Golden Chopsticks - Guilty Pleasure

*** To see how Golden Chopsticks did in the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wing Challenge - go here.

I've got a special place in my heart for well made American Chinese food; after all I was literally raised on the stuff back home in Hawaii. If you've been to a Filipino Pot Luck in San Diego recently, along with the lumpia and pansit, you've probably had these:

Those are salted pepper chicken wings ($5.75) from Golden Chopsticks. These are like crack, once you start eating them there's no stopping! Crunchy, salty, garlicky, with a slight sweet taste, these are addicting. Luckily for us, Golden Chopsticks is located in National City a pretty good distance away, in the same mall as Ohana Family BBQ and Seafood City. I guess if I had to categorize GC, it would be Filipino-American-Chinese Food.

As with most food in the Filipino community, there's been great debates and conversations over who makes the best salt-and-pepper wings, there are some who say that Mandarin Canton in Chula Vista makes the best, but the over-riding opinion is that GC makes the best. The first thing you'll notice when you enter, is that most of the customers are Filipino. Also, no one's using chopsticks, spoons and forks are the norm here, they don't bother with chopsticks unless you ask, or if you look like us..... The other thing you'll notice if you go on a weekend, are the endless stack of trays ($25.00/tray - 60 pieces) and styrofoam containers of wings lined up for pick-up. This weekend we decided to partake of other items on the menu, in addition to (of course) dem' wings.

We started with the Shrimp "Chow Mein"($6.25):

I'm not a great fan of the style of noodles used, but this dish is nicely flavored, and large shrimp are used. I actually liked these.

The next dish was the Sizzling Shrimp/Beef/Chicken, one of the most expensive dishes on the menu ($9.25), but the very friendly Waitress (she's Chinese, if you need to know) recommended it:

Flavored with garlic and black bean, and placed on a metal plate and sizzled, this dish was pretty good.

The last dish was the Tofu with Brown Sauce ($5.50):

This was the blandest dish, in need of more aggressive seasoning. This dish actually tasted much better the next day(mmm-leftovers!!!), but I think I'll pass the next time.

With a large bowl of rice and a pot of tea - $33.00, not bad! And we've got lunch and tonight's dinner with the leftovers. We did finish all the wings though, and probably could have gone through another order....Yes, I'm still the same person who loves Ba Ren and China Max, but I really think that Golden Chopsticks also has a place in there somewhere.

Some Notes on Golden Chopsticks; I'm pretty sure they use MSG, so if you're hyper-sensitive to it, you may want to take a pass. The service is very friendly, and very quick. Don't forget those wings....

Golden Chopsticks
1430 Plaza Blvd #E/22A-23A
National City, CA 91950
619-336-1888

I can't believe I ate it all......

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Comments

[milgwimper]

hmmm that might work. Of course you have to experiment to see how much of what to add so the filo dont get soggy.

[Kirk]

Just a pinch between your cheek and gums.....

[clare eats]

LOL
I think it will come not this weekend but next!!!!!!

[Kirk]

Hi Clare - I look forward to it with great anticipation :)

[milgwimper]

Clare,
I can't wait to see what you are going to bake with your new stove. I am so envious that you have a gas range. I would love to have one. Well yesterday my front burner on my range went out and the maintenance guys are supposed to come and fix it. Apparently they have a 72 hr window in which to fix it, so I am stuck for now using the three small burners. *sigh* I am secretly hoping for a new stove. I am hoping for a gas range but I don't think that will happen. I don't even think they will give me a new electric range. Oh well...I WILL SURVIVE! *starts to sing horribly and shakes her Bumity bum bum*

[clare eats]

soooo excited!

[KIrk]

Wait we went from I will survive to "I'm so excited"....hmmm, disco at it's best????

[clare eats]

hahahahaah

there is a conudrum, when you have to deal with something you do, when you know it is about to change you can no longer stand it! or i do that at least!
we are getting a new range too!

[milgwimper]

LOL I am totally with you Clare. Now that the burner isn't working on the stove I am hoping for a new one! I am thinking I am wishing for too much, but i am going to try. I think they are going to try to fix it first. (wishing it is unfixable...NEW STOVE NEW STOVE *scrunches her face and prays her hardest).

[clare eats]

or like us it just wasn't cost efficient ;) a VERY good argument he he ehe he

[Jo]

Mills, want me to bring my bow and arrows and make sure it's unfixable?!?! ::grins wickedly::

[milgwimper]

Clare,

With my luck they will just take the old stove from an empty apartment and give that to me. *sigh* I want to new stove!!!! *cry* *pout* *stomps feet* Hmmppff!

[Kirk]

Hey Mills - just pop a few coconuts in the oven put 425 and leave until ka-boom....or try that new mantra you have - oooommmm new stooooove, oooommmm new stooooove!

[Rival]

Hey, nice blog/article. I'd have to side with Mandarin, just down the street from GC, but they both good. I no longer live in SD but,and I actually miss the wings more than the carne asada fries. Do ya know of anyone who knows the recipe to the wings? an old chinese lady taught me a recipe, it's not dead on, but it's pretty good in it's own right.

[Kirk]

Hi Rival - I prefer Royal Mandarin as well. People have been asking for a recipe for years....I'm hoping someone can provide me with one!

[japanese lady]

their wings are amazing. I love them so much I have to drive all the way from l.a. to get a big party tray to bring home. can stop eating them till every single one of it is gone!

[Kirk]

Hi JL - These are addictive aren't they? You can't eat just one.....