When we left New York, one of the things I missed the most was the ease of getting international cuisine. Food from every culture was at your fingertips.... whether you were in the mood for a Mexican torta, Japanese sushi, or Polish pierogies... it was within a few blocks, a phone call away, or a subway stop or two down the line. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I appreciate
Moutain Palace all the more. Finding authentic Northern Chinese food even in the City would be a challenge – the fact that this rare gem could be located in Southwestern Pennsylvania not far from where we now live makes it even more special.
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Open only on the weekends, this eatery across from the Mirror Lake Camp Grounds offers up a menu with fixture specialties like dumplings, soup, and hot pots. The food is fresh, inexpensive and most importantly...
good. Since going there, I often times find myself craving the "Miracle Dumplings" stuffed with ground beef, ginger, and garlic slathered in their freshly prepared dipping sauce. I look forward to the weekend, just to go and get my dumpling fix!
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One of the fun things is that there is always a weekly special and it's always a treat to try something new. Last week we brought them some cucumbers and zucchini from our garden; this week they created a special inspired by our those ingredients! Above is a picture of the Wrap they made just for us! The cool, summer-time vegetables were mixed with ground beef cooked in a blend of Chinese spices, sliced potatoes, carrots, and onions in this delicious hand-held food.
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The Wrap was accompanied by a soup with meatballs, thinly sliced zucchini, ginger, carrots, and a satisfying broth. Both soup and wrap went for only $4.95! That's an absolutely AMAZING deal! We were honored by this mouthwatering combination.
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One of the things that really defines the place and makes it a destination that we keep coming back to is that it's run by good people. Clay, Lacy, and her mother Yuzhen are all hard-working individuals who were determined to bring a taste of Northern China to the area. They had a dream and struggled to make it happen. I admire that. Opening a restaurant is never easy, but they did it! Lacy works full-time in Pittsburgh during the week as a genetic research scientist and comes out here every weekend as a labor of love, preparing food that's not only tasty, but has health benefits as well! You won't find oily, greasy over-fried, MSG-saturated food here! Everything is fresh and made with love.
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The food and friendly people are not the only reasons to stop in;
Mountain Palace also strives to facilitate a cultural immersion by offering fine porcelain, detailed silk embroideries, and opportunities for learning the language! It's really is a 360 experience and I highly recommend
Mountain Palace!
If you're interested in keeping up with them and their weekly specials,
CLICK HERE to like their Facebook page.
2 comments:
O M G, that sounds amazing and those prices!!!
Oh, looks wonderful Andrew! I'm so glad you found someplace like that!
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