Dragon Palace

Dragon Palace is the kind of place where the service is friendly, the food is reasonably priced and tasty, and you leave feeling like you got your money's worth. The wait staff is very attentive, and if you pick around your water chestnuts, it's likely that if you order the dish again the waiter will remember and tell the chef to leave them out. Dragon Palace is like the "Cheers" of Chinese restaurants. 

The decor is reminiscent of a hotel circa 1970. The long window shades are sea-foam green and the wallpaper is pastel pink and green. Children tend to congregate at the aquarium by the front door and watch the fish while the adults chow down. 

It's hard to find a menu item at Dragon Palace that costs more than $12. The Chef's Specialties include the spicy General Tso's shrimp, beef with scallops on a sizzling plate, pork ribs with pepper-salt, tangerine beef and the classic sesame chicken.

Entrees are served with steamed or fried rice. Meals are large enough to share, especially if you start off with a hot and sour soup or an egg roll appetizer. 

Lunch specials are $4.50 and Take-Out Only Dinner Specials are $4.95. The $5 and under lunch prices cause somewhat of a stir, as you might imagine, making the shared parking lot overloaded at lunchtime. The parking lot is shared with Kaido Japanese Restaurant, a convenient store and a donut shop, so if you can park elsewhere you might have less of headache on your lunch break. Parking for dinner is usually easy, especially on week nights.

Vegetarians can choose between 13 meat-free dishes, including the spicy eggplant in garlic sauce, baby bok choy, dry sauteed string beans, moo shu vegetable, sauteed broccoli and spicy bean curd family style. Vegetarian dishes are even less expensive, averaging in at about $6. 

From the delicious lunch and dinner specials to choose from, patrons love the Kung Pao chicken, the Szechwan beef bowl, the beef with broccoli and the crisp shrimp chow mein. 

HelloSantaMonica Tip: You can wash down your meal with soft drinks, water or tea, but if you're looking for alcohol there's none to be had. Dragon Palace prides itself on serving up quick, tasty food at an excitingly affordable price. 

- by Jessica Bates, Santa Monica Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Jessica Bates

Jessica is a freelance journalist residing in lovely southern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in English and journalism. She writes for a green living publication, which she thoroughly enjoys. Once upon a time she was an editorial board member for Steel Toe Books choosing poetry manuscripts for publication.