself is very reasonable.
The Service: The service was excellent. The staff was attentive, and even would open the door for guests getting take out. They did have a habit of wanting to clear our plates a little too soon.
Notes: If you live in the Mechanicsburg area, this may be your only nearby source for good Vietnamese Pho. We still like “The Garden” in Harrisburg, but this place is convenient and clean.
Recommendation: Yes, if you want nearby Vietnamese.

Bangkok 56
Name: Evan K.
When: Lunch, last Wednesday
Been Before: Yes
Ordered: Wanton Soup, Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) with Chicken (Pork, Beef, Seafood and Veggie were also available)
The Food: 5 out of 5
The Ambiance: I would have to say the interior most closely resembles an outpatient clinic only with substantially less fear of contracting odd illnesses. There is a large television and fish tanks much like you might find in a typical doctor’s office. And like a clinic, what’s on television is usually only interesting to those who work there (Thai television, in this case) who are often standing watching it. Finally, people come in and out from behind closed doors to give and/or take things from you just like a doctors office. The main difference is that unlike a typical clinic, the staff at Bangkok 56 is very punctual, courteous (I think) and they bring you fantastic food.
Company: Fran, my semi-frequent lunch date who got Green Curry and Lemongrass Soup. I am not a fan of lemongrass soup because I think it smells like vomit. However, on this occasion the waft of “intestinal-acidity” was very subdued and I couldn’t smell it.
Did Others Like Their Meals: Very much.
Cost: $10-12 per person including the appetizer.
The Service: 4 out of 5. They are very prompt and courteous and above par for the type of restaurant it is. The only knock (which is hardly on the service) was the cashier who was on a tech support call with the credit card machine vendor. That was truly an interesting conversation.
Recommendation: Definitely

Chili’s
Name: Jim
When: Friday at 6:00pm
Been Before: Yes
Ordered: A Cajun chicken sandwich with fries and a water.
The Food: Very good. The fries are always excellent and the sandwich was great. Unlike chicken sandwiches I have had elsewhere, this was not dry and the Cajun spices made it a great sandwich.
The Ambiance: Casual.
Company: Three of my friends.
Did Others Like Their Meals: Everyone seemed to.
Cost: $7-12 for meal and water or sodas.
The Service: Average service, no complaints.
Notes: We got there right at 6:00 and only waited for about 2 minutes. (ed. note: on a Friday Night? Wow!)
Recommendation: Yes