From China with Rice: Wilton's Best Chinese Food

Where you go for Chinese food in Wilton is dictated by what your mood and budget require. There are simple, hot and fast choices as well as fancier and more exotic offerings.

Happy Wok is a traditional, simply decorated Chinese take-out joint. Though there are a few tables where you could eat, the majority of customers (and there are many) dash in to pick up a quick and tasty dinner to eat at home. Happy Wok's menu features Chinese classics from general tso's chicken to boneless spare ribs, moo shu pork and wonton soup. The prices are reasonable and the service fast.

We started with the steamed vegetable dumplings, which were a bit heavy-handed with the dough and a little bland, though the soy-based dipping sauce was tasty; the scallion pancakes were crispy, delightful and generously sized to share. For main courses, the orange chicken was a major hit - spicy and crunchy on a bed of steamed broccoli with a thick and tangy sauce and tender meat. Though it was a pretty standard rendering of the dish, we were pleased. The vegetable lo mein was another standard delivery - offering a satisfyingly greasy spate of noodles browned a bit by pan frying and sprinkled with carrots, scallions and more.

On the other side of the scale is Hunan Café (which also houses Pacifica Japanese food, which is nice if a few in your party want Chinese while others prefer sushi); an upscale "exotic Asian gourmet" restaurant whose sparse, light wooden décor is set off by a lovely, Spartan "waterwall," or waterfall inside a glass wall.

Here we started with the tofu miso soup, which was salty, as cloudy as a miso should be and filled with lovely bits of silken tofu. For main courses, we tried the pad thai; a traditional fried noodle dish from Thailand and a favorite of my dining companion. What emerged from the kitchen was a reasonable interpretation of the dish though it seemed like they were trying to make a Thai dish with Chinese ingredients. It lacked the tang and bite typical of this dish that comes from flavorings such as lemongrass. This interpretation was a bit bland and the noodles were a little overcooked though we did enjoy the crushed peanuts on top of the dish which provided a certain richness. We also ordered my personal favorite, Broccoli with Garlic Sauce. We could not have been more impressed with this healthy-tasting re-imagining of the typically heavy dish. This one had a light but very tasty brown sauce and the pleasant addition of roasted red peppers, carrots and scallions. We left happy and full, but not bursting from this pleasant place to sit and enjoy your Chinese food in a restaurant setting.

So, what's on your agenda tonight? If you want to sit down to a meal, try Hunan Café; if you are rushing home to watch 30 Rock, stop in at Happy Wok.