REVIEW – China Joy in Carefree, AZ: Kung Pao Chicken Lunch Special

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May 9, 2014 | Post a Comment
Kung Pao Chicken Lunch Special

I ordered a Kung Pao Chicken Special to-go from the China Joy restaurant in Carefree, AZ during their lunch hours (11:30 am - 2:30 pm). When I ordered over the phone, the woman that answered stated the food would be ready in 10-15 minutes. I got to China Joy about 20 minutes after ordering and the woman at the counter said she thought I had forgotten to pick up the food, which was kind of annoying.

Anyway, when I ate the Kung Pao chicken, it was just a wave of salty flavor masking a little bit of spiciness. The best tasting parts of the Kung Pao chicken dish were the carrots because the sweetness from the carrots offset the saltiness of the sauce.

The fried rice was just brown rice with a tiny amount of fried egg, and its dominant flavor was also saltiness. The egg roll was a vegetable egg roll and was the saltiest of the three items. The wrapper on the egg roll was also a little doughy.

The lunch was nothing special, and everything just tasted salty.

Overall Rating:
OK
Food: Kung Pao Chicken Lunch Special
Source: China Joy, Carefree, AZ
Rating (Kung Pao Chicken): OK
Rating (Fried Rice): OK
Rating (Egg Roll): OK
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REVIEW – Belgian Boys: All Natural Crepes from Costco

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April 2, 2014 | 4 Comments
Box of Belgian Boys Crepes from Costco
Belgian Boys Crepes from Costco

Last time I went to Costco I saw that Costco had these new Belgian Boys crepes so I bought some to try. Both the box and the crepes look very similar to the La Creperie crepes Costco has had in the past. The crepes come in a box of 16 crepes, which is divided into two packages of 8 crepes.

When I first tried one of the Belgian Boys crepes, I wasn't sure how long to microwave it. The instructions state to take "product" out of its packaging and microwave it on a plate for 1 minute. I didn't know if that meant 8 crepes or 1 or 2 crepes. So I microwaved my one crepe for 15 seconds, and it was dry and very underdone. Then I microwaved it for 30 more seconds, and the texture was much better. So, 40-45 seconds seemed to work for one crepe in my microwave. The next time I had the crepes they were frozen so I had to microwave one crepe for about 65 seconds.

Just like the La Creperie crepes, the Belgian Boy crepes have a nice, slightly sweet crepe taste. The one thing I didn't like was that the crepes have a somewhat chewy texture. Adding something on top of the crepe might counteract the chewiness, but I prefer my crepes plain.

Overall, the Belgian Boys crepes were fine for me, except for their chewy texture. I am also happy that I can find crepes at Costco again to satisfy my crepe cravings :) .

Update (2015): Unfortunately, my local Costco in AZ seems to have stopped carrying crepes yet again... :(

Overall Rating:
Good
Food: Belgian Boys All Natural Crepes (microwaved)
Source: Costco, Tucson, AZ
Rating: Good
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REVIEW – El Monterey: Shredded Steak & Cheese Burrito

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March 5, 2014 | Post a Comment
El Monterey Shredded Steak & Cheese Burrito Packaging
El Monterey Shredded Steak & Cheese Burrito

The burritos in the box each come wrapped individually, and they are pretty quick to cook in the microwave (1 minute and 30 seconds on high). These burritos are smaller than the average restaurant burritos, but they were about the same size as many other microwavable burritos.

I don't like beans, so I liked that this burrito had no beans in it. The burrito tortilla was a little doughy, and the inside of the burrito has a texture a bit like paste (which doesn't sound great), but it's actually a decent microwavable burrito. The inside of the burrito tasted like a mixture of shredded beef, cheese, green chili, and some other seasonings. It was a teeny tiny bit spicy, and it tasted pretty good overall.

Overall Rating:
Good
Food: El Monterey All Natural Shredded Steak and Cheese Burrito
Source: Albertson's, Scottsdale, AZ
Price: $8.27 sale price for 12 burritos ($11.99 reg price)
Rating: Good
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