I think I would have to agree with Kristin and Sunny and say that this place gets a lot more credit that it might otherwise deserve because it's a non-chain, non-fast food Chinese place in South Phoenix. I admire the owners for taking a risk and opening this place in this particular area and for bringing some ethnic food to the masses. \n\nThat being said, the food isn't spectacular. The first time my husband and I went there, it was at dinnertime and we thought the food was decent. The Crispy Honey Chicken ($7.95) was a bit too sweet and not as crispy as one would hope, but the Mongolian Beef ($9.50) was tender and pretty flavorful. We also had the Crab Puffs for $4.95, which were fine but no better than the ones at Panda Express. The prices were low, service good, and overall, it was an ok dining experience. However, when we returned for lunch today, we were a bit disappointed. Having enjoyed a beef dish during the last visit, I decided to try the Volcano Beef lunch special. My husband got the General Tso chicken. Their website says lunch specials are $4.95, but I believe they were $5.50 each. The chicken was ok, but again, it wasn't that crispy. Sesame Chicken, General Tso Chicken, and other similar dishes are only really good if the outside is very crispy and the sauce adds flavor not sogginess. The sauce that came with the beef was spicy and flavorful and the accompanying veggies (carrot, mushrooms, broccoli, and bok choy) were really fresh, but the beef itself was really bad quality. On the upside, the egg roll that came with both lunch specials was really good. The filling was savory, and it almost tasted like it was fried in butter! \n\nI am certainly glad that the owners of Sun Asian Kitchen brought Chinese food to South Phoenix, but I hope that many more Asian restaurateurs follow suit and open restaurants in this area, so that Kristin, Sunny, and I have more options to choose from! Until then, I'll be frequenting Sun Asian Kitchen for happy hour (in particular, for the $3 crab puffs) or to-go and driving elsewhere when I went real, good-quality Asian food.
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