Dragon Pearl
Jeffrey Zia
February 21, 2001
The mysterious evil forces of the Orient presents: Dragon Pearl.
Fiasco factor: When is the last time you walked into a Chinese restaurant with pink as the main color? I don't mean an off-red type of pink, but low-budget porn type of pink. I also like the floor-to-ceiling mirrors that line the walls. Along with the color scheme, I really wonder what kind of establishment inspired the interior design. Another item of note: have you ever wondered who makes the little plastic cups of mustard and duck sauce that comes with Chinese food? I had the displeasure of find out just how simply this is done: roughly 1 gallon of mustard in a tub, a box of empty plastic containers and lid, an unhappy looking employee, and a very, very long-handled spoon. While I am waiting for my food, the rhythmic sound of mustard being slapped into its proper container soothes the mind. As if all this is not enough, once I got back to the office and started eating, a curious co-worker asked me where I got the food. To my reply he gave a little laugh and said "I tried that place once -- I will never eat there again." Trust me, it is not nearly as funny when the joke is on you. 2/10
Atmosphere: Save for a plastic dragon sitting on the counter, there is very little authentic style with the sketchy pink-and-mirror decor. While the visual aspect is lacking, the olfactory department certainly is not lacking. A greasy reek permeates the air, but little did I realize this is merely a hint of things to come.
Failing all other aspects, they've got the only two things going for them: the name of the restaurant contains two sufficiently oriental themed items: dragon and pearl. 1/10
Overall: Little did I realize that after all the heinousness I witnessed at the restaurant proper, and the smug ridicule of my coworker, the day's torture is not yet complete. At first, the beef and mushroom mix seem passable, but this is one item that definitely does not age like fine wine. About ten minutes later, the dish has cooled off considerably, and the beef/mushroom sauce mix took a serious down turn. There is quite a lot of think brown sauce with what I ordered, and the cooling off has caused it to congeal. Scooping with a fork has the amazing effect of keeping the leading edge of the sauce intact, as if I were breaking off a piece of custard pie. Restaurants of all stripes tend to use a little bit of corn starch/flour to add to the consistency of their sauce/gravy, but Dragon Pearl is the only one place I know that makes a perfect example of how much starch is too much. 1/10
Final verdict: 1/10, and the Dragon Pearl should consider adding a motto: "Sauce so thick, you can cut it with a knife."
