Grand Lux Cafe

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Aah! It's another mall restaurant!

What we had:


Appetizers.

Double Stuffed Potato Spring Rolls
Creamy Mashed Potatoes with a Touch of Green Onion, Rolled in Crispy Asian Wrappers Topped with Melted Cheddar, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Green Onion. Served with Sour Cream

This was my DH's favorite appetizer of the night. This grown-up potato skin was perfectly balanced in flavor and texture, and looked really good on the plate. Baked, not fried. The applewood bacon's taste didn't come across as applewood--a term I think is bandied about way too freely.

Duck Potstickers
Duck Breast, Shiitake Mushrooms and Crispy Vegetables in a Spicy Hoisin Sauce. Steamed then Sauteed until Crisp

This was our least favorite. The sauce was decent (though I thought it was Ponzu), and the dumplings were cooked well, but you couldn't tell the meat was duck. It tasted like pork.

Asian Nachos
Crispy Fried Wontons Covered with Chicken in a Sweet-Hot Peanut Sauce. Topped with Wasabi Cream and Melted Cheese

This was a neat appetizer. The sauce would be cloying in large doses, but it was just this side of fine here. The wasabi cream helped. I don't remember melted cheese on the nachos at all, but it could have been under the sauce. The rice in the middle of the dish was smoky mexican-style and a neat flavor balance. I think this was my favorite appetizer.

Décor:

They were going for something--my DH and I had a difference of opinion of exactly what. He thought Asian, I thought grande European hotel ballroom. Either way, it was interesting, though the jewel toned and billiard green velvet booths totally didn't go.

Service:

Our server was knowledgeable and helpful.

Overall impressions:

Not too shabby. So far this is the most exciting place we've eaten at the mall. The menu is really varied, verging on chaos. They have a dish from just about everywhere and something for just about everyone. A good family compromise if you don't mind a chain.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

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