Local Chinese Restaurant Inspires Fond Memories

When I was a child, most of the Chinese restaurants in the Monterey Bay Area seemed to be Cantonese. Spicy Szechuan food was unknown to my family, and the milder Cantonese cuisine represented “Chinese food” for us. Comfortable, padded booths were popular in those days, and Chinese restaurants almost always had them. I still have great memories of the old China Café in Santa Cruz and its fantastic abalone chow yok. Few of those restaurants still exist—one exception is the .

The Golden Ricksha can truly be called an “institution” in Watsonville. The restaurant was established by Dick and Jean Lowe in 1959, on Alexander Street. Later they moved it to West Lake Avenue, and it is now on the corner of Freedom Boulevard near Miles Lane, in a Chinese-style building with beautiful stained-glass windows. To find it, look for the blue-and-red dragon on the sign.

Inside the restaurant, everything except the stained-glass windows reminds me of the older-style Chinese restaurants—from the comfortably padded red booths and the red Chinese lanterns, to the rickshaw silhouette and the kitchy “oriental” font used on the menu and placemats.

The Lowe’s son, Allan, was our server, and most of the customers seemed on familiar and friendly terms with him. My companion and I ordered pot stickers as a starter for our early supper. Initially, I ordered the Almond Pressed Duck but was told that it wasn’t available at that time. So we ordered the Asparagus Chicken (the special of the day), and Fish (filets) with Black Bean Sauce.

Our wait for the appetizer was quite long—about a half hour—which seemed to go along with the relaxed atmosphere of the place. Once our pot stickers were delivered, however, it seemed worth the wait. These pot stickers were unusually substantial, plump and filled with a tasty mixture of pork, ginger and chopped vegetables. Vinegar and hot chili oil were provided on the side.

Our meat and vegetable entrees followed soon after the appetizer. True to Cantonese style, the focus was on freshly cooked vegetables and meat. My chicken and asparagus entree was dominated by the asparagus, which was still a little crisp (as it should be), retaining its green color. Asparagus is in season, judging by the substantial size of the stalks and fresh taste. Both dishes contained a light and slightly salty black bean sauce, which was a little unexpected for my entrée, as the black bean sauce was not mentioned on the sign of the special.

Although the asparagus dish was very good, I preferred the fish entrée, which included onions, celery and bell peppers. The white fish was lightly breaded, and the black bean sauce in this dish contained a hint of garlicky sweetness. Both dishes were well-balanced and light—not greasy.

Characteristic of Cantonese cuisine, most of the dishes on the menu are mildly, yet distinctively flavored. However, there are a few spicy dishes, including Szechwan Dow Foo, Szechwan Prawns, and Salt and Chili Pepper Prawns.

The Golden Ricksha offers a lengthy list of vegetarian dishes, like Chinese Mushroom Chow Mein, Mushi Vegetables and Fried Dow Foo (tofu, or bean cake) with Eggplant. You’ll find a large variety of seafood dishes, too as well as beef, pork, and poultry. I usually judge a Chinese restaurant by its soup; it offers a wide and interesting variety, including Chinese Winter Melon soup, Seaweed, Sizzling Rice and eight varieties of won ton soup. If you are looking for fresh, classic Cantonese fare, you need go no further than the Golden Ricksha.

1115 Freedom Blvd, Watsonville

Hours: Open every day except Tuesday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

831-724-4045.