China fare

Chopsticks is good to the last diner

by Margaret LeRoux

Chopsticks 1083 Main Street, Worcester 755-1075 and 798-9750 Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat. noon-11 p.m., Sun. noon-10 p.m. Major credit cards Full bar Handicap accessible

As a college student in the Midwest, I was a waitress at a popular restaurant that was similar to Friendly's or Newport Creamery. Nothing was so infuriating than customers who breezed in moments before we locked the doors. I'd have to smile -- the manager was adamant that the staff be as nice to late-night diners as it was to those who came early in the evening -- when my inclination was to hurry them along so I could go home.

Which brings me to my recent late-night visit to Chopsticks. A group of us were hungry, it was after 9:30 p.m.; and on a week night in Worcester the options are certainly limited. One in our crowd was craving Chinese food, so we set off for Chopsticks a mere 10 minutes before the 10 p.m. closing time. (The restaurant is open till 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.) We were told the kitchen was about to close, but our hopeful expressions must have gotten the best of the manager who relented and led us to a booth. To his credit, he didn't rush us, though it was clear we were the last of the evening's diners. While we studied the menu, another customer came in with a large takeout order. "Now we don't need to feel guilty," one of my companions commented.

It's been a while since I've eaten at Chopsticks, the restaurant that defined Chinese food in Worcester for many years. And I'm glad I went back; there are a few new items on the menu: dim sum ($3.95) among appetizers and a special section for dieters including shrimp with broccoli ($9.55) and chicken with pea pods and straw mushrooms ($8.55). There are also three hot-pot gourmet dishes: beef with eggplant ($9.95), fresh seafood with bean curd ($10.95), and tender beef with scallion and ginger ($9.95). Chopsticks has also expanded its assortment of noodle dishes, with three Shanghai variations.

The list of appetizers hasn't changed; our favorites are still there. We began with crab Rangoon ($3.55) and Peking ravioli ($4.95). They were swiftly brought to the table, hot from the fryer. The crab filling was sweet, and the outside of the six stuffed wontons was crisp. The ravioli were as we remembered -- stuffed with a spicy Chinese pork, steamed, then fried to a dark crisp exterior. I'm fond of the dipping sauce, a salty and sour mixture of soy and rice wine vinegar.

Though we skipped the soup course, we noticed an offering we'd missed on our last visit, Szechwan pickle soup with pork ($4.55), and made a note to try it in the future.

Chopsticks' menu is extensive; I usually hone in on the seafood. This evening a whole sea bass, crispy fried ($19.95), was among the specials. But I opted for Szechwan pepper flower shrimp ($8.75). My companions' choices included moo shi pork, Peking style ($7.05); lemon chicken ($8.55); and Shanghai noodles with mixed vegetables and meat ($8.25). Steamed rice is not included with meals, but for 60 cents you'll receive a generous serving.

We were all pleased with our choices. Though Chopsticks doesn't challenge your taste buds, the food is freshly prepared. There was no oily heaviness to any of our dishes.

I enjoyed the fragrance of the pepper flower shrimp. The platter of medium-size shellfish was fried with onions and peppers in a lightly tangy sauce seasoned with Szechwan peppercorns. These are not actually peppers, but a red berry with a black inner seed and a distinctive aroma.

Peking style means spicy for moo shi pork, and the pepperhead among us was satisfied. He generously shared the stack of rice pancakes, which we smeared with hoi sin sauce, spooned on the moo shi pork (a mixture of shredded pork, onions, and bean sprouts), and then rolled up.

The lemon chicken provided a cooling counterpoint to the moo shi pork. Here, chicken breast was cubed, dipped in batter, and fried, then teamed with broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and peppers in a sprightly lemon sauce that included bits of lemon. I kept going back to the platter for more.

The Shanghai noodles were a bed of crispy fried fine noodles, topped with a generous and colorful assortment of vegetables (mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and crisp pea pods) and pieces of stir-fried beef, chicken, and shrimp. We all sampled from this platter, and there still was enough to take home.

The service was swift, though we weren't rushed. Nevertheless, it was clear most Chopsticks customers are not late-night diners. Our bill came to $52.82 before tip.