Bright spotlights shine down as the doors swing open. Grinning faces look up in recognition. Dishes emerge from the kitchen at Panda Buffet like celebrities, draped in boas of steam and mantles of honey-garlic or bourbon glaze beneath the lemongrass-hued walls and wood paneling. Waiters toting traditional concoctions such as General Tso’s chicken scoot past mirrors painted with bucolic Eastern scenes that let diners experience exotic locales without hiding in a shipment of pith helmets.
In the sprawling dining room, white tablecloths drape over square and circular tables. Atop these tables are platters of the Mandarin, Szechuan, and Cantonese cuisine that fills Christina Wan's menu. Favorites such as general tso's chicken and sesame beef share space with less-known dishes such as saigon steak kew (filet mignon with snow peas) and lemongrass-marinated rack of lamb.
Mirrors and ornate paintings surround diners at Lily Garden with a serene atmosphere as they sample a menu filled with Hunan, Cantonese, and Sichuan dishes. Each white-clothed table in the dining room supports a crescent vase of flowers, and red paper lanterns dangle above the booths along each wall. Delivery and catering services are also available.
Tender pieces of chicken, beef, shrimp, and pork simmer in a variety of aromatic sauces, including curry, savory black bean, and fiery sichuan. The Triple Crown In Bird's Nest specialty holds chicken, pork, shrimp, and vegetables in a crispy potato basket, and the seafood straw mushroom combines succulent lobster, scallions, and scarecrows used to frighten away hungry pelicans. Lily Garden also serves beer and wine and curates a gluten-free menu for patrons who swear off the wheat-based protein.
Lauded by the Sun Sentinel for its “expert sushi with eye candy presentations” and its “nice medley of cuisines,” Red Ginger Asian Bistro presents several star Asian cuisines. Chinese classics such as egg drop soup, moo goo gai pan, and moo shu pork mingle on a menu with Thai fare including red-curry shrimp and thai beef salad. The staff also prepares Japanese-inspired food, curating selections from the sushi bar such as unagi sashimi, shrimp-tempura rolls, and Sexy tuna rolls packed with white tuna, cucumber, asparagus, and the power to make people stare at them with mouths agape. Even drinks from the bar run the geographic gamut, from hot and cold sake to lychee martinis and Asian, European, and North American beers.
Confucio Express's stir-frying chefs toss a mélange of spicy sauces, flavorful meats, and crisp veggies into dishes that populate a menu that has garnered praise in publications such as the Miami New Times. Cool, crisp lettuce enrobes chicken in wraps that set tummy engines rumbling ($9). Plates brim with generously portioned chop sueys—sautéed veggies in oyster and soy sauce with your choice of meat or no meat ($11–$14.50)—and house specialties ($13.95) include general tao chicken, crisp breaded morsels mingling with broccoli florets in a spicy sauce. A host of meatless options includes vegetable tofu, which partners a garden medley with chunks of tofu ($13) for a dish that evokes the freshness of summer and the lightness of a conversation with a cloud. Although dine-in seating is available, customers can opt for delivery service (a $3 additional fee, not included in this Groupon) and attempt to introduce breakfast in bed to new meal times.